Unpacking the Relationship Between Anime and Its Black Fans
Twitter
0 comments
Anime is where fantastical worlds exist, heroes grow and become successful in the face of adversity, and those meant for greatness unlock amazing powers. These epic journeys and escapism have connected with many American fans since the genre’s arrival to the US in the 1960s. This is especially true for Black anime fans.
Our existence consists of witnessing and experiencing constant discrimination from multiple sources while still trying to persevere. Anime offers solace from the real world for many Black nerds or “Blerds” like myself. And there’s a symbiotic relationship between Black fans/cultures and anime, with both imprinting on each other in interesting ways.
Image from Yasuke Series on Netflix (Image: Netflix)
To sign up for our daily newsletter covering the latest news, features and reviews, head HERE. For a running feed of all our stories, follow us on Twitter HERE. Or you can bookmark the Gizmodo Australia homepage to visit whenever you need a news fix.
The new Netflix show Yasuke chronicles the life of the African Samurai after his tenure with the Nobunaga clan. The show starts years after the death of Lord Nobunaga. Yasuke (Lakeith Stanfield) lives in a local village and works as a boatman. At the core of the story, Yasuke is a man who feels disconnected from his former life a life he used to take pride in serving Lord Nobunaga. The warrior held high rank and was respected by his peers despite being an outsider.
Netflix’s anime selection is huge and growing by the day. One new original project in particular Yasuke, created by LeSean Thomas and starring LaKeith Stanfield tells a true story but uses some truly fantastical elements to do it. io9 recently spoke to head writer Nick Jones Jr. about his journey to becoming a writer, the worldbuilding process, and the future of the series.