Hello, Escapist citizens. This is my first attempt at writing a review on this site. I'm not good at writing reviews, but if you find any inconsistencies with the information I provide in the specs of Afro Samurai, please bring them to my attention. I appreciate constructive criticism. With that said, here I go.
Afro Samurai is an anime movie which hit the internet in the beginning of 2007, and slashed its way to airwaves not too long after that. It revolves around the titular character, a lanky, African-American 'samurai' with an afro named, well, Afro. The plot is simplistic: Afro watches his father get beheaded by the main antagonist in a demonic cowboy-looking dude in black named Justice and wants revenge. On an additional note, his father had a "Number One" headband (in this little universe, the headband makes the wearer like a god and 'decision-maker' of sorts), while Justice had a "Number Two" headband (with that headband, endless folks will challenge this person to fight Number One). Fast-forward through to Afro's present adult self, he has possession of the Number Two headband, and is proceeding forth to find Justice, the new Number One.
As much as the animation is slick and stylish, and that the fight (screw that, they are downright slaughters) scenes are visceral and fast-paced, they seem to get more attention and detail than the actual plot. For example, in the first brawl after Afro's father was killed, the main character is faced with (at least) twenty or thirty guys with katanas or crossbows on a moonlit field. Each time Afro heaves that blade of his through a wave of swordsmen, the frame slows and settles for the viewer to watch blood geyser out of their heads/limbs/whatever, and gives a 'bad-ass' pose for Afro, like he's the king or something. He thrusts his scabbard into a guy's throat, the frame slows, and shows the explosive decimation of his head. Oh, this is rich: a bullet aims for Afro, and what happens...the frame slows and shows Afro slicing the bullet in half, and the cleaved parts drowned in nearby explosions of light and debris.Yeah, I'm aware it's a simple vengeance story, but there is no excuse for such overrated and overexaggerated detail just for the cliche-ridden 'one man against a thousand' BS. It would be more tolerable if there was more depth to the story. Here are some observations:
Throughout Afro Samurai, flashbacks are used in-between non-action scenes to when Afro was growing up, where he got beaten up as a kid, and taken in by a master swordsman (whom is simply called Sword Master). Alright, I can understand how Afro got stronger from training and even killing a few people, but for the sake of this movie (and for splitting hairs on my end), I wanted to know more about the relationship with Afro and his father. What was their relationship like before he met with Justice? Were their problems? Happy times? Did Afro live an idyllic life before the current, sparse events of the story? Should we really care about Afro and his single-minded ambition to kill Justice? See, there are inherent problems with the logic, crazy and over-the-top, style-injected defiance of physics and anatomy not withstanding. And yeah, it's an anime, but if it tries so hard to force this kind-of bad-ass, hot-shit label due to excessive violence, some harsh language, and even a little sex, why can't it pursue more depth for the story so that maybe the viewer can have some sympathy, or build an understanding with the character or characters?
I'll give you an example of a similar type of series: Rurouni Kenshin. Now, here we have a guy who has lived a rather tragic and dark existence, a swordsman who has killed more people than he knows, memories of violence and suffering dribbled in his mind at times, and even the lament of his loved one (as far as Samurai X is concerned). But here's the thing: throughout most of the anime (and manga), he's developed this kind (and even bubbly) personality and offers protection and aid to those who need it around the countryside to forget (and possibly, to atone) for the people he has killed. Notice the difference? This is called character development. There is a real, raw, and emotional story wrapped up with this guy's chronicles and interactions with others, who also have depth to offer to him and one hell of an experience to deliver to the viewer/reader. And it doesn't rely so much on brainless, stupid style...the substance is dominant for a change, and fight scenes are realistic and well-executed without the postmodernist theatrics and hi-tech expenditures, something like Afro Samurai. Before I digress further:
Another moment of bad-assness I need to address is a scene where after the first brawl, time passes (and so does Ninja-Ninja's pseudo humor; oh, he has an afro-haired 'conscience' named Ninja-Ninja, who looks like him but has sunglasses and wastes time shooting the shit) and the main character ends up at a tavern/restaurant. Most of the people in there cower for this one guy coming in, you know, shivering and crapping in their pants, again...like some sort of messiah. Maybe it's Samuel L. Jackson's presence (he does the voice of Afro, Ninja-Ninja, and was a producer for this series, also slated to play the main lead in the live-action version of this movie), maybe it's Afro asking for...um, lemonade from the stereotypical attractive, dark-haired and eyed woman behind the counter, maybe it's the hulking dude who gets the business end of his scabbard shoved in his face...I don't know, to be honest. Moments, like the one mentioned, irritate me because it is nothing more than kissing butt and laying down a rosy red carpet for some stock main character, let alone an anti-hero, and once again, lends itself to the hefty aesthetic portion of such a vengeance-driven trip.
