It’s like a squid game, only with samurai

Season 2 of Korean deadly survival drama has been viewed more than 126 million times in just 11 days squid game is an undeniable global hit. But before that it was Japan virtual monopoly About the genre. That’s not surprising birthplace battle royale Seriously trying to regain the crown of a show about “a group of people competing in a deadly competition.”

Japan’s latest attempt was released on Netflix on November 13, The last warrior stands, rather than trying to improve winning formula of squid game, Basically transplanting its premise to 19th century Japan. What was the result? Let’s take a look.

Samurai version of the squid game

After the feudal system and samurai class were abolished in the early Meiji period, many former samurai struggled to survive in a modern world that abandoned their years of loyal service. In real life, this was one of the catalysts for the Satsuma Rebellion, the Samurai’s final stand without Tom Cruise.

However, in the Netflix series, the story centers on a mysterious mastermind who brings together disaffected warriors from across Japan and pits them against each other in a deadly competition of martial arts skills.

something to place the last samurai standing right next to squid game, Watch over its shoulder and copy its homework. First, there’s money involved: The winner of the “Kodoku” game will receive 100,000 yen. As a rough estimate, this is equivalent to $1.5 million in modern currency.

In addition, there are wealthy elites drinking expensive drinks, making bets, and watching smugly as snipers kill contestants who break the rules. For example, everyone is given a wooden name tag, each tag is worth one point, and if you lose the tag for more than 10 seconds, you will suffer fatal lead poisoning in your brain or heart.

Additionally, to win the race, you must travel from Kyoto to Tokyo through checkpoints, which are only accessible through extra points. You can probably guess how contestants are supposed to get them. By this time, army snipers may be wearing strange masks because denial is useless. squid game inspiration.

Embrace the spectacle

if you tell the last samurai standing That This is a plagiarism squid game, It tells you to stay quiet and focus on the amazing moves (more on that later). If you point out that the series seems somehow more historically inaccurate than the last samurai, It’ll tell you to stop talking and watch a legendary swordmaster slice through 10 enemies like a knife through butter.

have a true sense of self The last samurai standing. It seems very aware that it’s historically inaccurate and riddled with plot holes, but instead of trying desperately to fix that, it accepts the source material’s errors and patches up the more glaring cracks with some of the best TV action you’ve ever seen.

The frantic fight scenes – many of which are shot in sequence – were clearly inspired by anime. The characters move at incredible speeds without the camera seeming to speed up, which is quite a feat. The high-octane action is complemented by gory choices, giving viewers a gloriously brutal display of gratuitous violence that goes beyond just the sword.

the last samurai standing Relies heavily on the anime style of its action and adds more diverse Japanese samurai to the samurai-focused Gothic contestants, from ninja For archers, Monk Holding a naginata, there was even one dressed like a mountain troll and wielding a real Zambato “Killing horse sword.” This is so much fun.

More than just a show to relax your brain

Despite its many flaws and the fact that it clearly spent most of its budget on the operation, the last samurai standing There are indeed many touching and genuinely emotional moments. Each of the main actors has a tragic backstory that sheds light on the lives of people from all walks of life in early modern Japan.

In the past, high-ranking samurai were impoverished by modernization and forced to watch their clan’s storied history end before their eyes because someone, somewhere, signed a piece of paper.

And there are the desperate shrine maidens who guard children suffering from cholera, lamenting that they can only offer them prayers that don’t seem to work. Some, mentally broken by the war, try to do good with their prize money to justify taking up the sword again. The show’s six episodes are filled with so much human drama, and not one of them feels forced or insincere.

the last samurai standing The cartoony yet gory action and colorful characters are sure to draw you in, but it’ll keep you watching because there’s always more to come with each episode. Sometimes it’s a heartbreaking character backstory. Other times, it’s just a feeling and the person behind it the last samurai standing My love for this project is obvious and contagious.

By the end of the first episode, you’ll find yourself completely involved in this ridiculously violent festival, having tons of fun without even thinking about it Squid game.

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