Produced by Japanese Anime Studio GONZO.
Music by RZA of The Wu-Tang Clan.

This TV anime is set in a futuristic, yet feudal Japan. Meaning technology are advanced enough, yet ideas and lifestyles are not. This anime stars around a Samurai named Afro, people have dubbed him the "Afro" Samurai. In this world, power and greed dominate and corrupt. Power is not achieved by bribery or money, but through a headband.

You see there are headbands, although it is unclear how many there are. The one who wears the Number One headband it said to have powers of a God. But the only rule is that the one with the Number Two headband can challenge Number One to get that headband. Whoever kills the owner of the headband gets it. But anybody, usually everybody, can challenge Number 2.

When Afro was just a boy, his father was Number, and was killed at the hands of Number 2. The man who killed his father challenged Afro to one day kill him. After that day Afro is set for revenge.

Well not at first. At first when we see him he is brutal. Slaughtering people who attack Him without remorse and keeping a straight angry look on his face. You may think he is cold at first, but his Number 2 status forces him to keep small relationships with people. He is haunted by his memories and past relationships, and it seems that only killing Number 1 can fix everything.

Through out the 5 episode series we see Afro's past, and realize what he had to go through. He had to make some tough decisions, and lost people close to him because of it.

Anyway if you are looking for action and/or blood and guts, you got it. Afro fights off many different weapons such as arrows and bullets using only his sword. However this anime is very bloody and not recommended for the faint of heart.

GONZO's costs are estimated at One Million Dollars per episode. But the money they put it was worth it. Famous voices include American actor Samuel L. Jackson and Phil LaMarr who voiced Vamp in Metal Gear Solid 2.

Music I will review in another thread at another time, I believe it deserves it own review thread.

Top notch story with great action scenes make this, in my opinion, a 5 star anime series.

Only second review, what do you think?