Shadows of the Ten Ninja, an ambitious period action-adventure series from TV Asahi, will stream on Netflix around the world.
Titled Sanada Juyushi in Japan, this ninja action-adventure series featuring AI, VFX, and CG technology is billed as TV Asahi’s most ambitious original production to date. It premieres in Japan in October in a Friday night slot on TV Asahi. Netflix will stream the series around the world.
Filmed in Kyoto, the series is set 14 years after the 1600 battle of Sekigahara, following a band of legendary ninja warriors who unite behind the real-life samurai general Sanada Yukimura to rise up against Tokugawa Ieyasu, a ruler of Japan.
Hikaru Iwamoto, a member of Snow Man, one of Japan’s most popular idol groups and a one-time SASUKE (Ninja Warrior) contestant, leads the cast.
Ikuhide Yokochi, general producer at TV Asahi, said, “Shadows of the Ten Ninja is TV Asahi’s flagship title for Japanese ninja entertainment. We’ve taken a beloved, traditional story rooted in Japanese history and reshaped it for today’s audiences, bringing in the latest in action filmmaking. At its core is a story about standing up to overwhelming power: Sanada Yukimura, a brilliant tactician, and his ten warrior companions rise up against Tokugawa Ieyasu, a man who held even greater power than the shogun himself. Shot on a large scale in Kyoto—a city that still preserves the streets of old Japan—with a compelling cast, the series pushes the boundaries of visual storytelling with AI and VFX technology, blending real sword-fighting performed by Hikaru Iwamoto and his fellow cast members with cutting-edge digital techniques to create a viewing experience unlike anything seen before. This series brings together TV Asahi’s spirit of innovation, the tradition of Japanese period drama, and the latest in visual technology—ninja entertainment made for the world.”
Rie Sawaoka, director of content at Netflix in Japan, stated, “Shadows of the Ten Ninja delivers powerful action alongside a story world that draws viewers in deeply. Netflix has distributed TV Asahi titles to audiences around the world before, but with this series we’re going further, producing subtitles in multiple languages along with English and Spanish dubbed versions, and releasing it globally. We’re delighted to bring this title to our members in more than 190 countries and regions.”
