After obtaining the Number One headband, which proclaims him to be the best of all warriors, Afro spends most of his days in peace, though his nightmare-filled nights are not so tranquil. His life crescendos into chaos once again when Jinno and Sio, his former friends from long ago, take the headband from him, as well as the remains of his father. Challenged by Sio to don the Number Two headband again and exact revenge on them for their actions, Afro embarks on another journey as the wearer of said headband—an item for which anyone would kill him.
Afro Samurai: Resurrection follows Afro as he fights a second series of battles against all manner of foes, wading through the sea of corpses in his wake so that he may once again quench his never-ending thirst for revenge.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
hiruma55
When i first saw Afro Samurai back in 2008 I was amazed, to be honest I didn't think a concept like this would work out in the way it did. I mean here you have a black samurai, in an anime, with hip-hop music, unless we're talking Samurai Champloo this shouldn't work. But I really liked Afro Samurai, I thought it was sick and it only increased my respect for Samuel L. Jackson, so when I found out that there was going to be a sequel to the series I was over the moon... However little did I know that this sequel would end uplike this.
Afro Samurai: Resurrection takes place after the events of the original series with Afro finding peace in the mountains after killing countless people because of his number 1 headband. It seems that after being on this road for so long, Afro seems to be losing his way and it is at this point when Afro is attacked by his old friend/nemesis Jinno and a mysterious female warrior named Sio, who wishes to have the head of the famous number one warrior because of the death of the people he has killed. And that my friends are basic elements of this story for this film and to be honest it sucks. The best thing about Afro Samurai was its originality and I know it's hard to follow up good material with sequels, but it seems like Resurrection really lost its 'cool' factor here, the story is basic at best and the new characters involved are just ridiculous and for some reason you want to kill Ninja Ninja in this anime. I'm happy to report that the animation and art style is still sick and beautiful and while the music hasn't got the flair of the original it's still pretty nice.
Overall Afro Samurai: Resurrection really wasn't the sequel that people wanted, the story is unoriginal and the main female antagonist feels far too simple along with all other new characters. The animation and music however are still pretty good and while it's still watchable one can't help but feel sad for the way this turned out and hope that the third installment rectifies this anime's mistake.
literaturenerd
Overview: "Afro Samurai 2: the Absurdity Continues". Honestly that would have been a better title than the insanely overused title "Resurrection". However, this is the kind of anime where they probably intentionally used a cliche title to pay homage to early, terrible anime like the infamous "Ninja Resurrection". Afro Samurai is NOT an anime that you are supposed to take seriously! It is basically like Kill Bill the anime...or more accurately Kill Bill the 100% anime since Kill Bill Volume 1 was partly done in anime format. Story and Characters- Warning: Spoilers!!! The story begins where the last movie left off. Afro finally got revenge and claimed thetitle of World #1 swordsman. However, the #1 headband in addition to granting godlike power and immortality also consumes the sanity and soul of the wearer. "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36 . This quote isn't actually used in this movie, but since Samuel L Jackson is the main character, I feel randomly quoting scripture is appropriate here. Afro is doggedly pursued by several characters who all want revenge on him for killing their friends and family members in pursuit of his own vengeance. The primary message of the movie is that revenge only begets more revenge. That was also going to be the main plot and theme of Kill Bill 3, but unfortunately that movie will never be made now. Since Samuel L Jackson was the executive producer of this anime and close friends with Tarantino , I wonder if he wanted to make this as a sort of spiritual heir to Kill Bill 3? The people who want revenge on Afro decide to create an absolutely ridiculous plan to resurrect Afro's father, just to torture him and piss off Afro. Since his father was the only person Afro ever cared about, they figure that the only way to really hurt Afro emotionally is to bring him back and kill him again! Seriously! That's the fucking plot in this movie! The antagonists hilariously succeed, only to get killed by an insane cyborg version of Afro's father. Afro then must put his own father back to rest, and continue his journey of wandering. Afro never really learns anything or pays for his sins committed in pursuit of revenge, so the theme is rather undermined. The movie ends with a bullshit cliffhanger and a teaser for a sequel that now probably will never be made.
Music-
The soundtrack is once again performed by RZA and the Wu-Tang Clan. If you love those guys, you will love this soundtrack. If you aren't a fan of the Wu-Tang...you will obviously hate this soundtrack. Personally, I rather like the Wu-Tang Clan. Wu-Tang Clan AINT NOTHIN TO FUCK WIT!
