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Season 1 – Yasuke

Play trailer 2:14 Poster for Season 1 – Yasuke Apr 2021 Action Adventure Fantasy Anime Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
93% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 51% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
In feudal Japan, a samurai warrior of African descent must return to his life of sword and violence in order to protect a mysterious girl from dark forces.
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Yasuke — Season 1

Yasuke — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Anchored by an impressive voice cast led by a solid Lakeith Stanfield, Yasuke's expertly crafted, gorgeously animated blend of fantasy and history is an epic ode to the titular samurai.

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Critics Reviews

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Valerie Complex io9.com 05/04/2021
C
A decent first attempt at continuing the legacy of a historical figure that is too often forgotten. Go to Full Review
Tyler Hersko IndieWire 05/04/2021
C+
If you've seen any recent Marvel or "Star Wars" title, or practically any other mainstream action film in the last decade, you get the idea. It's a shame, because there are glimmers of potential that suggest "Yasuke" could be so much more. Go to Full Review
Nick Schager The Daily Beast 05/01/2021
Mind-meltingly awesome... Go to Full Review
Mariló Delgado Espinof 07/25/2022
3.5/5
Yasuke gets points for daring to cross genres, here we see a feudal Japan filled with fantastical creatures and advanced technology sci-fi. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Collier Jennings But Why Tho? 06/25/2021
9
Yasuke beautifully blends the legend of the first black Samurai with fantasy elements, topped off with a soulful performance from LaKeith Stanfield and stunning animation sequences. Go to Full Review
Chauncey K. Robinson People's World 06/22/2021
C
People who enjoy high action adult animation will like the series, but it will leave those of us seeking more historical depth not completely satisfied. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Rob A @RT51178857 Jul 31 Not a lot of smart people reviewing here. At least this says it's a fantasy about Yasuke, and not a true telling(Looking at you, Ubisoft). No one really knows about him, other than he was retained by Oda Nubanaga, despite what some idiots might say. I've enjoyed it. It has a nice Samurai Champloo feel, with the music blending well with the themes. It's no worse than any other anime of its type, and is entertaining. I t isn't overbearing with its themes, and portrays Yasuke as a flawed hero, not as a superman, relying on his skills and knowledge. I'm digging it; and maybe the agenda-heavy review bombers could lighten up a bit. See more Mr. B @Uijgfcc 01/19/2025 One of the biggest wastes of a budget and a story I have ever seen. Incompetence and short-cutting corners leads what could've been an anime epic about a legendary samurai into a jarring mismatch of the most watered-down paint by numbers story you could ever imagine and the overpopulation of too many ideas and no idea what to do with them. Combine this absolute inability to make an interesting story about a preexisting and already interesting story with some of the worst dialog and plot writing that has existed in the modern era and you have Yasuke. This show literally manages to writes itself into a corner within 3 episodes (circling around leaving the village) and outright lies to itself, its' characters, and its' audience multiple times to try and poorly get out of it. Parts of the animation are pretty good, parts of the performances aren't entirely terrible. Save yourself the time and skip this disgrace to a legend. See more Christopher P @RT33831528 12/03/2023 I was super excited for this show and they went with some future, magic bullshit. Very disappointing See more LacosteTK T @LacosteTK 03/07/2022 Yasuke Has a Great Animation, The Writing Is Fine, It Felt Short And Rushed, Could've Had So Much To Explore And Themes That Are Timeless. The Music Is Perfection, With The Voice Cast. Great Bloody Action Scenes. I Do Recommend It But Don't Expect The Level Of Demon Slayer Quality Level Anime... See more 11/27/2021 I rarely watch anime, but this was an exception. Overall, a good show that I recommend watching. 79% See more 11/26/2021 Honestly, as a so called black man living in america, I couldn't finished watching this. Been watching anime for a long time and seeing an actual black male protagonist with native features was something I've always wanted to see happen. But of course, with a black male protagonist that's outside the norm of the negative stereotypical roles dealing with gangs and crime, etc, there's always a catch. A lot of people complained about the magic, robots and what not, but that didn't bother me as much. But there was other certain elements they love to add when it comes to my people as if we were the originators of it. Though Yasuke wasn't the one being use regarding this certain element(THANK GOD!!!), it still bothered me. Now it makes sense why they decided not to go with a more accurate historic story but with magic and robots, just so they can also have an excuse to add this other element. Was really looking forward to this but now just really disappointed in the direction they decided to go with this. See more Read all reviews
Yasuke — Season 1

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Apr 29, 2021 Ronin When her young daughter is stricken by a mysterious malady, Ichika asks Yasuke to bring them upriver to a doctor, but Yasuke refuses. Details

Season Info

Creator
LeSean Thomas
Executive Producer
LeSean Thomas, Flying Lotus
Network
Netflix
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Anime
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date
Apr 29, 2021