Afro Samurai Resurrection 2-Disc Special Edition — anime dvd review
Director: Takashi Okazaki
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Lucy Liu
Genre: Action
Given the number of articles previously published at this site, the recent release of the Afro Samurai video game (complete with giant, billboard advertisements), and the fact that this is a sequel, I think I can forego the usual introductory paragraph. Suffice it to say, Afro Samurai’s back and looking better than ever.
The last go round with Afro saw him climbing the headband ladder to avenge the death of his father. Resurrection picks up a few years later, with Afro still securing the number-1 seat, but not necessarily relishing it. You see, after having dispatched Justice, the world around him turned noticeably darker, for without the fear of an oppressive authority, people have seen fit to engage in all sorts of anarchistic and amoral endeavors. Further, Afro’s former path of blind ambition resulted in the generation of a sizable number of grudges, and thus, threats to his existence. At the forefront of these vendetta seekers is Soi (voiced by Lucy Liu), adopted sister to Kuma, hellbent on making Afro suffer as much as her beloved kin. Her plan? Take the number one headband, and force Afro to retrieve it – not from her, but from the resurrected body of his once lost father.
While undeniably darker in tone than the original, Afro Samurai Resurrection is at once a more meditative and surprisingly, more superficial tale. Afro’s aforementioned blind desire is explored in a more in-depth fashion, with a particular focus toward the effects of his actions on people unseen or indirectly associated with the people he kills. With this knowledge his victories prove bittersweet at best — some even deplorable, as in the case where Afro kills the father of a young boy without so much as a second thought. The thing here is that effort is being made to establish Afro as a far more layered character than one could have ever hoped to be at the series’ outset. But what Afro gains in definition of character seems to be at the expense of the world at large.
Which brings me to my primary reservation with the film. While Afro Samurai has always been undoubtedly adult in sensibility, the adult content was not without context in the overall story. With Resurrection, effort has been made to raise the bar, but the result comes across as juvenile and forced. Case in point: The anachronistic Edo now plays host to strippers and hip-hop cultural festivals involving topless dancers and public sex-acts. Granted, these are all drawn well, with much attention paid to anatomical accuracy, but they felt completely unnecessary. Afro’s not a hentai picture, and it doesn’t need hentai elements to connect with its audience. This raising of the bar also extends into the level of violence in the picture. The fights are amazingly well animated – the production budget seems to have doubled that of the original series – but they seem to go a bit too far in places. Maybe it’s just me showing my age, but I found some of the things depicted (crushed wrists, severed faces) to be more repugnant that entertaining. The whole thing is similar to the tonal difference between Ninja Scroll and the “imitation” Ninja Resurrection, only occurring between two entires in the same series.
But back to issues of character. Resurrection’s cast of characters is decently strong, but inadequately used. Afro’s primary foe, the cold, calculating, sexy Sio remains on the periphery throughout, but never engages Afro directly, even in the film’s blood-soaked finale. Kuma makes a return appearance, but is rendered emotionless (granted, in part due to the tinkering of the sukebe Daruma man) and silent for the majority of the picture. There are a few henchmen Afro must clear in order to reach Sio, and while their appearances rank nothing short of crazy-imaginative, they’re never given the screen time required to make them truly frightening. It’s worth noting that Ninja Ninja is finally allowed to shine, being on far better behavior than in the first picture. Having substantially reigned in the number of F-bombs in favor of legitimately funny observations, Ninja Ninja is finally allowed to fulfill the role of amusing sidekick, instead of the “annoying” tag-along of the first film.
In terms of the voice actors, Sam Jackson does a predictably awesome job, but Lucy Liu proves the real star, stealing the show as Sio. I haven’t been a fan of anything she’s done of late (well, maybe Cypher), but her work here is quite competent. Let’s hope she’s allowed a chance to do a bit more voice work in the future.
So, in summary, Afro Samurai Resurrection is a noteworthy, if somewhat unbalanced follow-up to the original. The production values are noticeably higher, but the actual story, in part due to sub-optimal use of characters and an increasingly juvenile sensibility, proves a bit less engaging. That said, the overall film remains entertaining, and the efforts toward further fleshing out the Afro Samurai character are welcome. Afro Samurai Resurrection is not as satisfying as the original, but still worth a look.
The DVD
The Afro Samurai Resurrection 2-Disc Special Edition DVD has some of the coolest packaging I’ve seen this year. Now, the case itself is nothing novel, but the artwork emblazoned on its every single surface is nothing short of awesome. The set includes a 24-page booklet featuring concept art and a number of forewards by Afro Samurai creator Takashi Okazaki, The Rza, and Fuminori Kizaki.
The disc itself is of the usual Funimation quality, with excellent video, audio, and the like. My only gripe is that there was no subtitle track for the disc – not for a Japanese translation, but simply so that I could watch the film under low volume.
Contained on the second disc are numerous extras, including a informative interview with Takashi Okazaki (who hints at further Afro adventures to come), behind the scenes interviews with Gonzo staff, interviews with the American production team, and a brief interview/work session with The Rza at his home studio. Lastly, there’s a trailer for the Afro Samurai video game, coverage of the Afro Samurai Comic-Con 2008 panel, and a video commentary extra (which I haven’t had the time to check out yet).
All in all, this is an excellent offering, and well worth a pick-up for Afro Samurai fans.
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