Netflix’s epic Yasuke trailer finds LaKeith Stanfield as a reluctant ronin in magic & mech-filled Japan

Netflix has embraced anime wholeheartedly, and their latest series, Yasuke, looks like it will be as epic as it is violent.

The six-episode show, which stars LaKeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You) as the eponymous main character, just dropped the first trailer, and there’s a lot in it that should entice even a casual fan of anime.

Check it out for yourself:

Yasuke takes place in a war-torn feudal Japan, where mechs and magic are real(!). Our protagonist Yasuke (LaKeith Stanfield) starts the series trying to live a peaceful life after a past full of violence. There is a prophecy, however, that a Black warrior will one day come to save the people. Yasuke is that Black warrior, and he reluctantly takes up his sword again to help a small village caught in the middle of two warring daimyo, and protect a mysterious child who is the target of dark forces and bloodthirsty warlords.

Credit: Netflix

Evil warlords? Check. A bear-like mech? You betcha. And of course, the trailer also shows Yasuke himself, leaving his simple life as a boatsman to become the legendary Black samurai who leads an army fighting for the future of Japan. It’s a big story, and an important one, and it looks pretty darn cool to boot.

Yasuke is created by LeSean Thomas (Cannon Busters) and the Japanese animation studio MAPPA (Attack on Titan: The Final Season, Jujutsu Kaisen). Director and animator Takeshi Koike (Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine) is responsible for character designs and the music is by Grammy Award-nominated artist Flying Lotus.

You can check out Yasuke in its entirety on April 29 when all six episodes of the series drop on Netflix.