Afro Samurai is the stereotypical anime story. The main character is this stoic edgelord badass who barely speaks, he carries a massively oversized sword, he's incredibly strong, he has no remorse for killing and his entire life is defined by revenge for his daddy issues. The fights are over the top and dramatic and there is plenty of bloody gory killing. The universe is a mesh of feudal Japan, with katanas, samurai and ninjas galore, but it's also futuristic with rocket launchers, killer robots and cybernetics. There are a lot of clichés, but this never hinders the story, because it's very well constructed, flows nicely and by the end, explores some deeper and more thought provoking themes. It never failed to keep me engaged until the very conclusion.
The most striking thing about Afro Samurai has to be the visuals though. Relying a lot on brushed textures, the artstyle is very grimey and dark. Everything is heavily stylized and seemingly in perpetual motion. The bodies of the characters and their weapons bend and twist as if they are made of rubber and the hair, headbands, clothes and beards of the characters flow in almost magical ways. All of this gives an excellent dynamic feel to everything and the flow from panel to panel and the experience of reading each page is thoroughly enjoyable. The inclusion of red blood alongside the black and white make it pop even better. For someone who isn't really a mangaka, Okazaki-sensei did an amazing job. My only minor criticism is that because of all the brushed splotches of black, the art can sometimes be a little too murky and it can be a bit difficult to understand what is happening. The flowing linework, wild poses and shading make the art very nice to look at and full of energy, but it can do a bit better in the visual clarity department. Oh, and be advised that despite being Japanese, this manga is written in the Western style, so you need to read it left-to-right. Just a heads up.
Nonetheless, if you like samurai, if you like anime, if you love comic book action, or if you're just looking for some dark and edgy fun, you should definitely check out this bite-sized gem! It's too good to pass up on!
