Afro Samurai Vol 2 — Takashi Okazaki

In a feudal futuristic Japan samurai battle to become No 1 and rule the world but when his father who holds the coveted position is challenged and killed the young Afro Samurai vows vengeance Relentlessly pursued by murderous assassins will he stay alive long enough to keep his promise Volume 2 of the new creator approved director s cut edition of the out of print cult classic book features a brand new foreword by Takashi Okazaki Japan has become a land of warriors warlords and assassins where the technology of the future exits alongside the brutal traditions of the past This world is ruled by whoever possesses the legendary No 1 headband which many believe bestows god like powers on the wearer but to attain this headband a warrior must first become No 2 and only then can they challenge for the right to become No 1 But who can challenge the No 2 Everyone So to be the world s second greatest warrior is to be in a constant fight for survival When the boy Afro Samurai s father Rokutaro is challenged as No 1 and killed by the No 2 a lethal outlaw known as Justice he swears revenge starting on a bloody path of retribution that will make him the No 2 warrior and allow him to challenge Justice In the first of two volumes we see the beginnings of young Afro s quest his battles with an array of assassins and warlords that climaxes in the epic confrontation with the powerful Empty Seven Clan and a showdown with an old enemy Taking his inspiration from US soul and hip hop cultures Okazaki san originally published Afro Samurai as a serialised self published doujinshi manga in Nou Nou Hau magazine from November 1998 to September 2002 It was picked up by Funimation and developed as an anime airing five episodes in 2007 with Afro voiced by Samuel L Jackson and a soundtrack by RZA of the Wu Tang Clan Okazaki san then created these two manga volumes for the US market which were published in 2008 and 2009 Both original English language volumes have been out of print since 2013 and 2016 respectively and are highly sought after by collectors selling for 100 Afro Samurai s lasting impact can be seen in today s appetite for all things manga and anime as it was one of the first cross cultural collaborations that celebrated Asian pop culture and US hip hop to create an entirely new hybridised visual and musical language Tanıtım Bülteninden