Afro Samurai, also written AFRO SAMURAI, is a Japanese seinen dōjinshi manga
series written and illustrated by manga artist Takashi Okazaki. It was
originally serialized irregularly in the avant-garde dōjinshi manga magazine Nou
Nou Hau from September 1999 to May 2000. Inspired by Okazaki's love of soul and
hip hop music and American media, it follows the life of Afro Samurai who
witnessed his father being killed by a gunslinger, Justice while he was a
child. As an adult, Afro sets off to avenge his father's death and kill
Justice. The Afro Samurai dōjinshi was adapted
into a 5-episode anime TV mini-series by studio Gonzo in 2007. The same studio
also went on to produce a made-for-TV movie sequel titled Afro Samurai:
Resurrection in 2009, which gained two Emmy nominations, for Outstanding
Individual Achievement in Animation, which it won, and Outstanding Animated
Program. After the release of the anime series, Okazaki remade the original Afro
Samurai dōjinshi into a two-volume manga. To be only released in North
America, Tor Books and Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the title and
published it under their new Tor/Seven Seas imprint.
In addition to the success of the anime series, Afro Samurai has also been
adapted into a video game and an upcoming live-action feature film. For
the TV series and the film, two soundtracks by the RZA of Wu-Tang Clan
have been released as well as a profile book in Japan.
Plot In a futuristic yet feudal Japan, it is
said that the one who wields the Number 1 headband is the fiercest fighter in
the world and shall possess god-like powers. The only way to obtain the
Number 1 headband is to challenge the current wearer of the headband 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 beheading Afro's father and claiming his headband. His
head rolls in front of his son Afro as he sobs and vows revenge where Justice
tells Afro to seek him out when he's "ready to face a god."
Now an adult, Afro is the current No. 2 and a master swordsman who travels Japan
trying to make his way to the mountain-top keep where Justice awaits.
As he makes his way to Justice, he recalls his journey from a frightened
young boy to a master samurai. Along the way, many people challenge Afro for his
headband, including the "Empty Seven Clan" who send various agents, robots,
and assassins including a robotic Afro to kill him throughout his travels. He
is also being hunted by his vengeful childhood friend Jinno. It is revealed
that Afro's childhood samurai master called the Sword Master became the new
No. 2 after Justice killed Rokutaro. When Afro confronts his master, they are
both attacked by assassins leading to the death of everyone except Afro,
Jinno, Otsuru and their master. Jinno begs Afro not to kill their own master,
claiming he is selfish and he is to blame for the death of their friends,
but Afro does that and claims the number 2 headband. Filled with rage and hatred
for Afro, Jinno throws himself off a nearby cliff. Afro as an adult finally
confronts Justice. Afro learns that there are other headbands in existence,
ranging to an unspecified higher number and sees that the corpses of those who
wore them are skewered throughout the room where Justice awaits. Afro defeats
Justice and takes the No. 1 headband, and the other headbands disappear.
Afro lives in the mountains once again. Jinno, adorned with every headband in
existence, returns and confronts Afro for the No. 1 band and his revenge.
Production Takashi Okazaki started drawing
African-American characters on items like Kleenex boxes when he was a
teenager, inspired by his fondness for hip hop and soul music. He also drew
ideas from American media and their depiction of Japanese culture. Takashi
started combining elements of samurai into his work, eventually developing the
design for Afro, which was also based in the legendary black samurai Yasuke who
existed during the Sengoku period of Japan. Okazaki began writing the
original dōjinshi, then called Afro Samurai!, when he and his friends
started independently publishing the art magazine Nou Nou Hau. The preparatory
"issue 0" of Nou Nou Hau was released in November 1998 with Afro Samurai artwork
featured on the cover. Takashi Okazaki wrote the entire manga in the English
direction, with elements from English and Japanese comics. He also used Afro
Samurai for a cat food advertisement in the last pages of his manga book. In
addition to the anime production, Okazaki re-made the dōjinshi, with much
better art skills. At the Japan Society from March 13 to June 14, 2009, original
Afro Samurai dōjinshi artwork was showcased at the KRAZY!: The Delirious
World of Anime + Manga + Video Games exhibition.
