Animated Western ‘Bass X Machina’ Debuts on Netflix With 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score

All six episodes of Bass X Machina, an animated steampunk western, are now available on Netflix. The series has received 100% positive reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

The series draws inspiration from Bass Reeves, one of the first Black US federal marshals, but places him in an alternate version of the Wild West. There, the bounty hunter has a mechanical arm and faces robots and supernatural creatures as well as outlaws.

Brian Tyree Henry voices the main character and also serves as an executive producer. The actor previously told Polygon that he was drawn to Netflix’s willingness to experiment with animation:

“I’ve rewatched ‘Blue Eye Samurai’ four or five times. I try to create what I want to watch myself… I really like how Netflix animation is evolving, becoming more open and experimental. They’re not afraid to choose stories that aren’t considered mainstream. They want to experiment and try new things because there’s a huge audience that wants that, and I’m part of it.”

Brian Tyree Henry

LeSean Thomas, known for Yasuke and Cannon Busters, is responsible for creating the series. South Korean studio Studio Mir, whose credits include X-Men ’97 and Devil May Cry, worked on the animation.

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