On an interesting note, Afro Samurai originated as a manga back in 1999, and is still being written (by Takashi Okazaki) today, as far as I'm concerned, which I'm not. For the record, I should've said this before, but I'll say it now: the animation, as slick and stylish as it is, is VERY similar to Samurai Champaloo. Sure, the chronology is damning, but I hold dear that the latter is far more original, far more stylish, and that the three-dimensional characters and story ooze with wit, perk, and awe in every step, frame, and wiggle of the record. Before I knew about the manga being written, I watched Samurai Champaloo before this, and felt (and still do) that Afro was a hack version of Mugen: the messy hairstyle, the lanky build, the ruggedness, the 'I-don't-give-a-shit-if-you-die' kind-of attitude, and most of all, the fighting style. While Mugen utilizes break-dancing in his undisciplined moves (and it is so friggin' awesome; if you've seen SC, then you know), I can't help but make that observation for Afro's rampant, whirling slashes and speedy movements. I half-expected the 'spina-rooni' (like the wrestler Booker T, how he kneels forth, holds his face, and performs the absurdly funny break-dancing before finishing an opponent) for Afro...at least to slice off enemies' ankles and stuff.
Some of the main opponents Afro fights are borderline stock but somewhat watchable: members of this group called the Empty Seven (this cyborg monks with bar code numbers on their heads), a robot version of Afro (every one needs a robot or dark/monstrous version of themselves, right?), his long-time friend now enemy Jino (on a side note, he was critically pulverized in battle in one of the flashbacks, and his body was ripped and enhanced into some sort of Frankenstein-esque abomination; he fights with two swords, which reminded me of Musashi Miyamoto and his Ni To Ichi Ryu style, except the latter fought with a katana and wakizashi, which is shorter, versus Jino fighting with two same-lengthed blades), and the main antagonist Justice.
Through all the flashy fireworks and clashing blades (or missiles, or other artillery from the opposition, mind you), and even a brief moment where Afro floats a little up-close to Earth's ionosphere, the anti-climatic tension for the final bout is reduced to Justice gaining control for the first couple of minutes, then Afro bludgeons Justice for the second couple of minutes. Nothing about his dad, nothing about the past, it ends there. Afro takes the Number One headband, and the show is over. Jino returns to face Afro on the same plane as time passes, and his body is dressed with all the headbands, which I suppose is cool, but it ends a short time after that.
One thing that I enjoyed was the music, provided by RZA. The ecclectic hip-hop beats rumbled through the opening scenes, whispered in the background at times, and unloaded when things got heavy. RZA also provided for the soundtrack of Jim Jaramusch's kick-ass movie Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai starring Forest Whittaker. Another plus to Afro Samurai, for better and for worse, is the short length. Five episodes clocked at 110 minutes. And really, one more thing: what you see in Afro Samurai is what you get and nothing more. I think the DVD has some extras, but for me, it isn't worth a second, or a third sitting.
Final words: Personally, I felt this was a worthless, 'me-too' series. In other words, you have a main character pumped with a stone face, superhuman fighting ability, and everyone cowering at his very presence and breath. And let it be known to everyone here that I HATE revenge as the basis for a story, or as a plot device. However, I understand that it is well-liked by directors/writers and seeps its sickly, STD-flavored miasma in almost every game, movie, anime, book, music CD, etc., and will restrain that hatred in possible future reviews, maybe overlook it in series that have storyline, animation, sound, or other noteworthy features. As for Afro Samurai, if you still want to see this even after reading the review, then sure, give it a shot. If you enjoy mindless violence and style, and wish to escape to a simpler time, by all means, go ahead. I'm not telling you not too, nor will I insult you if you believe in these kind of installments. This is my perspective, and I know you have one too. A curt summary of pros/cons for Afro Samurai below:
Pros
+ Excellent soundtrack
+ Decent fight scenes
+ Short length
+ Great animation
Cons
- Paper-thin, cliche-driven storyline
- One-dimensional characters
- Suffers from the 'me-too' syndrome
- Violence used as means of promoting pretentiousness for character(s) and story
- Short length (in terms of lack of development in characters and story)
- Unnecessary promotion of bad-assness in Afro and his moves, while lack of it in other characters
- Very little to no replayability
Afro Samurai is an anime movie which hit the internet in the beginning of 2007, and slashed its way to airwaves not too long after that. It revolves around the titular character, a lanky, African-American 'samurai' with an afro named, well, Afro. The plot is simplistic: Afro watches his father get beheaded by the main antagonist in a demonic cowboy-looking dude in black named Justice and wants revenge. On an additional note, his father had a "Number One" headband (in this little universe, the headband makes the wearer like a god and 'decision-maker' of sorts), while Justice had a "Number Two" headband (with that headband, endless folks will challenge this person to fight Number One). Fast-forward through to Afro's present adult self, he has possession of the Number Two headband, and is proceeding forth to find Justice, the new Number One.
