Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, you have some competition. Under-the-radar animated series Bass X Machina is launching to a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score on Netflix – and has some serious star power behind it.
Bass X Machina, a steampunk anime set in the Wild West, sees marshal Bass Reeves (Brian Tyree Henry) take on criminals – complete with cybernetic arm – in a world where outlaws are closer to Terminator than Jesse James.
So far, it's at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes after, admittedly, only a sprinkling of early reviews. Still, that puts it in prestigious company – overtaking the likes of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Leviathan.
Henry, who leads a cast that also includes Intergalactic's Tati Gabrielle and Janelle Monae, previously told Polygon that he worked with Netflix after encountering its penchant for experimental animated stories on the streaming service a few years ago.
"I digested Blue Eye Samurai four or five times," Henry said. "I try to make the things that I know I want to watch… I really love the way that Netflix animation is branching out in an inclusive and experimental way. They're unafraid to pick stories that aren’t considered mainstream. They want to experiment and play because there's just a huge audience that wants that, and I'm part of that audience."
On the pop culture front, Henry isn't just sporting a six-shooter – but it's a coin flip on who he'll play in The Batman 2.
Rumors and a makeup snafu may have revealed he's playing villain Two-Face, but there is every chance he could be another iconic character on the streets of Gotham. For now, Henry is laying down the law on Netflix.
Bass x Machina is streaming on Netflix now.
For more, we have picks for the best anime on Netflix and the best anime movies to watch right now.
