AfroSamurai.

In a futuristic yet feudal Japan , it is said that the one who wields the Number 1 headband is the strongest fighter in the world and shall possess godlike powers. The only way to obtain the Number 1 headband is to challenge and defeat him in combat. However, only the Number 2 can challenge the Number 1 , while anyone can challenge the Number 2 which causes a constant struggle for the Number 2 headband. Justice, the owner of the No. 2 headband, goes to fight the owner of the No. 1 headband, Rokutaro. The two battle, ending with Justice decapitating Rokutaro and claiming his headband. Rokutaro's head rolls in front of his son, a young boy named Afro, as he sobs and vows revenge. Afro decides to live in the mountains once again, when Jinno, adorned with every headband in existence, confronts Afro for the No. 1 band and his revenge.

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

Witchblade.

Witchblade (Witchibureido) :

Is an anime series based on the famous American comic book by the same name. Instead of an adaptation of the original story, the producers decided to create an entire new setup, with all new characters. This co-production between Japanese studio Gonzo and American publisher Top Cow, who owns the rights for the Witchblade franchise, is already licensed to release in the United States. The English dub premiered on the US cable network IFC in January of 2008. The show is currently on Fridays at 11:30 PM ET, and the series finale aired on June 13, 2008 on IFC. The show is also available on a purchase-to-download system on Xbox Live Video Marketplace, the digital video distribution network utilized by Microsoft's Xbox 360 video game console. The series is priced at 160 Microsoft Points (equivalent to $1.99) per episode, and as of February 1, 2008, the first 8 episodes were available for

- download, with each new episode becoming available for download after it is aired. The first twelve episodes are also available for download via Amazon's Unbox service.

As of september 2008 it is now available on Sony's PS3 network store.

As of August 2008, in the USA and Canada there are 6 Volumes on DVD sets available, with Vol. 1 having been released in September 2007.

The anime is being directed by Yoshimitsu Ohashi, who directed Galaxy Angel and Galaxy Angel Z, and the character designs are done by Uno Makoto, the character designer for Stellvia and Love Hina.

Story:
"Long sought by the greed of men, but bestowed only on the women whose fate it forever scars, the Witchblade, righteous sword of God or hand of the Devil himself.

A new bearer finds out, seeking balance between ecstacy and ruin."-prolog that began the show.

In this new approach to the Witchblade universe, the lead character (and blade wielder) is Masane Amaha, a kind-hearted woman who, despite her good intentions, is fairly clumsy and not good around the house. She lost her memory during an unknown catastrophic event that ravaged Tokyo and, curiously, Masane was found unscathed in the phenomenon's ground zero, holding a baby in her arms. Six years later, she returns to Tokyo with the child, now called Rihoko, and for whom she cares as a daughter -


where she discovers that the mysterious jewel attached to her right wrist is actually the legendary artifact known as the Witchblade. Since then Masane got herself involved in the struggle for power between a huge corporation and a government agency, while trying to live her life peacefully with her daughter.

Main characters:
Masane Amaha age 23 Voiced by: Mamiko Noto (Japanese), Jamie Marchi (English)

The primary protagonist of the series. A very well endowed female, her assets are often used as a running gag. She is also somewhat tomboyish, not giving much care for her disposition or appearance (in fact, she was often referred to, particularly by Takayama, as a "mountain monkey") at one point. She is the bearer of the Witchblade. She seems to have become the

