Afro Samurai

1 headband, was killed by a gunslinger and the owner of the No. Afro sets on a journey for revenge. The Afro Samurai dōjinshi was adapted into an anime miniseries by Gonzo in 2007, along with the television film sequel Afro Samurai: Resurrection in 2009, both of which starred Samuel L. Jackson as the title character. The anime received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation and Outstanding Animated Program, which it won. After the release of the anime series, Okazaki remade the original Afro Samurai dōjinshi into a two-volume manga. Tor Books and Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the title and published it under their new Tor/Seven Seas imprint for a North America exclusive release. In addition to the miniseries, Afro Samurai has been adapted into two video games. For the television series and film, two soundtracks by RZA of Wu-Tang Clan and a profile book were released in Japan.

• Title — Anime television film • Content — * Afro Samurai: Resurrection (2009)

• Type — tv series • Director — Fuminori Kizaki • Producer — * Kōji Kajita • Taito Okiura • Writer — * Story: • Yasuyuki Mutō • Tomohiro Yamashita • Screenplay: • Derek Draper • Chris Yoo • Music — RZA • Studio — Gonzo • Licensee — Crunchyroll • Network — FNS (Fuji TV), Wowow • First — January 4, 2007 • Last — February 1, 2007 • Episodes — 5

• Type — manga • Title — Afro Samurai! • Author — Takashi Okazaki • Publisher — Self-funded dōjinshi • Magazine — Nou Nou Hau (dōjinshi) • First — November 1998 • Last — September 2002 • Volumes — JP 1 NA 2

• Name — Afro Samurai • Ja Kanji — アフロサムライ • Ja Romaji — Afuro Samurai • Genre — Action, period piece, post-apocalyptic

In a feudal yet futuristic Japan, it is said that the one wearing the Number 1 headband is the greatest warrior in the world and shall possess god-like powers. Some believe it grants immortality while others believe they received headbands from the gods themselves. The only way to obtain the Number 1 headband is to challenge and defeat the current wearer in combat. However, only the wearer of the Number 2 headband can challenge the Number 1 whereas anyone can challenge the Number 2. The Number 2 headband's current owner, the outlaw Justice, fights and kills Rokutaro—owner of the Number 1 headband—in front of his young son Afro. Afro vows revenge against Justice who tells him to seek him out when he is "ready to duel a god." Years later, Afro wears the Number 2 headband. He kills a group of assassins, criminals, and mercenaries sent by the Empty Seven Clan, for whom they seek the headband. Recalling his tragic past, Afro goes to Mount Shumi to face Jinno, his childhood friend and fellow samurai, who blames him for killing their master (who had the Number 2 headband). He defeats Jinno and tracks down Justice, who explains that there are other headbands in existence, ranging to an unspecified higher number. Claiming that he intends to use his power as the Number 1 to bring peace to all mankind, Justice reveals that he killed all headband bearers and decorated his safe house with corpses. Afro kills Justice and takes the Number 1 headband. Afro settles in as the new Number 1 while Jinno, now claiming all headbands from Justice, returns to take revenge. In Afro Samurai: Resurrection, Jinno and his sister Sio, steal Rokutaro's body and the Number 1 headband. After killing Shichigoro and taking the Number 2 headband, Afro confronts the resurrected Rokutaro, who kills the siblings. Afro defeats Rokutaro, gives the Number 2 headband to Shichigoro's son Kotaro, and peacefully continues wearing the Number 1. Elsewhere, an unknown man meets the revived Justice.

Okazaki started drawing African-American characters on items like Kleenex boxes when he was a teenager, inspired by his fondness for hip hop and soul music. He also drew ideas from American media and their depiction of Japanese culture. He started combining elements of samurai into his work, eventually developing the design for Afro. Okazaki began writing the original dōjinshi, then called Afro Samurai!, when he and his friends started independently publishing the art magazine Nou Nou Hau. The preparatory "issue 0" of Nou Nou Hau was released in November 1998 with Afro Samurai artwork featured on the cover. Takashi Okazaki wrote the entire manga in the English direction, with elements from English and Japanese comics. He also used Afro Samurai for a cat food advertisement in the last pages of his manga book. In addition to the anime production, Okazaki re-made the dōjinshi, with an increased display of artistic skill. At the Japan Society from March 13 to June 14, 2009, original Afro Samurai dōjinshi artwork (as used on issue 0 of Nou Nou Hau) was showcased at the KRAZY!: The Delirious World of Anime + Manga + Video Games exhibition.