Media = Manga=
Written and illustrated by Takashi Okazaki, Afro Samurai was originally
published in the self-funded Nou Nou Hau dōjinshi magazine. First appearing in
issue 0, the dōjinshi version was first published from September 1999 to October
2000. After the release of the anime version, Takashi Okazaki recreated the
original dōjinshi. Although the recreation of the original manga was
created in Japan, it was first published in the United States by Seven Seas
Entertainment and Tor Books in two tankōbon volumes. As a special
supplement, thumb-nail sized clips of the original dōjinshi were shown at the
end of the first volume. The English release of the manga was Tor Books and
Seven Seas' first publication under the newly formed Tor/Seven Seas imprint. The
manga was also released in Italy through Panini Comics' manga publishing division
Planet Manga, starting on April 9, 2009. The manga was released in one volume in
Japan on December 18, 2009. The limited edition came with all the issues of the
original dōjinshi included in a separate volume.
= Anime= One of Okazaki's friends decided to make
action figures based on the character, which were released in small amounts.
After the action figures were created, a producer from the Japanese studio,
Gonzo, happened to find them and thought of an animated TV project based on the
series. The anime took three years to develop, and in the three years the
studio also created a trailer, which happened to fall into the hands of
Samuel L. Jackson. It was announced that the project would be a five-episode
"creative collaboration" between Samuel L. Jackson, Takashi Okazaki, and Gonzo,
with a music score by hip hop artist The RZA from the rap group Wu-Tang Clan.
In 2006, it was announced that Funimation acquired the rights to the
anime series which would premier on Spike TV later that year, and that
Jackson would voice Afro. Afro Samurai debuted on Spike TV, on January 4, 2007.
The series' worldwide premier was on Spike TV's website where they streamed
the first episode online. On May 3, 2007, the series premiered on Japanese
television, in English with Japanese subtitles, and for the first time
completely uncut. On May 11, 2007, Funimation released the
first Afro Samurai DVDs at Anime Central, at their own booth, the regular
Afro Samurai: Spike Version and the uncut Afro Samurai: Director's Cut. Both
DVDs were released to the public on May 22, 2007. On September 4, 2007, all five
episodes of Afro Samurai were released on iTunes. To promote this, Funimation
released eight custom designed iPods by Takashi Okazaki. In 2008, Funimation
released the Afro Samurai anime series onto Xbox Live in high definition format
and also debuted on Blu-ray Disc in that year. Also in 2008, Afro Samurai was
shown at the German Film Festival in Germany.
= Films= In an Associated Press interview in
2007, Takashi Okazaki confirmed there would be a sequel to the anime series,
and that it would also be shown on Spike TV. In 2008, the sequel was announced to
be a TV movie titled Afro Samurai: Resurrection, and that actors Lucy Liu
and Mark Hamill would join the voice acting cast. Hip hop artist The RZA also
came back to provide the soundtrack for the movie. Afro Samurai: Resurrection
debuted on Spike TV on the night of January 25, 2009. On July 16, 2009, Afro
Samurai: Resurrection was nominated for an Emmy in the "Outstanding Animated
Program" category in the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards and the Creative Arts Emmy
Awards. At the Emmy awards, Afro Samurai: Resurrection lost to
Destination Imagination, a TV movie based on Foster's Home for Imaginary
Friends. The art director of Afro Samurai: Resurrection, Shigemi Ikeda,
won an Emmy for his work on Resurrection, which is the first ever
awarded for work on a Japanese-animated production. Afro Samurai: Resurrection
was the first Japanese anime to be nominated for and win an Emmy. Late 2009
also saw the release of Afro Samurai: Complete Murder Sessions on Blu-ray and
DVD. A 4-disc collection of both Afro Samurai Director's Cut and Afro Samurai:
Resurrection, together in one complete boxset.
