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Yasuke (TV series)

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Yasuke
Promotional poster
GenreAction[1]
Fantasy[1]
Samurai[2]
Created byLeSean Thomas
Original net animation
Directed by
  • LeSean Thomas
  • Takeshi Satou[a]
Written byLeSean Thomas
Nick Jones Jr.
Alex Larsen
Music byFlying Lotus
StudioMAPPA
Licensed byNetflix
ReleasedApril 29, 2021
Episodes6

Yasuke is an upcoming original net animation series loosely based on the historical figure of the same name, a warrior of African descent who served under Japanese daimyo Oda Nobunaga during the Sengoku period of samurai conflict in 16th century Japan. Created by LeSean Thomas and animated by Japanese animation studio MAPPA, the series stars LaKeith Stanfield as the titular character.[3] The series is scheduled for an April 29, 2021 release on Netflix.[4]

Synopsis

In an alternate-reality version of feudal Japan reimagined with magic and advanced technology, a warrior named Yasuke witnessed the fall of Oda Nobunaga in battle against the army of the warlord Yami no Daimyо̄ at Honnō-ji. Twenty years later, Yasuke puts his storied past as a legendary ronin known as the "Black Samurai" behind him and retires as a boatman named Yassan in a remote village. He encounters a singer at a local bar named Ichika and her daughter Saki, a sick girl with mysterious magical powers. After an attack, Yasuke is tasked by Ichika to escort the child to a doctor while finding himself in the middle of a power struggle between rival daimyo as well as dealing with dark supernatural elements as he protects the young child.[1][2][5][6]

Characters

Yasuke (弥助)
Oda Nobunaga
Saki
  • Voiced by: Kiko Tamura (Japanese); Maya Tanida (English)
Natsumaru
  • Voiced by: Fusako Urabe (Japanese); Ming-Na Wen (English)
Ichika
Morisuke
Ishikawa
Abraham
Haruto
  • Voiced by: Shunsuke Kubozuka (Japanese); Darren Criss (English)
Nikita
Achoja
  • Voiced by: Kenji Kitamura (Japanese); William Christopher Stephens (English)
Yami no Daimyо̄

Production

Concept

After the success of his first animated series Cannon Busters with Japanese animation studios Satelight and Yumeta Company, creator LeSean Thomas was approached by Netflix to create future projects for the network. Thomas pitched three ideas to Netflix with one of them being an anime series based the story of Yasuke, regarded as the first foreign born warrior of African descent in Japanese samurai history.[8] According to Thomas, he was inspired to learn more about Yasuke after seeing online images from the children's book Kuro-suke by Kurusu Yoshio. Thomas would eventually pitch the series several years later.

Netflix greenlit the project with Thomas serving as showrunner of the series.[9] Instead of a traditional historical anime series, the story was developed as an reimagined take of feudal Japan set in a world of science fiction and fantasy elements such as magic and mecha.[2] According to Thomas, he felt restricted in the idea of doing a standard biopic and wanted to do a series with a sense of fantasy and romanticism like what was done with other figures in Japanese history.[10] The series was developed with multiple seasons in mind.

Development

First announced in November 2018, Yasuke was developed in Japan by studio MAPPA with Thomas, actor LaKeith Stanfield, and musical artist Steven Ellison a.k.a. Flying Lotus serving as the executive producers of the project. Both Stanfield and Flying Lotus contributed ideas to the project such as Yasuke's backstory involving trauma and mental health, additional characters for the series, and story elements involving the supernatural.[10]

Takeshi Satou is the chief episode director of the series with Satoshi Iwataki as chief animator, Junichi Higashi as art director, Yuki Nomoto as the director of 3DCG, and Hyo-Gyu Park as director of photography. The character designs for the series were created by director and animator Takeshi Koike with Kenichi Shima serving as sub character designer.[11] Recording for the English cast was done at recording studio NYAV Post in New York City.

Music

In addition to serving as an executive producer and as part of the creative team, Flying Lotus also composed the soundtrack for the series.[12] Instead of going for a more straightforward hip hop or jazz focused soundtrack like Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop, Flying Lotus went for an organic take with the music being made in chronological order to reflect the main character's progression in the story.[13]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Credited as Chief Director/Chief Episode Director (演出チーフ).

References

  1. ^ a b c "Yasuke". Netflix. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Redefining What Anime Can Be With 'Yasuke'". Netflix. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  3. ^ "LaKeith Stanfield's Alt-Reality Netflix Anime 'Yasuke' Reveals New Character Art". Collider. March 26, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  4. ^ "NETFLIX'S EPIC YASUKE TRAILER FINDS LAKEITH STANFIELD AS A RELUCTANT RONIN IN MAGIC & MECH-FILLED JAPAN". SyFy. April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  5. ^ "Netflix Reveals AnimeJapan 2021 Lineup: Resident Evil, Yasuke, and More". IGN. March 26, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  6. ^ "Netflix Reveals AnimeJapan 2021 Lineup: Resident Evil, Yasuke, and More". IGN. March 26, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  7. ^ "Yasuke Anime Unveils Japanese Cast With New Teaser". Anime News Network. April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  8. ^ "Director LeSean Thomas' animated journey from the South Bronx to South Korea". The Undefeated. February 5, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  9. ^ "LeSean Thomas: About". Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  10. ^ a b "LaKeith Stanfield becomes Yasuke, the first African samurai, in debut trailer for Netflix anime series". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  11. ^ "Yasuke Anime Reveals Teaser, Visual, More Staff". Anime News Network. April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  12. ^ "FLYING LOTUS SHARES FIRST LOOK AT HIS EXECUTIVE-PRODUCED NETFLIX ANIME SERIES, "YASUKE"". EDM.com. March 13, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  13. ^ "HOW FLYING LOTUS CRAFTED THE SOUNDS OF YASUKE, NETFLIX'S NEW SAMURAI ANIME". The Verge. April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
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