When people think of Japanese media or culture, they often think of samurai. If you ask someone who does not know much about Japanese films or dramas to name one, samurai or Godzilla will almost certainly be mentioned. The setting is the Tokugawa shogunate, a time when large scale wars had mostly disappeared and the professional purpose of the samurai was beginning to erode. Because foreign exchange was restricted, there were no major wars, and samurai gradually transformed into salaried bureaucrats without real combat experience. As a result, the atmosphere naturally centers on wandering swordsmen and fallen samurai whose identities feel unstable. The series was released in November, so it feels somewhat late to be watching it now. The scale is large, and there is a certain degree of historical realism. Many of the actors are extremely well known in Japan and immediately recognizable. However, throughout the viewing experience, it is difficult not to notice similarities to Squid Game, which was a successful series made in Korea. The core concept is similar, although the narrative format unfolds slightly differently. There is a desperate male protagonist with a sick wife. Once the killing begins, people fight and die with swords and arrows for money. It is undeniably provocative, and works built around such violence tend to draw attention. As in Squid Game, each participant carries personal circumstances, and the story advances as those backstories are revealed. Likewise, individuals who appear to hold higher positions watch the violence from a distance. It is striking how many famous actors appear. Yet for the sake of narrative momentum, realism does not seem to be treated as especially important. That may be one of the strengths of media, but the lack of detail still feels disappointing. The most disappointing part is that after watching only the first episode, I already feel able to predict roughly how the story will unfold. I do not find myself particularly curious about what comes next. Perhaps that reaction is not universal, but that was my experience.