YASUKE
The Legend of Yasuke
SPOILER ALERT - The following is based on a true story (for real for real)
Once upon a time (over 500 years ago) in a land far, far away (feudal Japan) “a tall, dark, black man with charcoal skin” arrived upon the shores and nothing was ever the same. Soon after his arrival, Yasuke (Yas-Kay) had earned the trust, loyalty, friendship, and protection of a powerful feudal lord and the first of Japan’s great unifiers, Oda Nobunaga. Soon after the legend of the great African Samurai, Yasuke was born, as he was the first foreigner to wield the sword of the Samurai.
Yasuke’s new status as a samurai definitely had some in their feelings because foreign-born samurai were unheard of at the time. This in addition to his race and height ( he was reportedly 6’2” tall) made Yasuke an anomaly with rock star status. Think along the lines of The Beatles, Michael Jackson, or present-day BTS. People were clamoring just to get a glimpse at Japan’s new hero. Some were even trampled to death in the process. Like I said rock star with a Running of the Bulls vibe added in.
Yasuke faithfully serve Nobunaga until his death when he was betrayed by a most trusted general who set Nobunaga’s compound on fire with him and Yasuke inside. Refusing to leave the burning wreckage, he instead took his own life by performing seppuku, ritual suicide. Before he died Nobunaga requested that Yasuke decapitate him and take his head and sword to his son. Apparently, this was a sign of Nobunaga’s ultimate trust in his faithful samurai.
After this chapter in his life, history is unsure of what became of the once-legendary African samurai. Rumor has it he may have ended up seeking solace and refuge at a Jesuit mission. But this is pure speculation on history’s part. Now on to the fictional part of the program.
It is at this point in history that Netflix’s anime series picks up. And we find Yasuke about 20 years later, retired and living a quiet life in a remote village where he’s known as “The Black Boatsman”. Yeah, that’s legit what they call him. Anyway, he spends his days ubering people up and down the river and his nights trying to drown the demons of his past. That is until he is hired, ever so reluctantly, by a mother to take her and young daughter, Saki, who is deathly ill to a special doctor a few villages and a couple of days boat ride away.
Yasuke is initially hesitant and is flat out fuq no to making the long arduous, treacherous journey. But what’s a former samurai to do when a little girl’s life is on the line? So yup they get on the boat and the journey turns out to be more dangerous than they realized. Shortly into the journey, they are ambushed by a band of wacky yet highly skilled and specialized mercenaries sent to kidnap the girl. Turns out little Saki isn’t sick, she just has out-of-control superpowers which will taker her out if she doesn’t learn how to use and control them properly. The special ‘doctor’ is actually an old homie of Yasuke’s from his samurai days and he now helps kids just like Saki, who is actually the most powerful of her kind. So of course the big bad wants to kill her, steal her powers and use them to control/destroy the world.
Throughout the journey, Yasuke comes to terms with his past and his present which ultimately allows him to save Saki, the world, and himself.
So this was my first anime series and overall I would recommend it to professional anime watchers, novices such as myself, and also those who like myself are not fans of animated series (The Simpsons, Family Guy, etc) in general. I loved the story, although I wish it would have started from the beginning of his story and life as a samurai. Some of the blanks were filled in via flashbacks. But they only served to make me more hungry for the full story from the beginning. I also liked the characters and can honestly say I have become an anime fan. So if you have any suggestions for GOOD anime please drop your suggestions in the comments. I also hope that we get a second season or a part 2 to Yasuke’s story.
Rating = 🍿🍿🍿.75 of 5🍿
Creator: Lesean Thomas
Starring: LaKeith Stanfield, Maya Tanida, William Christopher Stephens, Darren Criss
Seasons: 1
Episodes 6. Run Time: 30 min
Where To Watch: Netflix
Official Soundtrack
Curated Playlist
