Before I began, I have to say that everyone is entitled to their creative opinions and that MUST be respected and NOT detract away from their talents.

Now...

I've read many posts on how the Anime Afro Samurai "sucks!" Now the obvious reasons I can understand why. From a creative stand point, it isn't the best anime. To say it is the best anime slaps classics like Ninja Scroll, Akira, and Vampire Hunter D in the face. The story isn't the best story for ALL the hype it is getting. Those are understandable reasons for why many on DA are saying that it sucks. BUT it is one reason that I can not agree with and I may be able to offer a better description on why many would agree with this reason.

I am an African American. Proud to be Black! And one of my motivations for my personal subject matter is our history BEFORE and AFTER slavery that is either hidden, distorted and/or not often told correctly. This has lead many in the entertainment industry to create untrue movies and satires about the way that Blacks act (Birth of a Nation; The Minstrel Shows; Amos and Andy). Even now in the present day there are shows that many viewers absorb such as Hot Ghetto Mess and not to mention, Rap videos that only portray the commercial side of Hip Hop, forgetting about true creative artists such as Mos Def, Talid Kweli, and The Roots. To me, the only reason that kids look up to artists who make songs about drugs, money, cars, sex,and violence is because that is what the media chooses to show. Just as many were exposed to caricatures of Black people back in the late 1800s and throughout the 1900s, the same is still happening today. Just watch Spike Lee's Bamboozled and compare it not only to television, but also music.

Which brings me to Afro Samurai. A very creative artist, and others, believes that Afro Samurai, although a great action packed anime, stereotypes Black culture negatively. They believe that this anime depicts "coonish" attributes of us. The question from them is, "How could someone from Japan who knows nothing about black culture, true black culture, do an Anime with a Black man being the main character?" That is a very valid question. I have always asked that question to those who produce movies and television shows depicting what Black life is, but have never lived it. Hell, I ask that to the State Education department when they take over inner city schools, which tend to be predominantly Black. How can those state officials who live in their suburban neighborhoods know what is better for inner city youths? (Wheww...calm down, that's another blog).

As I stated previously, I understand that question from my other artist colleagues, but there is one problem: With the exception of beats by the RZA (producer and leader of the Wu Tang Clan), and certain dialogue from Afro's sidekick / subconscious Ninja Ninja (we'll discuss him later), Afro Samurai is really just a black man with an Afro who is a masterless samurai in a post-apocalyptic Japan trying to get vengeance for the death of his father---that's it. The one who killed his pop has the #1 headband, which was taken after Afro's father was slain in front of his very young eyes. He who wears this head band, is said to be a god. The only top contender to #1 is he who wears the #2 head band, and that is Afro Samurai. Throughout the anime, many assassins hunt him down so that they can become #2 in order to challenge #1. This, to me, is just like classic martial arts films. On the vengeance side, Shogun Assassin comes to mind. Usually, you can tell when cliches are overly done and if someone is trying too hard. But Afro Samurai blends hip hop, Martial Arts, and Anime very well. All three are art forms that are very popular among a lot of Black people. AFro Samurai also has a touch of Blaxploitation in it, but very little.

Now for the alleged coonery.

Afro has a sidekick / subconscious named Ninja Ninja. While Samuel L. Jackson voices the mainly silent Afro Samurai, he also voices the very outspoken, somewhat cowardice, perverted Ninja Ninja. To be honest, the only way you would know Ninja Ninja's name is if you read the DVD notes. His name is never really spoken. Now, this character is very hilarious... but he can also get very annoying...Even Afro tells him to shut up. By reading some comments from other artists here on Deviant Art, some wish that he had a minor role or even didn't exist as a character. I really disagree. Without Ninja Ninja, Afro Samurai would be nothing but kill, kill, kill, and some sex, Kill, Kill, Kill. Ninja Ninja adds comedy to what would have been an anime too serious, even for me (and my favorites are Ninja Scroll and Vampire Hunter Dloodlust...but even those had some humor). Some artists here on Deviant Art, and possibly others who have watched this anime probably thought Ninja Ninja was another stereotypical jab at Black culture. While his character is borderline "coonish," characters such as "Smokey" and "Day Day" from Friday come to mind. As you, the reader, reads those previous lines, you are probably saying to yourself, "but a Black man made Friday...that's different!" If that is the case, then maybe the alleged "coonery" of Afro Samurai isn't the true matter at hand. Maybe it's the fact that WE didn't create it first.

If you want to argue that Afro Samurai is "coonish" then what about The Boondocks. I can't dissect The Boondocks, because I have only watched two episodes (sorry...don't have cable.) But I have been reading Boondocks since they appeared in the Source in the late 90s. The cartoon is very funny with stunning art BUT they have tread sensitive waters that have made the good 'ol Al Sharpton protest against it (whatever...). One Deviant Art artist called that show "The Coondocks." I won't go that far. A talented and popular artist rebutted and said that it is only a SATIRE of events that happen in the lives of Black people (not in those words). That maybe true...but remember that Minstrel Shows were SATIRES also. Amos and Andy were SATIRES.

Now, the only thing that is disturbing me about Afro Samurai right now is that Churches Chicken is using the video game to advertise. It's some kind of sweepstakes going on. I know...I know...black samurai with a killer afro...and fried chicken (you know how black folk looooove chicken!!!) That was a poor stereotype from me! But the point I am trying to make is how this advertising could backfire. Let us not blame the creation of Afro Samurai completely for this...let's look at the marketing, the media, and who controls the media. I believe that Afro Samurai was an honest creation by a young man who loved elements of Black Culture, as well as his own culture, so he merged as much of it as he could to eventually shell out a unique creation of Afro Samurai. Of course he doesn't speak English and hasn't been exposed to true black culture. But I am a creator and I love other cultures like I love my own Afrikan culture and I also loooove to merge the cultures I love. I believe that the phenomenon of Afro Samurai will probably catapult the creator to learning about true African culture throughout the Diaspora.

I will finalize this journal with this final thought. From reading the comments to the blog about Afro Samurai, it seems that a good bit of what may be Black artists are kind of upset with Afro Samurai and the popularity it is getting and the fact that a Japanese guy created this. Trust me, this is NOTHING compared to the Asian guy that created "Ghetto Monopoly." If WE as a community of Black artists are so upset with the way that we are being portrayed, or...poorly portrayed...or barely portrayed...then WE must create comics, animations, video games, etc. that tells a creative truth of how our culture really is. And I guess that is another dilemma, because do to strategic mis-education and media manipulation...a lot of us don't know our TRUE culture.