10 Greatest Animated TV Shows Of The 2000s

Every single frame of Samurai Jack boasts a great deal of gorgeous animation, from the intricately designed colour palette to the detail in the backdrops, and the groundbreaking animation of characters that were drawn without black outlines.

Creator Genndy Tartakovsky is the brainbox behind it all as he had a clear vision for samurai culture and vintage cinematography. He also knew how to enrich the visuals by telling a narrative through picture and atmospheric sound, rather than dialogue exchanges.

However, the beautiful styling of Samurai Jack is only the half of why it's a stand-out for the genre of anime as it also provides a sophisticated way of storytelling. Set in ancient Japan, the shape shifting wizard Aku has reformed to attack the nation. It is now up to the titular samurai to defeat him, but he must travel into the future in order to undo the damage done on society.

The story seems simplistic but it is buried in engrossing action sequences and heavy themes. Moreover, the pacing is brilliant. As the series progresses, it seems as though Jack is no closer to accomplishing his goals, but he remains a symbol of hope in such a dark and bleak world, which is what keeps the viewers hooked.