Yasuke - Netflix Animated Show

BrawlMan

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But he wasn't a servant. He was a samurai, completely the opposite of the implied insult (based on the tone), within their own culture.
You have your points, but I guess we will see the context when the shows launches today.

. So, why would someone from the Japanese culture use that phrase as an insult? It feels more like western mentality leaking into the script.
Funny enough, the Japanese have similar problems when creating shows or manga that take place in a non-Japanese, European, or Western setting. Not all, of course, but plenty. My guesses are inter-service rivalry, dislike of other samurai clans, or another form of classism. Higher-tiered servants hating on others servants. The samurai were many things, but at the end of the day, they still served a lord or several lords.
 

happyninja42

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Funny enough, the Japanese have similar problems when creating shows or manga that take place in a non-Japanese, European, or Western setting.
Oh I'm aware, it's usually most glaring when they try and replicate judeo christian mythology, but filter it through a buddhist/shinto filter, and the lost in translation stuff becomes some insane shit that just boggles the mind.

Higher-tiered servants hating on others servants. The samurai were many things, but at the end of the day, they still served a lord or several lords.
The servant rivalry might be it yeah, it just feels really off when you point that at samurai. Because service to a lord, and service to others in general, was an honorable thing. It just feels jarring to me, as I can't recall other stories where they tried to mock a samurai for being a samurai
 

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I can't recall other stories where they tried to mock a samurai for being a samurai
The only thing I can think of, or close to that, are Samurai Champloo and Ruroni Kenshin. The former, it's mainly ronin characters, criminals, ex-Samurai or disillusion Samurai that mock or criticize them, so that does not count. Kenshin was taking place in an era where Samurai were losing their stranglehold and were used and being cast out by the Meji government. Which was the entire point of the show for the most part, aside from the no killing thing with Kenshin himself. Also a former Samurai.
 

happyninja42

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The only thing I can think of, or close to that, are Samurai Champloo and Ruroni Kenshin. The former, it's mainly ronin characters, criminals, ex-Samurai or disillusion Samurai that mock or criticize them, so that does not count. Kenshin was taking place in an era where Samurai were losing their stranglehold and were used and being cast out by the Meji government. Which was the entire point of the show for the most part, aside from the no killing thing with Kenshin himself. Also a former Samurai.
Yeah, and I admit, if the timeline of the story is during a societal upheaval where the samurai were openly being derided by the rest of society, then I retract my comments, as that would make sense. But I don't think it really ever did.

Plus, and again I'm going off the placing of the clips in the trailer, this would be after he was already a ronin. Nobunaga was dead, so he no longer had a lord, and then Yasuke himself even says "I serve noone" , so it seems from the sequence of statements in the timeline, that they are mocking him for being a servant....when he was no longer anyone's servant. And mocking him for being a kind of servant...that has historically had a LOT of respect and prestige in their culture.

I mean it's not a huge deal for me, it's not like I'm going to flip a table and condemn the show for inaccuracy, I just noticed it, and it felt "ok wait, that feels more like a person with a western cultural mindset, inserting their own take on societal structure."
 

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Double Toasted already has a review up. They don't spoil much, so we're okay there.

 

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Started watching it today.

Every time there's a robot I roll my eyes and want to turn it off.
 

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The servant rivalry might be it yeah, it just feels really off when you point that at samurai. Because service to a lord, and service to others in general, was an honorable thing. It just feels jarring to me, as I can't recall other stories where they tried to mock a samurai for being a samurai
My interpretation is that it's not that he's being mocked for being a samurai, but the guy is insisting that Yasuke will never be samurai.

The line feels a bit like how "philia", "agape", "stroga" and "eros" all translate to "love" in English, with the nuance distinguishing them often being lost in translation. My bet is that the line is based in the concept of "kenin", a caste in classical Japan (which at the time wouldn't really have been enforced for a few hundred years) that consisted of servants who were just barely above slaves in the social hierarchy (maybe functionally similar to 'house slaves' in early America?)
 

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Pretty good mini-series. The show is only 5 episodes, and each episode is 30 minutes long. I do like how they avoided any sequel baiting, but left it open-ended. The ending works either way for a potential sequel where Yasuke becomes a Ronin, or stays as a one-off. I really want the blu ray for this right now. @happyninja42, when you get this mention, I do recommend you watch at least once. Maybe you and the wife can have a hell of a time.

