I remember watching the Afro Samurai anime well over a decade ago on late-night television. The novelty of seeing a Black protagonist in anime aside, the show radiated this cool, sleek style with a fearless confidence that was very easy to get swept up in. It didn’t hold your hand or try to push any big message. It just gave you a premise, handed you some popcorn, and told you to enjoy the ride.
With that frame of reference, it’s clear where much of this manga’s appeal lies. If you are somebody whose experience with this franchise was similar to mine, this book will entertain you enough to warrant being picked off the shelf. For those who haven’t been exposed to this franchise and its legacy, this might be a bit of a harder sell since what you see is pretty much what you get. This volume is the beginning of an incredibly simple narrative structure with our protagonist moving…