Animation-
The animation is smooth and gorgeous. It is easily the highlight of the entire anime. The fights look spectacular and are just fun as HELL to watch!
Overall:
If you liked the first Afro Samurai, you will like this one. It has the same awesome fight scenes, beautiful animation, and pulse pounding hip hop soundtrack. Is it a deep, philosophical masterpiece? Hell no! Is the writing and dialogue Shakespearean? Of course not! Is is a fun action series if you feel like rotting your brain for 2 hours? HELL YEAH! I recommend Afro Samurai 2 to anyone who loves mindless action with LOTS of gore and hip hop!
GuUguk
Best word to describe this piece is lame... Maybe be the initial goal ,to create a hybrid concept mixing samurai and hip hop culture to please the more "american" viewers, is exciting. It was done by Watanabe in Samurai Champloo rather succesfully. But, afro samurai resurrection (again) is a disaster. Total unoriginal story line, crowded with cheesy cliches. Interestingly the most original? part looked like a scene poped from a Disney movie. A cycle of events are tried to be meshed (which might be actually very pleasing if done correctly), however the unreasonable characters together with the weak connections between events made this attept to fail.There was even a sex scene randomly added inbetween a fighting scene just to complete the golden ingredients for an action movie, too absurd for my taste...
The best thing was the animation needless to say maybe, good fights but since the story could not back them up after while even they became boring.
The music was nice but again the scenes and the mood of the music did not matched at all, which in turn just resulted in more distraction.
As a final word, if you like samurais, bloody fights, semi nude chicks and have time to spare, go and watch it. But do not expect originality, it is just like a cheesy holywood action movie rip-off...
there is a saying in our country, the donkey is still a donkey even with a golden saddle.
KnightsGuardian
"Watch your damn mouth... cause I'm coming for my father." This OVA begins some time after the original series of AfroSamurai where Afro is tired, sick of all the fighting knowing that it is an endless cycle. "Kill or be killed, there is no option". We see Afro in a little hut, accompanied only by a Buddha statue and multiple wooden figurines. Peaceful, but lonely. So, when Jinno appears on a motorcycle and drags Afro by his hair through the tundra, it is appalling. In the previous installment one takes Jinno to be slayed, but he has returned along with is sister Sio who vouchesrevenge on Afro for making her family, and herself, suffer. For killing mercilessly. To do this Sio takes Afro's father's skull and disappears, promising to make Afro tremble by brutally tormenting his father and himself. However, before departing, she takes up Afro's number one headband and sends him on a journey to recover the second.
The art was similar to the previous episodes, this time portraying Afro as a war-stricken man who seems to have gone through many tumultuous events. The lighting is spectacular, giving you a feel for the scenery and making significant symbols jump as they are supposed to and details are down to a tee. The viewer is never disappointed, the gore assimilating perfectly with every slash and vengeful strike. The sound and music fit the anime down just right. However, it is rather difficult to discern some words that are spoken and takes you a good minute after rewinding the anime to figure out what was said.
Some of the characters, like Afro and his imaginary pal are just as awe inspiring as the previous anime. There is substantial character development but some, like Sio, will end up pissing you off in the end. Sio may look ample and plumped up, but her vendetta ends up driving her up the wall. Over and over again she speaks of revenge for the pain Afro caused and it gets really tiring after a while. After an hour into it, honestly, I just wanted to smack the bitch.
More characters are presented into the story and reveals a little more into Afro's past.
Overall [7]:
My enjoyment and overall score would have to be rated a 7. There were times when I just wanted the OVA to end, and there were times when I was anticipating what would happen next. The plot is good but a little used up. Certain things will surprise you, especially the events that happen near the end of the animation. I was rather disappointed by the way the mangaka presented the anime in this sequel, but, all in all, it is not bad to watch.
