LONDON: Thanks to a scarcity of official records, the story of Yasuke – an African samurai who fought for Japanese daimyo Oda Nobunaga – remains something of a mystery. While the documented history of this mysterious warrior runs to little more than a few entries in the history of feudal Japan, a new anime from Netflix opts for an enthusiastically … liberal … use of artistic license as the basis for a six-part series created by LeSean Thomas (“Black Dynamite,” “Cannon Busters”) and animated by Japanese studio MAPPA.
Yasuke is voiced in the English version by LaKeith Stanfield. Supplied
Still haunted by the assassination of Nobunaga (who was betrayed during the fabled Honnō-ji incident in Kyoto in 1582), one of his former samurai, Yasuke, lives a quiet life as a boatman in a remote village. When Saki, a young girl with mysterious powers, finds herself on the run from supernatural warriors and fiendish warlords, the reluctant hero promises to keep her safe and finds himself drawn into a world of magical battles, gore-heavy duels and warring sorcerers. Yasuke (voiced in the English version by LaKeith Stanfield) is a taciturn hero, and while the story of his journey from slave to samurai – told in flashbacks during the main narrative – is backed up by real-life accounts, the plot of “Yasuke” doesn’t concern itself with such empirical details. Thomas’s alternate take on 16th century Japan includes shapeshifting were-bears, hulking robotic mechs, mutant priests and even a magical shaman.
Yasuke” is a gory, over-the-top action-fest. Supplied
It’s a heady mix, but one that can be a little jarring. For one thing, Yasuke’s skin color causes much consternation among the people he meets – but those same characters don’t even flinch at a quick-talking robot, a 10ft warrior bear or a giant battle between telekinetic sorcerers. And as the story builds towards the final showdown, the main character becomes a mere narrative vehicle, traipsing from one fantastical battle to the next. “Yasuke” is a gory, over-the-top action-fest – but anyone hoping to learn more about a fascinating real-world samurai will find little here to satisfy their appetite.