Swords spark but the pacing perishes
I went in to watch Last Samurai Standing with one desire: well choreographed swordplay. And the series certainly delivered there. Big tick from me.
Also big tick for the death game format. I don't really understand the critique of 'we've seen this before'. I mean, we've seen heaps of spy movies before, but people keep returning to Mission Impossible and James Bond. Don't change a good thing, right? The death game set up is something I enjoy because it immediately introduces high stakes, not because there's anything novel about the trope.
Otherwise, I was pretty underwhelmed by Last Samurai Standing. There are too many characters with back stories, resulting in breadth rather than depth. Back stories should provide a) emotional attachment to a character and b) an explanation for their motivation. I found the former to be superficial at best, and the latter to be often too far-fetched.
So while I didn't mind any of the main characters, I wasn't too fussed about their fates. If I was interested in anyone, it was the Ainu character who received fleeting screen time and no backstory.
That said, this series has overall stellar production quality. There are more than just a few impressive shots, and the colour grading itself is beautiful. I'm curious to see in which direction the second season goes.
Also big tick for the death game format. I don't really understand the critique of 'we've seen this before'. I mean, we've seen heaps of spy movies before, but people keep returning to Mission Impossible and James Bond. Don't change a good thing, right? The death game set up is something I enjoy because it immediately introduces high stakes, not because there's anything novel about the trope.
Otherwise, I was pretty underwhelmed by Last Samurai Standing. There are too many characters with back stories, resulting in breadth rather than depth. Back stories should provide a) emotional attachment to a character and b) an explanation for their motivation. I found the former to be superficial at best, and the latter to be often too far-fetched.
So while I didn't mind any of the main characters, I wasn't too fussed about their fates. If I was interested in anyone, it was the Ainu character who received fleeting screen time and no backstory.
That said, this series has overall stellar production quality. There are more than just a few impressive shots, and the colour grading itself is beautiful. I'm curious to see in which direction the second season goes.
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