Lakeith Stanfield’s Mystical ‘Yasuke’ Revisits Black History in Feudal Japan
The Netflix anime is based on the real-life Black samurai of 16th-century Japan, though the series incorporates elements of magic and lore to dizzying effect
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On Thursday, Netflix premiered
Yasuke, an anime series about a Black samurai in a strange land. The titular hero, voiced by Lakeith Stanfield, moves through scenes with a certain wooziness. He’s drunk, he’s aged, he’s disillusioned, he’s out of place: He’s a washed-up ronin with colossal stature and dark skin, the rare Black man in feudal Japan.
Electronic musician Flying Lotus draws inspiration from the likes of Vangelis, Isao Tomita and Jean-Michel Jarre in creating the music for the Netflix anime about Japan's only Black samurai.
Flying Lotus gets into the samurai mindset for Yasuke soundtrack japantimes.co.jp - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from japantimes.co.jp Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Synopsis:
Yasuke follows the titular Black samurai Yasuke, a man who was once known as Eusebio Ibrahimo Baloi, a Yao man that most likely hailed from Mozambique. Raised as a Yao servant, Eusebio eventually becomes not only a samurai, but also a right-hand man and trusted confidant to one of Japan s most notable historical figures, Lord Oda Nobunaga.
Yasuke is also the story of Yassan, a day-drinking ronin who, in the wake of his Lord s very untimely death and the defeat of Nobunaga s army, leaves life as a samurai and becomes a boatman…until destiny comes calling in the form of a mother named Ichika and her young daughter Saki. Saki contains immense power inside of her – a power strong enough to change the fate of Japan, which is struggling under the oppressive weight of the Daimyo, Hojo Masako.
Yasuke: Netflix Shares Anime Theme from Flying Lotus, Thundercat
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LeSean Thomas (
Yasuke. Set in alternate fantastical Japan during the feudal era,
Yasuke is the story is about a samurai warrior of African descent who must return to his life of sword and violence in order to protect a mysterious girl from the dark forces. Award-winning actor
LaKeith Stanfield voices Yasuke, the first African Samurai- while Grammy Award-nominated artist and executive producer
Flying Lotus supply the music.
Image: Netflix
With Japanese animation studio MAPPA (
Attack on Titan: The Final Season, Jujutsu Kaisen) handling the 6-episode series with designs from director and animator