Afro Samurai?

'Afro Samurai' to debut on American TV screens

Say it ain’t so.

The Yomiuri Shinbun (newspaper) reports that Japan's own "Afro Samurai" is set to hit the small screen in the United States as an animated series, to be followed up by a feature film starring Samuel L. Jackson.

However, comic book aficionados in Japan are scratching their heads as they have never heard of this manga export. Although no manga expert himself, Uncle Swint is wondering, too.

Of course, Afro-Sammy also has his own website. However, for the time being, the Afro Samurai action figure dolls are Sold Out!

Though in Japan "Afro Samurai" only appeared in a self-published magazine, it has attracted interest from Hollywood, and there are even plans under way for a nationwide release of the manga. Japanese manga as a whole has caused a stir in the U.S. film industry, but it is extremely rare for a series that is so little known in Japan to make such a high-profile U.S. debut.

"Afro Samurai," written by 31-year-old Tokyo-based graphic designer Takashi "Bob" Okazaki, (see photo) is the story of a black samurai fighting his enemies as he sets out to find the person who killed his father. With a sci-fi twist, the violent story is akin to a fusion of historical drama and hip-hop culture.

Go figure.