Cubone85
Grade: 92%
Among some of the many indicators of an adult-rated anime series are blood gushing out left and right, dismembered limbs flying out at every direction, an exchange of blasphemous words (never have I heard the four-letter word redundantly used in an anime), and the occasional hot romantic sex. Afro Samurai offers all themes of a mature orientated anime, and more.
With the proper warning above, I hope my readers are prepared to watch a truly mature anime, the Afro Samurai. Blood, gore and awesome duels are heavily featured in the series as well as the addition of a rap musical score and a non-traditional samurai (a black samurai with an afro, hence the title). As a result, the series tends to be relatively modern and entertaining. In a sense, the series is more palatable for American teenagers who are not fully aware of Japanese anime or have little interest with odd and cute anime characters. Another reason why the anime is directed more towards American audiences is the fact that the anime series was first broadcasted in the United States, and not Japan, even though it was created by a well-known Japanese animation production company, Gonzo. Interestingly, American audiences do not have to worry about the English version of the series since world renowned actor Samuel L. Jackson voice acted the conveniently named main character, Afro the Afro Samurai. If you do not know who Jackson is, I suggest you return to your closet and lock yourself in it. With that said, the anime is in good hands from the very beginning.
The story is rather complex, but not at all difficult to understand. My interpretation is that one person wears the number one headband, and as a result, rules the entire world. The most sought after headband represents the wearer's godly-like skill in combat and the countless number of lives he or she took to obtain and maintain the title of number one. The only person who is allowed to fight the number one is the wearer of the number two headband, which in this case is Afro. Apparently, a three-armed gunman by the name of Justice killed Afro's father and former holder of the number one headband. Obviously, the 'seeking revenge' plot follows suit with Afro vowing to avenge his father and to reclaim the number one headband from Justice. In his quest to become number one, his life is constantly stained with blood from the beginning to the ending as he slaughters any person who dares to get in his way. In addition, he is forced to lose many love ones in his journey, and he slowly realizes that to become number one is to be alone.
For a five episode series, I am not surprised to see flashbacks frequently popping up during every episode. Being a short series, the creators would have to place flashbacks into the series to setup a foundation for the anime. It has to start from somewhere right? Of course, the short span of the series tends to be its downfall since I personally think five episodes is not enough to portray a clean and smooth story. However, the flashbacks do somewhat negate that flaw. In any case, most of the flashbacks are based on Afro's childhood and adolescent years. The story emphasizing his past provides viewers with a better understanding of the main story and his relationship with other characters that appear later on in the short series. For example, a warrior with an over-sized and oddly cute teddy bear helmet known as Kuma confronts himself to Afro. The flashback of this somewhat odd rival portrays his past, which he must sever in order to achieve his ultimate goal, which is the number one headband.
Although the shortness of the series proves beneficial in entertaining its viewers with less talking and more jam-packed action, I do believe the creators should have milked the series a bit more. It is great that the five episode anime went straight to the point without a blatant filler episode; however, many scenes in the series felt rushed or deserved more time to elaborate. For instance, some of the fight scenes merely lasted a few seconds to a couple of minutes. I am not asking for a redundant and painstaking Dragon Ball Z, Naruto or Bleach style duel that takes up an episode or more, but I do prefer a battle that at least keeps my excitement up for five minutes rather than abruptly end at the moment when my adrenaline kicks in.
The art designers did well to put the battle scenes in great detail as well as adding a creative and imaginative way of having Afro killing off his opponents. For example, one scene shows Afro breaking a speeding bullet into smaller pieces with his sword, thus the deflected ricochets kills everyone around him while he remains unharmed. Arguably, the battle that most people would consider to be 'epic' is between Afro and Justice since he is practically Afro's main target; however, I felt the most serious and dramatic battle was between Afro and Kuma since their past relationship proves to be the most challenging hurdle for Afro to overcome in his quest to be number one.
The characters in the anime come in all shapes, sizes and personalities. For example, Afro is a genuine black man with an afro. He is not much of a talker and he keeps to himself most of the time, but his sword skills and maneuverability makes up for his unsociable character. Exactly the opposite of Afro and the most humorous character amongst the cast, Ninja is very talkative and shows no skill at all in fighting. In most of the fight scenes, he either hides or runs for safety, and after Afro finishes off his opponents, Ninja usually complains about almost getting killed. As the story progresses, viewers will eventually learn that Ninja serves as a counterpoint to the usually silent and unsociable Afro. In a way, Ninja is what Afro would like to be or could associate with after the tragedy of his childhood.
The additional side characters further develops the story from romantic love to absolute revenge. For instance, Kuma blames Afro for the death of his friends and mentor, and as a result, he essentially becomes Afro's archrival. Despite Kuma's cute appearance with the helmet, his specialization of two blades makes him a lethal adversary. Without a doubt, those who underestimate his cute appearance will have no time to think otherwise or to live for that matter. Obviously, the antagonists are the people who want to kill Afro for his headband, specifically 'The Empty 7.' They are a group of monks attempting to obtain both the number one and two headbands for themselves, and they hire mercenaries and robotic assassins to do their dirty work. Of course, the grand daddy of the bad guys is Justice. He is Afro's final obstacle in avenging his father as well as obtaining the title of number one.
The art is brilliantly displayed throughout the series with its crisp and detailed scenes. I have nothing negative to say about the art in general. Anyways, the music is mixture of rap and hip-hop. I am not exactly a fan when it comes to hip-hop music; however, I do agree that it is the perfect choice for the anime. Basically, as long as the theme of the music fits the anime, I care less of my own personal taste in music.
Afro Samurai is truly a 'kick ass' show with astonishing fight scenes. Although the flashbacks tend to make the story relatively haphazard and complicated, it still manages to direct its audience from the very beginning to the ultimate climax without much difficulty. It is certainly a must watch for all mature and serious viewers.
