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Stuff I Bought this Week – December 23rd
Sword of the Stranger
Plot Synopsis: “Whilst wandering this war-torn countryside a nameless ronin stumbles upon a young boy by the name of Kotaro, his dog, and the many Chinese assassins dispatched to claim the boy in some strange ritual for immortality. Seeing something of his own past within the child, the nameless swordsman chooses to act as his bodyguard, but can he truly keep Kotaro from the clutches of the Ming and their bloodthirsty blonde mercenary, Luo-Lang?”
I bought Sword of the Stranger for a few reasons. First, it appears in this video and clearly has a few neat fight scenes. Second, I’m pretty sure it was mentioned on some ANNCast at some point. Third, it’s got sword in the title and I like swords. It turned out to be a pretty good period drama with a good story, and intense action. It’s not exactly some breathtaking piece of film, but it is thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. It’s definitely worth checking out before Bandai lets the license expire and it becomes impossible to find.
Anime Review: Sengoku Basara – Samurai Kings – Complete First Season
Given that I reviewed the Sengoku Basara game, it was only a matter of time before I got to the anime.
In the Warring States period of Japan, countless lords fight to take control of the country. But one lord, Oda Nobunaga, the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven, cares nothing for conquest and seeks only to destroy everything. No single samurai can stand up to the Devil King’s strength, so if he is to be defeated, rivalries must be put aside and enemies must become allies.
At first glance, Sengoku Basara does little to really distinguish itself from other series of its kind. It’s a simple story about samurai banding together to defeat a powerful enemy. It even uses Oda Nobunaga, a historical figure that Japanese entertainment media frequently uses as a villain. What makes Sengoku Basara stand out is the approach it takes to walking this beaten path, which is sheer, over the top, hot-blooded action. Sengoku Basara takes such a fervent, over the top approach to telling its story that it’s impossible not to get pulled in. It’s sort of like Gurren Lagann in that sense. What you’re watching isn’t necessarily anything new or some piece of amazing storytelling, but it’s so exciting and fun that it doesn’t matter. It just has sheer entertainment from start to finish.
This is best exemplified by the fight scenes throughout the series. While the fight scenes are intense, the emphasis isn’t on long, choreographed fights like you would expect. Most of the fights are over fairly quickly. Instead the emphasis is on quick and brutal bouts of strength, filled with manly shouting and random explosions. This kind of thing normally comes off as stupid and silly, but, again, Sengoku Basara carries itself in such a way that it draws you in. The creators knew they were making something silly and over the top, so they just had fun with it. It’s impossible to not get pulled in and have fun when you’re watching a guy swing six swords around at once. Read the rest of this entry
Anime Review: Afro Samurai
Having heard many good things about the series, I decided to give Afro Samurai a try. This is definitely not a typical anime series for me, so I didn’t know what to expect. However, despite this not being my kind of anime, I enjoyed it quite a bit!
Afro Samurai tells the story of the appropriately named Afro on his quest for revenge. When he was a child, his father was killed right in front of his very eyes. Many years later, Afro has become the #2 samurai in Japan, and eagerly anticipates the day he will face #1, his father’s killer. The story constantly flashes back to when Afro was a child, telling the story of how he became the #2 samurai and his obsession with getting his revenge. Overall, the story is pretty weak. It’s your basic Kill Bill-style quest for vengeance story, so it’s not all that original. The pacing is also slow at times, which can cause some episodes to drag on for a bit. However, since the series is only 5 episodes long, this isn’t much of an issue.
Presentation is what Afro Samurai is all about. It’s bloody. Very bloody. The fight scenes are astonishingly well-animated. Few corners were cut in the production of this series. The exciting fight scenes deliver nothing short of a bloodbath every time. The visual style is unique as well, and it’s certainly different from what I’m used to. I was initially turned off by the gritty character designs, which just goes to show that one should never judge a book by its cover.
The voice acting is nothing short of superb. Samuel L. Jackson takes the lead role as Afro, which shows that FUNimation went all out in producing this series. Afro is accompanied on his quest by Ninja Ninja, also voiced by Jackson. Afro is very silent, so Ninja Ninja does most of the talking for him while also serving as the comic relief character. Both characters are excellent, and their voices match up to that standard.
At only 5 episodes, Afro Samurai is a very well-produced series that no one should pass up. It does have its weak points, but overall it makes for a very entertaining 2 hours of hack-and-slash action. The title is available on both DVD and Blu-Ray, so if you so desire, you can experience this blood-splattering beauty in 1080p glory.
Afro Samurai is currently on sale for DVD and Blu-ray and is licensed and distributed by Funimation Entertainment. Official series information is available at its official site.
ENJOYMENT – Great if you love nice visuals
RECOMMENDATION LEVEL – Highly recommended
REWATCH VALUE – Probably not
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