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𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆:
Yasuke's story feels confused and convoluted. It seems as though the anime is hesitant on what kind of narrative it is trying to tell. Is it an origin story for Yasuke? Is it a story about the trials and tribulations of being Japan's first Black Samurai? Is it a story about the bonds that are formed between Yasuke and his younger companion on their journey? Is it a story about Yasuke proving to Japan that he is worthy of being a heroic Samurai, and not just seen as another slave? Is it a fantasy tale about Samurai, magic, shapeshifters, Gods, Spider Demons and 15ft tall ... robots? Well, yes. It's all of these things. Yasuke's story is not only confusing in it's narrative structure, but also its meaning. It feels like the directors and writers had a multitude of ideas and themes from different genres, and instead of picking out the best ones that would best fit the recital of Yasuke, they decided to just include them all. There isn't necessarily anything inherently wrong with using a mix of different genre conventions - so long as those themes are implemented correctly. Despite just finishing the last episode in the first series on the same day I'm writing this review, I can genuinely not explain or elaborate on the story in any further detail, as I still have no idea what it was really about or trying to convey, and I have a feeling the writers didn't really know either.

𝗔𝗿𝘁:
The art style in Yasuke is sharp and crisp, which is to be expected of a Netflix Original anime series. Yasuke himself has an excellent character design, with his thick long dreads and his distinctive body markings, he is easily the best designed character in the series. Everyone else's design is fine, but forgettable. The backgrounds are also sharp, and impressively detailed in some action scenes. There is some CGI implemented into the big action scenes, which in my opinion, doesn't tend to work that well in anime. I don't think MAPPA studios are at fault for this, as CGI in anime is notoriously hard to pull off, and always tends to leave that 'uncanny-valley' effect; where the animation is clearly good, but really stands out against the rest of the digitally drawn backgrounds and characters.

𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱:
This. Could. Have. Been. So. Good. Yasuke has weirdly modern, electronic hip-hop beats that play throughout the episodes. They sound like they could have come straight off a new Travis Scott album, and I think they could have assisted the action scenes so well, IF, they had woven these modern hip-hop style beats with traditional Japanese sound more often. Flying Lotus made some exceptional music for this anime, but I feel like it's just wasted here. The music just doesn't seem to fit at all, and seeing as this is during the Edo period I expected to hear more Hocchiku, Shamisen, Taiko, and basically any other instrument that is synonymous with traditional Japanese music. I remember at one point during Episode 5 when Yasuke is in combat with Karosaka, it has a slight Japanese-sounding twang mixed into the instrumental, but that loud hi-hat and heavy, slapping bass sound that is so well-known within 21st century hip-hop/rap culture, just completely threw me off. Anime like Samurai Champloo have the PERFECT combination and balance of both modern Jazz Rap and traditional Japanese sound, which only betters the already extremely captivating action scenes. Simply a missed opportunity for Yasuke. Other than the small complaints about the soundtrack, the voice acting is incredible. LaKeith Stanfield and Jun Soejima were both perfect for the role of Yasuke, and both captured his presence with their voice acting skills impressively. I'm very glad that two men of African ethnicity were actually cast to play the Black Samurai, Yasuke. That might sound obvious and silly, but with white-washing being prevalent in both TV and Film, I'm glad Yasuke anime didn't fall under that category.

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿:
Yasuke is a badass. No doubt. He is an honourable and loyal Samurai, who is exceptionally skilled in combat. I really liked how he clearly cares for those whom he loves, without showing it in an overly dramatic way. He will always stand up and fight if needed, and lay down his life for those he cares about, even if he doesn't say he would out loud. Again, like the character designs, everyone else is just slightly forgettable. I liked the attitude and demeanor of: Nikita, Achoja, Morisuke, and of course - Yasuke; who all showed some type of character growth and/or some kind of enjoyable presence.

𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁:
Despite my complaints, I did enjoy my time watching - which I guess is one of the most important aspects in any kind of media. The number one goal for all anime is to simply entertain. Which it did. Big explosions, giant swords, houses blowing up, and more, is always a pretty good way to keep an audience engaged. Maybe this series would be better suited to a very new viewer of anime, as they would possibly appreciate it more just for it's good looks and cool premise.

𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹:
Yasuke isn't intrinsically bad by any means, it just fails to really pickup and excel in it's strong points. A 'historically accurate' story about Japan's first Black Samurai is such a cool premise, and I just wish they would have focused more on those themes, and Yasuke as a character, other than the massive mecha robots and magic demon creatures. Luckily, with 6 episodes at roughly 30mins run-time each, this anime is short and can be watched fairly swiftly. I WILL be watching the second series, simply for Yasuke. I want to know more about him, and his travels/journeys, and less about the demons and shapeshifters around him.

