LayarHijau – Netflix has officially renewed the Japanese series Last Samurai Standing for a second season. The confirmation was announced on Friday in Japan, after the Meiji-era survival drama emerged as one of the platform’s most successful non-English titles worldwide.
Since its release, the series has dominated Netflix’s Global Top 10 chart for non-English series and secured a Top 10 position in 88 countries. In Japan, Last Samurai Standing remained at number one for four consecutive weeks, cementing its status as one of the most talked-about domestic productions of the year.
The show has also earned international critical recognition. Last Samurai Standing became the first fully Japanese production to receive a Critics’ Choice Awards nomination in the Best Foreign Language Series category. As of this week, it continues to hold a perfect 100 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Directed by Michihito Fujii, the series is led by Junichi Okada, who takes on multiple roles as lead actor, producer, and action choreographer. The drama is adapted from Shogo Imamura’s acclaimed period novel Ikusagami, which won the prestigious Naoki Prize in 2021. The story combines large-scale, stylized combat with a high-stakes survival game, supported by an expansive ensemble cast.
Ahead of the season one premiere, Okada had already suggested that the story could continue, while also hinting at the potential introduction of more spiritual or supernatural elements drawn from the original novel. He noted that while the first season centered on the survival game itself, it also laid the groundwork for divine or superhuman forces through rituals such as the kagura dance.
Following the renewal announcement, Okada expressed his excitement about returning to the series. He said he was pleased that Last Samurai Standing resonated with audiences around the world and confirmed that preparations are underway to make the second season even more dynamic and action-driven.
Fujii echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that the strong response from international viewers played a major role in securing the continuation. The director described feeling both relieved and energized by the renewal, adding that season two is expected to be larger in scale and ambition than its predecessor.
Set in the late 19th century during Japan’s Meiji period, Last Samurai Standing begins at Kyoto’s Tenryuji Temple, where 292 samurai are lured into a deadly competition with the promise of a 100 billion yen reward. Okada stars as Shujiro Saga, a warrior motivated by the need to provide for his sick wife and child.
The cast also includes Yumia Fujisaki, Kaya Kiyohara, Masahiro Higashide, Shota Sometani, Taichi Saotome, Yuya Endo, Takayuki Yamada, Riho Yoshioka, Kazunari Ninomiya, Hiroshi Tamaki, and Hideaki Ito. Several episodes of the first season were directed by Kento Yamaguchi and Toru Yamamoto, with Kosuke Oshida serving as producer.
Netflix has yet to announce when production on season two will begin or when the new episodes are expected to premiere.
