Monday, January 26, 2009

Afro Samurai kicks ass!


Afro Samurai (Afuro Samurai) is a Japanese dōjinshi manga series created by Takashi Okazaki, originally featured in the NOU NOU HAU dōjin magazine. It was adapted into a 5-episode anime miniseries directed by Fuminori Kizaki and produced by Gonzo, a Japanese animation studio. The first episode was shown online on January 1, 2007 and premièred on Spike TV on January 4, 2007 at 11:00pm EST. The anime series has since gone on to air in the UK, where it premiered on Adult Swim on May 4,2007, and Japan, where it was broadcast on Fuji Television. It also premiered on MTV in Australia in August 2007. The anime series features noted American actor Samuel L. Jackson as the voice of the titular character and his sidekick, as well as one of the co-producers, and also features Ron Perlman and Kelly Hu as character voices. Wu-Tang Clan member RZA produced the original hip hop musical score, which was released oncompact disc by Koch Records on January 30, 2007 in both uncut and edited versions. The series was also licensed for North American distribution by Funimation, who released two versions: a SpikeTV version and an unrated director's cut on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Both DVD versions were released on May 22, 2007 with the Blu-ray Disc version being released on August 26 of the following year. In the UK, a Bravo Numbered Limited Edition, equivalent to the US Spike TV edition and featuring the same red themed artwork was released on 2 July 2007. A Directors’ Cut Edition Box Set, featuring new artwork, was released later on 12 October 2007. A second Bravo edition featuring artwork similar to the UK Director’s Cut was released on 21 March 2008. A Blu-ray disc version is yet to be released. In August 2005, Japan-based game developers Namco announced they would be releasing Afro Samurai related video games.
The cost of each episode is estimated at one million dollars, which is a record for the Gonzo studio.

Plot summary:

The TV anime series is set in a "futuristic, yet feudal Japan," and stars a samurai named Afro, because of his hair. The story follows Afro as he tries to avenge his father's murder. In the world of Afro Samurai, it is said that the one who becomes "Number One" will rule the world, wielding powers akin to a god. Someone becomes Number One by killing the previous Number One and taking his ceremonial headband. However, the only rule in this world is that only the "Number Two" (also designated by a sacred headband) is allowed to fight the "Number One." The downside of this is that anyone (and typically everyone) can challenge and try to kill the Number Two, to gain the right to move forward and challenge Number One. Afro Samurai's father was the old Number One, until he was challenged by a gunman named "Justice" (who was then Number Two), who fought him in a duel to become the new Number One. At the time Justice challenged his father, Afro had only been a child. Justice severed his father's head right in front of the young Afro. Now an adult, Afro Samurai is the current Number Two and a master swordsman; he travels the road seeking revenge on Justice, the current Number One. Lengthy flashbacks interspersed throughout the story detail how Afro rose from frightened boy fleeing the death of his father, to master swordsman, and eventually to become the current "Number Two", while the story in the present deals with the adult Afro making his way to the mountain top keep of the "Number One" to duel Justice, while at the same time the mysterious cult known as the "Empty Seven Clan" sends various agents to kill Afro and take his Number Two headband.

Main characters:

Adult Afro Voiced by: Samuel L. Jackson

Adolescent Afro Voiced by: Phil LaMarr

Child Afro Voiced by: Crystal Scales

Afro is a black, afro-headed samurai and the main character of the series. In the story, when Afro was just a child, he watched his father die at the hands of Justice for the number one headband and from that day on, Afro swore vengeance on Justice. Sometime after the death of his father, Afro was found by a Sword Master who taught him the art of kenjutsu and hand to hand combat. Over the years, his skills developed from an amateur with basic skills into a master swordsman and he soon became the number two warrior by gaining the Number Two headband, giving him clearance to hunt down Justice. Afro's fighting style typically consists of wielding his sword with his right hand for offense while still holding onto his sheath for defense, although during his fight with Jinno, Afro held his sword with both hands to compensate for his dueling speed and because Jinno broke Afro's sheath. His sword is presumed to be his father's. This is proven in a flashback when Afro was still a child that he kept his father's sword and his father's necklace tied to the handle of the blade as a memento. Because of the danger and violence the number two headband brings, Afro can't have relationships with anyone so when he comes in contact with anyone, he says little if any. He also has a fondness for lemonade for which he has a fancy gold-encrusted straw.

