The Last Samurai Standing speaks. AND: A very international news desk
I have been hugely entertained in recent days by new Netflix drama Last Samurai Standing. It is unashamedly Shōgun meets Squid Game with its premise about formerly sanctioned samurai left without employment. With no other options, they agree(-ish) to take part in a competition which will have only one left standing at the end.
What is especially fascinating about the production is that the series star Junichi Okada is also a producer and the action choreographer on the show. He was interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter about the show, which is based on Shogo Imamura’s 2022 fiction novel, Ikusagami.
Firstly, congratulations on the show! Let’s start with how you got involved with the project.
Well, I have been working on jidaigeki [samurai period dramas], and I had the fortune of being able to work on these, epic projects here in Japan. Netflix approached me about Last Sumurai Standing. When I got the offer, they talked about me being the lead character and they also talked about me being the action choreographer. So, if I were to work on all these elements, I thought that I would love to also be a producer on this project.
Speaking about these three distinct roles you carried out on Last Samurai Standing, what was the challenge of doing all three? And did each job impact the other and in what way?
Having these three roles, [it’s like] having to use three different brains, so it was very difficult in that sense. As a producer, of course, you have to think about the money or the financial aspects, but a producer is someone who usually asks people to do something, and you’re also in a position to stop a certain things. An action choreographer, you can propose or suggest things that you would like to do or you would like to pull off. And as an actor you’re in this position where you try to become this character, [you try to] believe you are that person… you usually don’t have to mind about what’s going on in your surroundings. But having these three tasks, I knew too much about the surroundings, so as an actor it was definitely a difficult situation.
Last Samurai Standing is unique, but it also has these elements of very popular Japanese films and TV shows, like Battle Royale, Shōgun and Alice in Borderland, were you inspired by these other projects?
The easiest way to describe Last Samurai Standing to the global audience, and for them to have a better understanding of our show, is that it is kind of like a mixture of Squid Games and Shōgun. But we’re actually adding more historical elements, and also because it’s a period drama, we’re going to be portraying and focusing on the livelihoods of these characters, their lives or situations, incorporating elements like fireworks, the artist Hokusai, the kagura dance, elements of faith too. Those are the ideas that we are incorporating in our imagery and we really wanted to give more to the storytelling element. We wanted to show more of the characters and we wanted to emphasize the culture of Japan, too. And because this is a Japanese period piece, we wanted to update that genre to introduce it globally.
A Very International News Desk
Dutch historical investigator, author, and reality star Corjan Mol (The Curse of Oak Island) will be transported back in time thanks to AI tech in new show Straten van Toen (Streets of the Past). The show explores the stories of the Netherlands’ most famous streets, squares, and canal sides. This is interesting because the company behind it is Particle6, the company behind AI actor Tilly Norwood. Read: THR
The BBC has apologized for calling Kate Middleton, “Kate Middleton.” The correct title for Kate is “Catherine, Princess of Wales.” The Always Be Watching style guide mandates that she be titled as Katie or, familiarly Big M. Read: BBC
The UK Sky Sports has dumped its female-focused TikTok channel Halo after three days, following backlash with its posts described as “patronising” and “sexist”. Read: Deadline
Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda film has begun production, bringing the iconic video game series to live action for the first time. Read: Polygon
Paramount confirmed the sale of Chilevisión to Vytal Group, a holding company led by Argentine executive Tomás Yankelevich. Jorge Carey, the current president of CNN Chile, will take over as CEO of Chilevisión. Read: C21
US network CBS has unveiled its mid-season schedule, revealing release dates for shows including Harlan Coben’s Final Twist, CIA, and Y: Marshals. Read: thefutoncritic
Meme-ment of zen
Trailer Park
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery debuts on Netflix Dec 12.
Detective Benoit Blanc teams up with an earnest young priest to investigate a perfectly impossible crime at a small-town church with a dark history.
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman returns on Netflix Dec 1 with an interview with Adam Sandler.
HBO Max has released a mid-season trailer for IT: Welcome To Derry.
The Beatles Anthology debuts on Disney+ Nov 26.
After The Fall debuts on Prime Video Nov 20.
That’s the newsletter for today.
Consider becoming a paid supporter of Always Be Watching.
Connect with Dan on Bluesky. Connect with Dan on Letterboxd. Connect with Dan on Linkedin. Email Dan @ alwaysbewatching.com or just reply to this email.
