Welcome back to Hidden Gems. This week, we recommend the mini-documentary series that was released by Netflix, back in February – ‘Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan‘. While the docuseries managed to get some media traction early in this year, it quickly got forgotten under the onslaught of daily content release on OTT platforms/(and not just by Netflix). We are here to tell you why guys why you should check it out.
First, it is a highly accurate reenaction about feudal-era Japan, during the years 1551 to 1616. These aforementioned set of dates were also the final phase of the Sengoku period AKA The Age of Warring States, mainly during the Azuchi–Momoyama period. The story follows several powerful Japanese warlords AKA daimyo, who clashed in their dream of unifying Japan. So this series is perfect for history buffs.
Second, this documentary portrays the true relationship between samurai and their lords AKA the daimyo (who the samurai serve), while shedding light on the atrocities committed by both in the name of the greater good. The entire world (not including Japan) has a very skewed view of samurai, and ‘Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan’ will help Netflix subscribers to get rid of their preconceived notions.
Thirdly, the documentary series is a show about a war that features samurai and ninja. This setting is extremely attractive to a wide variety of audience members including, but not limited to anime lovers, war film buffs, history buffs (as mentioned earlier), realistic action (meaning with blood, gore and all that entails) and drama. So we suggest you guys give the six-part miniseries a try.
As mentioned, ‘Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan’ is currently streaming on Netflix.