Something to note: I disagree with Martin from Double Toasted. To say the creators gave up and did not have confidence in the show is bullshit. You don't like it Martin, fair enough, but you're wrong. Everyone put their heart and soul in to it. I get it, you wanted a historical period drama, but it's not like trailer lied to you. From minute one in the show, it tells the viewers exactly what they are in for. Korey is a bit more forgiving and have it a Matinee ranking. If someone ever decides to do a more realistic/grounded telling of Yasuke's history and story, I will be more than happy to watch. Be it live-action or animated.
 

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Pretty good mini-series. The show is only 5 episodes, and each episode is 30 minutes long. I do like how they avoided any sequel baiting, but left it open-ended. The ending works either way for a potential sequel where Yasuke becomes a Ronin, or stays as a one-off. I really want the blu ray for this right now. @happyninja42, when you get this mention, I do recommend you watch at least once. Maybe you and the wife can have a hell of a time.

Something to note: I disagree with Martin from Double Toasted. To say the creators gave up and did not have confidence in the show is bullshit. You don't like it Martin, fair enough, but you're wrong. Everyone put their heart and soul in to it. I get it, you wanted a historical period drama, but it's not like trailer lied to you. From minute one in the show, it tells the viewers exactly what they are in for. Korey is a bit more forgiving and have it a Matinee ranking. If someone ever decides to do a more realistic/grounded telling of Yasuke's history and story, I will be more than happy to watch. Be it live-action or animated.
I haven't finished it yet, I'm currently 2 episodes in.

While I would have preferred a more grounded period drama, I really don't mind the fantasy elements. Or at least I wouldn't if they were period appropriate. Magic, oni, etc. all that would be fine.

Unfortunately that's not what this is though. There's fucking robots that Japan apparently got from the Mongol invasions. The Catholic church are the main villains for some reason. It's just all so stupid.

There are some really brilliant parts of the show. The flashbacks to Oda Nobunaga's forced unification of Japan are great. But the rest of the show, just holy shit is it dumb.
 

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There are some really brilliant parts of the show. The flashbacks to Oda Nobunaga's forced unification of Japan are great. But the rest of the show, just holy shit is it dumb.
The parts with the Oda clan were favorites. Ain't afraid to admit it. I felt they went a bit overboard with the robots/mech, but whatever. To each is their own. Good times.
 

happyninja42

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The Catholic church are the main villains for some reason.
Well I mean...they are the CATHOLIC CHURCH. Don't need much reason other than that for them to be the villains.

(I know you mean it's not period accurate, but I'm never going to give a show shit for vilifying the church)
 
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happyninja42

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Just watched the pilot episode. It's ok so far. The voice acting for people is well done, my particular favorite so far being the bartender. His various quips like when asked for vodka were genuinely amusing and well written. I think they missed a better bit of dialogue between the boy and Yasuke at the start when Yasuke reprimands him about there being no honor in throwing your life away. I think it would've hit home more if the boy had said "and letting a little girl die when you could help IS?!" Considering the flashback scene they cut to immediately after that, would've hammered home a bit more with that bookending of statements.

I also call a bit of BS on the idea that he just sort of became a nobody in a fishing village, given how rare black people were in that world. I was going to give it a pass when they went forward 20 years and say "ok well trade and travel has expanded, now there are more" but then they point out the fact of how rare black people are in Japan in the same episode. And he's even got a name almost identical to the legendary samurai? That's like Brad Pitt no longer being an actor, but still, you know, walking around in the public all the time, and saying his name is Chad Brit, and denying he's Brad. Like, NOBODY is going to buy that.

I'll probably watch another episode tonight, not terribly invested, I feel no urge to binge it so far, as I'm more interested in playing a particular video game as of time of writing.

Oh and yes, the giant mech thing is a bit off putting. I could've sworn in one shot in the opening battle, a samurai cuts off the head of one of the slightly larger than normal human sized ones, and blood came out...so maybe their some weird demon/cyborg thingy? *shrugs* Yeah it is a weird thing to just, have in the show, without any explanation.
 

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It is not particularly good.

If you want samurai+mecha, Samurai 7 has better characters, better plot while being way older. I mean, i don't have a problem with some genre mixing, but why does the first antagonist group consist of a catholic priest with strange Sith-like powers, some female Russian werebear, a modern robot (not just a mech, full AI talking about modern microelectronics) some strange summoner from benin with ghost inspired ny the benin bronzes and a fighter with impractical weapons ?And none of them get any explaination for their strangeness ?

It is dumb.
 
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