Netflix’s upcoming martial arts action series is sure to be the streamer’s next big genre hit. Taking its cues from several major streaming successes and combining the intense thrills of Squid Game with the equally intense drama of Shogun (with even more samurai action thrown in for good measure), the lead star of the upcoming show has now teased what’s to come in this tale of a lone warrior who finds himself fighting for survival like never before. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Japanese boy-band member Junichi Okada, who has since transformed himself into a bankable action star, reveals how he approached the series, which is tantalizingly titled Last Samurai Standing, with the hopes of crafting Netflix’s next global hit.
“I was thinking about how I could deliver this, and what I had in mind was taking traditional elements, the intrinsic parts, the basics [of martial arts], but we encapsulate them in stories and characters for the younger generation. We wanted to look into how people could experience the action.”
Okada, who is on board as actor, producer, and action choreographer, is hoping to bring together old-school-style martial arts action, captivating characters, and a gripping story and lining them up like the knuckles of a well-placed fist. Which is surely a guaranteed way to punch through the streaming algorithm and land in the faces of audiences all over the world.
‘Last Samurai Standing’ Is Due to Hit Netflix on November 13

Netflix

Former member of the boy-band V6, Okada is fast becoming an action hero to watch thanks to his real-lie experience in Japanese and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Jeet Kune Do (the martial art created by action icon Bruce Lee), and the Filipino martial art, Kali. As well as his evident proficiency in martial arts, Okada is a big fan of action, describing himself as a martial arts and movie “geek.” Which should bode well for Last Samurai Standing…
“I am a martial arts geek, or otaku. Ever since I was a child, I wanted to work in movies. I wanted to work in action. I started out as an idol, a pop star, and being in the movies was my dream. Basically, to do that I looked into what Kurosowa did and what he did is he had these people around him to make it authentic, actual martial arts experts, sword fight experts. So to be authentic, I wanted to make sure I had the skills of martial arts. Having that is kind of my weapon, that is my skill.”
Based on the manga series of the same name, Last Samurai Standing is led by Junichi Okada (From Up on Poppy Hill, Tales from Earthsea) as our hero, Shujiro Saga, who must survive the slashing of samurai swords to save his wife and child. Last Samurai Standing is directed by Michihito Fujii (Shoutai, 18×2 Beyond Youthful Days), with the rest of the cast counting Yumia Fujisaki, Kaya Kiyohara, Masahiro Higashide, Shota Sometani, Taichi Saotome, Yuya Endo, Taiiku Okazaki, and Kairi Jo among its ranks. Last Samurai Standing is scheduled to debut on Netflix on Thursday, November 13, 2025, and you can check out the show’s official synopsis below…
One point per life. The curtain rises on an epic battle royale between brave warriors who lived through an uncertain era. In the late 19th century during the Meiji period, 292 warriors, including Shujiro Saga (Junichi Okada), gather at Tenryuji Temple in Kyoto at nightfall, lured by the promise of a huge cash prize. Each given a wooden tag, they join a vicious game in which they must steal the tags of their fellow participants and reach Tokyo to win the prize money. Under the veil of night, the temple grounds are filled with unease and the presence of bloodthirsty warriors. When the signal is given to begin the game, the combatants launch into their relentless battle for survival.

Network

Netflix

Directors

Michihito Fujii

Cast

Junichi Okada

Shujiro Saga

Takayuki Yamada

Futaba Katsuki

Yumia Fujisaki

Iroha Kinugasa

Kaya Kiyohara

Kyojin Tsuge