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IMDbPro

Samurai Jack

  • TV Series
  • 2001–20172001–2017
  • TV-MATV-MA
  • 25m
IMDb RATING
8.5/10
53K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
990
22
Samurai Jack (2001)
The samurai who travels through time returns for a fifth season.
Play trailer1:21
1 Video
99+ Photos
AnimationActionAdventure
A samurai, sent through time, fights to return home and save the world.A samurai, sent through time, fights to return home and save the world.A samurai, sent through time, fights to return home and save the world.
IMDb RATING
8.5/10
53K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
990
22
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Creator
      • Genndy Tartakovsky
    • Stars
      • Phil LaMarr
      • Mako
      • Kevin Michael Richardson
    Top credits
    • Creator
      • Genndy Tartakovsky
    • Stars
      • Phil LaMarr
      • Mako
      • Kevin Michael Richardson
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 118User reviews
    • 11Critic reviews
    Top rated TV #198
    • Won 8 Primetime Emmys
      • 20 wins & 13 nominations total

    Episodes62

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated

    Videos1

    Season 5 Trailer
    Trailer 1:21
    Season 5 Trailer

    Photos313

    Phil LaMarr in Samurai Jack (2001)
    Samurai Jack (2001)
    Samurai Jack (2001)
    Samurai Jack (2001)
    Samurai Jack (2001)
    Samurai Jack (2001)
    Samurai Jack (2001)
    Samurai Jack (2001)
    Samurai Jack (2001)
    Samurai Jack (2001)
    Samurai Jack (2001)
    Samurai Jack (2001)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Phil LaMarr
    Phil LaMarr
    • Samurai Jack…
    58 episodes58 eps • 2001–2017
    Mako
    Mako
    • Aku…
    25 episodes25 eps • 2001–2017
    Kevin Michael Richardson
    Kevin Michael Richardson
    • Alien #1…
    19 episodes19 eps • 2001–2017
    Jeff Bennett
    Jeff Bennett
    • Alien…
    14 episodes14 eps • 2001–2017
    Grey Griffin
    Grey Griffin
    • High Priestess…
    14 episodes14 eps • 2001–2017
    Tara Strong
    Tara Strong
    • Ashi…
    13 episodes13 eps • 2002–2017
    Tom Kenny
    Tom Kenny
    • Scaramouche…
    11 episodes11 eps • 2001–2017
    Daran Norris
    Daran Norris
    • Additional Voices…
    10 episodes10 eps • 2002–2017
    Greg Baldwin
    Greg Baldwin
    • Aku…
    7 episodes7 eps • 2017
    John DiMaggio
    John DiMaggio
    • The Scotsman…
    7 episodes7 eps • 2001–2017
    Jennifer Hale
    Jennifer Hale
    • Bird…
    7 episodes7 eps • 2001–2003
    Dee Bradley Baker
    Dee Bradley Baker
    • Wolf…
    6 episodes6 eps • 2002–2017
    Sab Shimono
    Sab Shimono
    • Emperor
    5 episodes5 eps • 2001–2017
    Richard McGonagle
    Richard McGonagle
    • Odin…
    4 episodes4 eps • 2001–2003
    Lauren Tom
    Lauren Tom
    • Kuni…
    4 episodes4 eps • 2003–2017
    Keone Young
    Keone Young
    • Young Emperor…
    4 episodes4 eps • 2003–2017
    Rob Paulsen
    Rob Paulsen
    • Rothchild…
    4 episodes4 eps • 2001–2017
    Clyde Kusatsu
    Clyde Kusatsu
    • Dad…
    3 episodes3 eps • 2001–2003
    • Creator
      • Genndy Tartakovsky
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Creator Genndy Tartakovsky has acknowledged taking some of his 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.
    • Quotes

      Aku: 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.

    • Crazy credits
      Season 4 ended with Episode 52, and season 5 starts with Episode 92, leaving a gap of 39 episodes to emphasize how much time has passed.
    • Connections
      Featured in 100 Greatest Cartoons (2005)
    • Soundtracks
      Never Forget You
      Performed by Zara Larsson and MNEK

    User reviews118

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    A Truly Cinematic Cartoon
    A few years prior to this day, I had yet to take a single glimpse on Samurai Jack. For some time, I heard people raving about its outstanding animation techniques, never seen before fighting sequences and humor. Curiosity and anxiety surrounded my mind, wondering if it really reached or even surpassed the standards set by Dexter's Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls. Incidentally, Genndy Tartakovsky, the creator of this new show, has worked on the previous two before and based on my knowledge, his vision upon the animation industry is pretty unlike anything any other animators have seen before.

