The first teaser trailer for Yasuke has been released by Netflix, giving fans a look at the Black samurai anime series starring LaKeith Stanfield.
Along with the release of the teaser trailer comes key art with the tagline, "Honor has a new name." It features a close-up shot of a sword stuck in the ground while surrounded by a war-torn landscape.
The description of Yasuke reads, "The tale is set 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."
LeSean Thomas (Cannon Busters) serves as executive producer and director. Japanese animation studio MAPPA (Attack on Titan: The Final Season, Jujutsu Kaisen) and director and animator Takeshi Koike (Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine) are responsible for character designs. Grammy Award-nominated artist Flying Lotus produces the music for the anime series, with LaKeith Stanfield serving as executive producer and the voice of Yasuke.
"There is a serendipitous nature about this project, how an African-American man goes to Japan to live and work amongst the very best in Japanese anime to create an anime about an African who goes to Japan to live amongst the Japanese elite and become a warrior. Part of me deep down feels I was meant to create this adventure series with MAPPA, Flying Lotus, LaKeith and the rest of this talented team," Thomas recently said regarding Yasuke. "I'm so excited for both longtime fans and newcomers to enjoy our reimagined take on this historical figure."
Additional staff for Yasuke has also been announced, which you can find below.
- Chief Animation Director: Satoshi Iwataki
- Chief Technical Director: Takeru Sato
- Sub-character Design: Kenichi Shima
- World Art Design & Art Settings: Minoru Nishida
- Art Director: Junichi Higashi
- Color Setting: Azusa Sasaki
- 3D CGI Director: Yuki Nomoto
- Photography: Park Hyo-gyu
- Editing: Mutsumi Takemiya
Created by LeSean Thomas and starring LaKeith Stanfield, Yasuke debuts April 29 on Netflix.
Source: Netflix