- Witchblade bearer during an event that destroyed most of Tokyo 6 years before the beginning of the series. Masane is also the caring mother of Rihoko Amaha. Although she is "Riko's" mother, Masane seems to be a little ditsy at times, making Rihoko seem like she is the responsible one. She has a very deep attachment to her daughter. However, the NSWF's Child Welfare Division wants to take Rihoko from Masane because Masane doesn't have any means of income for taking care of Rihoko and the possibility that Masane may not be the actual mother. It is then revealed at the end of episode 12 that Masane is not Rihoko's mother, but still wants to be her mother. As the bearer of the Witchblade, while fighting she gains superhuman capabilities such as enhanced regenerative abilities, speed, endurance and strength, but her normal personality is eclipsed by that of a berserker which derives an almost erotic pleasure from combat and bloodshed (though she gradually learns to control herself as the series progresses). While inactive, the Witchblade appears as a silver bracelet with a red jewel on her right wrist which she can never remove. While active, the blade produces a black and silver armor that covers her body and gives her an extendable blade on her right arm. In this state, her hair color changes to red and grows longer. After Masane unlocks the full power of the Witchblade the armor changes to red and purple, and gives her two blades on both arms. In this state her hair color becomes white and she seems to be able to use it in offensive moves, shown when she uses it to destroy a police car. Towards the end of the series, as the Witchblade's power begins to break down Masane's body, her hair color changes from red to white while in an "enhanced" state. Masane is doomed from the very beginning of the series: as the wielder of the Witchblade she cannot remove it without cutting her own arm, and while using the power of the monstrous artifact, her body starts to give in and crumble (to the point of her senses becoming dulled and, in the case of taste, disappearing completely). Knowing that after her death the Witchblade would seek her daughter, as Masane herself is nothing but a temporary host, she chooses death, and so dies in the end of the last episode, obliterating herself, the Witchblade and the huge army of I-weapons that came to destroy her. What remains of her is just a shell given to her by her daughter as a gift, which is given to Rihoko, carried by one of the many stardust-like particles created in the aftermath of Masane's sacrifice.

Rihoko Amaha age 6 Voiced by: Akemi Kanda (Japanese), Carrie Savage (English).
Masane Amaha's daughter. She is nicknamed Riko. Although she is Masane's daughter, she acts like the mother, responsibility-wise. Rihoko does the shopping, cooking, cleaning, and so forth, although she does not mind doing these things at all. Riko cares for her mother deeply and wants to be with Masane. The NSWF's Child Welfare Division wants to take Rihoko because Masane has no way of taking care of her in the event of illness or emergencies. She is frequently praised for her good cooking capabilities. It is later revealed that Rihoko's true biological mother is Reina Soho and her biological father is Takayama. Also, Rihoko is apparently more compatible with the Witchblade than anyone else, and it was she who was responsible for Reina's initial high compatibility rating (because she was pregnant with Rihoko at the time). She is last seen standing at the foot of the ruins caused by the great quake, alongside Takayama receiving the shell she gave Masane, from the star-like flakes falling from the sky after Masane's death. She is now more than likely living with Takayama.

Samurai Jack

“Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, the shape-shifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil! But a foolish Samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time and flung him into the future, where my evil is law! Now the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku!”

Samurai Jack is one of those memorable cartoons that will forever remain as one of my favourites. Its not japanese animation - but the graphics, story and characters make it an unforgetable series.

Jacks quest to get back to his own time in a land where Aku's evil is law! - makes for one entertaining cartoon - with the timeless battle of good against evil. The graphics are done in simplistic ukiyo-e paintings style - that enliven the story. The sound is great from gun shots to Jacks trusty Katana cutting the wind or clashing with another sword in combat. The series has even won a few awards - even an Emmy!

One gripe I have though is that the episodes are so short for such an epic and enjoyable series. Like everybody thats a fun of samurai Jack - I wish each episode was longer. Especially when you get to a part that's not so interesting. At least another story on Jacks quest immediatly after the first would do much to make it the true cult classic it should be.

His fights with Aku and his minions are enjoyable and engrossing. Jacks quest also brings forth some important lessons to be learnt. His relentless immovable spirit when it comes to justice and standing for what is right. Even if he does manage to find some way that can advance his cause - getting back to his own time - if there are those in need. You can be sure Jack will put his own ambitions aside and assist others against their own demons - ultimately being Aku.

A true warrior - Jack's skill with the Katana are indeed legendary in this land of Aku. He does run into minions of Aku that are far stronger than him or certainly unbeatable physically. Jack always manages to either escape his ordeal or emerge victorious.

