Highlights
- Crunchyroll is re-releasing Afro Samurai on Blu-ray, a hip-hop and soul tribute merged with Eastern samurai cinema.
- The sequel, Afro Samurai: Resurrection, follows Afro on a new bloodthirsty quest after his Number 1 headband is taken.
- The collaboration with RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan weaves music and story together in a powerful and unique way in Afro Samurai.
The profound interest in Japanese media among Western audiences has led to a lot of creative collaborations, some of which tend to fall flat, but a few have become proudly etched into anime history. Of these successes, one of the most notable is Afro Samurai, a loving tribute to hip-hop and soul married to Eastern samurai cinema, and Crunchyroll is re-releasing it on Blu-ray this fall.
Crunchyroll recently revealed their Blu-ray releases for October 2024, from new prints of Ouran High School Host Club and Outlaw Star to new releases of Vinland Saga, One Piece, and more. Afro Samurai – Director’s Cut and its sequel film, Afro Samurai: Resurrection – Director’s Cut will be available on October 22, although it’s important to note that the first one will be a Walmart exclusive.
What Is Afro Samurai?
|
Title |
Afro Samurai |
|
Director |
Fuminori Kizaki |
|
Studio |
Gonzo |
|
Premiere Date |
5/3/2007 |
Younger anime fans may not be familiar with this cult classic, and it’s no surprise given that it’s only five episodes plus a film continuation, to say nothing of it having been released in 2007. It is a revenge story told in the most stylized manner possible, set in a dreamlike fantasy world that is very clearly inspired by feudal Japan while also having many modern and futuristic elements. The titular Afro (Samuel L. Jackson) is a warrior in search of the man who murdered his father.
In this world, the one who wears the Number 1 headband is the greatest warrior, an appellation Afro’s father once held, until he was killed by the wielder of the Number 2 headband: a man named Justice. A young Afro then dedicates his life to avenging his father. Years later, he has acquired the Number 2 headband, a requisite to challenge the Number 1, and seeks out Justice, but he’ll have to contend with an onslaught of assassins to reach his prey.
What About Afro Samurai – Resurrection?
|
Title |
Afro Samurai: Resurrection |
|
Director |
Fuminori Kizaki |
|
Studio |
Gonzo |
|
Release Date |
1/25/2009 |
Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Lucy Liu, and Mark Hamill, Resurrection came out in 2009 and follows Afro after having earned the Number 1 headband. One day, it is stolen from him by his former friends, along with the remains of his long-dead father. This injustice sends him on a new bloodstained quest, once again donning the coveted Number 2 headband, and placing a huge target on his head in the process.
Why Is Afro Samurai Special?
This story is the brainchild of one Takashi Okazaki, a character designer who created it as a doujinshi for Nou Nou Hau, a self-funded magazine created between Okazaki and his friends. When they decided to create a limited run of figures based on the characters, these figures caught the eye of a producer at Studio Gonzo, who wanted to turn it into an animated series. While in production, a pilot film was created, and this caught the attention of Samuel L. Jackson.
The legendary star of Pulp Fictionand the Marvel Cinematic Universe was so in love with the idea that not only was he the voice of Afro, but he was a producer on the project. It was promoted as a “creative collaboration” between Jackson, Okazaki, and Studio Gonzo, and it would end up premiering in North America on the Spike network on January 4, 2007.
Interestingly, despite airing in Japan later that year, it only aired in English. There has never been a Japanese dub. Of course, with actors like Jackson, as well as Ron Perlman as Justice, many would argue there was no need. Still, considering the politics of “sub vs dub” in the anime community, it’s a pretty wild occurrence, and evidence of just how unique this production was. And it got even better.
The RZA Weaved the Music and Story Together
Perhaps the single most interesting part of Afro Samurai is the music, or, more accurately, the philosophy behind which the music was created. The RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan is not only an acclaimed rapper and producer, but also an avid movie fan who has expressed a deep admiration for martial arts cinema in the past. With Afro Samurai, RZA brilliantly conveys this generational revenge story through music alone.
By associating Afro’s father with soul music and doing the same with Justice and rock music, he crafts a narrative in which “rock kills soul”, thereby pushing Afro to grow up and become hip-hop. That’s the short version, but the idea is so cool that it should be fairly apparent that RZA was not messing around. What started as a simple idea born from Takashi Okazaki’s love of African American culture turned into an eclectic and powerful artistic collaboration the likes of which are rarely seen.
Afro Samurai is one of anime’s coolest cult classics. Despite its relatively short-lived existence, the strength of its iconography alone has immortalized it through the sheer force of its striking artwork. At a time when the preservation of physical media is more important than ever, it is awesome to see a series like this come back to store shelves.
Source: Email correspondence, UnderGroundOnline (Archived), YouTube (Interview with Takashi Okazaki)(RZA Behind the Scenes), Anime News Network (Link 1)(Link 2)(Link 3)
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