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆:
The main premise of Samurai Champloo is fairly simple. (without spoiling too much of the series). It's a story that revolves around a journey the main trio make from Yokohama, Japan to Ikitsuki Island - which is situated in one of the most South Western parts of Japan. A young girl named Fuu, leads her associates, Mugen and Jin, to find the Sunflower Samurai.
Despite the story's simplicity, it remains intriguing, especially in early episodes when not much is revealed about the mysterious Sunflower Samurai. Fuu later explains to Mugen and Jin that the Sunflower Samurai is actually her father, and she wishes to meet him ... in order to understand why he abandoned Fuu and her mother when she was just a child. I felt as if the episodes during the middle of the series deviated slightly too far from the story, as at some points I was just really ready to find out more information about the main objective; anything that would really propel the story forward - this isn't a huge negative, as I understand that this was just build-up, and I enjoyed the episodes regardless. The beginning and end of the series are definitely the strongest parts of the anime in reference to the story.

𝗔𝗿𝘁:
Although art style will always be subjective, I think Samurai Champloo has great character design and art style. A fussy gripe that I have with anime is the art style. Anime like Mob Psycho have very distinctive and original art styles - some dislike it instantly, whilst others really enjoy it. My fussiness with anime art style comes down to a couple of things. Anime that I find to have an interesting or cool art style are usually the ones that I will watch first, where as if I deem an anime to have a 'boring' or 'generic' art style, it will probably put me off watching it over an anime with an art style that I immediately gravitate towards. The art style in Samurai Champloo can be compared to the likes of Cowboy Bebop, (for very obvious reasons) which is an anime I already adored for its art style and character design. The characters are designed well, with colour-palettes that suit their respective characteristics. For example, Mugen's raggedy look, accompanied by his bright red shirt exemplify his fiery attitude.

𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱:
The hip-hop sound style in Samurai Champloo, is very apparent. The opening theme composed by Nujabes (Rest in peace) is incredibly good, with AMAZING visuals to accompany. However, I wish Samurai Champloo really utilised that original sounding score alongside it's fight scenes. I can already imagine some badass scenes with Mugen's champuru kendo; him spinning around with his sword, and that incredibly smooth, bouncing hip-hop/Jazz Rap. The music is incredible, I just wish it was used more. In the same kinda way that the film Baby Driver used it's soundtrack to further the action scenes, or how John Wick kills his enemys 'on-beat'.

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿:
The characters are very well written. They are perfect anime protagonists. Their characteristics are far from perfect though. Mugen is rough, Jin is blunt, and Fuu is bossy - creating a funny, creative, enjoyable dynamic. It's hard to write what makes them so great. Watch the show and find out!

𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁:
Samurai Champloo, has a flawless beginning and ending. Both the beginning and ending are similar, in the way that they both leave so many questions for the audience, with the three main protagonists exchanging very short 'goodbyes' before departing in their own separate directions. I love the fact the way Shinichirō Watanabe and the writers left the ending to the viewers interpretation and imagination. In my view that was the best way to end what was already an imaginative journey.

𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹:
9. Watch the show. It's pretty good! ;)

The more I grow and get older, the more I realise how much I've 'outgrown' Pokémon. This doesn't mean that Pokémon can't be enjoyed by older audiences, in fact, Pokémon has always been a show that is incredibly easy to watch and enjoy - and the new series actually have some really great art, sound and story direction.
However, even when I saw the Black and White anime when it first aired, I knew something wasn't right. Within the first episode, despite all Ash (Satoshi) had learnt, he loses to a lvl 5 Snivy, owned by a trainer who is clearly a knock-off Gary Oak. I ... remember being so confused why Ash always needed constant reminders about Pokémon type matchups, what specific moves did and how they worked, how many Pokémon he was allowed to carry - when at this point, Ash had already visited 5 separate regions, and learnt all the basics a million times. I understood that this was simply to guide new audience members into the world of Pokémon, and explain the basics; but for some reason the writers made Ash seem like a total moron. In the Sinnoh series, Ash had an amazingly strong team, and even had a really well written and fleshed-out rival, in the likes of, Paul. This was all thrown out of the window when this series rolled around.
I've been back to watch this series since, and even compared to the original Pokémon series, Ash appears to be a mindless trainer who hardly puts any strategy into the fights, and is even surprised when one of Pikachu's electric attacks has no effect against a ground type Pokémon. Although the series EVENTUALLY picked up its pace, this is definitely the worst iteration of Ash.