Good Novels/Movies/Tv Shows about Samurais...

[DudeistBelieve]

I'm on an odd kick lately with Samurais since Jack ended. I wonder if anyone has any reccomendations? Ideally something like Samurai Jack or Samurai Champloo

 

[Ugicywapih]

Rurouni Kenshin is pretty good if you don't mind older animation. Runs out of steam later on, but the earlier parts are legit solid IMO and I hear the prequel is very good.
Afro Samurai is a bit less about genuine samurai than it is about a samurai-like guy in a battle royale in a post-apo/sci-fi setting. So a lot like Samurai Jack in a lot of ways if you think about it.
Obviously, a lot of Kurosawa's work would fit if you're interested in feature movies, maybe Hidden Fortress or Yojimbo.
If you're interested in a live action series, the old Zatoichi movies are pretty cool too (the protagonist is not a samurai per se, granted, but he's a wandering badass swordsman in feudal Japan, espousing virtues of temperance and humility). Kitano's remake of Zatoichi is great too if you're looking for something more modern, but it's just one movie AFAIK.
If you're interested in comics, maybe Usagi Yojimbo? The art is cartoony, but while some stories are pretty light, the overall tone is quite serious and I feel really "gets" the setting.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Ghost dog: Way of the Samurai is an interesting twist on the idea.

 

[Drake the Dragonheart]

really? no mention of The Last Samurai? Ken Watanabe's performance in that movie was incredible.

 

[Saelune]

I really liked The Last Samurai, the Tom Cruise movie. Its not a cartoon, and a bit of a bummer, but a fun enough watch.

I recently watched Kagemusha. Long as hell, but surprisingly funny. Though it may be less fun for people who are less familiar with the Takeda clan under Shingen. Or if you just cant be bothered to watch a near 3 hour 80's movie from Japan.

 

[Queen Michael]

Eiji Yoshikawa's novel Musashi is a classic, though it's about a former samurai.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Lone Wolf and Cub. The Original Manga one.

Enough fucking said:

 

[Queen Michael]

Lone Wolf and Cub. The Original Manga one.

Enough fucking said:

This is quite possibly the best manga I have ever read in my entire life. And I have read literally hundreds and hundreds and additional hundreds of manga series.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Lone Wolf and Cub. The Original Manga one.

Enough fucking said:

This is quite possibly the best manga I have ever read in my entire life. And I have read literally hundreds and hundreds and additional hundreds of manga series.

Especially the ending to the Manga...it made me cry.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

For Video Games Shogun 2 Total War and the Feudal Japan Spin Offs of the Yakuza games.

 

[Queen Michael]

Lone Wolf and Cub. The Original Manga one.

Enough fucking said:

This is quite possibly the best manga I have ever read in my entire life. And I have read literally hundreds and hundreds and additional hundreds of manga series.

Especially the ending to the Manga...it made me cry.

I know what you mean. I cried too. I put the book down, a few seconds went by, and then I started sobbing. The sequel series isn't bad, but it can never live up to this masterpiece.

 

[Ogoid]

Thirding Lone Wolf and Cub. Samurai Executioner, also by Kojima and Koike, is also good if nowhere near the masterpiece that is Lone Wolf.

Also seconding Eiji Yoshikawa's Musashi. It's a lengthy read, but it's well worth it.

 

[MrCalavera_v1legacy]

How about Six String Samurai? >_>

 

[FalloutJack]

Apart from the above listed, check out Samurai 7. I think that's a good piece of work.

 

[Descartes2012]

I've always rather liked 13 Assassins (a movie). And it's available on Netflix.

 

[Kae]

About Ronin but Sword of The Stranger is pretty good.

Also, I haven't read them but supposedly the novels of Legend of the 5 Rings are good, I only play the table-top RPG, it's an interesting setting that's about the only thing I can assure you, though if you like Tabletop RPGs L5R is pretty good.

 

[Tanis]

Vision of Escaflowne