Last Samurai Standing

Last Samurai Standing (Japanese: イクサガミ, Hepburn: Ikusagami; "God of War") is a Japanese manga series adapted from the novel of the same name written by Shogo Imamura and illustrated by Katsumi Tatsuzawa [ja]. It has been serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Morning since December 2022, with its chapters collected in four tankōbon volumes as of May 2024.

Last Samurai Standing
First tankōbon volume cover
イクサガミ (Ikusagami)
Genre	Action[1] Historical[2][3]
Manga
Written by	Shogo Imamura
Illustrated by	Katsumi Tatsuzawa [ja]
Published by	Kodansha
English publisher	NA: Kodansha USA
Imprint	Morning KC
Magazine	Morning
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	December 8, 2022 – present
Volumes	4

A live-action TV series is expected to be released on Netflix in November 2025.

Media

Manga

Originally written by Shogo Imamura, based on his novel Ikusagami, and illustrated by Katsumi Tatsuzawa [ja], Last Samurai Standing began publication in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Morning on December 8, 2022.^[2][3][4] Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on April 21, 2023.^[5] As of May 22, 2024, four volumes have been released.^[6]

In North America, the manga has been licensed by Kodansha USA for release in English.^[7]

Volumes

No.	Release date	ISBN
1	April 21, 2023[8]	978-4-06-531334-3
2	July 21, 2023[9]	978-4-06-532393-9
3	December 21, 2023[10]	978-4-06-534013-4
4	May 22, 2024[6]	978-4-06-535583-1

Live-action drama

Netflix has announced the production of a Last Samurai Standing series, starring Junichi Okada, who also serves as co-executive producer and action choreographer. Michihito Fujii and Kento Yamaguchi are its writer and director, produced by Office Shirous. About his multi-role in the drama, Okada said “When Netflix executive producer Mr. Takahashi reached out to me, I was still acting in historical dramas. Back then, I was already thinking of ways to make this genre a hit, not just in Japan, but all over the world. I saw their potential for action, drama, social commentary, and entertainment, but I knew they could be taken further. That’s when I came across Imamura’s novel. It was written in a way that modern audiences could enjoy, and I was excited about the idea of adapting it”.^[11] The series is scheduled to start streaming in November 2025^[12] with Junichi Okada as protagonist Shujiro Saga; Riho Yoshioka as Shujiro's wife, Shino; Yumia Fujisaki [ja] as Futaba Katsuki; Kaya Kiyohara as Iroha Kinugasa; Taichi Saotome as Shikura Adashino; Yuya Endo as Sansuke Gion; Masahiro Higashide as Kyojin Tsuge; Shota Sometani as Kocha Kamuy; Hiroshi Tamaki as Ukyo Kikuomi; Takayuki Yamada as Jinbe Ando; Kairi Jo as Shinjiro Sayama; Wataru Ichinose [ja] as Raizo Tachibana; Hideaki Itō as Bukotsu Kanjiya; Yasushi Fuchikami [ja] as Sakura; and Enju, played by Kazunari Ninomiya.^[13]

Reception

Aki Nakano of Kodansha Comic Plus finds the Last Samurai Standing manga adaptation of Shōgo Imamura's novel a gruesome, vividly rendered death game set in the chaotic early Meiji period, with a great sense of pacing and mesmerizing characters.^[14] Zen Narita, in a review for Da Vinci News, praised Katsumi Tatsuzawa's manga art, describing them as "moment-to-moment", facial expressions and physical movements of the characters in battle as "dynamic and enjoyable."^[15]