Shujiro Saga from Last Samurai Standing holding his sword
By
Vanessa Piña
Published 18 minutes ago
Vanessa Piña has been an anime writer at ScreenRant since 2024. She is freelance writer who worked as a copywriter and proofreader before deciding to write for her favorite series as an anime journalist. At ScreenRant, she focuses on timely coverage of the latest anime releases and updates on popular franchises.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recapNumerous fans considered it virtually impossible to create good live-action adaptations of anime and manga. While this popular belief has improved recently thanks to popular titles like Rurouni Kenshin and One Piece, Netflix's latest hit, Last Samurai Standing, just proved that successful live-action adaptations don't only come from renowned manga, but obscure series can also become global sensations.
Most viewers were unaware that Last Samurai Standing was based on a manga, as it has been compared to series like Squid Game and Shogun, which became worldwide hits as original stories. However, it's precisely its manga influence that has propelled Last Samurai Standing to the top, proving future productions must learn from it.
Netflix's Last Samurai Standing Is the Perfect Blueprint of How To Bring Manga to Life
Shujiro Saga in the Last Samurai Standing manga
Last Samurai Standing, or Ikusagami, which means "God of War," is a samurai battle royale set in the Meiji era, which was originally published as a novel by Shogo Imamura and later adapted into a manga. Since only three of the six volumes of the manga are currently available in English, the manga hasn't yet achieved great popularity in the West.
Netflix's The Last Samurai Standing successfully captures the charm of the manga, which is the swordsmanship and the characters' growth as they strive to survive the death game. The swordsmanship was carefully choreographed in a way that feels natural instead of like superpowers, maintaining the down-to-earth nature of the series as a representation of a historical period.
According to Buzzfeed, Junichi Okada wanted to create a sense of realism, avoiding the use of CGI as much as possible. This commitment to putting their heart into every aspect of the production, from the photography to the action, while maintaining the essence of the manga characters, is what helped Last Samurai Standing connect with viewers around the world.
Last Samurai Standing Is a Great Live-Action Despite Being Different From The Manga
Cover from the Last Samurai Standing manga
While changes in live-action adaptations often unsettle fans, in The Last Samurai Standing, the differences don't diminish the enjoyment of the story. Unlike the manga, where Shujiro's circumstances and the reason for his need for money are revealed after the start of Kodoku, the live-action adaptation immediately hits viewers with the harsh living conditions of the post-Meiji Restoration period.
This change makes it easier for viewers to empathize with the characters and adds more tension to the earlier battles, as they already know what the characters have to lose. Furthermore, some characters were unexpectedly gifted a new conflict, introducing changes such as Shujiro's trauma and Tsuge Kyojin's revelation, which will play a major role in Last Samurai Standing Season 2.
What makes Last Samurai Standing an exceptional live-action adaptation is how it does justice to the story, unfolding the character's inner thoughts and slowly revealing the mysteries behind the very nature of the Kodoku game without being a copycat from the manga. Nevertheless, Last Samurai Standing has demonstrated manga's potential to captivate fans, raising the bar for future live-action adaptations.
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Last Samurai Standing
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-MA Action & Adventure Drama Release Date November 13, 2025 Network Netflix Directors Michihito Fujii Writers Shogo ImamuraCast
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Junichi Okada
Shujiro Saga
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Yumia Fujisaki
Futaba Katsuki
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