Netflix's Yasuke Confirms Release Date with First Look

Netflix has confirmed the release date for Yasuke with its very first look! Netflix began a [...]

By Nick Valdez

Netflix has confirmed the release date for Yasuke with its very first look! Netflix began a greater expansion into the world of licensing and original anime production last year, and one of the more interesting projects was a new series in the works from Cannon Busters creator LeSean Thomas. This new series was set to tell the story of a legendary samurai of African descent, Yasuke, with Atlanta and Judas and the Black Messiah star LaKeith Stanfield as the voice behind the titular Yasuke. Now Netflix has confirmed this new anime series is coming our way later this April.

Netflix has confirmed Yasuke will be making its premiere on April 29th this year, and the series will be running for six episodes overall. LeSean Thomas will be serving as the producer and director for Studio MAPPA (Attack on Titan's final season, Jujutsu Kaisen) with designs from Takeshi Koike (Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine), and music composed by Grammy Award-nominated artist Flying Lotus.

Netflix officially describes Yasuke as such, "In a war-torn feudal Japan filled with mechs and magic, 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."

LeSean Thomas had this to say about working on Yasuke, "Here is a serendipitous nature about this project, how an African-American man goes to Japan to live and work amongst the very best in Japanese anime to create an anime about an African who goes to Japan to live amongst the Japanese elite and become a warrior. Part of me deep down feels I was meant to create this adventure series with MAPPA, Flying Lotus, LaKeith & the rest of this talented team."

Continuing further Thomas stated the following, "Yasuke is a fascinating, mysterious figure in Japanese history that's drawn a growing interest in today's media over the decades. I first learned of Yasuke's role in Japanese history over a decade or so. The children's book, Kuro-suke by Kurusu Yoshio, featured images that piqued my curiosity. To eventually learn that he wasn't just a fictional character, but a real person, was exciting material for an adventure story. I'm so excited for both longtime fans and newcomers to enjoy our reimagined take on this historical figure."

What do you think of Yasuke so far? Will you be checking it out when it releases on Netflix later this April? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or you can even reach out to me directly about all things animated and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

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