JackCox
Well, the movie sequel to Last Year's Number One Best Seller Afro Samurai has just finished airing on Spike and these are some of my initial thoughts. Well for one thing this was much better than the TV Show, we actually have some character development for Afro in the movie, in fact much more then we did in the TV Series. There are some plot holes as other people mentioned like Why does Sio even have a grudge against Afro? Well generally I tend to think that maybe she blames Afro for what happened to her brother, but that's generally what I make of it.I think introducing a character like Shichiguro was a good call, he was for the most part generally a nice guy and you can see why anyone would be reluctant to fight him. But when Afro and him face off, you can tell it's purely business and nothing more. I think we can definitely expect a sequel to finally end the Series once and for all, The ending of the movie definitely indicates that. So overall, it has it's flaws but still it's much better than anything else, I think 8 out of 10 might be generous but I feel it's fair for the movie. Don't anyone deny though, the Art in this show is breathtaking.
thekindamad
After watching the series, I went straight for the follow up movie 'Resurrection'. While I did somewhat enjoy it, I felt that it was a disappointment compared to the series. The story was pretty weak with this one. And I knew this not even 20 minutes into the film, simply be hearing the antagonists 'plans'. By taking Afro's fathers remains and bringing him back to life... to torture him to death again to make Afro suffer... yeah, it's ridiculous. And really, this just simply felt like a poorly recycled version of the original shows storyline. Granted, there are a few bright moments but not enough to makethe plot really worth anything.
The art and animation once again looks beautiful, even better then the original shows. This my friends, is as good as if gets in terms of hand drawn animation. In fact, it earned itself an nomination for an Emmy! And I say it's well deserved. The look and style are easily the films main highlight.
The voice acting once again was pretty good, so I have zero complaints about that. The soundtrack is pretty damn good aswell, with a wide range of slow jazz like pieces that fit the anime perfectly.
Now on to the characters. Afro is a pretty unlikeable character in this, not giving a crap on who he kills, as long as he moves on ahead. He is incredibly cold and even seems like he should be the villain of the series rather then our hero at some points. Ninja Ninja is even more annoying then he was in the series and he's annoying to the point that I had a hard time enjoying the film at times.
The villains are pretty good... all save Sio, whom I couldn't stand. But aside from her, I thought the rest were pretty neat and far more interesting then Afro.
Overall, I thought the film was decent. Nothing special or anything I plan to rewatch again, but still it was decent. If you watched the series and enjoyed it, then by all means, watch the film, but don't go in with huge expectations.
Luquillo
The combination of hip hop and samurai may have grown on me some, but I won't say I like it, and this also goes for Samurai Champloo; however, I'll still give credit to both series for making it work. The soundtrack is still good this time around. Once again RZA laces things up with some good tracks and I just might pick up the soundtrack one day because it sounds worth my time. This anime's production values are every bit as outstanding as the original. Studio Gonzo definitely didn't pull any punches here except until the end. The animation is very fluid frame by frame, andsome of my biggest pet peeves such as reused cels and many stills are non existent. The action scenes are still very good and at times imaginative; but my biggest problem with the action is that the pay off really didn't deliver during the end. The final action scene had moments where it dragged, and the ending was too lazily put together.
The backgrounds have plenty of beautiful moments from the flowing of water, to the decorations during a festival, and lighting during firework displays. The artwork is also gracefully done, with Lady Sio given a sexy design. I have no issues with the voice work and I think everyone delivered in their roles.
Unfortunately for me, that is where the pros end. It seems as though the writers chose to keep it simple and forgot about being the least bit creative. They practically reused the exact same story and plot. To include, they practically ignored character development altogether, and everyone comes off as stereotypes with actions that can be seen light years away.
Afro is a cool enough character and deserves better; but too much screen time is given to the ultra irritating Ninja Ninja yet again. He does not shut up ever, EVER, and I don't find him all that funny. The plot is badly paced, and everything that does not contain action was boring to me.
I hate almost everything: the character flashbacks, interactions, Ninja Ninja's annoying voice, as well as his boring jokes and punchlines. To include, its one and only meaningful theme on living with the horrors and misery which are caused by the headbands takes a serious beating. The entire plot is amateurish and completely forgettable. I will never watch this again.
Now how well does the sequel stack up against the original? Well I wasn't blown away by the first one, in fact I think it's incredibly over-rated, but it's far above this. This sequel is nothing but a copy and paste. It didn't take any new steps to surpass the original at all. In regards to those whom loved the original and can't tolerate anything negative said against it. I recommend not wasting any time and just pick this up. Those whom hated the first really shouldn't even waste their time, because you may hate this one even more for the lazy effort.
