Netflix is making waves by surpassing most streaming platforms in terms of its viewership. But most of all, the streaming giant is second to none when it comes to producing quality anime. That being said, it did falter along the way nonetheless.
In particular, this pertains to an anticipated series that turned out to be lackluster in most aspects. It was nothing more than giving a puff to a poorly done anime. But there’s a catch to that as well.
Irrespective of the poor opinions, Yasuke remains a guilty pleasure in more ways than one. While it is one of the worst animated series, it did peak in its animation along with other elements.
The consensus, however, points to its haphazard and mushed-up plot. While lack of information can be attributed to this, the creators frittered away the untapped potential of a great series.
Netflix’s worst anime is a guilty pleasure nonetheless
Over the years, Netflix has produced some of the finest anime that have made waves all over the internet. Some of these include Castlevania, Blood of Zeus, and so on. But most of all, there stands a series that stands underappreciated due to its mixed bag of reviews.
Directed by LeSean Thomas and animated by MAPPA, Yasuke is a trailblazer of many sorts. The series maps the journey of the first African Samurai in Japan during the Sengoku period. Yasuke was the first Black man to ever serve Oda Nobunaga during the Sengoku period.
Interestingly, while some records say he was a slave, others painted him as a free man. Regardless of that, Yasuke’s trajectory is symbolic of loyalty, servitude, and patriotism. There is, however, more to him than meets the eye.
Apart from being the first African Samurai, Yasuke is notably the first-ever foreigner who was given that status. After Nobunaga Oda’s death, he was returned to the Jesuits. Interestingly, while the series premiere in 2021 was anticipated, it was rather underwhelming in most aspects.
It stands as one of the worst-rated anime series on Netflix. This is presumably because the producers enmeshed different elements altogether. Although it reigns supreme in terms of its animation, it fell flat with its convoluted plot.
Yasuke and the dilemma of mushed-up elements
From animation to fight scenes Yasuke is a cinematic masterpiece. Although it isn’t historically accurate, it is splendid nonetheless. MAPPA went above and beyond in highlighting their finesse through their visuals. Regardless of that, however, the anime failed to live up to the viewers’ expectations.
To this date, it’s a hit or miss especially with its mushed-up plot and historical inaccuracy as most fans have pointed out. Other than that, though, people have noted the exaggerated use of mecha and technology as its major pitfalls. It stands with a score of 6 on IMDb and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
While diverse representation is the need of the hour, the anime does live up to its claims of it. With historical accuracy and side characters, however, it flatlined majorly. The only saving grace is its animation and visuals.
The consensus is that most fans asked for a better and more accurate portrayal of Yasuke. And while the response is valid, the series did a great job of bringing forth diverse narratives. Although, there is a caveat to that as well.
Due to the deficiency of source material, the creators might have adhered to mecha and technological aspects as some noted. Conversely, though, others attributed poor marketing strategy by Netflix to be the cause of the poor reviews. By and by, the series is a must-watch for fans interested in samurai anime.
Yasuke is available for streaming on Netflix.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