The series was originally published in the self-funded Nou Nou Hau dōjinshi magazine. First appearing in issue 0, the dōjinshi version was first published from September 1999 to October 2000. After the release of the anime version, Okazaki recreated the original dōjinshi. Although the recreation of the original manga was created in Japan, it was first published in the United States by Seven Seas Entertainment and Tor Books in two tankōbon volumes. As a special supplement, thumb-nail sized clips of the original dōjinshi were shown at the end of the first volume. The English release of the manga was Tor Books and Seven Seas' first joint publication under the newly formed Tor/Seven Seas imprint. The manga was also released in Italy through Panini Comics' manga publishing division Planet Manga, on April 9, 2009. The manga was released in one volume in Japan on December 18, 2009. The limited edition came with all the issues of the original dōjinshi included in a separate volume. A director's cut of the manga was set to be released on July 26, 2022, with Titan Comics taking over the publishing under their new "Titan Manga" imprint. However, it was delayed to December 13, 2022.

One of Okazaki's friends decided to make action figures based on characters, which were released in small amounts. After they were created, a producer from the anime studio, Gonzo, happened to find them and thought about creating an animated miniseries based on the manga. It took three years to develop, and during that time the studio created a trailer, which happened to catch the attention of Samuel L. Jackson. It was announced that the series would be a five-episode "creative collaboration", between Jackson, Okazaki and Gonzo, and Wu-Tang Clan member RZA served as a music composer. Each episode of the anime cost $1 million. In 2006, it was announced that Funimation (later Crunchyroll, LLC) acquired the rights to the anime series which would premiere on Spike, later that year, and that Jackson would voice Afro. Afro Samurai debuted on January 4, 2007. The series premiered worldwide on Spike's website, where they streamed the first episode online. On May 3, 2007, the series premiered on Japanese television, in English with Japanese subtitles, and for the first time completely uncut with no Japanese dub. On May 11, 2007, Funimation released the first Afro Samurai DVDs at Anime Central, at their own booth, the regular Afro Samurai: TV Version and the uncut Afro Samurai: Director's Cut. Both DVDs were released to the public on May 22, 2007. On September 4, 2007, all five episodes of Afro Samurai were released on iTunes. To promote this, Funimation released eight custom designed iPods by Takashi Okazaki. In 2008, Funimation released the Afro Samurai anime series onto Xbox Live in high definition format and also debuted on Blu-ray Disc in that year. The series was shown at the German Film Festival in Germany.

In 2005, Gonzo had awarded Namco Bandai Games exclusive rights to publish two Afro Samurai video games, as announced that year. The debut trailer of the first game was released at the company's Editor's Day presentation. Afro Samurai was released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on January 27, 2009. A sequel, titled Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma, was released for the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows on September 22, 2015. The game was developed by Redacted Studios and published by Versus Evil. An Xbox One version was planned to be released on October 9, 2015; however, after the negative reception of the game, it was never released. The game was eventually delisted in November 2015, due to the negative reception.

Wu-Tang Clan member RZA produced the soundtrack for both the Afro Samurai TV series and the TV movie sequel Afro Samurai: Resurrection. The first soundtrack for the anime series, The RZA Presents: Afro Samurai: The Soundtrack was released on January 30, 2007, by Koch Records (now known as E1 Music). The second soundtrack for the TV movie, The RZA Presents: Afro Samurai: Resurrection: The Soundtrack, was also released by Koch Records on January 27, 2009.

• Samuel L. Jackson - Afro Samurai, Ninja Ninja • Mark Hamill - Bin, Oden Shop Master • Lucy Liu - Sio • Kelly Hu - Okiku / Otsuru • Ron Perlman - Justice • Jeff Bennett - Hachiro, Foo • Steve Blum - Assassin • S. Scott Bullock - Dharman • Terrence C. Carson - Sword Master, Brother 4 • Grey DeLisle - Oyuki, Woman • John DiMaggio - Brother 2, Giant, Patron #2, Ivanov • Greg Eagles - Rokutaro, Brother 6 • John Kassir - Shosun • Phil LaMarr - Teenage Afro Samurai, Brother 1, Brother 3, Brother 5, Kuro • Yuri Lowenthal - Jinno/Kuma • Jason Marsden - Sasuke • Liam O'Brien - Kihachi, Patron #4 • Crystal Scales - Young Afro Samurai • Dwight Schultz - Assassin, Patron #1, Ronin • Tara Strong - Otsuru, Jiro • Fred Tatasciore - Juzo, Patron #5, Shuzo • James Arnold Taylor - Yashichi • Dave Wittenberg - Assassin, Patron #3, Punk, Matasaburo

• Samuel L. Jackson - Executive producer • Jamie Simone - Casting and voice director

On June 12, 2015, the Chinese Ministry of Culture listed Afro Samurai among 38 anime and manga titles banned in China.

Rapper Lupe Fiasco included a song referencing Afro Samurai in his 2024 album Samurai, titled "No. 1 Headband".