Afro Samurai

I haven't seen Afro Samurai for several years, but upon picking it up again I remembered how epic it was. It feels more of a western cartoon than much of an anime, but you can't help but notice the Japanese elements. Except for the part where the main character is voiced by Samuel Jackson, and is a badass instead of a snot nosed schoolkid barely out of diapers.

I don't see this as anything less than awesome.

It's short, it's brutal, and the story couldn't hold a candle to anything substantial. A young boy watches his father get murdered for a headband. The murderer looks upon the boy and says 'challenge me, when you're ready.' And thus, Afro Samurai is born. His journey to obtain the number 1 headband and defeat his fathers killer is a mere 5 episodes.

Although the screenshots are from the sequel, I must say the animation and art from Afro is beyond any expectations for an anime. It's crisp, clean, and very beautiful. Hell, you could watch it for the graphics alone.

More than awesome. You can't fault the art.

If you are going to watch this anime/western, it's not for the riveting story. It's for the fantastic art style, the attentive animation, and exceptional combat. The reason Afro Samurai is good is because it doesn't reach to be something that it isn't. It is a short epic, about a showdown between two badasses. If you want something you can pick up quickly and end just as fast, watch it. I enjoyed it because I didn't expect more than some epic fights, and I got exactly what I paid for.