Samurai Jack

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Samurai Jack

Title card for Samurai Jack
Genre Animated, action
Creator(s) Genndy Tartakovsky
Voices of Phil LaMarr
Mako
Theme music composer will.i.am
Opening theme Got to get back
Back to the past
Samurai Jack
Country of origin Flag of United States United States
No. of seasons 4
No. of episodes 52 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time 22 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel Cartoon Network
Original run August 10, 2001 – September 25, 2004
Links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Samurai Jack was an Emmy-award winning American animated television series created by animator Genndy Tartakovsky that aired on Cartoon Network from 2001 until 2004. It is noted for its highly detailed, outline-free, masking-based animation, as well as for its cinematic style and pacing, unusual in today's cartoons.

The plots of individual episodes range from epic and darkly serious to light-hearted and hilariously funny, but typically follow Jack in his singular quest to find a method of traveling back in time. Many of the battle scenes in the series are reminiscent of samurai films, and since Jack's robotic enemies "bleed" oil and mutations/aliens bleed slime or goo, the series is able to exhibit the action of these films while avoiding censorship for violence.

Samurai Jack can currently be viewed by North American viewers at the Toonami Jetstream website.[1]

Contents

[edit] Background

[edit] Development

Samurai Jack was created by Genndy Tartakovsky for the Cartoon Network. As a follow-up to his very successful series Dexter's Lab, Tartakovsky intended to create a series "that is cinematic in scope and that incorporates action, humor and intricate artistry".[2] Samurai Jack aired on August 10th, 2001 and ran for four seasons.

[edit] Plot

See also: list of Samurai Jack episodes

"Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, the shape-shifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil... But a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time and flung him into the future where my evil is law. Now the fool seeks to return to the past and undo the future that is Aku!"

This quote begins each episode of Samurai Jack, which tells the story of a young prince (Jack) from the medieval orient whose father's empire is destroyed by the demon Aku. Jack escapes destruction and travels the world training his mind and his body for years, until he reaches adulthood. Then, taking his father's magic katana, he challenges Aku to a duel and defeats the demon. However, before Jack can deal the killing blow, Aku creates a time portal and sends his opponent into the distant future, anticipating that he would be able to amass sufficient power to deal with the samurai later. The protagonist arrives in a hostile, futuristic Earth ruled by Aku and filled with his robot minions. The first people he encounters in the future call him "Jack" as a form of slang, which he adopts as his name.

Standard episodes follow Jack's searches for a way to travel back to his own time, where he hopes to stop Aku before these events come to pass. The cartoon depicts Jack's never-ending quest to find a time portal, while constantly facing obstacles set by Aku in a classic battle of Good versus Evil. Typically each time Jack believes he has reached the end of his quest a deus ex machina causes him to dramatically miss his chance. In one attempt Jack locates a stable portal to the past, but the guardian of a portal defeats him. After Jack leaves, the guardian states that it is not yet time for him to return to the past, and an image of what seems to be an older Jack is then seen in the portal; this seems to indicate that Jack is predestined to succeed, but it will take many years for him to reach his goal.[3]

[edit] Setting

Samurai Jack takes place in a world where science has developed far beyond what we have available to us today, and in some ways resembles magic on its own. Bounty hunters, aliens, and robots are plentiful, and always ready for a fight.

Above all this stands Aku, which is evident as the shape of most buildings in urban settings resemble the shape of his head. Stories take place in beautiful wilderness, and cities which in stark contrast are extremely rigid. Wherever Jack ventures though, the simple, minimalistic art style that the show is known for allows the viewer to use their imagination to fill in the blanks, often resembling Chinese paintings.

[edit] Characters

[edit] Samurai Jack

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Voiced by Phil LaMarr. Jack's true name is never revealed; his alias was adopted in the second episode of the series after hearing some street slang in which "jack" was the general term for a man. He is the son of the lord who ruled the area where Aku originally appeared on Earth, and is banished to the future by Aku during their first battle, where he is left to search for a way home.

Jack strongly exhibits the characteristics of a stoic hero. He is unfailingly polite and humble despite the completely alien nature of the futuristic world and never scoffs at or disparages the customs of the people he encounters. Despite his almost hopeless situation, he does not bewail his destiny, instead exhibiting a strong amor fati. Jack consistently shows an uncommon moral strength of character by helping the poor and defenseless along the way. Occasionally he faces great physical pain, or has to forgo his own goals in order to help someone in need.