As much as the animation is slick and stylish, and that the fight (screw that, they are downright slaughters) scenes are visceral and fast-paced, they seem to get more attention and detail than the actual plot. For example, in the first brawl after Afro's father was killed, the main character is faced with (at least) twenty or thirty guys with katanas or crossbows on a moonlit field. Each time Afro heaves that blade of his through a wave of swordsmen, the frame slows and settles for the viewer to watch blood geyser out of their heads/limbs/whatever, and gives a 'bad-ass' pose for Afro, like he's the king or something. He thrusts his scabbard into a guy's throat, the frame slows, and shows the explosive decimation of his head. Oh, this is rich: a bullet aims for Afro, and what happens...the frame slows and shows Afro slicing the bullet in half, and the cleaved parts drowned in nearby explosions of light and debris.Yeah, I'm aware it's a simple vengeance story, but there is no excuse for such overrated and overexaggerated detail just for the cliche-ridden 'one man against a thousand' BS. It would be more tolerable if there was more depth to the story. Here are some observations:
Throughout Afro Samurai, flashbacks are used in-between non-action scenes to when Afro was growing up, where he got beaten up as a kid, and taken in by a master swordsman (whom is simply called Sword Master). Alright, I can understand how Afro got stronger from training and even killing a few people, but for the sake of this movie (and for splitting hairs on my end), I wanted to know more about the relationship with Afro and his father. What was their relationship like before he met with Justice? Were their problems? Happy times? Did Afro live an idyllic life before the current, sparse events of the story? Should we really care about Afro and his single-minded ambition to kill Justice? See, there are inherent problems with the logic, crazy and over-the-top, style-injected defiance of physics and anatomy not withstanding. And yeah, it's an anime, but if it tries so hard to force this kind-of bad-ass, hot-shit label due to excessive violence, some harsh language, and even a little sex, why can't it pursue more depth for the story so that maybe the viewer can have some sympathy, or build an understanding with the character or characters?
I'll give you an example of a similar type of series: Rurouni Kenshin. Now, here we have a guy who has lived a rather tragic and dark existence, a swordsman who has killed more people than he knows, memories of violence and suffering dribbled in his mind at times, and even the lament of his loved one (as far as Samurai X is concerned). But here's the thing: throughout most of the anime (and manga), he's developed this kind (and even bubbly) personality and offers protection and aid to those who need it around the countryside to forget (and possibly, to atone) for the people he has killed. Notice the difference? This is called character development. There is a real, raw, and emotional story wrapped up with this guy's chronicles and interactions with others, who also have depth to offer to him and one hell of an experience to deliver to the viewer/reader. And it doesn't rely so much on brainless, stupid style...the substance is dominant for a change, and fight scenes are realistic and well-executed without the postmodernist theatrics and hi-tech expenditures, something like Afro Samurai. Before I digress further:
Another moment of bad-assness I need to address is a scene where after the first brawl, time passes (and so does Ninja-Ninja's pseudo humor; oh, he has an afro-haired 'conscience' named Ninja-Ninja, who looks like him but has sunglasses and wastes time shooting the shit) and the main character ends up at a tavern/restaurant. Most of the people in there cower for this one guy coming in, you know, shivering and crapping in their pants, again...like some sort of messiah. Maybe it's Samuel L. Jackson's presence (he does the voice of Afro, Ninja-Ninja, and was a producer for this series, also slated to play the main lead in the live-action version of this movie), maybe it's Afro asking for...um, lemonade from the stereotypical attractive, dark-haired and eyed woman behind the counter, maybe it's the hulking dude who gets the business end of his scabbard shoved in his face...I don't know, to be honest. Moments, like the one mentioned, irritate me because it is nothing more than kissing butt and laying down a rosy red carpet for some stock main character, let alone an anti-hero, and once again, lends itself to the hefty aesthetic portion of such a vengeance-driven trip.
