Customer Reviews

Afro Samurai

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There's no doubt that Afro Samurai has a cool and simple concept and a very bloody style. In this future world of feudal Japan nothing seems to matter but two headbands that represent the two best fighters. To get to the number one fighter you must go through the number two and to get to the number two you must go trough everyone else. This way of life that nobody should have to live especially a child who has nothing but the headbands and revenge on his mind. As a child Afro saw his father who was the number one fighter at the time get massacred by a man named Justice. After the fight is over Justice takes the number one headband off of the head of Afro's father, which was not too far away from his body. Justice tells Afro something similar to what Uma Thurman said to Vivica A. Fox's daughter in Kill Bill, that if he wanted revenge he would fight him when he came for him.

Afro took those words very seriously and took a few things of his fathers including his very cool Katana. Afro immediately went from an innocent child to an almost emotionless man with a ton of weight on him as he begins his vengeful journey. Afro Samurai is a unique anime or story for that matter. You don't see too many people willing to put out a story with basically nothing but very bloody fight scenes for about two episodes before a really good story starts up. Especially in a 5 part series where the episodes are only between 20 and 30 minutes long. I can't lie because I love stuff like that and it made Afro Samurai all the more tempting to finish watching. The second is that this was a pricy anime to make costing $1 million per episode so I'm sure a few viewers from the Hip hop community were expected to watch this. Even if you're an action film fan you have to admit when there's too much action and not enough story Even in a revenge tail like Kill Bill with a certain scene that this anime could relate to 88 times over it had a mystery and story.

Afro was on the verge of being in the too much and not enough category and then a cool story hits you somewhere around the end of episode two. Flashbacks of Afro's life are showed, you see him as a kid again and the people who took him in and gave him his gritty skills. All throughout the 5 part series you see that the money was well spent because the animation is amazing and beautiful. The things that Afro does with his skills are crazy and this animation was a giant step up for anime samurai fight scene, it was flawless. The voice actors are great including Sam Jackson who is great for co-producing this and putting his foot in it.

I think it would have been cool to actually give Afro a real name, it's cool for people that take him on to call him Afro but I think he should have had a name for his other life before he became the Afro Samurai. In other words I kind of wish the story went just a bit deeper with a little bit more complexity. I think that Afro Samurai is a great series that everyone should see especially to view its beautiful quality.

Recently I got into the show Samurai Champloo, done by the man responsible for the much-praised Cowboy Bebop. That show oozes style and panache while still maintaining a compelling atmosphere and likable characters. Afro Samurai on the other hand just tries way too hard to be cool and its emphasis on that "coolness" completely robs it of anything else it wants to have when presenting this old-yet-anachronistic world. Meaning this is a show where there was more time spent on its visuals than anything else and you can very much see that is the case although the more testosterone-driven people might disagree with me.

Comprised of 5 episodes, Samuel L. Jackson plays Afro who has a boy saw his father killed right in front of him by the evil Justice. Justice wants the #1 headband which says that he is the best fighter ever. Afro, growing up and full of dreams of revenge, has the #2 headband which means only he can take on the number one. Only thing is whoever is number 2 has to fight everyone and really anyone who thinks they can take him on. And so the bulk of the series is basically Afro taking on any moron who thinks they can go after him as well as revealing backstory on old friends and how he got the #2 headband back.

First I should talk about the positives because the negatives might be a little bit extensive. Gonzo Animation, known for such titles as Samurai 7, Trinity Blood, and Chrono Crusade, Gonzo has really outdid themselves with the animation here with is just as fluid and beautiful as it should be with character designs on the mark a large part of the time which was a problem I always saw with Samurai 7. One battle, taking place in a snowfield is just as serene in its atmosphere as is some of the lighting in other places. However, the fights, while cool, have a certain overeager quality or a lack of confidence and they're almost haphazardly directed and hard to tell what's going half the time. It's here where it's easy to see it's basically a case of "if it looks cool, who cares if the action's confusing?"

