Ask John: What’s John’s Opinion of Afro Samurai?

Question:
Is Afro Samurai anime? I know it animated from Gonzo, a Japanese studio, but lack of a Japansese audio makes me think not. Did you see it? if yes, what do you think? I must admit I am curious. But I need an expert’s opinion before giving Funimation more of my cash.

Answer:
There are a lot of American anime fans who will confidently immediately provide their own answer to this question, but the fact that it’s been posed means that there’s still some uncertainty. I’ll first address the qualification of Afro Samurai as anime before offering my opinions on the title. There are exceptions to every rule, and there are examples of Japanese created animation that defy easy categorization as “anime.” In the most basic sense, “anime” is a Japanese word adopted by Americans to refer to Japanese pop culture animation art. It’s necessary to cite such a broad definition because more specific definitions pose stipulational difficulties. It’s difficult to strictly define anime as Japanese animation because that definition would include work for hire done by Japanese animators on behalf of American creators, like The Last Unicorn and the Batman animated series. It’s also difficult to strictly define anime as animation created by Japanese creators because most anime involves creative assistance from non-Japanese artists. Ultimately, critics have to decide what distinguishes Afro Samurai from Samurai Jack when both productions have the visual design and kinetic cinematic style associated with anime.

The distinguishing component that separates anime from productions that resemble anime is the influence and creativity of Japanese artists, not visual design nor language. (I’m not trying to draw qualitative distinctions between the creativity of Japanese and non-Japanese artists. I’m only saying that Japanese artists are Japanese, and non-Japanese artists aren’t.) Afro Samurai does not have a Japanese language dialogue track, but neither do acknowledged anime productions including the Armitage III: Polymatrix motion picture and the Abunai Sisters video series. The Afro Samurai anime does have a significant American creative involvement, but fundamentally it’s a Japanese screenplay animated by Japanese artists and directed by a Japanese supervisor. The animation may have turned out quite differently if its screenwriter, animators, and director had targeted their efforts exclusively at a Japanese audience instead of aiming to satisfy American and Japanese viewers. But the animation would also doubtlessly have been quite different if its major creative decisions had been made by American artists, and Japanese animators simply carried out the production tasks they were contracted to perform. It’s the Japanese creative influence and involvement in the Afro Samurai animation that qualifies it as a literal anime.

Some uncertainty over the status of Afro Samurai as “anime” may arise from the unusual tone of the work. Japanese animators may be aware that their creations will be watched internationally, but the majority of anime are specifically tailored toward the tastes of Japanese viewers. Afro Samurai, however, is an anime created with two different audiences in mind – the Japanese audience interested in its perception of American hip hop culture, and Japanese animators’ perception of what American viewers demand from anime. As a result, reception to Afro Samurai will depend heavily upon personal expectations. If you’re expecting a work with the tone and attitude of Japanese animation infused with American hip hop music culture, try Samurai Champloo. If you’re eager to see a samurai action anime that literally is exactly what average Americans expect anime to be, you’ll probably be quite satisfied with Afro Samurai.

I believe that the instinctive expectations of anime that average Americans have is that a samurai action anime should have an abundance of bloody violence, wildly kinetic action filled with dynamic movement and camera angles, plenty of graphic nudity and sex, ninjas, outre settings and villains, and a stoic, grizzled master swordsman hero that chops without bothering to take names. Afro Samurai does have all that. I suspect that Japanese audiences perceive American hip-hop culture as plenty of swearing and slang, threats and gang rivalries, giant boom-box portable stereos, low rider motorcycles, saggy, baggy clothes, long slow draws on fat cigarettes, and heavy sexual suggestion. Afro Samurai has all of that too. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll be pleased with Afro Samurai. And evidently many, many viewers are very satisfied with that, as the Afro Samurai anime has been very successful.

However, the Afro Samurai anime lacks many of the more subtle characteristics of Japanese animation that make anime appeal to many devotees. The most grievous flaw of both productions is that they’re simply not exciting. Both Afro Samurai and Afro Samurai Resurrection have spectacularly frenetic action sequences, and the animation quality of both installments is frequently very fluid. But none of the action in the Afro Samurai anime ever feels tense or exciting. It’s sound and fury with no substance. The poor screenwriting in both installments give characters weak or misguided motivations that they’re evidently too dense to think through rationally. And the rules of the universe Afro Samurai occurs in are inconsistent and inconsistently implemented, resulting in action that’s visually arresting, but not emotionally involving. In the case of action/adventure anime like Dragon Ball Z, Vampire Hunter D, and Fullmetal Alchemist, viewers attach to the characters because the characters have distinctive, complex personalities and the situations they get embroiled in are compelling because those circumstances feel believable and feel like they have repercussions. The Afro Samurai anime lacks that narrative and literary weight. Its characters exist only as cogs in a larger machine. Afro is “cool” just because he’s a grim samurai with an impossibly distinctive afro. Jinno is “cool” because he’s a cyborg teddy bear samurai, not because viewers empathize with his tragedy or motivations.

It may sound like I’m utterly disparaging the Afro Samurai anime. Let me emphasize that millions of viewers worldwide have watched and enjoyed the Afro Samurai anime. It’s a production specifically designed to exude “cool” and satisfy viewers’ lust for gratuitous violence presented with stylish verve. Afro Samurai and Afro Samurai Resurrection come recommended if you’re looking for a casual, mindless sensory overload experience – one that’s literally better if you don’t pay close attention and don’t put much thought into it. However, if you do demand some thoughtful substance and some engaging depth from your violent samurai anime, you’ll be better served by titles including the Ninja Scroll (Jubei Ninpucho) movie, Shigurui, and Kurozuka.