Netflix's Steampunk Western 'Bass X Machina' Hits 100% on RT

Netflix's new steampunk Western anime 'Bass X Machina' debuted to a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, topping Edgerunners.

@sharedot

Netflix's Steampunk Western 'Bass X Machina' Hits 100% on RT

By @sharedot · · 6 pages

  • Streaming
  • Netflix
  • Anime

Netflix's new steampunk Western anime 'Bass X Machina' debuted to a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, topping Edgerunners.

A Perfect Debut for Netflix's Wild West Anime

Netflix's under-the-radar animated series *Bass X Machina* has launched to a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, according to both GamesRadar+ and Yahoo.

The steampunk anime is set in the Wild West, where marshal Bass Reeves — voiced by Brian Tyree Henry and armed with a cybernetic arm — takes on outlaws who are, in the outlets' framing, closer to Terminator than Jesse James.

Both publishers position the show as an immediate rival to *Cyberpunk: Edgerunners*, which has long been the touchstone prestige anime on the service.

Why the Score Is Such an Upset

The surprise here is twofold. First, *Bass X Machina* arrived with little fanfare — GamesRadar+ calls it an 'under-the-radar' series — yet it now sits in company that overtakes both *Cyberpunk: Edgerunners* and *Leviathan* on the review aggregator.

Second, as GamesRadar+ and Yahoo candidly note, the 100% comes from only a sprinkling of early reviews, so the perfect mark could shift as more critics weigh in. Still, a flawless debut for a non-mainstream original puts it instantly among the best-reviewed anime on Netflix.

Star Power Behind the Lawman

The cast is a serious draw: Brian Tyree Henry leads, alongside Intergalactic's Tati Gabrielle and Janelle Monae, per GamesRadar+ and Yahoo.

Henry told Polygon that he came to Netflix after repeatedly rewatching *Blue Eye Samurai* — 'I digested Blue Eye Samurai four or five times,' he said — and praised the platform's animation slate as inclusive and experimental, unafraid to pick stories that aren't considered mainstream.

Both outlets also note the pop-culture side plot: rumors and a makeup snafu have linked Henry to the villain Two-Face in *The Batman 2*, though nothing is confirmed.

What Comes Next for the New Hit

*Bass X Machina* is streaming on Netflix now, as both GamesRadar+ and Yahoo confirm, and the question for fans is whether the perfect score holds up once the full review count grows.

For Netflix, the debut reinforces the experimental animation strategy Henry himself praised — building a devoted audience around unlikely premises like a cybernetic frontier marshal.

Both outlets also point readers toward their broader guides to the best anime on Netflix, framing the series as the newest must-watch entry in an increasingly stacked slate.

Sources

  1. yahoo.com › Netflix anime starring The Batman 2's rumored Two-Face actor launches to 100% Rotten Tomatoes score
  2. gamesradar.com › New Netflix anime starring The Batman 2's rumored Two-Face actor launches to perfect Rotten Tomatoes score

More on Streaming