[edit] Abilities

As a boy, Jack traveled around the world to prepare both physically and mentally for his confrontation with Aku. He studied under various scholars, such as Greek thinkers, and attempted to master each art of combat from the cultures he met, training with Viking sailors, Robin Hood, shaolin monks, Greek Olympic contestants and several others. Jack has a complete mastery of both armed and unarmed combat, but relies primarily on his sword because of the nature of the enemies he faces. He is highly adaptable, able to intuitively grasp potential combat ability and weaknesses of highly advanced technology even when first encountering it. Jack is also knowledgeable about the mystic and arcane, though he does not demonstrate the ability to use magic. He is very good with animals and can befriend them quite easily. His reflexes are excellent: he is able to block bullets fired by machine guns with his sword and overwhelm hundreds of opponents at once with sheer speed and skill.

Several episodes show Jack delighting in his abilities and strength, and even trains with the natives to gain new talents. After some training with rather large boulders as weights, Jack gains the ability to leap several stories into the air — the forest creatures who taught him this technique refer to it simply as "Jump Good". Jack's jumps elevate him so high that he appears to be flying (as stated by Aku).[4]

Jack's magic sword was forged by the gods Odin, Ra and Rama through 3 mortal avatars. The sword was forged of the pure spirit of good extracted from Jack's Father, appears to be unbreakable, and is the only weapon capable of inflicting significant damage against Aku.

[edit] Aku

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Voiced by Makoto Iwamatsu. Aku is the Samurai Jack's main antagonist. His name means "evil" or "wickedness" in the Japanese language. He is similar to Akuma, the evil demon with burning eyes from Japanese mythology. Aku constantly antagonizes Jack, often attacking him while he is weak, and other times defending himself from Jack's own gambits. The two seem doomed to never defeat each other, for though Jack has bested Aku on numerous occasions, Aku merely transforms into a small creature and escapes, usually calling out a taunt over his shoulder as he flees. Aku's Origin is explained in the two part episode The Birth of Evil.

While he is usually presented as a serious and threatening foe, Aku is also a source of comedy in the show, due to his outrageous design and behavior, supported by Mako's over the top voice acting. In one episode Aku attempts to create sympathy for himself among young fans of Jack's exploits and reads childrens stories. The resulting tales characterize Aku as the hero (which result in quotes from Mako like "Once upon a time there was a sweet little girl, with a red riding cape and GREAT FLAAAAMING EYEBROWS!").[5]

[edit] Powers

Aku change into almost any form he desires, from a giant dragon to a small insect, or even a beautiful woman ("Ikra")[6]. He typically changes into animal forms that are threatening to fit certain situations, such as a scorpion or octopus.

Aku possesses a wide knowledge of magic that varies from episode to episode as the situation demands. A few examples include: teleportation, magical attacks, summoning storms, and creating gold out of nothing. He requires no food, water, or air and is capable of interstellar travel. He also has the ability to spy on Jack from a large sphere that he can summon at will in his tower.

Aku's body is nearly immune to all forms of common attack. If wounded, his wounds heal in moments. However, he is very vulnerable to Jack's sword which is capable of inflicting severe pain to him even from the slightest cut. Wounds from Jack's sword take much longer to heal than normal wounds, but they do heal in time. It has been repeatedly implied that Jack's sword is the only thing capable of destroying Aku; he is aware of this fact and often engages Jack only when he is weak, disarmed, or if he has no choice but to defend himself. Aku is also vulnerable to varying degrees to other forms of magical or divine attacks, (such as the powers and artifacts of Gods).

[edit] Secondary characters

When Jack arrives in the future, he finds that Aku has conquered the world and rules the populace with an iron fist. Jack finds that there are still warriors in this age, and often comes across warriors fighting for and against the side of good. Samurai Jack's universe is populated by a diverse cast of characters who often appear for single episodes with a few exceptions.

Jack's father (Sab Shimono - older, Keone Young - younger): Jack's father, here (shown with Jack's Mother) was the ruler of the area where Aku first appeared. He attempted to destroy the then faceless evil, but succeeded in giving it form. After his initial defeat, the deities provided him with the sword his son now carries. Using the sword and a suit of armor that they offered, Jack's father confronted Aku. However, he was unable to claim absolute victory and had to make do trapping him in the earth. When Aku was re-awakened, Jack's father was no longer capable of defeating him and was enslaved, sending his son on to take up the fight. He occasionally appears in flashbacks and in visions to remind Jack of what he is fighting for.

