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Afro Samurai (Director's Cut)
Afro Samurai
Director's Cut
Actors: Samuel L. Jackson, Kelly Hu, Ron Perlman, John Di Maggio, Greg Eagles
Genres: Television, Anime & Manga, Animation
UR     2007     2hr 5min

Ice Cold Soul and a Jones For RevengeAfro Samurai (voiced by Academy AwardŽ nominated Samuel L. Jackson) is an epic tale of a black samurai's hunt for Justice (voiced by Ron Perlman: Hellboy Alien Resurrection ) who murder...  more »

     

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Movie Details

Actors: Samuel L. Jackson, Kelly Hu, Ron Perlman, John Di Maggio, Greg Eagles
Genres: Television, Anime & Manga, Animation
Sub-Genres: Television, Anime & Manga, Animation
Studio: Funimation
Format: DVD - Color,Widescreen,Anamorphic
DVD Release Date: 01/04/2007
Original Release Date: 01/04/2007
Theatrical Release Date: 01/04/2007
Release Year: 2007
Run Time: 2hr 5min
Screens: Color,Widescreen,Anamorphic
Number of Discs: 2
SwapaDVD Credits: 2
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 0
Edition: Director's Cut
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Languages: English, French
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Member Movie Reviews

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 11/11/2023...
Interesting episodes with Samuel L. Jackson being a side character in the show. A must for the dark anime fans!

Movie Reviews

Like chocolate and peanut butter.
trashcanman | Hanford, CA United States | 02/02/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Come on, how could you go wrong? Afro. Samurai. Samuel L Jackson. If this isn't a recipe for awesome, I don't know what is. If the notion doesn't immediately strike you that this is the coolest concept ever, move along; there's nothing for you to see here. But if you're a fan of animated carnage and you think that Sam Jackson is the king of cool, then this series is well worth it.

The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world (don't they all?) and follows Afro's pursuit of the "#1 Headband" which is said to grant god-like power to the one who possesses it. Just so happens that the guy who currently possesses it killed our main man's father right in front of him at an early age, hence Afro's quest for vengeance. The trick is that nobody can challenge the owner of the "#1 Headband" unless he possesses the "#2 Headband". Needless to say, the owner of #2 is beset on all sides by every bloodthirsty yahoo who lusts for the power of the #1. That's where the endless carnage comes in. Limbs and heads fly to and fro with whimsical abandon, blood splatters everywhere, death is at pretty much every stop on the Afro-train. Along the way he encounters seductive kunoichi, cyborgs, a dual-bladed opponent in a teddy bear mask, a rocket-launching psychopath, a cybernetic double, and much, much more.

The backstory is filled in with near-constant flashbacks, some of which help alleviate the confusion of what the hell you are watching, and some of which just add to it. The series is short, real short. Like, five 20+ minute episodes short. This is enough to satisfy one's bloodlust and build a decent story, but not nearly enough to fully flesh out the world or the people who inhabit it. The series is fantastic and a great introduction to the anime art form for the curious and uninitiated, but it's not perfect. The ending kind of left me cold, as the final battle is rather anti-climactic, and it never really shows what #1's "god-like powers" entail; or if they are just a legend. All these guys seem to do once they get it is sit atop the mountain and wait for the next sucker to climb on up and challenge them. There is one confrontation that takes a full episode and half of another to conclude because it is packed so full of flashbacks. This is acceptable when you have a full season of a show to pad, but not when you've only got 5 episodes to pack with all the awesomeness one expects from a series named "Afro Samurai". Still, this one is a must-see for animation fans.

The director's cut gives us an extra dose of blood, some nudity, and a little extra much-appreciated character development that adds much to an already great series. The extra disc gives us a brief "making of" documentary and a well put together featurette profiling the many interesting characters Afro meets (and beats) during his journey. There is also a very short segment about The RZA's, excellent score. Samuel L Jackson's resume speaks for itself and his performance as Afro's companion (Afro himself rarely speaks) provides constant humorous and stylish banter that does a great job of both lightening the tone of a show where nearly every character is stoic and deadly serious -if not tragic- and giving voice to Afro's innermost doubts and fears. Ron Perlman is another who never disappoints and his performance as #1 is bone-chilling. The very sexy Kelly Hu also turns in a great contribution. Bottom line: if you like afros, if you like samurai, if you like animation, and if you like violence then this show is for you."
AFRO COOOOOOL
Brent C. Lonkey | 01/05/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just caught the first ep showing on Spike Tv and WOW. Insane little anime. Really worth a watch and buy. The action is fast, violent and plenty of it. Samuel Jackson does the voice for two characters(maybe more). He of course does Afro the main character, but since Afro doesn't really talk all that much, most of it goes to this other guy that follows him around, who I think might just be in Afro's head. Pretty cool plot, there's two headbands, each with a number one and a number two. Afro's dad wore number one. Until number two killed him infront of his eyes. Here's how it works. The one that wears the number one headband means no one can challenge you. You're untouchable. Only the wearer of the number two has the right to challenge. But if you wear the number two headband it means that EVERYONE and ANYONE can challenge you. And that's pretty much the plot. Afro is making his way to see and challenge number one while fighting off the others that want his number two(headband). Anyway, watch and then later buy."
Afro's Animation Was Cool But What About The Story?
Keith A. Jones | Philadelphia PA | 02/09/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)

"There's no doubt that Afro Samurai has a cool and simple concept and a very bloody style. In this future world of feudal Japan nothing seems to matter but two headbands that represent the two best fighters. To get to the number one fighter you must go through the number two and to get to the number two you must go trough everyone else. This way of life that nobody should have to live especially a child who has nothing but the headbands and revenge on his mind. As a child Afro saw his father who was the number one fighter at the time get massacred by a man named Justice. After the fight is over Justice takes the number one headband off of the head of Afro's father, which was not too far away from his body. Justice tells Afro something similar to what Uma Thurman said to Vivica A. Fox's daughter in Kill Bill, that if he wanted revenge he would fight him when he came for him.

Afro took those words very seriously and took a few things of his fathers including his very cool Katana. Afro immediately went from an innocent child to an almost emotionless man with a ton of weight on him as he begins his vengeful journey. Afro Samurai is a unique anime or story for that matter. You don't see too many people willing to put out a story with basically nothing but very bloody fight scenes for about two episodes before a really good story starts up. Especially in a 5 part series where the episodes are only between 20 and 30 minutes long. I can't lie because I love stuff like that and it made Afro Samurai all the more tempting to finish watching. The second is that this was a pricy anime to make costing $1 million per episode so I'm sure a few viewers from the Hip hop community were expected to watch this. Even if you're an action film fan you have to admit when there's too much action and not enough story Even in a revenge tail like Kill Bill with a certain scene that this anime could relate to 88 times over it had a mystery and story.

Afro was on the verge of being in the too much and not enough category and then a cool story hits you somewhere around the end of episode two. Flashbacks of Afro's life are showed, you see him as a kid again and the people who took him in and gave him his gritty skills. All throughout the 5 part series you see that the money was well spent because the animation is amazing and beautiful. The things that Afro does with his skills are crazy and this animation was a giant step up for anime samurai fight scene, it was flawless. The voice actors are great including Sam Jackson who is great for co-producing this and putting his foot in it.

I think it would have been cool to actually give Afro a real name, it's cool for people that take him on to call him Afro but I think he should have had a name for his other life before he became the Afro Samurai. In other words I kind of wish the story went just a bit deeper with a little bit more complexity. I think that Afro Samurai is a great series that everyone should see especially to view its beautiful quality."