There is a type of anime that I absolutely adore: They’re based on factual historical references and they don’t have a massive number of episodes. Today Netflix announced that their upcoming fantasy-history anime Yasuke will have six episodes and will be hitting its service worldwide on 29 April 2021. The series is being animated by the same studio that worked on Jujutsu Kaisen, MAPPA, and is created by LeSean Thomas of The Boondocks fame.
Yasuke was an African man who served under Oda Nobunaga as a samurai during Japan’s Warring States period in the 16th century. The anime will see a stylized version of his life across its six episodes. I say stylized because at the end of the day, it is an anime, and what would anime be without magic and mechs?
Netflix has outlined the story of the six-episode short series:
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. The story of Yasuke, the first African samurai who actually served the legendary Oda Nobunaga, will be released to the world.
Yasuke is slated to start on Netflix on 29 April 2021. If you like history and anime, this is definitely going to be a series that you’ll probably enjoy. I’m super excited about this!