Afro Samurai: Resurrection could have been a whole lot better, but it needed a writing team with talent to pull that off.
Highs: Production values
Lows: Rehashed story, very boring plot development, very annoying side character
LAR
Story: Horrible. Piensen en todos los cliches de los anime de acción y estan en esta pelicula, y asi nomas, sin el mas minimo cambio, aunque sea para disimular la falta de originalidad. Art: De lejos lo mas destacado (y, probablemente, lo único) de este anime, aunque no me ha gustado demasiado, por lo menos no esta mal, en especial la animación, muy buena. Sound: Mucho rap y hip-hop. A mi no me gusta ninguna de las dos cosas asi que este aspecto no destaca mucho. Por otro lado debo decir que tampoco queda mal, excepto por unas pocas excepciones. Character: Originales...demasiado, hasta el punto de que muchos,llegan a ser bizarros y ridiculos, en especial el ninja que acompaña a Afro y el profesor.
Enjoyment: Poco, lo único que atrae son las peleas, pero niguna destaca demasiado en mi opinion (la pelea final es simplemente estupida)
Overall: Malo, muy malo. Sin duda Samuel L. Jackson, la cagaste produciendo esta cosa.
Solday
Resurrection is a great sequel to the Afro Samurai story. It shows what Afro did after he defeated Justice. It kinda reminded me of Rurouni Kenshin how he was going to have to turn into a killer again to overcome his enemy. Only this time the character reverts back into what he used to be. The Story was pretty good, but did feel like I was watching a different way of telling the first season over. Don't get me wrong I still enjoyed it but I was hoping for something a little different. The Art this time was phenomenal. They kinda slid away from the monochrome lookand added in more vivid colors. If you watch some of the extras they go way into detail on how they went about that. I own it on Blu-ray and the quality put into this show shines in HD.
Sound is amazing once again in this series. The RZA is a mastermind when it comes to music. I love hip-hop so I'm sure that helps a bit.
The Characters in the movie are pretty good. Character development is pretty good for a movie.
If you enjoyed the first season then you will love this movie. If you didn't like the first season then don't bother watching this movie because it wont change your mind about the series.
shehrozeameen
Its actually nice to follow Afro Samurai Resurrection, especially for those who have seen the Afro Samurai movie and its six episode series. Its quite good, and I thought that overall, it was a different twist which, on the whole, did conclude most of the aspects of Afro's story on the whole. What I liked was how the story progressed, and how unlike the last movie, this one used the atmosphere more than the last one. Which is always a good thing in my opinion - it helps in creating the mood for an anime, and it always helps in having that mood as the storyprogresses. This anime also brought a really good twist from Gino, in my opinion.
On the whole, its a worthwhile watch. Its violent, granted, but that could be said of all samurai based anime, which also keep in mind story too. This isn't a Shigurui, granted, nor is it a Samurai Champloo - but its still a good watch for those who want a mix of both (atmosphere, humour, and a good story).
utsukuru
I'm writing this soon after I covered the series. The movie made the story complete and now we know what the authors wanted to show us. I found the movie more interesting, even though it got the same score of 6. Story: 6 The action is even more interesting, but the story covers exactly the same motif: revenge. Now it's pointed at our sole hero who as always has the means to survive the onslaught. His personality changed and the direction in which it moved satisfies me enough to make the review a little longer. After filfilling his duty as a son, he has nothing moreto live for and lives like a hermit, carving wooden sculptures of the ones he killed on the way to the top. Suddenly he is targeted by a strong opponent, and during the movie he faces some old acquaintances. Other than that it's almost the same as the series, with the hero movin onward and regaining his killing intent.
Art: 8
It looks better and the animation is well made. It doesn't surprise me as it is a movie. I liked the design more and that's the reason the score is higher than when I covered the series.
Music: 7
I have nothing to add: again not my kind of music, but well mixed up with the action.
Characters: 6
The characters here feel the same urge to avenge their brethren, but the changes in AF's personality made me raise the score by one notch.
Enjoyment: 8
I felt more enjoyment than during the series as it was even more packed-up with action.
Overall: 6
I won't say it's good. The story is complete but shows the same flaws of little mystery and no suspense. I recommend it only to people who like action and don't take the blood and violence in anime seriously. For good story looks somewhere else, here you will get a good slasher at most.