At the end of season one, Afro kills Justice and becomes the new number one. In season two, Afro has to don the Number Two headband and walk the path of the warrior once again when the Number One headband and his father's corpse is stolen by a female warrior named Sio in an attempt to bring his father back to life to kill Afro.

It should be noted that after Afro defeated Kuma on his path to Justice, he had begun to be more open and vocal with his thoughts and emotions.

Voiced by: Samuel L. Jackson.
Perhaps the most debated character within the story, "Ninja" is Afro's complete antithesis, always speaking and usually saying aloud what Afro can't bring himself to say; generally, Afro refuses to respond to anything he says other than telling Ninja Ninja to "shut up." As his name implies, he dresses in a ninja motif. He also seems to have a counter color scheme to Afro, while also having a similar frame and haircut though he slouches when he walks. This can best be seen at the end of episode 2, where they are walking side by side after the fire. There are several clues throughout the show that point to Ninja Ninja being imaginary, such as Afro being the only one who speaks to him, his constant disappearing when Afro is in combat or internal conflict, and the fact he is not hurt when he and Afro are knocked off a cliff by an RPG despite being next to each other. It is later shown in Episode 4 that Ninja Ninja first appeared suddenly when Afro lost his friends and loved ones while obtaining the Number Two headband, to which he said to Afro to just let it go. It implies he may also be part of Afro's conscience trying to stop Afro from fighting, once even questioning if he still had emotions after ruthlessly killing a team of hired thugs in episode 1. At the beginning of Episode 5, it is revealed that Ninja Ninja was the one that was "killed" by Kuma's strike, a symbolic way of showing that Afro has come to terms with the loss of his friends at this point in his journey. Also about halfway through the episode when Afro finally meets Justice again, Justice states that he watched him shed his imaginary friend (Ninja).

In the collector's DVD, interviews with the staff and writers concede that Ninja Ninja is indeed imaginary. However, even though Ninja Ninja is 'imaginary', he appears to have some form of presence in the real world as well. When Brother 2 of the Empty Seven spies on Afro, Ninja Ninja can be clearly seen from Brother 2's point of view through the binoculars. Ninja Ninja also interacts with items around him constantly such as catching Afro's joint in his mouth, moving a hanging pillar inside Okiku's home, putting Okiku's comb into Afro's afro, eating the food that was intended for Afro given by Brother 3 (in the Director's cut) and throwing the Afro droid's microchip at Afro to cut in two. The idea of Ninja Ninja having at least a partial existence in reality is once again brought into light when he is 'killed' by Kuma. Because Kuma was such a skilled warrior and had the intent to kill Afro on the sword strike that killed Ninja Ninja, it would seem odd that he would pause from his attack and have a conversation with Afro if there was not a reason to give pause, which strengthens the idea that he was taken back by Ninja Ninja's sacrifice before attacking Afro again. However, in Ninja Ninja's final conversation with Afro, it is clear that the words spoken by Afro to Ninja Ninja are heard and understood by Kuma as referring to him, implying that the pause and Ninja Ninja's death are mostly Afro's mental constructs.

In season two, Ninja Ninja does indeed come back. His return is near the beginning, after Afro's father's jawbone is taken. An odd fact is that Ninja Ninja does indeed remember every event from season one, including his own death. His past history and the question of his existence are pointed out multiple times in season two. At one point, he is clearly struck by a stun dart that was aimed at him from a character besides Afro, and reels back in agony shouting, "Oh shit, am I gonna die again?!"



More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro_Samurai

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