The Imakandi Hunters: Resembling anthropomorphic lions, the Imakandi are the greatest hunters in the universe; they live for nothing but the hunt. Aku promises them great riches if they will capture Jack for him but they refuse his spoils, saying that the pride and glory of the hunt is the only reward they seek, though they agree to pursue Jack in the hopes that he will be worthy prey. At first, they capture Jack easily, but their mention of Aku's name enrages Jack and he quickly escapes. What follows is a tremendous hunt through the city to the top of a high tower, where Jack is finally captured. However, before Aku can take Jack away the Imakandi release him in accordance with their custom that the greatest of prey are worthy of being set free.[7]

Demongo (Kevin Michael Richardson): Demongo is one of Aku's most powerful minions summoned from the Pit of Hate. He possesses ability to steal the essence of defeated opponents by trapping it in one of the many skulls that are attached on his torso. Demongo may then summon that essence, effectively reanimating the defeated opponent in a ghost-like form to do his bidding. When slain, his minions, become like smoke and return to their master. Demongo may then re-summon them immediately to fight once more. When ordered to confront Jack, Demongo had a vast collection of warrior essences which allowed him to create an army of ghostly warriors in moments. However, Jack was successful in releasing them leaving Demongo is completely powerless. Of no further use Aku simply destroyed him.

Mad Jack (Phil LaMarr): When Jack was under extreme stress from constant bounty hunter attacks, he let loose his suppressed anger. Seeing this, Aku used this anger and his own dark magic to create Mad Jack. This doppelgänger is a mirror image of Jack, sharing his strengths and abilities. The two fought with rage and anger, but were incapable of besting the other. Jack eventually realized that he was fighting his own wrath and as long as he maintained his anger he could never win. In an effort to conquer anger with peace Jack meditated to abolish his rage, causing Mad Jack to vanish while attempting a new attack. Mad Jack was absorbed by Jack, suggesting that while Jack may have managed to suppress his rage, it will always remain a part of him.

Monkey-man (Jeff Bennett): The monkey man is a human living in the jungle with a tribe of peaceful white apes who adopted him after he escaped slavery as a child. He survived and grew up in the jungle, similar to the fictional characters Tarzan and Mowgli. He learned the way of the monkey tribe including their language and the ability to jump to extreme heights. He is also still able to speak human language, though its lack of use causes him some difficulty.[4]

The Scotsman (John Di Maggio): The Scotsman is an unnamed Scottish warrior from the highlands. He is taller and much bulkier than Jack, who he initially looks down upon as a "sissy in a nightgown." His left leg is replaced with a machine gun, and it functions both as a weapon and as a prosthesis. The Scotsman is an exceptional fighter, and was once able to fight Jack to a stalemate. The two eventually came to respect one another and became good friends; the Scotsman recruits Jack to save his temperamental wife and has even gone around the world for the sake of forcing Jack to recover his lost memory when Jack ends up believing he is a young man named Brent. He wields an enormous claymore enchanted with magical Celtic runes, making it unbreakable even by Jack's sword. He also enjoys playing the bagpipe.

[edit] Influences

[edit] Cultural references

Samurai Jack frequently features appearances from gods of varying pantheons and creatures of legend. In the episode The Birth of Evil, Odin, Ra, and Rama are shown to join forces to battle the dark power that would one day become Aku.[8] Samurai Jack does not speak of an afterlife to any great extent and the presence of deities in the program are mostly pagan and practical.

Samurai Jack occasionally borrows from ancient sources as well as current ones. In episode Jack and the Spartans, Jack fights along side an army of three-hundred warriors who bear a likeness to Spartans, defending their home from the army of Aku. The plot of this episode is based on the Battle of Thermopylae, in which three-hundred Spartan warriors defended a narrow pass against the mighty Persian army.[9]

[edit] Style

Tartakovsky borrows from a great many artistic sources for this series. One episode could resemble a book by Dr. Seuss when the next could involve Jack fleeing from a zombie horde. Action in Samurai Jack borrows liberally from old martial arts and samurai films, and action films of the 1970s using multiple angle and split screen shots to display action from multiple angles. The plot is frequently stopped to allow for the building of tension before combat or for the sake of humor; it is also not uncommon for episodes to be almost entirely free of dialogue which results in cinematic or stylized episodes.

Jack's attitude and demeanor bear a striking resemblance to the title character in the manga and film series Lone Wolf and Cub. Tartakovsky subtly acknowledges this by including a cameo of a Samurai with a young child in a baby carriage in the episode Jack Remembers the Past.[10] Tartakovsky has also acknowledged taking some of his thematic inspiration from the Frank Miller Graphic Novel Ronin, including the premise of a masterless samurai warrior thrown into a dystopic future ahead of our present battling a shape-shifting demon. Similarly, the episode Jack and the Spartans (see above), while based on historical events, was specifically inspired by Miller's 300, a graphic novel retelling of said events.[11]

[edit] Popular culture in Samurai Jack

In addition to borrowing thematic elements from various styles of film, Tartakovsky also inserts subtle nods to both new and old media for those paying close attention. The following are a few of these instances.