Announced at the 2006 Comic-Con, a live action version of Afro Samurai was said
to be in the making. On 2011-07-21, Gonzo K.K. and Indomina group announced
Indomina group had obtained the rights to produce the film, with Samuel L.
Jackson, Jasbinder Singh Mann, Shin Ishikawa as producers; Eli Selden of
Anonymous Content as executive producer. Production, however, stalled when
Indomina Group suspended North American operations and shut its US office.
= Video games= In 2005, Gonzo had awarded Namco Bandai
Games exclusive rights to publish two Afro Samurai video games, as announced
that year. The debut trailer of the first game was released at the company's
Editor's Day presentation. Afro Samurai was released for the Xbox 360 and
PlayStation 3 on January 27, 2009. = Soundtracks=
Wu-Tang Clan member RZA produced the soundtrack for both the Afro Samurai TV
series and the TV movie sequel Afro Samurai: Resurrection. The first
soundtrack for the anime series, The RZA Presents: Afro Samurai: The Soundtrack
was released on January 30, 2007 by Koch Records. The second soundtrack for the
TV movie, The RZA Presents: Afro Samurai: Resurrection: The Soundtrack
was also released by Koch Records on January 27, 2009.
Voice Cast Samuel L. Jackson - Afro Samurai, Ninja
Ninja Kelly Hu - Okiku/Otsuru
Ron Perlman - Justice Jeff Bennett - Hachiro, Foo
Steven Blum - Assassins S. Scott Bullock - Dharman
Terrence C. Carson - Sword Master, Brother 4
Grey DeLisle - Oyuki, Woman John DiMaggio - Brother 2, Giant, Patron
#2, Ivanov Greg Eagles - Rokutaro, Brother 6
John Kassir - Shosun Phil LaMarr - Teenage Afro Samurai,
Brother 1, Brother 3, Brother 5, Kuro Yuri Lowenthal - Jinno/Kuma
Jason Marsden - Sasuke Liam O'Brien - Kihachi, Patron #4
Crystal Scales - Young Afro Samurai Dwight Schultz - Assassin, Patron #1,
Ronin Tara Strong - Otsuru, Jiro
Fred Tatasciore - Juzo, Patron #5, Shuzo James Arnold Taylor - Yashichi
Dave Wittenberg - Assassin, Patron #3, Punk, Matasaburo
Crew Samuel L. Jackson - Executive Producer
Jamie Simone - Casting and Voice Director
Reception The Afro Samurai manga series has
received generally positive reviews from critics. Scott Green, writer of the
Anime AICN segment of Ain't It Cool News said that the manga "is a work of
design" and that it "utilizes the medium to which it is applied as a platform
rather than as an ends unto itself." Scott notes that Okazaki does not have a
"head for manga as a storytelling form" and that the "manga labors to show off
Okazaki's design." Anime News Network reviewer, Carlo Santos stated about the
anime that "like most typical action-adventures, the story starts out
slow and only picks up toward the middle and end when the blades really start
flying" and that "Afro Samurai is hardly a complex story" and that it only has "a
handful of characters and a straightforward beat-the-next-guy
plotline". Carlo Santos also noted that "the original Afro Samurai manga is
pretty lousy" and that Takashi Okazaki often gets lost in "incomprehensible
scribbles" and "style over substance." Volume 2 of Afro Samurai also charted
147 on ComiPress' "Top 250 Manga Volumes" of February 2009. The Blu-ray
release of the anime series charted #16 on VideoScan's Blu-ray charts. In
January 2009, IGN ranked Afro Samurai 90th on a list of the top 100 animated
series, saying that the over-the-top violence and quirky story and characters
made the show enjoyable References
External Official website
Official Afro Samurai: Resurrection website
Official Gomanga page Afro Samurai at Anime News Network's
encyclopedia Afro Samurai at Anime News Network's
encyclopedia Afro Samurai: Resurrection at Anime News
Network's encyclopedia Afro Samurai at Anime News Network's
encyclopedia Afro Samurai at the Internet Movie
Database Afro Samurai: Resurrection at Internet
Movie Database