Drakkle
Afro Samurai: Resurrection is probably one of my favorite anime "movies" of this year and perhaps to date. I quote movies simply because Resurrection has an episodic feel to it, without the OPs and EDs. The story begins with a flashback of Afro on a bridge. What follows is an intense battle with two against Afro which he of course dispatches. His hat then breaks open and that's when the great soundtrack (made by the RZA, once again) kicks in and your eyes get the treat of a fantastic, albeit short blood fest. We are then taken to Kuma (Jinno) riding a motorcycle and anolder Afro carving statuettes.
From there, the story begins to unfold. What I liked about it was the fact it still pertained to his father. The story was much darker at times, what with the sadistic antagonist Sio (voiced by Lucy Liu, who did a damn good job) attempting to resurrect Afro's father in order to torture him. Her reasons aren't expressed in great detail, but as the movie carries on, if you pay close attention to the three androids Afro fights, you'll catch the gist of why she's doing this, other than other more obvious reasons.
The art/animation in this installment looks polished and far less gritty than the original five episodes of Afro Samurai. The fight scenes are nothing but amazing and intense and most of them carry on with satisfying length. Some parts had me yelling out explicit words at the top of my lungs even.
In this, you'll also notice that the western style of architecture, culture and style have been merged with the eastern culture, which looks great. I felt a lot of effort went into the process of combining the two and I even took the time to watch the special features. They even went so far to get aid from English speakers just so they could sync the mouths of the characters with their VAs.
The characters felt wholesome, as Afro once again assumes the role that he had in the first installment. However, you can tell that all the killing has made him a little softer, as he could have easily killed the men surrounding him in a particular scene, but instead he uses non-lethal methods to dispatch them. This has not made him any less bad-ass than he was in the original, but I feel it portrays his weariness of killing quite well. Jinno also makes a come back and his character's parts are awesome. They displayed Jinno's love for Afro as a brother and friend so well, most notably at the end of the movie. His character was very well developed, as was Sio's. Her drive for vengeance was as powerful as Afro's in the first "movie."
Surprisingly, Ninja-Ninja also made a come back and provides nearly all the comic relief in the movie. There were parts that had me nearly rolling on the floor with laughter and his character actually has a lot more screen time and speaking parts compared to the original.
The sound was superb, as the voice cast clearly knew what they were doing. Lucy Liu and Samuel L. Jackson are the big names here and they prove they can dub like veterans. They conveyed emotion well and as Ninja-Ninja's VA, Jackson is a riot. On top of the excellent voice acting, not only did the RZA provide the soundtrack for the movie, he even had a speaking part of his own as a DJ near the middle.
Speaking of the soundtrack, if you liked the first series, the amount of hip-hop in this installment has been increased, which I thought just made it better. If you're a fan of hip-hop, this movie supplies you with all that you need. The music helps build up the fight scenes too and they seemed to sync up together which had me all but overjoyed. These are why I simply had to give the sound a perfect ten.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and if you were a fan of the original, I don't feel that this one will disappoint you. I've already re-watched it three times and would be willing to do so a few more times. Overall, I gave this a 9 because while it's not perfect, it is close. I do wish it was a little longer, but judging from the popularity of this series, I am willing to wait until the third installment.
showandAG
I just wrote a review for Afro Samurai. I basically feel the same way about the movie as I did about the series. I generally don't enjoy anime movies based off of anime series but Afro Samurai: Resurrection was an exception. Probably because the movie was almost as long as the series itself which was very short. Art/animation/sound I would say are the same as the series. I probably liked the show a bit more but if you are looking for more Afro Samurai then the movie is worth watching.
thepapercut
Story: The great thing about Afro samurai: resurrection story wise is that it fills in alot about afro's past as well as keeping you filled in on the current story at a nice pace that flows smoothly. Art: Like the first afro samurai, the art is very well done. It's highly stylish during times of fight scenes and very detailed during flashbacks and times in which afro isn't slaughtering his opponents and painting the world in blood. The environmental colors are very rich and vibrant in which each setting sets the tone for the forthcoming scene. Sound: Afro samurai: resurrection's soundtrack is mainly hip hop based in which theRza as well as all the other music artists crafted a well made soundtrack. The songs all fit nicely with whatever is going on within the scene.
