In the yearly issue of Shogakukan’s Monthly Spirits magazine it was revealed that following the smash success of the anime Yasuke, the series will be getting a new manga adaptation. The announcement was made in August’s issue of the magazine. It was also announced that LeSean Thomas, with studio MAPPA’s anime, will illustrate the manga and that Satoshi Okunishi will be writing it. The manga will also be released in Shogakukan magazine’s next issue, due to be shipped on July 27th.
This announcement comes quick after Yasuke’s international release on Netflix, to which it has received fan and critic praise.
Netflix describes the anime as follows:
In a war-torn feudal Japan filled with mechs and magic, the greatest ronin never known, Yasuke, struggles to maintain a peaceful existence after a past life of violence. But when a local village becomes the center of social upheaval between warring daimyo, Yasuke must take up his sword and transport a mysterious child who is the target of dark forces and bloodthirsty warlords. The story of Yasuke, the first African samurai who actually served the legendary Oda Nobunaga, will be released to the world.
Yasuke is based on the 16th century historical figure of the same name. Yasuke arrived in Japan in the service of Italian Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano in 1579. Yasuke was one of the several Africans to have come with the Portuguese to Japan during that time period. Not much is known about Yasuke’s early life, but historical evidence points to his origin being in Mozambique. However, several theories say he may have been Sudanese or Ethiopian. Yasuke served as a samurai under Japanese daimyō Oda Nobunaga during the Warring States Period.
American director LeSean Thomas, known for his work on Children of Ether, Cannon Busters, and The Boondocks is credited as creator, director, and executive producer for the anime series, with assistance from artist Flying Lotus, who composed the music and served as an executive producer.
Are you looking forward to the manga adaptation of Yasuke? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter!
