Does Last Samurai Standing draw inspiration from a book? Details from the Netflix series explored

Last Samurai Standing dropped on Netflix on November 13, 2025, and pulled viewers straight into Japan’s turmoil during the late 1800s.

The country is changing rapidly, old-school ways are fading, samurai are on their way out, and everything is up in the air. Right in the middle of this is Shujiro Saga. He used to be a samurai; now he is disgraced and stuck in a showdown called Kodoku. It is a brutal, bloody contest where only the toughest walk out alive.

Last Samurai Standing thoroughly explores the concepts of honor, fate, and the meaning of fighting for one’s place when the world is drastically changing. A lot of real history is indeed interwoven. Still, the storyline itself is entirely fictional, drawing only a spark from the actual chaos and transformation Japan was undergoing at the time.

Last Samurai Standing is not merely a direct history lesson. It combines real events with a hefty dose of imagination, developing a fictional narrative against the Meiji period.

Although the series mixes reality with fiction for the sake of drama, the question remains: what is the source of its inspiration? Is it the vastness of history that it focuses on, or a narrow real-world basis that it rests on? That struggle between historical reference and imaginative freedom is crucial to interpreting the piece, and here is what we know.

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Is Last Samurai Standing based on a book?

Yes, Last Samurai Standing is based on the hit historical fiction novel Ikusagami by Shogo Imamura, who won the Naoki Prize. The story first appeared in 2022, serialized in the Japanese seinen manga magazine Morning, and was later compiled into four volumes.

Netflix adapted it into a live-action series that same year. Imamura backed the project and even said he liked how the adaptation elevated the suspense and brought a new kind of cinematic thrill not found in the book.

The series stays true to the main plot and themes of Ikusagami, while also taking creative detours. Some storylines are tweaked for extra suspense and excitement. The live-action version blends respect for the original with fresh ideas, aiming to pull in longtime fans as well as newcomers.

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Creative liberties and accuracy

Last Samurai Standing starts with the novel Ikusagami, but it doesn’t stick to the original word-for-word. Some details change to heighten the drama and enhance the visuals on screen.

At its core, both the novel and the show spin a made-up story about a brutal contest called Kodoku, where 293 samurai fight until there’s only one left. None of this actually happened in real life. Still, the story takes place during the real Meiji Restoration, around 1878, when Japan was undergoing revolution. The old ways of the samurai were fading, and the country was moving toward modern life.

The creators of the show mixed real history with fiction in a way that feels seamless. They brought in actual figures like General Toshiyoshi Kawaji, Ōkubo Toshimichi, and Baron Maejima Hisoka to anchor the story in real politics and society. But when it comes to the characters’ private lives and the brutal world of Kodoku, that’s all creative license.

They wanted to use the samurai’s story to dig into bigger ideas, not just run through a list of historical events.

Last Samurai Standing explores the push and pull between old traditions and new ideas in the Meiji era, but it doesn’t stop there. You get caught up in the survival drama, which keeps viewers hooked. The director even pointed out that the story focuses on fate, beliefs, and just getting through tough times, which resonated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Historical inspiration and differences

The Meiji era of Japan, which lasted until the end of the 19th century, serves as the backdrop for this narrative. The country was undergoing radical transformations: gradually discarding the ancient Edo period, displacing the samurai, and rapidly moving toward modern life in politics, society, and the military.

These developments coincided with real events like the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877, where Saigō Takamori, along with thousands of samurai, fought the last major battle against the government. History books cover that rebellion in detail, showing how the old ways were fading.

But Last Samurai Standing does not recount battles, nor does it dwell on any particular event. Instead, it captures the essence of the time: loss, chaos, confusion, and the feeling that the samurai’s entire world had been taken away.

The 2003 film The Last Samurai drew inspiration from real figures like Saigō Takamori and events such as the Satsuma Rebellion, but Last Samurai Standing takes a different path.

This story, based on the novel Ikusagami, is pure historical fiction. The Kodoku contest at the heart of it all is made up. There’s no record of it in actual history. Still, it works as a powerful symbol for the tough fight to survive during Japan’s whirlwind of change.

Shujiro Saga, the main character, isn’t pulled from history either. He was created specifically for the novel and the show, giving a personal edge to all those big historical and cultural shifts.