Yasuke (anime)

Yasuke is an anime Netflix Original series with animation done by studio MAPPA. It's based on Yasuke, a historical samurai of African origin who fought for Nobunaga Oda.

Created & Directed by LeSean Thomas (The Boondocks, Cannon Busters), who is also serving as Executive Producer. Grammy nominee Flying Lotus will compose the music and be an Executive Producer on the show. Lakeith Stanfield (Atlanta, Sorry to Bother You) will be the voice of the protagonist “Yasuke”. Yasuke is streaming on Netflix since April 29, 2021. According to Flying Lotus, there are big plans for Yasuke and season 1 was just the introduction to the world.

Synopsis
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.

About
Yasuke is based on real life samurai Yasuke from African origin who served as a retainer under Nobunaga Oda and is believed to be the first African that Nobunaga had ever seen. Yasuke arrived in 1579 in Japan, in service as bodyguard of Italian Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano during the Nanban trade. When Nobunaga first saw him, he thought he was inked and ordered to strip him from the waist up and scrub him. Realizing his skin was indeed black, Nobunaga took an interest in Yasuke and liked to talk with him. Eventually Yasuke became Nobunaga retainer and participated in the Battle of Tenmokuzan. Yasuke helped fight the Mitsuhide Akechi forces, when Nobunaga was attacked and forced to commit seppuku in Honnō-ji in Kyoto. After Nobunaga's death, he joined his son Nobutada Oda and kept fighting, but was captured. As he wasn't Japanese, Akechi didn't kill him, but send him to the Christian church in Kyoto, the Nanbanji. However, there is some doubt regarding the credibility of this fate.

Staff

 * Creator & Director: LeSean Thomas
 * Executive Producer & Music: Flying Lotus
 * Character Design: Takeshi Koike
 * Animation Work: MAPPA
 * Chief Animation Director: Satoshi Iwataki
 * Chief Technical Director: Takeru Sato
 * Sub-Character Design: Kenichi Shima
 * World Art Design: Minoru Nishida
 * Art Direction: Junichi Higashi
 * 3D CG Direction: Yuki Nomoto
 * Photography Direction: Hyo Gyu Park
 * Color Key Artist: Azusa Sasaki
 * Editing: Mutsumi Takemiya

Cast
Japanese Cast = English Cast =
 * Jun Soejima as Yasuke
 * Takehiro Hira as Nobunaga Oda
 * Kiko Tamura as Saki
 * Yoshiko Sakakibara as Dark Lord
 * Fusako Urabe as Natsumaru
 * Shigeru Ushiyama as Abraham
 * Yu Kamio as Morisuke
 * Eri Kitamura as Ishikawa
 * Kenji Kitamura as Achoja
 * Shunsuke Kubozuka as Haruto
 * Hiroki Nanami as Nikiita
 * Rie Tanaka as Ichika
 * Lakeith Stanfield as Yasuke
 * Takehiro Hira as Nobunaga Oda
 * Maya Tanida as Saki
 * Amy Hill as Dark Lord
 * Ming-Na Wen as Natsumaru
 * Don Donahue as Abraham
 * Paul Morisuke as Morisuke
 * Dia Frampton as Ishikawa
 * William Christopher Stephens as Achoja
 * Darren Criss as Haruto
 * Julie Marcus as Nikiita
 * Gwendoline Yeo as Ichika
 * Emily Woo Zeller as Kurosaka

Music

 * Opening Theme: "Black Gold" by Thundercat
 * Ending Theme: "Between Memories" by Niki Randa