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Afro Samurai: The Coolest Cartoon on Television
Samuel L. Jackson may have chosen a few questionable roles in recent years (we're looking at you, Snakes and Jumper), but there's no denying his involvement in the latest anime-inspired project Afro Samurai is downright awesome. Upon receiving immediate praise after its first season aired in 2007, the follow up full-length feature (Afro Samurai: Resurrection) is finally slated to release this week, alongside a highly anticipated video game of the same caliber. LAist was invited to sit down with Jackson at a blogger roundtable in Beverly Hills, where the celebrated actor piqued our interest about the tales of the New Number 2.
"Anything exotic, anything that would take me into a world of fantasy", Jackson explained, in response to a question about his previous experience with anime and involvement in the series. "Anything that would take me out of Chattanooga, TN."
Spike TV's somber yet highly entertaining and stylized series has attracted the likes of other celebrities, including vocal contributions by Lucy Liu and a soundtrack by The RZA of Wu Tang Clan fame.
"They flew us out to Japan for a ceremony to bless the project"; Jackson muses. Geishas, samurais, and extravagant ceremonial adornments festooned the event, to which Jackson concluded his stature in the pop culture phenomenon.
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Afro Samurai: Resurrection continues the saga of a young fighter who witnessed his father's death as a boy, ultimately devoting his life to vengeance. To coincide with the film's release is the Afro Samurai video game, which by the same token is an equally stylized and intuitive concept. In the same vein as a Japanese influencedDevil May Cry-style game, the narrative and character design are congruent with the series. After a few brief demos, there's no question that the title will appeal to both hardcore fans and casual gamers alike.
Afro Samurai: Resurrection airs January 25th on Spike TV at 10 pm. The video game will be released on Tuesday, 1/27 on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, along with the show's soundtrack.
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