    Not long after its first run, I managed to witness an episode of Samurai Jack on Cartoon Network in my aunt's house. In fact, in my first viewpoint, the show really seemed a bit simplistic, focused more on battles and at some points, a sense of humor to keep the audience's interest. Yes, it bears similarity to other Genndy's older works. However, I'm just talking to one of the episodes shown on the channel. Initially, the similarity ended when I began to watch the rest of the episodes.

    The plot itself is quite simple: Samurai Jack (his original Japanese name remains a mystery) lives in ancient Japan where his homeland is being ravaged by a mightily powerful but weird-looking, sometimes insipid demon named Aku. Jack used his mystical sword to fight him and eventually he defeats him after a few bouts. But before Jack manages to destroy the demon once and for all, Aku casts a spell that sends Jack into the future, a time when Aku reigns supreme. Now, it is up to Jack to find a way to go back into the past by wandering around the futuristic cities, barren wastelands and ancient ruins inhabited by aliens and other bizarre creatures you haven't seen before and most importantly, meeting allies and friends (like the crazed muscular Scotsman) to give our struggling hero spiritual hope and motivation to reach his destiny (the maturity of Jack can be seen throughout the seasons, as he seems to be more confident and has the right to call himself 'The Legendary Samurai'. Something like that). The character designs and the environments are extremely odd in Genndy's favor but perhaps these are the reasons why Samurai Jack is such an appealing show to watch at. Firstly, unlike the typical Saturday cartoons we usually see, it is almost an ambiguous cartoon with really abstract elements (specially when you watch a peculiar episode for the first time ever). You have absolutely no idea what is going on there: the creatures, the aliens, the bizarre skyscrapers, the contraptions. They are all refreshingly cubic and bizarre and yet have a reason for their existence. Despite its subtle and uneven premise, Samurai Jack is simply a straightforward action show with easily identifiable objects (toon experts will know that for sure) and characters (its basic concept is mostly derived from the Star Wars universe, in which Genndy also directs under the name Clone Wars). At one case, some of the elements of Samurai Jack are derived from Akira Kurosawa's movies, anime (both state-of-the-art or cliché) and on another point, famous American icons and world cultures. Some even serve as a precursor to Craig McCracken's Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends with bits and pieces from Dexter's Lab and PPG. Sure, most of the episodes don't capture the scope of full-length movies but the slowness of its nature allows the audience to accept the fact that it almost feels like a movie, in a shorter form at least. If you ask whether the show's appropriate for kids, well, Samurai Jack is a surprisingly violent cartoon (that's beyond the boundary of Dex and PPG) but that otherwise proves that Genndy's skills to handle a particular context has matured.

    What really fascinate me are Genndy's abilities to master the essential film-making techniques such as pace, flow, mise-en-scene and mood, smooth animation and most importantly, character appeal such as Samurai Jack himself. Some sequences are even squeezed in to a particular ratio aspect to provide a cinematic point of view as well as to increase the tension of a situation. Creative editing techniques also helps to build anticipation, fasten the pace of the action sequences (mostly beautifully choreographed despite the fact that they are just frames of drawings!) and create decisive matters as Jack faces frequent pandemonium. The artwork of the show is equally impressive albeit a bit kiddy oriented. That essentially leads to one of Genndy's strongest trademarks and principles: simplistic designs tend to have greater impact compared to realistic models (of 2D and 3D) by conveying constant exaggeration, ridiculous laws of physic and common sense and doses of good slapstick humor while maintaining its 'logical sense' without losing direction. The show's crystal clear colors and tones also manage to reflect the overall mood of a particular environment, whether you can feel the serenity of ancient Japan or the unknown danger of the dark and barren wasteland.

    If it weren't for Genndy, cartoons cannot evolve into newer forms. If Gene Deitch gave birth to 'limited animation' via Gerald McBoing Boing, we all could say that, in my opinion, Genndy Tartakovsky gave birth to 'cinematic limited cartoons' or simply, 'Cinematic Toons'. I know these terms don't sound right to some people but through Samurai Jack, he has created something that proves to be revolutionary since the era of the Renaissance (Batman, DuckTales and Tiny Toons). Since then, Genndy Tartakovsky is now regarded as one of my most favorite 'heroes' of our time!
    helpful•138
    6
    • pip-7
    • Jan 19, 2005

    FAQ3

    • What is Jack's real name?
    • Is Samurai Jack the "Professor" from the Powerpuff Girls?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 10, 2001 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Võ Sĩ Đạo Jack
    • Production companies
      • Cartoon Network Studios
      • Williams Street
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      25 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital

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