Here's where I'm basically going to bomb the series. Characters aren't terribly interesting. Afro is so quiet and withdrawn that he's not the most likable anti-hero around. At least Hellsing was a likable bad***, as skillful in battle as he was cool to root for. Jackson also plays Ninja Ninja which is the antithesis of Afro's quiet demeanor. This is the Jackson you'd probably hear the most in films as he has that kind of "I'm the man" tone of voice and he quickly gets irritating. You almost wish Afro would pull a Fight Club on him (if you've seen the movie, I've probably spoiled this for you). As for the 2 other stars, Kelly Hu and Ron Perlman, playing Okiku and Justice respectively, they're barely in this. Not that they do good jobs anyway.

There's way better anime out there such as Bebop, Champloo, Kenshin, hell even Fruits Basket is better than this. Should you at least rent it and try it out? Sure. Some of you will love it and find "this **** is the bomb!" while others will find a rather hollow anime entry.

Come on, how could you go wrong? Afro. Samurai. Samuel L Jackson. If this isn't a recipe for awesome, I don't know what is. If the notion doesn't immediately strike you that this is the coolest concept ever, move along; there's nothing for you to see here. But if you're a fan of animated carnage and you think that Sam Jackson is the king of cool, then this series is well worth it.

The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world (don't they all?) and follows Afro's pursuit of the "#1 Headband" which is said to grant god-like power to the one who possesses it. Just so happens that the guy who currently possesses it killed our main man's father right in front of him at an early age, hence Afro's quest for vengeance. The trick is that nobody can challenge the owner of the "#1 Headband" unless he possesses the "#2 Headband". Needless to say, the owner of #2 is beset on all sides by every bloodthirsty yahoo who lusts for the power of the #1. That's where the endless carnage comes in. Limbs and heads fly to and fro with whimsical abandon, blood splatters everywhere, death is at pretty much every stop on the Afro-train. Along the way he encounters seductive kunoichi, cyborgs, a dual-bladed opponent in a teddy bear mask, a rocket-launching psychopath, a cybernetic double, and much, much more.

The backstory is filled in with near-constant flashbacks, some of which help alleviate the confusion of what the hell you are watching, and some of which just add to it. The series is short, real short. Like, five 20+ minute episodes short. This is enough to satisfy one's bloodlust and build a decent story, but not nearly enough to fully flesh out the world or the people who inhabit it. The series is fantastic and a great introduction to the anime art form for the curious and uninitiated, but it's not perfect. The ending kind of left me cold, as the final battle is rather anti-climactic, and it never really shows what #1's "god-like powers" entail; or if they are just a legend. All these guys seem to do once they get it is sit atop the mountain and wait for the next sucker to climb on up and challenge them. There is one confrontation that takes a full episode and half of another to conclude because it is packed so full of flashbacks. This is acceptable when you have a full season of a show to pad, but not when you've only got 5 episodes to pack with all the awesomeness one expects from a series named "Afro Samurai". Still, this one is a must-see for animation fans.

The director's cut gives us an extra dose of blood, some nudity, and a little extra much-appreciated character development that adds much to an already great series. The extra disc gives us a brief "making of" documentary and a well put together featurette profiling the many interesting characters Afro meets (and beats) during his journey. There is also a very short segment about The RZA's, excellent score. Samuel L Jackson's resume speaks for itself and his performance as Afro's companion (Afro himself rarely speaks) provides constant humorous and stylish banter that does a great job of both lightening the tone of a show where nearly every character is stoic and deadly serious -if not tragic- and giving voice to Afro's innermost doubts and fears. Ron Perlman is another who never disappoints and his performance as #1 is bone-chilling. The very sexy Kelly Hu also turns in a great contribution. Bottom line: if you like afros, if you like samurai, if you like animation, and if you like violence then this show is for you.

