In a world with a zillion streaming services and shows coming out on any given day, it is very easy for something cool to slip under your radar. There are only so many hours in a day and, unfortunately, we have to do adulting things like work, cook meals, and such. And while we cannot cover every single nerdy thing that hits streaming, we can let you know when there’s something that we really love that you should check out. A new steampunk animated series, Bass x Machina, is on Netflix and we think you should watch it for these four reasons.
The Premise and Protagonist Are Incredibly Cool
We go back a couple hundred years to a lawless Steampunk West where there are not only outlaws, but also machines and supernatural horrors everywhere. Bass Reeves, a father with a cyberkinetic arm, has to take matters into his own hands, delivering justice even though his actions threaten his family’s safety. His arm has quite a few tricks that you will have to watch and see, and he’s actually based on a real person. The actual Bass Reeves was one of the first Black U.S. Deputy Marshals in the West who escaped from slavery. And, Brian Tyree Henry portrays this animated version of him brilliantly.
The Team Behind Bass X Machina Includes Janelle Monae
Janelle Monae is absolutely one of us nerds in many ways. From her quirky style and personas to her deep love for Halloween, horror, and sci-fi, her involvement with this series makes total sense. She portrays Bass’ wife Glory and she did the show’s epic opening theme song, titled “Honor Killing.” Tati Gabrielle, who played Prudence in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, is Dana Starr, an aspiring engineer who fights alongside Bass. And voice acting legend Cree Summer also lends her talent to Bass X Machina as well. If you liked Black Dynamite or Yasuke, then you’ll love this show because LeSean Thomas is involved here as well.
It’s An Easy Watch AND a Limited Series
Who has time to watch 758 episodes of a series? Well no one, unless you are a One Piece fan. There’s only six episodes of Bass X Machina, and thankfully it is a limited series. That means you won’t get stuck with a cliffhanger only to be sad that the show is cancelled. Now, that’s not to say that we cannot possibly get more in this universe. But approaching this show with a clear ending is the right way to go when things seemingly get cancelled every other day.
The Action Is Incredible and the Dialogue Is Razor-Sharp
Bass X Machina rarely has a dull moment. In the vein of The Boondocks, there are plenty of epic and hilarious one-liners in the midst of action. The series looks good, keeps a steady pace, and gives you plenty of fight sequences that remind us why anime is so darn awesome. We all love a tortured hero who can take down a moving train car full of people with his Bucky Barnes arm.