Netflix’s 100% RT ‘Shōgun’ Replacement Becomes Overnight Global Streaming Hit

Shōgun set the world on fire last year upon its premiere and was immediately hailed as one of the best TV dramas of all time. While originally planned as a limited series, the show was such a success that FX renewed it for two more seasons, with the second season expected to be released sometime next year. For fans who are missing Shōgun and awaiting the arrival of new episodes, Netflix has released the perfect replacement for the series in the form of Last Samurai Standing, which is already the most popular TV show on the platform around the world.

Last Samurai Standing is set in 1878, roughly 200 years ahead of when Shōgun takes place. The new six-episode series, which is perfect for binging, follows 292 samurai who gather for a battle royale. The winner takes home a 100 billion yen prize, and at the center of it all is Shujiro Saga (Jun’ichi Okada), a participant who hopes to win the prize to save his sick family. The new series is the perfect mash-up of Hunger Games and Shōgun, with elements of period drama and survival to please fans of multiple genres.

In addition to Jun’ichi Okada as Shujiro Saga, Last Samurai Standing also stars Taichi Saotome as Shikura Adashino, Yumia Fujisaka as Furaba Katsuki, Arata Iura as Toshimichi Okubo, and more. The show was written and created for television by Michihito Fujii, Shogo Imamura, Kento Yamaguchi, and Risa Yashiro. The series currently sits at a perfect 100% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and a nearly flawless 97% on the audience-driven Popcornmeter.

Will There Be Another Season of ‘Last Samurai Standing’?

Netflix has yet to decide the fate of Last Samurai Standing, but the show is not billed as a limited series, so there is potential for future seasons if the streamer deems it to be a worthy investment. There’s potential to take another season of Last Samurai Standing in other directions, too. Netflix could follow Ryan Murphy’s Monster model and have future seasons of the series under a similar guise but different title, taking place in different countries around the world at different times. It could also continue the story directly from the new season of Last Samurai Standing, or tell another Japan-set story deeper in the past or further in the future.

Be sure to watch all episodes of Last Samurai Standing on Netflix and stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates.