A first look at Bass X Machina shows the cyborg sheriff in action
Netflix has been investing heavily in anime by signing deals with major studios including MAPPA and Madhouse, but the streaming service is also pushing the definition of what anime is by becoming a home to shows that blend Western and Eastern animation tropes. That formula was a huge hit with the 2023 revenge thriller Blue Eye Samurai, and Netflix’s director of adult animated series, Jermaine Turner, introduced a new clip for the show’s second season at Annecy Festival, while also providing a first look at an upcoming series he’s hoping will appeal to the same fans.
Bass X Machina is a Weird Western spin on the story of real-life hero Bass Reeves, an escaped slave who became the first Black deputy U.S. Marshal. In a minute-long clip shown at Annecy, Bass uses his cyborg arm to catch a bullet from a minigun fired by an outlaw aboard a moving train, all while protecting innocent bystanders. His arm also turns into a gun he uses to fire back. The dramatic fight is set to a hip-hop beat. Bass doesn’t show much mercy. As the outlaw explains his violence by saying Bass killed his brother, the lawman executes him and says, “You’re back with him now.”
Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta, Eternals) voices Bass and also serves as an executive producer on the series. Bass X Machina is created by LeSean Thomas (The Legend of Korra, Black Dynamite) and Turner explained that its style is informed by Thomas growing up watching both anime and American animation. The series is animated by Studio Mir, which is also working on Netflix’s Devil May Cry.
Bass X Machina premieres on Nov. 3 and will follow Bass as he tries to protect his family by confronting supernatural terrors, machines, and outlaws in a steampunk version of the Wild West.
