3. Afro Samurai
In Feudal Japan the way of the Samurai is legend. The greatest warrior wears the #1 headband- with it brings power and enlightenment unimaginable to us mere mortals. Only 1 man may challenge the #1, he who wears the #2 headband (who, himself can be challenged by anyone who wants to). We begin with a young Afro Samurai witnessing the murder of his father (then #1), and swearing an oath to avenge his fathers death. Fast forward to an older Afro after he has won the #2 and we follow him as he journeys to the spiritual mountain to finally get his revenge, battling everyone on his way that tries to take the headband from him. Yes, it sounds like the plot youd generally expect from a show that originally started life as a manga strip in Japan before progressing to an anime series, and to an extent it is pretty much the same as all the others before it. There are interesting interactions between the Samurai and his imaginary companion- who functions here as both a vocal counterpoint to the Samurais withdrawn solitary character, and to show the Samurais internal struggle of morality by illustrating the id/ego/superego complexities of the journey. Where I feel this show really comes into its own, however, is the American edit which features Samuel L Jackson as Afro Samurai (and his companion) and a soundtrack headlined by the Wu-Tang Clan. Once these elements are added this is slick, violent, tense and absurd animation at its best. Jackson handles the polar opposite roles wonderfully whilst the part-western part-Japanese style of animation opens this up to an audience far wider than the typical anime fan. Well worth a watch, with the individual episodes now combined to make a directors cut movie (and the sequel already available) now is the perfect time to give it a try.