Afro Samurai: Resurrection Anime Movie Review

Afro Samurai's initial 5 episodes was nothing less than anime perfection, Resurrection doesn't disappoint either. It's been so long since a superb dark anime made its way out of Japan that I thought the country had gone soft and ghey just like N. America. Everything is so sugar coated and PG-13 these days; it's good to see a violent, tragic, and raunchy movie for a change.

Japanese Release Date: 2009
North American Release Date: 2009
Genre: Action
Director: Fuminori Kizaki
Writer: Yasuyuki Mutou, Josh Fialkov, and Eric Calderon
Creator: Gonzo

The Mids:
- Not as deep as the original 5 episodes, but who cares?!?

The Lows:
- Nothing.

Overview/Synopsis: (from Wikipedia)
Afro, now trying to live an ordinary life, refuses any challenge for his No. 1 headband. One dark and stormy night, Jinno, and a mysterious woman named Sio, attack Afro. They easily defeat him and take his No. 1 headband as well as his father's remains. Sio tells Afro her plans to resurrect his father, Rokutaro, so she can torture him as revenge against Afro for the lives he has destroyed and for what has happened to her brother, Jinno. Afro, determined to regain the No. 1 as well as his father's remains, sets off to find the No. 2 headband. Afro eventually learns that the bearer of the No. 2 is a man named Shichigoro.

Plot: 9.5/10
The first Afro Samurai was absolutely riveting. The theme was stark and unforgiving; a young samurai must avenge the death of his father, even if it meant losing his soul. This time around, Afro has to save his dad once more… dude's been resurrected by a former comrade of Afro's to torture Afro.

Yup, once again Afro must take up his sword and kill all who stand in his way (whether they are noble or villainous). The way of this samurai isn't about right or wrong, it's about doing what he must to survive and to save what remains of his father's soul. Resurrection is more action based vs. the deeper plot of the first 5 episodes. There's no one left to betray or to be betrayed to; just ghosts of friends and enemies past that now lead Afro back to a life of bloodshed and unavoidable tragedy.

The overriding theme of Resurrection is that once you head towards the path of violence, your journey will only end with your death. All who stood in Afro's path for vengeance are either dead or have been coursed by hatred and a lust for vengeance themselves. The chickens have come home to roost for Afro as his former friends seek revenge against him for killing their beloved teacher; the peaceful samurai master who died by Afro's hands.

Afro samurai is an immovable force in a world filled with corruption and deceit. There's nothing sugar coated or spoon feed for the viewer, just utter death and destruction… that leads to tears and sorrow. There are a lot of ruined franchises in the current entertainment industry. In its attempt to satisfy our lazy, instant-satisfaction-driven, and shallow tendencies; Hollywood and other entertainment capitals have sold their souls to the all mighty dollar. It's good to see that the creators of Afro Samurai (along with its talented cast of American voice actors) didn't "sell out".

Animation: 10/10 - Audio: 9.75/10
Oh dang, the animation is the best I've ever seen in an anime; it rivals that of Akira. The audio and voiceovers are superb also; nothing to complain about there. The fight scenes are gory and the erotic scenes are sizzling. The audio tracks done by popular artists kick ass, and the dialogs are short but legendary.

Intangibles: 10/10
This movie can turn any sissy into a hot-blooded man/woman… or not. But it's pretty much that dam good.

Overall: 9.75 - Grade: A+ (Awesome)
Sh*t, it took me a while to watch Resurrection; so much so that most anime fans have probably beaten me to it. If you still haven't seen it yet then you better get to it. If you're too young to rent/buy Afro Samurai & Resurrection, then you should ask your parents very nicely to do it for you. This is one of those series that absolutely no one should miss… anime fan or not.