We’re just days away from the debut of Yasuke, but Netflix has dropped a new trailer for the anime series that somehow has us even more excited to see it. That’s possibly because it features a lot more plot… but also possibly because it showcases some wild ninja magic and something that is clearly a steampunk mecha?
Created by LeSean Thomas and starring LaKeith Stanfield in the titular role, the new trailer really lays out the story beats: Yasuke comes to Japan as the servant of a merchant, saves a kid from an arsehole, and attracts the attention of the daimyo Oda Nobunaga, entering his service as a samurai. Alas, Nobunaga is eventually forced to commit seppuku, and Yasuke goes his own way until a mysterious girl, a mysterious illness, and a mysterious villain who wants to rule Japan (presumably?) draws him back into action.
There’s a certain amount of liberties being taken with historical accuracy here — Yasuke arrived with Jesuit missionaries, also steampunk mecha did not exist in feudal Japan — but the really cool part of the show to me is the accuracy. Yasuke did exist, and he did join and fight for Nobunaga. I’m really more interested in that side of the story than the ninja magic, but, you know, there’s no reason to turn down ninja magic if it’s being offered.
Yasuke stars Stanfield, along with Ming-Na Wen, Takehiro Hira, Maya Tanida, and more. You’ll be able to binge the six-episode series when it premieres this Thursday, April 29.