The series was halted in 2004, however Samurai Jacks creator - Genndy Tartakovsky - has announced plans to direct a theatrical film. If this is indeed the case - look forward to Samurai Jack being a big screen hit - as long as its creator stays true to the original.

Black Lagoon

Black Lagoon.
Plot Synopsis
Businessman Rokuro Okajima is kidnapped by a group of bounty hunters, and reluctantly joins their group when his boss tells him his life is meaningless. Rokuro abandons his old name and adopts the nickname "Rock." The rest of the group consists of the boss-man, Dutch, Benny the mechanic, and the trigger-happy Revy, a.k.a. Two Hands. Rock makes himself useful by serving as the group's negotiator and translator. The crew of the torpedo boat, The Black Lagoon, do various jobs for many mafias around the port of Roanapo in Thailand. By: xdiamondxdecayx



Story & Characters
Storywise, Black Lagoon is far from being the best out there. It's not that it has a bad storyline, just that it's nothing special. For me, it was the characters that really made this anime worth watching. Basically, 'Black Lagoon' is the name of a delivery crew. A group of pirates/mercenaries that will deliver anything for the right price. Their business is based in a town full of crime and corruption, quite perfect for their line of work really. Since most of their jobs come from the major criminal organisations in the area. The leader of the Black Lagoon crew is Dutch, he's pretty much always calm and cool headed even when he's in a dangerous situation. He's also not a guy you'd want to mess with if you want to keep on living.



The next member of Black Lagoon is Revy, she's foul mouthed, extremely dangerous and probably psychotic. She has a dark past, which you don't get much insight into but you do get to understand that she's been through hell and back. Dutch is pretty much the only person she seems to listen to but even he has a tough time trying to calm her down when something ticks her off.Benny is the third crew member and isn't really much like the other two at all. He isn't exactly a wimp, but next to his dangerous crew mates that's how he appears. His job is basically to look after the equipment on board the crews boat and he's quite the computer whizz.The fourth (and my favourite) member is Rock. Originally a hostage taken by Revy, Rock was just a japanese businessman on an errand for his boss. However, once he finds that his boss considers him disposable, he ends up staying with the Black Lagoon crew. He is the exact opposite of Revy, he's calm and kind and would rather not resort to violence. Unlike Revy, who has more of a 'Shoot first, ask questions later' approach to things.



Art
The art in Black Lagoon is well done. The characters look great and the animation flows well, especially in the many action scenes. There's car chases, gunfights, explosions and even some good old fashioned fist fighting, and it's all nicely animated. After an explosion you can see the smoke and dust still around, when somebody is shot or hit you can see the blood fly and there doesn't seem to be any detail missed throughout the whole anime.

Sound
The sound effects in this anime are pretty much perfect in my opinion, you can even hear the sound of the shell casings falling on the floor after the bullets have been fired.I thought that pretty much ever character's voice suited them well, and were of course well done, even the minor characters with hardly any spoken lines sounded just as well.The opening song seemed to fit well, but I'm not too sure about the ending


- tune.The music that was used throughout the anime always fitted well and helped to set the atmosphere for it's particular scene/s.


Presentation
Although this is primarily an action anime, there were a lot of parts which made me laugh. However, I've heard one or two people say they didn't find any of it funny. So the humour in this series may not be for everyone. It's also definitely not a series for younger people since there is much violence and various other mature content to be found.As I mentioned earlier in the review, whilst the story isn't spectacular the relationships between each character is. Rock and Revy are probably the most entertaining to watch but pretty much all the relationships between every character is interesting in some way or another.The series threw quite a lot of action into it's short 12 episodes, but that's not the end of it. Another 12 episode series, entitled 'The Second Barrage' has been announced for release towards the end of this year. So I'm sure there will be just as much, if not more, action in the upcoming series. I for one, am definitely looking forward to it.


Courtesy of: minitokyo


Link: http://reviews.minitokyo.net/1158/black-lagoon/

Samurai Champloo

Review by theOtaku.com
What happens when you mix hip-hop with samurai? Answer: Total insanity.

