Yasuke Season 1 Review

The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out This is a review of the first season of the Netflix anime series, Yasuke, which is currently available to stream. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Based on the real-life historical figure of the same name, Netflix’s latest anime tells the story of the African servant-turned-samurai Yasuke, who served Oda Nobunaga during Feudal Japan. The anime does a decent job depicting a few historical moments of what’s documented about the 16th-century Black samurai’s life, but quickly takes creative liberties with the source material by adding power-armored mechs, telekinetic humans, and giant shape-shifting werebears to this epic tale. While the sci-fi fantasy elements are cool to see, they do little to add depth to the characters and only serve as a would-be distraction from the story’s lack of fostering an emotional connection to the protagonist. Those familiar with director and executive-producer LeSean Thomas’ previous work, the Netflix Anime original Cannon Buster, shouldn’t expect to see the same quirkiness and upbeat energy depicted in that series here. Thomas’ latest foray into anime means business. With sword fights that leave combatants completely eviscerated, Yasuke is a samurai story in the purest sense. [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=fa6019cf-90ac-4969-8100-fece5db18751"] Animated by the acclaimed Studio MAPPA, the visuals and fight scenes in Yasuke are the main highlight of this anime series. Focusing on the background imagery, 16th Century Japan is vibrantly depicted with sprawling landscapes. The environments and locations Yasuke and the other characters find themselves in adds to each scene’s overall moodiness. Visual cues abound. As the scenery becomes darker and the wind rustles, it quickly becomes apparent our samurai warrior is about to find himself in a fight for his life. An impending epic battle between two opposing Japanese military forces is telegraphed by contrasting colors and glowing lights. Given how detailed these backdrops are and how much texture each locale has, It’d be a safe assumption to say the background artists at Studio Easter drew upon their previous experience working on the visually dynamic Afro Samurai: Resurrection. [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=Animated%20by%20the%20acclaimed%20Studio%20MAPPA%2C%20the%20visuals%20and%20fight%20scenes%20in%20Yasuke%20are%20the%20main%20highlight"] The undeniably amazing animation of Yasuke is another win for Studio MAPPA. Though there are 3D computer-animated scenes and characters, the creatives made a wise choice in opting for a primarily 2D animated direction here. There’s a particularly visceral impact in seeing a sword fight rendered in traditional animation that going a completely 3D route wouldn’t have been able to convey. The hand-to-hand (or sword-to-sword) fight scenes invoke Samurai Champloo vibes mixed with a subtle Jujutsu Kaisen/God of Highschool aesthetic, which the latter two should come as no surprise. Before working on Yasuke, artist Megumi Iwabuchi also provided 2D visual work for both Jujutsu Kaisen and God of Highschool. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=yasuke-season-1-images&captions=true"] But while the visuals are quite compelling, the voice acting and characters themselves leave a lot to be desired. As Yasuke, Oscar nominee LaKeith Stanfield gives a very reserved performance as the stoic samurai haunted by his past. Instead of coming off as a tormented soul wishing to forget his dark days as a murderous samurai, Stanfield’s subdued delivery misses that mark. It’s as if his character from FX’s Atlanta, Darius, stepped into the role of Yasuke to give a very blasé performance. Being a brilliant on-screen actor doesn’t necessarily translate to being a great voice-over actor, and while Stanfield’s performance is decent, it isn’t strong enough to provoke sympathy with Yasuke’s plight. As for the supporting cast members, each character plays out like the typical archetype we’ve seen in other anime: the reluctant hero, the child with mysterious powers, the rivals-turned-allies, the villain wanting complete dominion. It’s all on display here, but the characters feel hollow as the show never dives into their backstories or gives us insight into their motivations. We need to actually care about these characters so that whatever happens to them resonates with us on a deeper level. That’s what’s missing in Yasuke; an emotional connection to the characters. Anime like Attack on Titan, Cowboy Bebop, DragonBall Z, and many more spend entire episodes on a single character’s journey to becoming the character they are presently. [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=But%20while%20the%20visuals%20are%20quite%20compelling%2C%20the%20voice%20acting%20and%20characters%20themselves%20leave%20a%20lot%20to%20be%20desired."] Yasuke’s backstory plays out via flashbacks showing how he went from indentured servitude to a high-ranking samurai warrior for Lord Nobunaga and the Oda clan. Unfortunately, we don’t see or learn more about Yasuke beyond that. From what we’re shown throughout the anime, Yasuke clearly believes in defending the young and the weak. There's an altercation that takes place before he becomes a samurai where he defends a boy, which establishes Yasuke as someone who is a protector of the innocent, particularly children. This is a pattern we see throughout the series. The main story revolves around Yasuke, 20 years after abandoning the way of the samurai, picking up his sword yet again to safely deliver a young girl upriver to a special doctor. Yasuke initially declines the perilous journey, but eventually changes his mind seemingly based on the notion of “One Village”. According to Yasuke, this means that it is the duty of every man and woman in a village to make sure the children of the village are safe. (This is likely a variation of the African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child.") [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/26/yasuke-official-trailer-2021-lakeith-stanfield-darren-criss"] His sheer will to protect the young and the innocent possibly stem from his formative years in Africa, before his time in servitude. But we don’t get to see that aspect of his life. In the brief scene we see of Yasuke as a servant, he never quite carries himself as a man who takes orders from another. He’s noble and strong-willed. He defends those who are helpless, regardless of his master's objections. Does he even have a master? He does, but you wouldn’t know it by the way he carries himself. What made Yasuke so resolute in his ways? We never find out, and are only shown surface-level scenarios that led to the samurai warrior seen in the anime. Although I can’t say the overall story of Yasuke will stick with you days after binge-watching, the opening and ending theme songs most assuredly will. Grammy-nominated producer Flying Lotus lends his talents to both the songs (‘Black Gold’ and ‘Between Memories’, respectively), teaming up with Grammy Award-winner Thundercat and vocalist Niki Randa to bring these groovy, spiritual R&B tracks to life. Flying Lotus’ composition meshes perfectly with the soothing tones of his longtime collaborators, and Thundercat’s recognizable falsetto tones provide a very unique contrast to what we see in the anime. You probably won’t feel the urge to skip the intro or end credits because the songs are so catchy and soothing, serving as the proverbial calm before (and after) the storm. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/28/the-biggest-streaming-movies-and-shows-of-may-2021"]

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