Cannon Busters creator LaSean Thomas and Netflix, I thought of the scene in
Moonlight where Mahershala Ali’s Juan tells young Chiron that there will always be Black people everywhere, and because of that, nothing is impossible or beyond him.
Yasuke, which stars LaKeith Stanfield as the first Black samurai,
feels like an embodiment of that statement even in feudal Japan, there is a warrior who looks like Chiron. The series introduces audiences to an unapologetically Black protagonist whose history and personality hearkens to the expansive multiplicity of the Black experience as a whole.
It’s just as significant that this story has manifested through anime. Japan’s animated exports are beloved by Black audiences, but only a precious few series and films that portray Black people or Black life have been able to avoid regressive characterizations. As a Black-led Japanese anime production focused on a multi-dimensional, drawn-from-history protagonist,
Yasuke: Netflix Shares Anime Theme from Flying Lotus, Thundercat
Posted on
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
(C) 2021 by Rych McCain, All Rights Reserved. No part of this column maybe reprinted, re-posted or duplicated without written permission from Rych McCain Media/Syndication. Violation is subject to applicable lawsThis blog is ranked #9 in the Top 20 Hollywood Blogs from the massive worldwide data base of FeedSpot.com YASUKE
Yasuke places the titular Yasuke – Japan s most famous and mysterious Black samurai – into a colorful world full of magic, technology, and best of all, giant mechs. Ahead of
Yasuke s late April premiere, Mercedez Clewis interviewed LeSean about the six-part series, as well as his thoughts on anime for fans of the genre and the potential for new viewers to the medium.
So I have a background in history and I ve known about Yasuke [the historical figure] for quite some time. But I m really interested in when you first learned about Yasuke.
I learned about Yasuke about twelve years ago. I got a hold of PDFs, files, and images online about a children s book called
Netflix Anime Show Yasuke s First Trailer Delivers Samurai, Magic, And Monsters
LaKeith Stanfield stars in the new series, which releases on April 29.
The new trailer for the Netflix anime show Yasuke has been released. The series stars LaKeith Stanfield, and it releases on April 29.
The show is loosely based on the true story of Yasuke, a warrior of African descent who became renowned in medieval Japan. Trailer shows Yasuke arriving in Japan as a servant, and entering the service of Lord Nobunaga as a samurai. The series is taking a fantasy-based approach to the story, with magic, monsters, and mecha alongside plenty of sword action check it out below: