YASUKE SEASON 1:
Created by LeSean Thomas and animated by Japanese animation studio MAPPA, “Yasuke” is an original net animation anime series strongly based on the historical figure of the same name, a warrior of African descent who served under Japanese daimyo Oda Nobunaga during the Sengoku period of samurai conflict in 16th century Japan and made its debut on Thursday, April 29, 2021, on Netflix.
The show is very loosely based on Yasuke, who served Oda Nobunaga, the “Great Unifier” of Japan, as a samurai in the 16th century.
The show begins near the end of the real samurai’s recorded history: Records state that Yasuke was captured shortly after the defeat of Nobunaga’s forces and his ultimate fate is unclear; in the Netflix show, Yasuke (voiced by LaKeith Stanfield) eventually escapes and spends the later part of his life as a peaceful boatman haunted by dreams of his past. A handful of flashbacks in the show’s early episodes outline the key events of Yasuke’s time as a samurai, but the vast majority of the show hinges on an original plot that takes place years after the real-world story of Yasuke concluded. This version of Yasuke exists in an alternate reality full of magic, mechas, and other fantastical elements that are jammed into an otherwise fairly grounded version of Japan with seemingly no thought given to narrative cohesion.
“Animation is always the medium where you can do things that real people can’t do,” Thomas told TIME. In the show, there are plenty of giant robots, magical beasts, and otherworldly fight sequences involving supernatural powers. But there are also scenes inspired by events recorded about the African samurai’s life.
Where can I watch “Yasuke”?
Exclusively available for streaming only on Netflix.