  • The design of the Dome of Doom, its weapons, and even its announcer are all homage to the Thunderdome in Barter Town from Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.[12]
  • In episode XXXIX, Jack faces off against a thief while they compete to steal the same magical jewel. This character is an homage to Daisuke Jigen of Lupin III fame. [14]
  • There are countless references to Star Wars throughout the series. Characters, settings, plot points, and especially line quotes quite explicitly refer to the Star Wars films. Two episodes which feature an extensive amount of Star Wars dialogue are "Scotsman Saves Jack" and "Jack and the Flying Prince and Princess". The famous Star Wars line "I've got a bad feeling about this," is spoken in several different episodes.[15][16]

[edit] Response

[edit] Awards & Recognition

Award Year Details Episode
Emmy Awards 2005 Won Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation
Bryan Andrews (storyboard artist)		 XLIX - Four Seasons of Death
2005 Nominated Outstanding Animated Program
(For Programming Less Than One Hour)		 XLIX - Four Seasons of Death[17]
2004 Won Outstanding Animated Program
(For Programming Less Than One Hour)		 XXXVI - The Birth of Evil
2003 Won Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation
Dan Krall (layout artist)		 XXXII - Jack and the Travelling Creatures
2003 Won Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation
Scott Wills (production designer)		 XXV - Jack and the Spartans
2002 Nominated Outstanding Animated Program
(For Programming One Hour Or More)		 I-III - The Beginning

In 2004, British broadcaster Channel 4 ran a poll of the one hundred greatest cartoons of all time, in which Samurai Jack achieved the 42nd position.

[edit] Legacy

The distinctive style of Samurai Jack is what drew Lucasfilm to recruit Tartakovsky for the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series. Much of the signature cinematic style of Samurai Jack lives on in Clone Wars, such as lightning-fast combat, extended sequences without dialogue, explosions, epic vistas, etc.".[18]

Samurai Jack also remains a popular subject with Cartoon Network animators and continues to show up in programs being broadcast today. The following are a few examples.

The Duck Dodgers episode "Samurai Quack" was dedicated to spoofing the various stylistic elements and plot devices of Samurai Jack, such as only ever killing robots and the progressive ripping of clothes leading up to the final battle of the episode. Tartakovsky himself also made a cameo in that episode.[19]
In one episode of Dexter's Laboratory, another cartoon created by Tartakovsky, boy-genius Dexter frequently says "Samurai Jaction" rather than "action," e.g., "That's enough Samurai Jaction for you!" Also in the post-2001 episodes, a Samurai Jack action figure is sometimes visible on the shelf in Dexter's bedroom.
In an episode of Justice League Unlimited, a group of villains known as the Royal Flush Gang uses playing cards as their gimmick. The Jack card is seen wearing Samurai gear. Hence, "Samurai Jack," a very subtle reference.[20]
In the animated series My Gym Partner's a Monkey, the episode 'Pants in Space' featured an incidental character, who bore some resemblence to Samurai Jack, right down to voicing by Phil LaMarr.[21]

[edit] Media information

[edit] Broadcast history

Cartoon Network ordered fifty-two episodes of Samurai Jack, which were aired as four seasons as a prime time member of the Cartoon Cartoon block of programming. Despite its Emmy nominations and wins the show was taken off of the air before the fourth season could complete its initial run. The unaired episodes were later shown as a Toonami special and in re-runs. The series spawned comic book and video game tie-ins, and a theatrical movie has been discussed in various interviews, but has not yet begun production.

[edit] Feature film

In a September 28, 2006 interview with MTV.com, series creator Genndy Tartakovsky confirmed that "Jack will come back" and that "we will finish the story, and there will be an animated film."[22][23]

[edit] DVD releases

Like previous Cartoon Network shows, Samurai Jack DVDs are released by Warner Home Video.

The DVDs include episode numbers in Roman numerals as they appear at the end of episodes, but remain untitled.

As of 2006 the series has not been released on DVD in the United Kingdom despite its international popularity.

