It's hard to avoid Squid Game comparisons with Last Samurai Standing , the new action-heavy series based on author Shogo Imamura 's "Ikusagami" novels. Parallels are obvious given the premise: nearly 300 samurai have to survive a long death game for a hefty cash prize, facilitated by a mysterious group of magnates. Leaning on easy shorthand would be a shame, however, for two reasons. On the one hand, Netflix's new action drama has been in development since before Squid Game 's notable debut ; on the other, the two shows are doing very different things.

Squid Game became an international phenomenon in part because of its excellent writing, performances, and set pieces, but also because of the relatability surrounding a debt-drenched, opportunity-lite capitalism. The acti

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