Alright, so Afro Samurai set out to answer the age old question: "If you take an insanely high animation budget, a breathtaking soundtrack, spectacularly choreography fight scenes, and a well-known actor and combine it with a plot that's ludicrously stupid, will the result still be cool?" The answer is yeah... but barely. As the pinnacle of simplistic action samurai movies, this will not disappoint. In ever other way it does. Sadly, just some minimal dialogue edits could have down wonders for the overall story.
So I will assume you both saw the show on Spike TV or Youtube, and still wish to purchase the series. You are now wondering "Is the extra 15 minutes worth double the price of the edited DVDs?" No, not really; however, it does improve the story in the last 2 episodes. Here is a basic breakdown of what you missed on TV.
All the episodes contain small cuts of slightly more excessive gore, a few f-bombs, and long shots of scenery. Small snippets of dialogue were also cut here and there, especially the ninja's.
Episode one- A fallen warrior that just collapses in the edited version gives a really long speech before dropping in the uncut. The bar patrons bicker and threaten each other and a mini fight break out. The Empty Seven talk a bit more about their plans. Overall, I prefer the edited version of this episode. The dead guy talked way too long about Afro's legend and the dialogue seemed really corny and fake. The bar scene makes the whole town appear violent and psychotic. The scene where the Empty Seven talks expands their background, but their story is severely lacking and the more you show the emptier they feel.
Episode two has some additional scenes of Afro in the orphanage that was useful to the story. In a fairly boring scene, we see Afro's first taste of lemonade. There was also a sort of cute but short scene of Afro hanging out with his girl while Kuma learns about sword fighting. Nothing spectacular was cut. There is still no more explanation for how she can read dreams. Ninja Ninja is also slightly more vulgar. You see a few quick shots of the chick's [...] in an expanded sex, shower, and death scene.
Episode 3-Well we learns why the Empty Seven decided to have Afro Droid fight their other assassins. Mostly, just talking was cut. The Empty Seven battle is the same expect we see Number 3 offer Afro tea, and he just walks by.
Episode four-Okay, so important story parts were edited out here. There are some additional scenes in the orphanage where Kuma's own theories help shape Afro's decision. There's a scene were all the kids say what they would like to do before dying, and the girl says see some fireworks. Kuma also tries to persuade Afro to leave the bandanas alone, but fails.
Episode 5-We also see some more of what happened to Kuma after falling off the cliff and getting rebuilt. These scenes were probably wise to cut because they only continue to make Kuma a more sympathetic character than Afro. There is a bunch of additional dialogue regarding Justice, his goals and dreams, and the power of the bandanas. These are really important scenes that should have not been edited out. There were also a few shots of how Afro reached him, and how Justice revived his body to fight Afro. There is a SLIGHTLY expanded ending, but it really adds nothing to the story.
The extras on the second disc total 40 minutes and could easily fit onto the first DVD. The extras are mildly interesting, but if you miss them it doesn't really matter. I think this was included just to try to convince you to shell out the extra bucks.
Are these extra scenes worth the additional $15? No. The entire series, uncut, is only worth about $[...], which is the typical Ebay price.
O, and in case you're wondering, there is no Japanese audio track because this series was made in America. No Japanese language version exists.

I just caught the first ep showing on Spike Tv and WOW. Insane little anime. Really worth a watch and buy. The action is fast, violent and plenty of it. Samuel Jackson does the voice for two characters(maybe more). He of course does Afro the main character, but since Afro doesn't really talk all that much, most of it goes to this other guy that follows him around, who I think might just be in Afro's head. Pretty cool plot, there's two headbands, each with a number one and a number two. Afro's dad wore number one. Until number two killed him infront of his eyes. Here's how it works. The one that wears the number one headband means no one can challenge you. You're untouchable. Only the wearer of the number two has the right to challenge. But if you wear the number two headband it means that EVERYONE and ANYONE can challenge you. And that's pretty much the plot. Afro is making his way to see and challenge number one while fighting off the others that want his number two(headband). Anyway, watch and then later buy.

