Kelly Hu Movie:

Description of Afro Samurai: Season One - Director's Cut [Blu-ray]:
The violent five-part adventure Afro Samurai marks both the increasing confluence of American and Japanese pop culture and the shift in Japanese depictions of African-Americans. The popularity of hip-hop in Japan has led to more positive images of blacks, including Takashi Okazaki's original manga. The "Director's Cut" contains an additional 15 minutes of footage, and is even gorier than the broadcast version on Spike TV. As a boy, Afro Samurai saw his father beheaded by the maniacal Justice. The murderer sought an ancient headband that marks the wearer as the #1 warrior in the world. As an adult, Afro seeks only revenge, cutting down anyone who blocks his path to Justice. Afro Samurai depicts a oddly anachronistic world that infuses cell phones, cigarette lighters, and cyber technology into traditional Japanese culture. The elongated character designs recall Peter Chung's Aeon Flux, and much of the series is rendered in moody grays, accented by gobbets of scarlet blood. Afro is such a taciturn figure, most of the dialogue goes to his motor-mouth comrade Ninja Ninja. This big budget production features an eclectic score by Wu-Tang Clan co-founder RZA and an A-list vocal cast that includes Samuel L. Jackson and Ron Perlman. But for all its elaborate production values and over-the-top fights, Afro Samurai suffers from a weakness at its core: Afro is so monosyllabic and cold-blooded, he's not very interesting. His inevitable duel-to-the-death with Justice lacks the emotional punch of Spike's face-off against Vicious in Cowboy Bebop or Kenshin's one-on-one with Shishio in Rurouni Kenshin. This extremely violent series is not for the faint of stomach. (Rated TV MA, suitable for ages 17 and older: graphic violence, profanity, sexual activity, grotesque imagery, nudity, risqué humor, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

Afro Samurai: Season One - Director's Cut [Blu-ray] Reviews:
Great picture and Sound- Anime must own
2008-10-08 - This series presents great animation, with a heavy and grity sound track. The story line is a bit slow but over all it is great item to own. Jacksons Character of an antagionizer heavily reminded me of the Clown in Spawn on HBO.

A bit pricy for so few episodes however.


Good series, perfect DVD
2008-10-04 - This Boxset is very well designed. The package is so great. It looks and feels great. Very good, especially for the fair price. I can only recommend it.

About the series I have to say: If you like animes, martial arts, Wu-Tang, The RZA, Samuel L. Jackson or/and "lightweight entertainment" this is a must buy/see!!

Anime Reinvented
2008-10-03 - Afro Samurai (Director's Cut)

Amazing product. The Art in This Film are About as Inpeccable as the Story it Follows. Any Frame From Any Scene Can be Taken Out, Cropped, Blown Up, Framed, and be Put up in Any Museum because it Truly is Art.

I Highly Recommend This to Anyone Who Would Enjoy a New Take on the Theology of the Samurai. Or Perhaps if You Enjoy Animated Violence, Plain a Simple. Afro Delivers on Both Counts.

A Textbook Example of Style Over Substance
2008-09-25 - When I first heard about Afro Samurai, the $1 million-per-episode price tag is what hooked me. In a sea of cheap looking anime, the show's budget is mind-boggling--and it shows. You only see animation this good in movies. Couple that with the unique blend of hip hop and soul elements with a samurai revenge story, and you get a visual experience that's as fresh as it's first rate. That's all the more evident in HD.

But that's where it loses those 2 stars.

While the animation is amazing, nothing else stands out. The story is a shallow excuse for gore and titillation; the dialouge is cringe inducing; Justice is the only unique and/or likeable character (ironically enough). The story has no legs on its own; had it gotten a more reasonable animation budget, I would've left after the first episode.

In the end, all I got out of it was the wish they'd put the resources elsewhere.

Great anime, just short
2008-09-21 - This is a great anime, even though it is very short. Sam Jackson does an awesome job with the voices and Ron Pearlman is just incredible. The story is original, fun, and interesting. A must pick up for any anime fan. Oh yeah, it looks superb on BLU-RAY!!!