8 / 10
score
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Features
Before I'd actually scoured through all of the extras on the DVD, I'd stated that "Gonzo and GDH have also gone to town with the extras, dishing up over 45 minutes of documentary material". That may be true in some respects, but don't be fooled into thinking you're going to get a detailed breakdown of the show and all that goes with it. Apart from the 25 minute feature on Disk 2, most of the other stuff is for completists only. In fact, I felt quite let down by the supplemental material, considering it gets a disk all of its own.

The 'making of' is the best feature on the disk, although it doesn't go into detail on the techniques of animating the cartoon. Instead, it's lots of "how we got the band together" and mutual backslapping. It's still worth watching, but don't expect to feel like a page on Wikipedia afterwards, because the facts just aren't there Jack.

There's trailers, teasers and all the other stuff that probably isn't really that interesting to anybody. I guess it's nicer to have it than not, but would you really want to see the TV spot for The Rza's soundtrack CD? Thought not.

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Conclusion
Afro Samurai is chock full of startling, stylish kick-ass animation. With its bold colours, and fantastic use of shadows, the frenetic action and close-up character expression is exaggerated in a way that allows for minute detail. The cameras move with the kind of freedom that a live action film could only dream of, capturing the manic action that epitomises Gonzo's animation style.

Afro Samurai is a modern day story, set in an old style world. The only way I know it has a modern day setting is due to the mobile phone carrying ninja masters, else I could have been easily mistaken. It melds westerns and martial arts, with a large dose of anime styling's and trademarks. I mean, where else would you see a teddy-bear head wearing samurai, with part robot functions and even odder facial quirk?

I have to admit, that it's been a good while since I've watched any anime, but my memories of it are of its often stunning looks, but sometimes crude animations. I was still intrigued by this title initially though, with the title sounding like the type of bizarre mix that could just bring in a greater audience than Japanimation usually does. And from the offset it definitely felt heavily westernized, but not so much so that it loses its oriental roots. However by the end of the series – particularly in the last two episodes – it hits such a level of bizarreness that it completely loses its real world setting. It's almost as if the creators had decided that it wasn't offbeat enough, but hadn't considered that the international audience it would attract might find it a little overwhelming and alienating. It's an unfortunate departure in an otherwise excellent cartoon.

Sadly it's perhaps not quite as cool as it could (and should) have been, especially when you consider the almost mute character of Afro. Based on the 'man with no name' character that would usually be associated with westerns (which this very much is riffing on), he's just not likeable enough. The story also borders on repetition at points, rescued mostly by its flashbacks to Afro as a boy. It's during these mostly sepia tinged moments that the story really begins to emerge.

The voicework is exactly as you'd expect from the contributing cast, and for the type of 'toon that it is. Mr. Jackson voices two of the main characters, which almost instantly gives one of the big twists in the story away. I won't spoil it for you, but you'll see it coming from as early as in the first of the five episodes. I was also slightly irritated to see the children voiced by adults – a bugbear of mine that I can't escape. Ron Perlman also voices one of the major characters, although you'd do well to know which one; his accent a bizarre choice when you consider he is one of the 'stars' of the piece.

It's a mostly humourless tale, with Afro's annoying sidekick Ninja Ninja there to try and counter-balance this. However he comes across as an annoyance, and could have easily have been chopped – even considering his 'importance' to the overall character arc of Afro. The violence is never shied away from, but never becomes so graphic that it offends. With that in mind, I would expect the line was fine between it being a 15 and 18, but nonetheless this should be watched only by adults.

It's difficult to know who to recommend it to, but if you're intrigued then it's almost definitely worth watching for that matter alone, because you might just fall in love with it. There's no escaping just how stunning it looks, and even if it does tail off towards the end it still makes a mighty fine job of getting there in the first place. For all it's downfalls, and please take note that they are few and far between, Afro Samurai emerges victorious from battle; a strong but battle scarred warrior, that still carries a few tricks up his long flowing sleeves.

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