I watched Afro Samurai on Spike TV back in January when they first aired the edited episodes. I was thrilled when I found out they were releasing a director's cut of the production with an extended ending since I could not get over how bland the show felt on TV. For those of you who thought that Afro Samurai was a rushed anime and no real substance, well the director's cut of the show fixes a lot of it. Spike TV not only cut out the mature content but ended up cutting the scenes to make room for a half hour time lapse. In my opinion the director's cut of Afro adds depth to the characters. The picture and sound are restored to their intended form creating a beautiful anime. Aside from the features, yes many have commented that Afro the character lacks in personality with his jabber of a sidekick Ninja Ninja filling in his dialogue. His character is a scarred being and his sidekick is his only mental expression. Consider the story of Afro going through life as a boy pulled out of innocence and straight into the world of killing. The anime is for people who are willing to look closer at the content. In the end it has many redeemable qualities with characters and story handled with a mixture of old feudal Japan and modern future culture. It is also a story about how revenge comes between the good in you life and how power cannot exist in your life unless you destroy it. Afro Samurai is an imaginative story, with unusual, likable characters thought up by Takashi Okasaki. For those of you who are planning on watching it for the first time get the complete director's cut anime.

Afro Samurai is one of those ideas that doesn't sound promising on paper, but oce it's put to screen, it's so close to glory that you can't help but wonder why you thought it would have been anything different. Originally aired on Spike TV, all five episodes of Afro Samurai are here on DVD in all it's uncut and unedited glory on DVD, as Samuel L. Jackson lends his voice to the revenge driven, title character who as a child witnessed his father being murdered by the insane Justice (Ron "Hellboy" Perlman). Now, Afro works his way up the food chain in an effort to become the "Number One" warrior in all of the world, and get his bloody revenge. What Afro Samurai lacks in it's overall story more than makes up for it in style. The animation is striking and brilliant with incredibly sweeping detail, and the voice cast, which also includes Kelly Hu, Phil LaMar, and a host of voice acting veterans, is superb. The only real downsides to Afro Samurai are with the main character himself. Afro hardly as any kind of character development whatsoever and isn't as sympathetic a character as one might think. Despite that though, Afro Samurai still features a great soundtrack by The RZA, and Jackson also lends his voice to Afro's semi-sidekick Ninja Ninja, who provides some funny moments. All in all, Afro Samurai is a memorable, American-ized anime with a hip-hop flavor, and this violent, uncut version is definitely worth picking up for viewers who wanted more from the TV broadcast and anime fans in general.

It could really be called an anime mash-up. The setting is sort of a timeless blend of asian feudalism with high tech sprinkled in liberally. Samuel Jackson voices the main character in both films. The plot revolves around a set of headbands that define the world's top swordsman.

The plot is a bit out there at times, but that's in the best tradition of anime. I really enjoyed both films (they were originally shown on SpikeTV in episodic format). The best thing about them is the amazing art design. The graphics are computer aided and look awesome. There is plenty of violence and, of course, anime boobs.

I'd recommend it for anime novices like me - I'm not sure what real anime junkies would think of it.

The popular anime and manga series is created by mangaka Takashi "Bob" Okazaki and produced by world renown Japanese animation company STUDIO GONZO ("Full Metal Panic", "Vandread", "Gantz", "Samurai 7' and many other anime) brought us the popular five-episode series (which aired in the US on SPIKE TV back in 2007 ) was released as a special Director's Cut featuring 15 minutes of never before seen footage.

The short animated TV series featured a collaboration with Samuel L. Jackson, creator Takashi Okazaki and anime production studio GONZO and took three years to develop and the series was followed by a movie titled "Afro Samurai: Resurrection" which takes place a year later after this series.

Because of it's impressive visuals, violent action scenes, unique characters (especially since the main character is a Black samurai) and its hip hop music courtesy of RZA (of Wu-Tang Clan fame), the anime attracted many fans in the US.