On an interesting note, Afro Samurai originated as a manga back in 1999, and is still being written (by Takashi Okazaki) today, as far as I'm concerned, which I'm not. For the record, I should've said this before, but I'll say it now: the animation, as slick and stylish as it is, is VERY similar to Samurai Champaloo. Sure, the chronology is damning, but I hold dear that the latter is far more original, far more stylish, and that the three-dimensional characters and story ooze with wit, perk, and awe in every step, frame, and wiggle of the record. Before I knew about the manga being written, I watched Samurai Champaloo before this, and felt (and still do) that Afro was a hack version of Mugen: the messy hairstyle, the lanky build, the ruggedness, the 'I-don't-give-a-shit-if-you-die' kind-of attitude, and most of all, the fighting style. While Mugen utilizes break-dancing in his undisciplined moves (and it is so friggin' awesome; if you've seen SC, then you know), I can't help but make that observation for Afro's rampant, whirling slashes and speedy movements. I half-expected the 'spina-rooni' (like the wrestler Booker T, how he kneels forth, holds his face, and performs the absurdly funny break-dancing before finishing an opponent) for Afro...at least to slice off enemies' ankles and stuff.
Some of the main opponents Afro fights are borderline stock but somewhat watchable: members of this group called the Empty Seven (this cyborg monks with bar code numbers on their heads), a robot version of Afro (every one needs a robot or dark/monstrous version of themselves, right?), his long-time friend now enemy Jino (on a side note, he was critically pulverized in battle in one of the flashbacks, and his body was ripped and enhanced into some sort of Frankenstein-esque abomination; he fights with two swords, which reminded me of Musashi Miyamoto and his Ni To Ichi Ryu style, except the latter fought with a katana and wakizashi, which is shorter, versus Jino fighting with two same-lengthed blades), and the main antagonist Justice.
Through all the flashy fireworks and clashing blades (or missiles, or other artillery from the opposition, mind you), and even a brief moment where Afro floats a little up-close to Earth's ionosphere, the anti-climatic tension for the final bout is reduced to Justice gaining control for the first couple of minutes, then Afro bludgeons Justice for the second couple of minutes. Nothing about his dad, nothing about the past, it ends there. Afro takes the Number One headband, and the show is over. Jino returns to face Afro on the same plane as time passes, and his body is dressed with all the headbands, which I suppose is cool, but it ends a short time after that.
One thing that I enjoyed was the music, provided by RZA. The ecclectic hip-hop beats rumbled through the opening scenes, whispered in the background at times, and unloaded when things got heavy. RZA also provided for the soundtrack of Jim Jaramusch's kick-ass movie Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai starring Forest Whittaker. Another plus to Afro Samurai, for better and for worse, is the short length. Five episodes clocked at 110 minutes. And really, one more thing: what you see in Afro Samurai is what you get and nothing more. I think the DVD has some extras, but for me, it isn't worth a second, or a third sitting.
Final words: Personally, I felt this was a worthless, 'me-too' series. In other words, you have a main character pumped with a stone face, superhuman fighting ability, and everyone cowering at his very presence and breath. And let it be known to everyone here that I HATE revenge as the basis for a story, or as a plot device. However, I understand that it is well-liked by directors/writers and seeps its sickly, STD-flavored miasma in almost every game, movie, anime, book, music CD, etc., and will restrain that hatred in possible future reviews, maybe overlook it in series that have storyline, animation, sound, or other noteworthy features. As for Afro Samurai, if you still want to see this even after reading the review, then sure, give it a shot. If you enjoy mindless violence and style, and wish to escape to a simpler time, by all means, go ahead. I'm not telling you not too, nor will I insult you if you believe in these kind of installments. This is my perspective, and I know you have one too. A curt summary of pros/cons for Afro Samurai below:
Pros
+ Excellent soundtrack
+ Decent fight scenes
+ Short length
+ Great animation
Cons
- Paper-thin, cliche-driven storyline
- One-dimensional characters
- Suffers from the 'me-too' syndrome
- Violence used as means of promoting pretentiousness for character(s) and story
- Short length (in terms of lack of development in characters and story)
- Unnecessary promotion of bad-assness in Afro and his moves, while lack of it in other characters
- Very little to no replayability
. I also liked that you did your research before you wrote this (apparently, ALOT of research, but that's absolutely better than none or little).
