Yasuke

Once a feared warrior living a quiet life as a boatman, Yasuke has tried to put violence behind him. When a young girl with strange powers turns up, he agrees to shelter her and protect her from those who want to exploit her. That decision pulls him back into a world of warlords, mercenaries and occult forces, and he has to take up arms again to keep her alive. The series balances tense skirmishes and supernatural threats with moments of personal reflection as Yasuke weighs duty, honor and the possibility of peace.

Yasuke premiered on Netflix in April 2021, created by LeSean Thomas. The animated series blends historical characters like Oda Nobunaga with speculative fantasy, and features voice performances from LaKeith Stanfield, Ming-Na Wen, Takehiro Hira and others.

Critical and audience reaction leaned mixed-to-positive, with viewers rating it 7.354/10 based on 250 votes. The show zeroes in on identity, exile, race, redemption, found family and the moral cost of violence, pairing character-focused drama with action set pieces and supernatural elements.

Recasting the historical figure of Yasuke in a stylized, alternate past sparked conversation about representation and how history gets reinterpreted in genre storytelling. Its striking visuals and the mix of samurai tropes with sci-fi fantasy attracted attention from both Western viewers and anime fans, generating fan art, online discussion and renewed interest in the real Yasuke story.

It hasn't been a major awards contender, but the series found a dedicated audience who praised the voice cast, especially LaKeith Stanfield, and the distinctive tone. Reviewers tended to agree the animation and worldbuilding were strengths, while some critiqued pacing and plot focus, leaving it as a show that many viewers enjoyed even when opinions differed.