Characters:
Afro samurai: ressurection characters I must say all are very well designed, they all fit into there place into the story and hold some value.
Enjoyment:
I must say I enjoyed Afro samurai and it's sequel I enjoyed just as much.
Cons:
There was at times where it did fell like it was a inbetween movie, like they are just setting up for an even more badass movie with more hardcore action, violence and more tits.
Overall: 9/10
HassanWNTD
if your looking for a deep meaningful story that will have you thinking this is not the anime for you. afro Sumeria is pure entertainment from the art to the EPIC and I mean EPIC fight scenes. this will go down as my favorite anime movie of all time. the less you think the more enjoyable it is it. i wont go to much into what it is about but definitely recommend any body to view this if you haven already.
Puck342
The made-for-tv-movie adaptation of the amazing 5-episode miniseries Afro Samurai, Afro Samurai: Ressurection keeps everything that made the original Afro Samurai awesome: Afro, his sidekick, and the most compelling storyline from the first miniseries, and adds some elements that are awesome and appropriate; for one thing, Lucy Liu joins the vocal cast, adding yet another recognizable talent to the mix. Add to that the fact that the movie makes for a much better vehicle for The RZA's beats (including an amazing parade scene where there is a DJ actually spinning in the scene), and he steps up to the challenge masterfully, laying down even better, tighter,darker, more ominious music down this time than even in the original.
If you liked Afro Samurai, watch this movie. If you haven't seen Afro Samurai, DON'T WATCH THE MOVIE YET! You will enjoy it much more if you watch the miniseries first. Go do that, then come back...
TheAnimeLogician
Story: The story is pretty much the same generic equation we here from Shounen and Isekai anime. The hero must defeat said villains cause said villains want said item. Said item belongs to hero and Hero will protect said item until his dying breath. Basically the same played out plot that the original series had, but In a movie adaptation. Which makes it mediocre since we've all seen the anime then why see a repeat from a movie perspective? Legit just a cash grab at this point and All to continue a series which was great, but This movie downplays that anime, A lot. Art:The art style is one of the main points within the movie that are actually good. The art style stays the same as the original series and That is one thing I can say the movie does right.
Sound: The is the best part of the movie. I am a huge fan of Hip Pop music and My favorite genre just so happens to be gangster rap. Overall I can vibe with the music while watching the anime. Cause the music is just that good.
Character Development: Not much character development here like I said before. Same generic equation turns anime series into a crappy movie. Legit the development here is lacking in many ways. Characters are generic as well as disappointing. Yes! We get new characters, but What is the point of having new characters when their impact on the anime is minuscule at best? Nothing to write home about here.
Personal Enjoyment: The movie was alright, it wasn't too bad and Yet I wouldn't call this a good movie either. Basically the movie had put me to sleep at times and I had to rewatch some scenes in order to get the full understanding on the movie. At best I enjoyed the music and art, but Everything else was either boring or disappointing.
Overall: The movie could have done better with the characters and Overall the story. The characters that we're brought in are pretty much pointless, Bringing the older characters back is even more pointless, and The story is just generic. Not my cup of tea when it comes to this sort of formula when making an anime, but What can you do?
I rate this movie a 4 out of 10 Stars
Thanks for reading my review I greatly appreciate it :D
carnage_panda
I expected more of the same with this movie. It both delivers and falls short of the 5 episode series that was released before it. But that's mostly due to questionable and stupid things that the characters in this movie do towards the end. At least one of the characters acts completely out of character at the end. Afro Samurai: Resurrection is the story of Afro after having given up killing and going complete peacenik in the wake of his homicidal mania. Tits McGee, the primary antagonist, who is capable of even giving androids hard-ons is unhappy with the way Afro is leading his life. So sheshows up with her minion Teddy Ruxpin to tell Afro that she's got the #1 headband and that he needs to get the #2 to challenge her, sort of like in the original series. She even appears to be a complete badass at one point in the story, but it was all smoke and mirrors as the narrative begins to fall apart towards the end.
Afro, of course, falls for this trap and turns his back on his peaceful life because reasons. Actually, truth told, he's an idiot. I'll be honest, I wish they would have gone in the direction of taking this show into being over the top and ridiculous instead of having a revenge based narrative. I mean there's a guy that wears a freakin' teddy bear costume that drives a motorcycle like he's just got done playing Road Rash.
