Afro Samurai

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Afro Samurai is a short and sweet manga that allows you to experience a simple, yet captivating story in an afternoon or so. In some sense, it reminds me of classic Hong Kong martial arts/action films - very clear and simple premise, but it's the amazing execution and visual spectacle that make it worthwhile.

Afro Samurai is the stereotypical anime story. The main character is this stoic edgelord badass who barely speaks, he carries a massively oversized sword, he's incredibly strong, he has no remorse for killing and his entire life is defined by revenge for his daddy issues. The fights are over the top ... and dramatic and there is plenty of bloody gory killing. The universe is a mesh of feudal Japan, with katanas, samurai and ninjas galore, but it's also futuristic with rocket launchers, killer robots and cybernetics. There are a lot of clichés, but this never hinders the story, because it's very well constructed, flows nicely and by the end, explores some deeper and more thought provoking themes. It never failed to keep me engaged until the very conclusion.

The most striking thing about Afro Samurai has to be the visuals though. Relying a lot on brushed textures, the artstyle is very grimey and dark. Everything is heavily stylized and seemingly in perpetual motion. The bodies of the characters and their weapons bend and twist as if they are made of rubber and the hair, headbands, clothes and beards of the characters flow in almost magical ways. All of this gives an excellent dynamic feel to everything and the flow from panel to panel and the experience of reading each page is thoroughly enjoyable. The inclusion of red blood alongside the black and white make it pop even better. For someone who isn't really a mangaka, Okazaki-sensei did an amazing job. My only minor criticism is that because of all the brushed splotches of black, the art can sometimes be a little too murky and it can be a bit difficult to understand what is happening. The flowing linework, wild poses and shading make the art very nice to look at and full of energy, but it can do a bit better in the visual clarity department. Oh, and be advised that despite being Japanese, this manga is written in the Western style, so you need to read it left-to-right. Just a heads up.

Nonetheless, if you like samurai, if you like anime, if you love comic book action, or if you're just looking for some dark and edgy fun, you should definitely check out this bite-sized gem! It's too good to pass up on!

Afro Samurai follows the lone protagonist Afro in his journey to avenge his father and claim the title of the strongest warrior. Along the way, we discover the sacrifices he has made and how far his revenge will take him. The setup and delivery is very basic, with Afro cutting down any and all who stand in his way, in the goriest and most graphic way possible. In terms of story and characters, there isn't anything particularly special, however, the delivery makes up for this, presenting amazing scenes which keep you hooked.Whilst many people have seen the anime, very few have read this manga adaption, ... which was released after the anime. I was skeptical of whether it could live up to the anime, but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised.

Despite being only 2 volumes long, i found the manga to be very enjoyable, as it retained most of the anime's story line, whilst also adding a few twists and changes. The artwork is very enjoyable, with battles drawn in immaculate detail in amazingly designed scenery and locations. Overall, if you're a fan of the anime, you'll definitely enjoy this.

Thematically wise packs more of a punch than its animated counterpart, albeit still fixated on style over all. Too bad, because it had a solid basis to tackle various sensitive topics, be it the universal ones or America-Japan specific.

Afro's path is depicted by black & white panels, more than often splattered with the red color of blood. It looks beautiful and evocative in wider frames, however, most of the action blurs out in smaller ones and becomes unclear. Usually not a problem, but in a work that relies heavily on visuals, it becomes a rather prominent one.

What it does better than anime is ... how it portrays Afro. It villainizes him as a person who doesn't refrain from the most despicable of methods in order to accomplish his quest. He moves forward with inhuman determination, blind to all the admonitions, and ultimately pays for it in the most poetic way.

Okazaki drew inspiration from samurai and blaxploitation movies of the 70s, albeit only scratched at their surface. In return, we have a work set on a narrow path of vendetta, ridden with questionable cultural idiosyncrasies. Shame that there was such a -- presumable -- lack of vision, or perhaps inexperience for better execution. After all, this is his first work.

If anime left you unsatisfied then this could serve as a suitable add-on or improvement even.