DVD Name Release Date Additional Information
Samurai Jack: The Premiere July 22, 2003 DVD containing the Premiere movie in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Also includes a never before seen bonus episode. Also on VHS. ("The Premiere" is actually just the first two episodes of Season 1, and the bonus episode is actually episode 11 of Season 1, Jack and the Scotsman)
Samurai Jack: Season One May 4, 2004 2 Disc DVD set including all 13 episodes from the show's premiere season. Includes a Making-Of, Original Animation Test, Original Artwork and Commentary on One Episode.
Samurai Jack: Season Two May 24, 2005 2 Disc DVD set including all 13 episodes of the show's second season. Includes Commentary on Episode XXV, Creator Scrapbook, and an Original Episode Pitch.
Samurai Jack: Season Three May 23, 2006 2 Disc DVD set including all 13 episodes of the show's third season. Includes Commentary on Episodes XXXVII and XXXVIII(Two-Parter), Lost Artwork, and a featurette called "Martial Arts of the Samurai".
Samurai Jack: Season Four TBD

[edit] Trivia

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Content in this section should be integrated into other appropriate areas of the article or removed, and the trivia section removed.
  • The show sometimes uses Jack's hair, loose without his topknot, for dramatic effect; when loose, its length is greatly exaggerated.
  • In the first episode in the scene of the ruined city, a billboard can be seen that appeared in The Powerpuff Girls. This is consistent with Cartoon Network's style of borrowing content from other shows (such as rainbow monkeys of The Kids Next Door appearing in other shows).
  • Jack bears some resemblance to Professor Utonium of The Powerpuff Girls, and Cartoon Network has acknowledged this likeness in a commercial for the series asking "...or is he Professor Utonium in disguise?"
  • Samurai Jack is referenced to in the popular Internet cartoon Bonus Stage where one of the main characters says "Samurai Jack'd!" and a white blur passes across the screen, killing another character. In another Bonus Stage episode, they refer to Clone Wars as "Samurai Jack style story telling".

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mahan, Colin (April 25, 2006). Cartoon Network brings anime to the Web. www.tv.com. Retrieved on March 16, 2007.
  2. ^ Animator Profile: Genndy Tartakovsky. www.cartoonnetwork.com. Retrieved on March 16, 2007.
  3. ^ "XXXII - Jack and the Travelling Creatures". Samurai Jack. Cartoon Network. 2003-04-26.
  4. ^ a b "XIV - Jack Learns to Jump Good". Samurai Jack. Cartoon Network. 2002-03-01.
  5. ^ "XIII - Aku's Fairy Tales". Samurai Jack. Cartoon Network. 2001-12-03.
  6. ^ "VI - Jack and the Warrior Woman". Samurai Jack. Cartoon Network. 2001-11-19.
  7. ^ "XXII - Jack versus The Hunters". Samurai Jack. Cartoon Network. 2002-09-13.
  8. ^ "XXXVII - The Birth of Evil". Samurai Jack. Cartoon Network. 2003-08-16.
  9. ^ "XXV - Jack and the Spartans". Samurai Jack. Cartoon Network.
  10. ^ "XIX - Jack Remembers the Past". Samurai Jack. Cartoon Network.
  11. ^ "XXV - Jack and the Spartans (DVD commentary)". Samurai Jack. Cartoon Network. 00:21 minutes in.
  12. ^ "XVI - Jack and the Smackback". Samurai Jack. Cartoon Network. 2002-03-15. No. 203, season 2.
  13. ^ "XXIX - The Good, The Bad and The Beautiful". Samurai Jack. Cartoon Network. 2002-11-08. No. 303, season 3.
  14. ^ "XXXIX - Jack and the Labyrinth". Samurai Jack. Cartoon Network. 2003-08-26. No. 313, season 3.
  15. ^ "XLV & XLVI - Scotsman Saves Jack, parts 1&2". Samurai Jack. Cartoon Network. 2003-08-23. No. 406 & 407, season 4.
  16. ^ "XLVII - Jack and the Flying Prince and Princess". Samurai Jack. Cartoon Network. 2003-11-19. No. 408, season 4.
  17. ^ Nominees: Outstanding Animated Program. www.emmys.tv (2005). Retrieved on March 17, 2007.
  18. ^ Genndy Tartakovsky. sci-fi-online.50megs.com. Retrieved on March 16, 2007.
  19. ^ "Surf the Stars / Samurai Quack". Duck Dodgers. Cartoon Network. No. 211, season 2.
  20. ^ "Epilogue". (Director) Dan Riba. Justice League Unlimited. Cartoon Network. 2005-07-23. No. 26, season 2.
  21. ^ "Uniformity / Pants in Space". My Gym Partner's a Monkey. Cartoon Network. 2007-01-05. No. 226, season 2.
  22. ^ MTV
  23. ^ TV.com (cache of MTV story)

[edit] External links

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