I'm loathe to deduct too many points though, because it's coherent and has a resolution, it just stumbles along the way.
Bigbone99
Afro Samurai: Resurrection is set after the events of the original five episode anime. The premise is simple: the main character Afro is on a quest for revenge to take the life of the man who took his father's life for the number 1 headband which is rumored to give the owner godlike power. The movie is about what happens after you get your revenge, and the cycle of vengeance. A new character, Sio is one of the many people who was affected by Afro's vengeful path. She take's the remains of Afro's father in order to bring him back to life, all for thepurpose of inflicting as much pain on him for her revenge, and takes the number one headband from him in order to motivate Afro to come to her. It's a lot of words for what is essentially a very simple plot, but this plot is pretty strong for its simplicity. Character motivations are clear, what needs to be done is clear, and it is also clear thematically.
Because of the rather unique circumstances that led to the creation of the animated version of Afro Samurai, there's a lot of star power behind it. Samuel L. Jackson is the producer and all of his celebrity money and his love for anime (and hentai too!) shows in the final product. I want to start to start with the voice cast first of all. Many are apprehensive when it comes to English voice acting in anime and I want to put those fears aside. This movie was produced for the West first and foremost, so the script and dialogue fit naturally. The main character himself, Afro, is voiced by Samuel L. Jackson. There isn't much to say about this performance because it consists mostly of single words and grunts. That doesn't mean Afro is uninteresting. On the contrary, because he's so quiet, you really wonder whats going on in his head. Jackson really shines in his other role as Ninja Ninja, a wise cracking and fast talking companion for Afro. He acts like an inner voice for him, often questioning Afro's motivations and goading him on in some instances. Together they make a very entertaining duo. The other major celebrity role is Lucy Liu of Kill Bill and Charlie's Angels fame. She does a good role in the role of Sio, the antagonist of the film, bit the delivery of some of her lines falls flat. This could either be due to direction issues or issues in sound mixing (an issue I'll soon be getting to). Mark Hamill also has a role though its for a minor character. Lastly, there are some other big names in the anime English dub sphere: Yuri Lowenthal and Liam O'Brien. They do what they do best and provide some anime voices to anime characters. They don't really deviate too much from what they usually do but its an otherwise solid performance they bring.
The other big celebrity name brought in for this project is RZA of Wu-Tang Clan fame. Those who are familiar with the Wu-Tang Clan would know that they have a love for anime, so RZA was a natural fit for the his love of anime, and for the fact that he has done the score for other films as well. What you'll expect is some authentic old school hip hop beats, complete with boom bap drums, soul samples and rapping (some of which is done by the man himself). The tracks themselves are very well done and are implemented appropriately within the movie. There are issues with the mixing and sound editing however. In some scenes, the music sounds quite muffled and not loud enough, or sometimes, the volume of the voice track is around the same as the music, making it a little hard to appreciate the music in the moment. In other instances, the music fades out in a pretty obvious way, taking you out of the moment. This isn't a deal breaker overall, since its only in a few moments, but it can detract from your enjoyment if one of the reasons you want to watch the movie. If you are that kind of person, you were probably going to, or have already listened to the soundtrack in album form.
The animation and art are just as strong, if not stronger than the original. With the movie being action oriented, action scenes are going to be the major focus of the animation team. Scenes are still bloody, violent and intense a you would expect. Animation is also really detailed and polished in them thanks to the additional time and money that was poured into it. It's a showcase of what studio Gonzo can do at their best despite their reputation for being an inconsistent studio. Character designs are still great, blending together traditional Japanese clothing and design sensibilities with technology. The background art and settings are also quite varied for a two hour long movie. There are wastelands, some locations that feel like they would straight up fit into a western, but replace the saloons with more Japanese flavored houses. A location at the end of movie is particularly stunning because of the strong color choices, the strangeness of background elements like mountains and some overall "epic" imagery for that location; you can feel the brutal history of it.
So I highly recommend this movie, especially if you've completed the anime. It may be style over substance for sum, but i say to them, the style is the substance for this movie. A small side note: a sequel is teased at the end of this movie, but I wouldn't get my hopes up. The movie by itself is complete, so don't let that stinger ruin it for you.
