Afro Samurai

Genre: Action
Format: 5 episodes
Allegiance: Gonzo
Director: Fuminori Kizaki
Vintage: 2007
Intelligence Agency Report by: Drake
In futuristic-feudal Japan the one who wears the Number One headband is the strongest warrior in the world and revered as a god among men. The only opposition to the Number One is the one who wears the Number Two headband. The holder of the Number Two headband is the Afro Samurai who is sent down the dark pathway to kill the Number One in order to avenge his fallen father, the former Number One. The only problem with this journey is anyone can challenge the Number Two. Can this Afro-Samurai exact revenge on his father’s murderer and claim the title of Number One?

Field Agent Report by: Drake
Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio
6.00
5.00
4.00
9.50
6.00
Overall 5.50
(not an average)
From Jedi Master to Snake Slayer, Samuel L. Jackson has always been a fan favorite in any film he has had the chance to be part of. However, this titan can also stumble as we see quite clearly in Afro Samurai. Jackson not only takes on the role of voice actor for the two main protagonists, but also is the executive producer. So what can we expect from Jackson’s first anime project? Not a whole lot sadly. To put it nicely, this anime was nothing short of a beautifully choreographed blood fest. 

After cutting past the beautiful animation and amazing action scenes, one finds a rather typical revenge-against-a-loved-one’s-murder story. In the case of Afro Samurai, it is Afro’s father who was killed by the former Number Two and the current Number One. Though, the biggest issue here is just how confusing it is. This anime truly lacks any and all logic. To make matters worse, the creators actually tried to make an attempt at characterization by humanizing Afro. Sadly, this was too little too late as development began taking place around the third or fourth episode. Had the attempt been consistent since the start, perhaps we would be looking at a higher score here. 

You’re probably thinking, ‘So it lacks characterizations and a revolutionary plot! It has Samuel L. Jackson, damnit! How’s the action?’ Well, that’s simple. The fights are really bloody and the sequences are beautiful as the two forces collide against each other so smoothly. So if you love seeing people with swords bash each other, look no further. This is it! 

In the end, what can I say? This anime is perfect if you want to see mindless fighting set to the iconic voice of Samuel L. Jackson. Though, if you want something with a somewhat reasonable or engaging plot, stay far away from here. I promise you’ll regret watching this!