Afro Samurai Director’s Cut 2-Disc Edition — anime — dvd review — early!
Being that I’ve already written a number of articles on Afro Samurai, including my first impressions of the series, and a full review of the Director’s Cut of the series, I think I’ve completely exhausted all I can say about the Afro Samurai story. For the sake of a cohesive DVD review, I’m reprinting the relevant portion of my review of the Afro Samurai Director’s Cut below. However, if you’ve already read that article, simply jump to the DVD section for my evaluation of the disc. (Note: I will be updating this article with screencaps and pictures of the packaging later).
The Director’s Cut (and two Press Kit extras)
…First, a bit of background. If you did not catch Afro Samurai during its Spike TV run, read on. If you did, skip down two paragraphs. Afro Samurai is a samurai western sci-fi hip-hop mashup in anime form telling the tale of an African samurai seeking vengeance against the man who killed his father. There’s even a twist on the whole vengeance aspect. You see, Afro’s father was the number one fighter in the land. When he was defeated, his father’s killer became the new number one fighter. In order to reach his father’s killer he must work his way up the ladder, all the while fighting off those who come to challenge him.
If you want further details regarding the overall look and feel of Afro, check out my previous article regarding my first impressions of the first episode. In short, basically the art is sort of a mix of classic anime sensbilities (the show uses nothing but old school cell animation) and contemporary underground/urban art (think David Choe and others in the indie art scene). The animation is extremely fluid — the battles are easily some of the most rawly kinetic I’ve seen in recent years. And, oh yah, there are the little bonuses in the forms of music by The RZA and voice acting by Kelly Hu, Ron Perlman, and Samuel L. Jackson. Yes, the Samuel L. Jackson.
Okay, so now we’re all caught up. You’re probably wondering what makes the director’s cut different from the original television cut. Well, straight off I would estimate each episode is roughly three to five minutes longer (each about 25 minutes long), featuring a handful of extra scenes of exposition and dialog (including trademark Sam Jackson shouts of “Mother f–er”). Surprisingly, there’s not too much extra in the realm of battles or other “adult content.” I’ll admit, in its TV run the show was on a little too late for me, and I fell asleep during a couple of the episodes, so I might have missed a few things. However, I do remember being awake for the majority of the ultra-violence, and being surprised at the broadcast of the Afro/Okiku sex scene on basic cable. Basically, you’ve already seen all the action there is to see. Now, you get a bit of extra story. Some of you are probably disappointed to hear this, but personally I’d rather have a bit more story than more bloodletting. I mean, would you really notice the increase from 30 gallons per scene to 31.3 anyway? …..
In closing, after seeing Afro for the second time, I still dig it. Afro Samurai isn’t the deepest anime, but it is one of the most memorable efforts of recent years. The Director’s cut is definitely the preferable cut, though I would be hard pressed to identify the actual differences. Of course, there’s the added bonus of watching the show without all those damn commercials. If you’re an existing fan of Afro Samurai, or just a fan of old school violent anime, samurai films, or killer music, The Afro Samurai Director’s Cut is definitely worth a look.
The DVD
Having been supplied the original Funimation Check Disc I was able to see a bit of the evolution of this 2 DVD set. Still, I’m downright amazed with the level of quality on this release. The video quality is slick, sharp, clean, with little to no artifacting and no blur. The only way you’re going to find flaws is if you take a magnifying glass to the individual frames. It’s nice. And then there’s the audio mix. Having seen Afro multiple times in simple Stereo, it was quite the treat to hear the final Dolby Digital 5.1 Mix. The sounds separation is excellent, especially during the fight sequences and those sound-tracked by the RZA’s score. You haven’t really heard the RZA’s compositions until you’ve heard all the little beat variants and assorted plunkings coming out of your four satellite speakers.
Then there’s the issue of packaging. The Afro Samurai Director’s Cut 2-Disc edition hands down has some of the nicest packaging I’ve seen on a DVD release. First off you have this three way gate-folding package, comprised of thick cardboard coated in a hard outer lining. Each leaf is features signature artwork for a single character from the show (I’d say the Seven sort of count as a single character). Discs are nestled in the middle, in a clear plastic “holster” casing that allows slipping and locking of the individual discs. The case is held closed with a magnetic clasp, and garnished with a clear outer sleeve. So totally cool.
The two extras from my the check disc I received (discussed above) are present, and looking far more clear than before.
The first was a making of feature covering the origin of Afro Samurai, the development of the anime project, and interviews with the voice talent. It’s an excited little EPK bit, but it’s pretty informative and I dug what the various interviewees had to say.
The second extra focused on The RZA and the creation of the music for Afro Samurai. The RZA actually worked on Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (which, incidentally introduced me to The Hagakure) previously, so it’s not the first time he’s scored the adventures of a hip-hop samurai. I enjoyed hearing his insights into the show, but I thought this extra was a little short.
The main extra not featured on the Preview Disc is a Character Profile/Commentary by show co-producer Eric Calderon. I was actually pretty surprised with some of the insights into the characters provided by this piece. Some of the plot and character elements discussed are hinted at in the show, but even after two full viewings I wasn’t aware of them. (SPOILER START) For example, Calderon provides a bit of a discussion about Ninja-Ninja being part of Afro’s personality. I simply thought Ninja-Ninja had supernatural powers. Likewise Calderon discusses the friendship between Justice and Afro’s father, and the tragic nature of their fight. It puts a very interesting spin on the story, but also makes me question how well that aspect was presented in the show’s final execution. (SPOILER END). All in all, this is quite a nice extra, and made me realize that Afro Samurai has a decent amount of substance to complement it’s stone-cold cool.
Lastly, the disc features an extensive gallery of Funimation Trailers. Featured are ones for Origin, Solti Rei, Trinity Blood, Basilisk, Black Cat, Burst Angel, and more.
In closing, this is a very nice release from Funimation. The Afro Samurai 2-Disc set is a quality purchase for anime fans and general connoisseurs of cool. At $39.99 its price may seem a little steep for the casual anime fan, but I guarantee you can find it for a good deal on pre-order here. And heck, its case is a completely display worthy conversation piece. Go get it.
The Afro Samurai Director’s Cut DVD releases May 22nd, 2007.
About the Author