But in the case of Samurai Champloo, that's a good thing. Wilder and looser than Cowboy Bebop, it jubilantly careens from madcap comedy to dark action and drama. Champloo has everything from flying squirrels to baseball to gay Dutchmen. So don't go into this series expecting a certain level of realism, or even the same kind of cool, elegant atmosphere as can be found in Cowboy Bebop. On the contrary, Champloo is joyfully, extravagantly over-the-top.

The three main characters are instantly assigned a particular set of traits. Fuu is a bit bossy and ditzy, but always cute. Jin is calm and reserved. Mugen, contrarily, is rough, bloodthirsty and totally un-self-conscious. Throughout the series, the characters' personalities remain fairly static. The true pleasure lies in watching how their relationships slowly, subtly change.

As is the case with virtually any episodic anime, Champloo ends up being something of a mixed bag. Some parts of the series are absolutely top-of-the-line (and it's worth noting that the dramatic and comedic episodes tend to be equally excellent--a rare feat for any series). Some other episodes, however, fall flat. Individual viewers will probably get varying mileage out of the show; fortunately, it has something to offer almost everyone, and its energy rarely flags. On the whole, the multi-part episodes are easily the best of the series, though there are also several stand-alone parody episodes which deserve to not be overlooked.

Champloo's visuals are nothing short of stunning. Though the action sequences are generally rather short (disappointingly short, some might say), they come frequently and actually increase in number and quality during the second half of the anime. The animators tend to play fast and loose with the character designs during the more frenetic and fast-paced scenes. Fortunately, the character designs lend themselves to this very nicely, and it contributes greatly to Champloo's unique style. Very rarely do the characters truly go off-model. The creative camera angles used during certain fights and comedy sequences make the series feel even more dynamic.

The music blends well with the other elements of the series; it adds tremendously to Champloo's idiosyncratic atmosphere while only dominating a couple of scenes. The idea of an anime series backed by a hip-hop influenced soundtrack ended up being greeted with great skepticism when Champloo was first announced, but Mr. Watanabe's gamble has paid off nicely.

One of the more disappointing aspects of the show is that quite a few fascinating and likeable supporting characters are introduced at different points in the series, only to vanish and never appear again. This fits in with the episodic format, and it does speak to the script-writers' talent for quickly crafting interesting characters. However, it’s hard to avoid thinking that, given a few additional episodes, Champloo could have explored its secondary cast more fully. Ultimately it isn’t a large strike against the show, as the three core characters are quite endearing and are fully capable of carrying the meandering plot on their own.

Samurai Champloo will undoubtedly be compared to Cowboy Bebop time and time again, given that Bebop is a fan favorite and that both series come from the same director. However, the two anime ultimately feel very different. Champloo’s characters do have their share of dark secrets, but they are not plagued by their pasts in the same way as the characters in Cowboy Bebop. The main similarity between the two shows is simply one of structure: Champloo, like Bebop, revolves around the episodic adventures of a small central cast.

So what are Samurai Champloo’s salient qualities? Crazy comedy, larger-than-life action, distinctive music and ravishing visuals. It isn’t a life-changing anime, and it’s not for everyone, but it is extraordinarily well-made. All in all, Champloo is among the more original historical series to come along in recent years (if one can even call it that, given how gleefully it incorporates various anachronisms). It’s definitely worth a look.
Review by theOtaku.com

Coolest Art.

Manga has certainly been around for a while - and the western world is only recently seeing the true value of this Japanese art form. In a word - awesome - from the drawing board to the screen - manga is breaking down all barriers. Proving the "Pencil" is greater than the sword.

If we were to least all the great japanese animation movies that are cool - we'd be writting a book. So the art itself needs to be given the props - that are reserved for the now aging art of the Leornado's and Michelangelo's. Not in anyway trying to dis that art form - it was great art. However art that gets onto the big screen as movies etc...definately needs a mention.

Keep rolling on manga. You're the true artform of cool.