"Afro Samurai-Director's Cut" features a total of 5 episodes on one DVD and comes with another disc with special features. Here is a spoiler-less summary of each episode:

DISC 1:

* EPISODE 1 - Revenge - The series features Afro when he was young and watched as his father was killed during a battle. Now Afro, grown up and a feared samurai, is now wanting his revenge on the man who killed his father.
* EPISODE 2 - The Dream Reader - Afro is taken care of by a woman named Okiku and we see flashbacks of Afro's past as a child bent on revenge.
* EPISODE 3 - The Empty Seven Clan - A clan sends out a robot based on Afro to take on the Afro Samurai.
* EPISODE 4 - Duel - Afro comes face-to-face on someone sporting a bear mask (a face resembling a teddy bear that Afro's young female friend used to have) and a flashback from Afro's past.
* EPISODE 5 - Justice - The final battle between Afro and his childhood friend and the final confrontation between Afro and Justice.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

GONZO has done a remarkable job with this series. The animation and the painted backgrounds are well-done! Daytime scenes are colorful and vibrant and night-time scenes are dark and work well with this series. It's also important to note that "Afro Samurai - Director's Cut" has quite a bit of talent involved with the look of the film such as character designer and animation director, Hiroya Iijima ("Gantz", "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" and "Black Cat"). Also, art direction from Shigemi Ikeda ("Gantz", "Gasaraki", "Inuyasha", Infinite Ryvius, "Black Cat" and many of the "Mobile Suit Gundam" TV series and films).

The series is featured in 16×9 and for the most part, the picture quality really brings out the detail of the surroundings, including the rocky cliffs to the disembowelment of several characters. And color from the lush green painted backgrounds, blue skies and huge clouds, villages and buildings to the action sequences which showcases a lot of blood.

As for the audio, "Afro Samurai-Director's Cut" is featured in English 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound and English stereo. The series actually sounds quite awesome with the clanging of the swords and the metal healing, sounding quite awesome. Also, scenes with weapons being launched or fireworks being shot up to the sky, "Afro Samurai" has a solid 5.1 presentation. I actually prefer to listen to the series with my receiver set at stereo on all channels (especially for those that have a 7.2 or higher setup).

"Afro Samurai - Director's Cut" is featured only in English, there is no Japanese soundtrack. Voice acting is well done by actors Samuel L. Jackson, Ron Perlman and Yuri Lowenthal. Samuel L. Jackson definitely brings out the believability of both Afro and Ninja Ninja and gives the series that cool, funky vibe.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Afro Samurai - Director's Cut" features the following special features:

* In the Booth - Voice Talent of Afro Samurai - (14:48) Interviews with voice talent Samuel L. Jackson, Ron Perlman, Kelly Hu, creator Takahashi Okazaki and co-producer Eric Calderon discussing how the series came about.
* RZA Music Production Tour - (4:54) RZA showing us how he created the music and crew talking about how RZA's music was important for the series. How hip hop is blended with Japanese animation.
* Character Profiles with Commentary by Co-Producer: Eric Calderon - (23:42) Gonzo's Eric Calderon talks about Afro Samurai, Okazaki's vision, the voice talent involved in the series and what is cool about the character and the series.

JUDGMENT CALL:

I know that I'm coming on to this series quite late but for the most part "Afro Samurai - Director's Cut" is a solid series. It's definitely a violent series full of blood and dismembered body parts but it's interesting to see how samurai anime-based series has come since the early 90's. The action is fast and fierce but for "Afro Samurai", the series is highly stylized. Even the blood flowing and how the colors are feature is quite artistic in presentation.

Of course, some people may have a hard time seeing characters that are non-Japanese who are samurai, especially a Black anti-hero with a huge afro. But Takashi "Bob" Okazaki, who was a big hip hop fan definitely was inspired by the music and wanting to do something different and sure enough, Afro Samurai was a unique creation. Okazaki has done a wonderful job with this series and for the most part, doing something unique and different. "Afro Samurai" may feature five episodes but in the overall plan, Okazaki has mentioned, that the series is just a very small part of what he has planned for Afro Samurai and for the most part, one can only hope that the series receives a larger storyline than just five episodes.

The "Afro Samurai" series has star power with Samuel L. Jackson, Ron Perlman and Kelly Hu contributing their voices to the series. You have RZA bringing the hip hop to Japanese animation, so for the most part, it's a unique blend of East meets West in bringing two cultures together. I felt that was pretty awesome!

