Following in the footsteps of dueling documentaries like Fyre and Fyre Fraud, Netflix has dropped a teaser for its new samurai series. At first look, it bears a resemblance to Shōgun, with a sprinkle of Squid Game dynamics. Inspired by Shogo Imamura’s Ikusagami novels and manga, Last Samurai Standing is set in the 19th century and revolves around a samurai contest where hundreds of fighters battle for a monetary reward, scoring one point for each opponent they defeat. Diverging from Shōgun, this series dives deeper into action, boasting top-tier samurai swordplay. Produced by a team of 1,000, it aims to “present some of the most authentic and intense action sequences ever produced for Japanese television.” The teaser highlights the promised samurai combat, culminating in a shot of gleaming, clashing swords that will hopefully captivate Netflix viewers and make them forget about another popular Japanese historical series that recently dominated the Emmys.

Here’s the plot breakdown:

Taking place in the late 19th century during the Meiji period, Last Samurai Standing thrusts its audience into a fierce survival game. As dusk falls, 292 warriors, including protagonist Shujiro Saga (played by Junichi Okada), converge at Kyoto’s Tenryuji Temple. Enticed by the chance to win a substantial cash prize, each warrior wears a single wooden tag. The participants must snatch their competitors’ tags and make a dash to Tokyo to claim their victory. When the battle commences, the temple becomes a battleground of intense combat, with only one emerging as the victor.

Last Samurai Standing is set to premiere on November 13, 2025, exclusively on Netflix.