Still fresh off of his recent Oscar nomination for Judas and the Black Messiah, LaKeith Stanfield is preparing for another big project. Yasuke, the new Netflix anime starring and executive-produced by the acclaimed actor was a big part of the streamer’s virtual panel at AnimeJapan 2021. During the panel, a new poster was revealed showcasing the anime’s unique art design from Afro Samurai and Lupin The IIIrd’s Takeshi Koike. This Yasuke news is part of Netflix's plan to release 40 new, original anime titles in 2021 — close to double the number the streamer released last year.

Yasuke, announced earlier this month, centers around the first African samurai named Yasuke (Stanfield), said to be “the greatest ronin never known.” The show takes place in an alternate-reality Japan populated by dark magic, mechs, and warlords. After a nearby village is attacked by a vicious warlord, the warrior is tasked with transporting a child with mysterious gifts to safety. Although he is reluctant to begin fighting again, he must do what he has to in order to protect the young girl.

knives-out-lakeith-stanfield
Image via Lionsgate

RELATED: 'Pacific Rim: The Black' Trailer Sees Guillermo del Toro's Series Get the Anime Treatment on Netflix

Directed and executive produced by Cannon Busters creator LeSean Thomas, the series will be scored by Kuso director and musician Flying Lotus. It will also be the next project of acclaimed Japanese animation studio MAPPA, whose recent works include

Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack On Titan: The Final Chapter. It will also not be the first time Stanfield has been involved in an anime-related project, as he gave a solid yet underrated performance as L in Netflix’s controversial Death Note adaptation. It seems pretty safe to say, however, that the candy-eating in Yasuke will most likely be kept to a minimum.

Yasuke premieres worldwide on Netflix on April 29. Read the official synopsis and see the new poster below:

"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."

yasuke-lakeith-stanfield-netflix-anime

KEEP READING: Oscar Nominations 2021: Full List of This Year's Academy Awards Nominations