GONZO also has done a fantastic job on the animation and artistic backgrounds for this series. I felt the action and fighting choreography was well done! Again, everything is stylized. Even down to the packaging of this release. I have to say that "Afro Samurai-Director's Cut" also features a pretty awesome package design. Featuring a magnetic case and how the folds are, it's pretty cool.

As for the TV MA rating, despite the series being shown on television, this is not a series to have children around watching. It's violent, bloody and features nudity and a sex scene. In fact, some might find the series a bit disturbing and too gory for their tastes.

Overall, if you are a fan of "Afro Samurai" that was shown on television, the director's cut features 15 extra minutes will definitely entertain you. I personally can't comment on where the extra footage is located but I would assume that the majority of those extra minutes are the extremely violent scenes.

As for my opinion on the series, for one, its short. The series obviously focuses more on the fighting and violence and the goal for people to become #2 in order to fight the #1 fighter. I felt that the nature of this series was keeping the Western audiences in mind but utilizing Japanese animation by GONZO. As far as storyline execution goes, "Afro Samurai" is nowhere near the deepness of other samurai anime like "Samurai Champloo", "Hakkenden", "Rurouni Kenshin" or "Samurai 7'. But again, the series is short and Okazaki has not had the opportunity to have a full-length animated series.

But it's also a different style of anime that although it uses the concept of samurai and has some inclusion of Japanese culture, the series is very Western. Afro is stoic, while Ninja Ninja could be easily too vocal or mildly annoying but what I did like about the series is its style. Sure, it's bloody but somehow the way these fight scenes, no matter how violent they were, the execution was quite artistic in someway.

Also, the series is unique and how it tries to bring together samurai and hip hop music. And of course, having the main character being a Black protagonist. But "Afro Samurai" is a series that is literally action and style over substance. If Okazaki was given a chance to have a full-length anime series of 26 episodes, it would be interesting to see what he would be capable of plot-wise.

Overall, "Afro Samurai" was entertaining, violent, gruesome but visually stylized. It was something different and that's a good thing. Also, the fact that you can find "Afro Samurai - Director's Cut" online for a pretty cheap price, definitely makes this DVD release worth checking out.

Afro Samurai brings to mind many classics of Japanese-American pop-art, such as Lone Wolf and Cub (the path of the doomed samurai killer) and Samurai Jack (the quiet taciturn samurai on an impossible quest...in a world that blends the ancient and the advanced), to mention the two that jump out at me. The animation and art are fantastic and unusual; despite the strong anime influences, I initially thought it was American due to the strong resemblance to the work of Peter Chung (Aeon Flux) and even The Boondocks animated series (another possible influence). However, I have since discovered that this is a Japanese production that was dubbed into English.

The dubbed dialog is a mixed bag. The translated script is perhaps the most convincing I've ever heard, although the delivery of the voice actors falls a little short. To be honest, I thought Samuel L. Jackson is a bit of a ham-fisted choice. He works better in his duties as Ninja Ninja than as the titular Afro. Jackson doesn't really know how to do "reserved" in a convincing fashion. Ron Perlman is mostly wasted as Justice. He shows up only at the beginning and end, and he's doing a bit of a weird semi-Southern accent. None of the voice actors truly stood out for me.

The characters themselves are a bit flat, mostly props for the incredible action and thick atmosphere. The script doesn't give them any room for development, but to be fair, this isn't the kind of story where everyone learns something and goes home a little wiser. That's fine. It's tempting to condemn Afro Samurai for being an empty exercise in flashy style, but I think there's a little more to it than that. The themes of the uselessness and tragedy of violence and revenge are intriguing, and sometimes powerful. This is inevitably undermined a bit by the glorification of violence in the many gory and lyrical action set pieces.

As for the style, and the art, Afro Samurai is pretty much impeccable on all counts. From RZA's score to the creepy Japanese puppet-type cyborgs, this show hits all the right notes...sometimes, too well. When it is too tasteful, polished and stylized, it can lose a little bit of its soul, not unlike its various old men and cyborgs who have sold themselves for power and revenge. Afro Samurai isn't perfect, but it's damn entertaining. The atmosphere, art, action and dramatic themes almost overcome its occasional shallowness.