Afro Samurai Volume 1
(Tor/Seven Seas) 176 pages $10.99
Creator: Takashi Okazaki
September 2008
Format: Manga--left to right
Age rating: 16+
978-0-7653-2123-7
ICv2 Stars: 3.5 stars out of 5
You saw the anime on Spike TV last year, now you can read the manga it was based upon. After watching his father killed for his no. 1 headband, years later the currently no.2 Afro Samurai is seeking revenge by becoming the best warrior in the world. In this work where samurai swordfights are pitted against high tech weaponry, whoever has the no.1 headband rules the world. Currently Justice, a gunslinger, holds that position. With its focus on the action and not on the characters, this first volume gives a glimpse at the coldness that permeates the main character. The only time he seems alive is in a fight.
The pacing in the manga is a little different than in the anime. Thus far, there has only been one flashback of his past: his father’s murder. The volume concludes with Afro Samurai in the Empty Seven Clan’s territory fighting with Jinnosuke who alludes to their past. The second volume is due in the spring 2009. The anime series sequel is slated to air on Spike TV in January.
Stylistically this is a slick manga: the fight sequences are smooth flowing, gritty, and over the top. No one is safe from the fights, not even the wheelchair-bound spectator. The black and white artwork is dark and dingy, saturated with the coldness in the characters’ faces. The only bout of emotion on Afro Samurai’s face is in his flashback crying over his father’s decapitated head.
This manga reads right to left, as it was originally published in Japan. Fans of the anime series will appreciate reading this different version of the same story. Action fans won’t be disappointed by the non-stop fights either. Due to the violent nature of the volume it is recommended for older teens and adults.
-Kristin Fletcher-Spear
Teen Librarian at the Foothills Branch Library in