Afro Samurai

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The titular character of Afro Samurai

Afro (アフロ, Afuro), or Afro Samurai (アフロサムライ, Afuro Samurai) is a Japanese Seinen dōjinshi manga series by the mangaka Takashi Okazaki. The series was later adapted into an anime miniseries consisting of 5 episodes by a creative collaboration between Samuel L. Jackson, Takashi Okazaki, and Gonzo. With the music scored by the Wu-Tang Clan . In 2006, Funimation acquired the rights to the anime series, and debuted on January 2007 with Samuel L. Jackson as the voice of the Afro Samurai. The sequel of the anime series, a Television film entitled Afro Samurai: Resurrection, is aired on January, 2009. Afro Samurai has also been adapted into a video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360[1].


Plot

On the dark path of swordsmanship in a "futuristic" yet feudal Japan, it is said that the one who possessed the Number 1 headband is the fiercest fighter in the world and granted with powers akin to a god[2]. The only way to obtain the Number 1 headband is to defeat the current wearer in combat. Alas, only the Number 2 can challenge the Number 1 while anyone can challenge the Number 2. Resulting in constant struggle for the Number 2 to stay alive[3]. When he was a young boy, Afro witnessed his father be cut down in a duel at the hands of Justice, an outlaw that bears the Number 2 headband. Years later, having obtained the Number 2 headband, Afro moves forward in his hunt of revenge on the man who murdered his father[4].


Black Empowerment

Despite some controversies surrounding POC cast/characters portrayal in anime. There has been improvement regarding the diversity and giving the spotlight to characters with darker skin and various hair textures. In particular, Black anime characters have continued to add these complex and dynamic roles. Not only taking center leads in shows, but also influencing more Black kids, teens, and adults worldwide to watch anime and to partake in anime conventions[5]. Afro's cyborg body becomes an arm(our)ed nexus of Blackness as diasporic identity and an African American take on the bushido warrior code of Japanese martial arts. Afro exists at the Black mecha crossroads of embodied Blackness and historical iconographies of Japanese culture (Bricler 2018, 79-81)[6].

References

  1. "Afro Samurai". Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  2. "Afro Samurai (TV)". Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  3. "Afro Samurai(franchise)". Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  4. "Afro Samurai". Retrieved December 16,2020.
  5. "Top 20 most iconic Black anime characters". Retrieved December 16, 2020
  6. Brickler, Alexander Dumas J. 2018. "Black Mecha is Built for This: Black Masculine Identity in Firedance and Afro Samurai". Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies. p79-81.