The Western is one of the oldest genres on screen, and every so often someone finds a fresh way to shake it up. Bass X Machina, a new animated limited series on Netflix, does exactly that. It takes the story of a real frontier lawman and drops him into a world of steam engines, mechanical limbs and outlaw gangs with powers that go beyond the ordinary.
The inspiration is Bass Reeves, a man born into slavery who later became one of the first Black deputy marshals west of the Mississippi. In this version, Brian Tyree Henry voices Bass as a father who must make brutal decisions to protect his family, aware that each one may drive his loved ones further away. That emotional core keeps the spectacle grounded.
The creative team is a strong sign of quality. Showrunner LeSean Thomas has a track record with stylish action animation, and Studio Mir brings its fast, energetic visual style. Janelle Monáe joins the voice cast and also wrote the theme song, while the score draws on African instrumentation rather than the usual Western sound. The result promises to look and sound unlike anything else in the genre.
For details on the cast, the music and what the creators have said about the show, this Bass X Machina premiere article covers it well.
In our directory, this one is recommended for adult animation fans who want more than nonstop action. The show is clearly made for grown-ups, both in its fight scenes and in how it treats the harsh realities of frontier life. With only six episodes, it fits comfortably into a weekend. If stylish samurai sagas or space westerns are among your favourites, this genre mash-up deserves a place near the top of your list.
