I would best describe Netflix's Yasuke as a schoolgirls crush. It's idealized- glorifying and glamorizing the best parts of an anime without really knowing (and dare I say caring) why or how they work. I mean, why would you care about the actuality of this person when the idea in your head works so much better?
This is one of my main problems with the show at large-it feels like an American interpretation of Japanese pop culture instead of being a loving homage. For example, Americans are obsessed with samurai being these stoic, quiet underdogs (although for a black samurai, this interpretation is not 100% correct), and that's fine because they work under some larger historic context, so now you think that Yasuke is a historical work. And then the mechas come in, and you think "why is this in here? oh, maybe it's like some historical fusion type deal" and then you see half-dressed women carrying scythes and shapeshifting into werewolves, and you're like "wtf".
Plus, speaking of fusion, if you want to incorporate "foreign" elements into a markedly Japanese genre, I don't think it is necessary to have a historically accurate character to push these elements. The anime really struggles whether it wants to be historically accurate or not- it'll pick a historically accurate black samurai, but then will have daimyo throw purple magic at the character. You cant have your cake and eat it too- either make a historical anime with a black samurai or write an original black samurai and incorporate fantasy elements.
Yasuke is a prime example of cherrypicking elements or tropes like you like from anime and not understanding how they functioned in said work. Elements feel so haphazardly thrown into the work not because they enhance the work, but because they tropes that have existed in the anime world. This leaves Yasuke feeling like three separate shows with three different genres that do not mesh well together.
This is all to say that the biggest problem with Yasuke is not its premise but its writing. I truly wonder what it will take for anime fans to realize that it is not animation and art (although done very well) it is not an animes saving grace, but it's writing. Think of it as a cake; the tropes you employ, the characters you write, the world-building, these are the ingredients. Art and animation are like frosting- decorative and sweet but works in tandem in the cake to "taste good" to the viewer.
Would I recommend you watch Netflix's Yasuke? If you want. But my answer is no.
