The tale is set in a war-torn feudal Japan filled with mechs and magic, and the greatest ronin never known, Yasuke, struggles to maintain a peaceful existence after a past life of violence. But when a local village becomes the center of social upheaval between warring daimyo, Yasuke must take up his sword and transport a mysterious child who is the target of dark forces and bloodthirsty warlords. All of that is found within the first trailer as the audience meets Yasuke, voiced by Academy Award nominee LaKeith Stanfield. Yasuke stands up for others despite being an outsider due to his former status as a slave. The animation looks beautiful — a mix of anime and light tones generally found in Netflix’s animated series in general.
Thomas (“Cannon Busters”) also serves as director and executive producer for the six-episode first season. The series will feature music from Grammy-nominated musician Flying Lotus, who’s also an executive producer alongside Stanfield. The series’ character designs were handled by Takeshi Koike (“Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine”) and animation was handled by acclaimed Japanese studio Mappa (“Jujutsu Kaisen,” “Attack on Titan: The Final Season”). Joining Stanfield in the voice cast are Takehiro Hira, Maya Tanida, Ming-Na Wen, Paul Nakauchi, Darren Criss, Julie Marcus, William Christopher Stephens, Dia Frampton, Don Donahue, Amy Hill, and Noshi Dalal. Though Netflix’s “Yasuke” series will boast plenty of fantastical elements, the titular protagonist is based on a real-world warrior who was active in the late 1500s. The real Yasuke is considered to be the first African samurai in history and served under Oda Nobunaga, Japan’s first “Great Unifier.” “Yasuke” will mark Stanfield’s latest television role, after breaking out in the first two seasons of “Atlanta” years earlier. He most recently appeared in several episodes of “The Eric Andre Show” Season 5 as Andre’s co-host and lent his vocal talents to a handful of episodes on the acclaimed Netflix series “BoJack Horseman.” Stanfield has also appeared in several recent films, including “Knives Out” and “Judas and the Black Messiah,” the latter of which earned him an Academy Award nomination. Watch the full trailer below.
“Yasuke” premieres Friday, August 29 on Netflix. Courtesy of Netflix Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
