MovieChat Forums > Afro Samurai (2007) Discussion > Unlikable main character.

Unlikable main character.

posted 15 years ago by greenvillemetro
19 replies | jump to latest

I should probably mention that I liked this series. Just watched all the episodes online and thought it was pretty entertaining.

That said, I can't really say that Afro is a likable protagonist. I get that he's supposed to be so consumed with revenge that nothing else matters, but all that accomplishes is making him no better than any of the hundreds of people he killed.

He indirectly gets everyone who has ever cared about him killed, and he never deals with this emotional! Hell, he never even shows any emotion. The end fight didn't seem very fulfilling because nothing really changes with the character. He's still an angry killer. He never expresses guilt over all the people he killed, he never grieves for the family and master he caused to get slaughtered...hell, Number 1 mentioned that his father was "soft inside" and at least a little remorseful for all the people he's killed, yet you don't get that impression with Afro.

I mean, can someone explain to me how can in any way be considered a hero (especially after trying to kill his childhood friend) and how anything he did in this show represents the actions of a Samurai?

[–] Endocrom 15 years ago

Gotta agree, he was cold and emotionless till the bitter end. Plenty to grow on but none of it was acted on.

--Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter--

[–] dre_neo 15 years ago

I don't think you really noticed, but Ninja Ninja is Afro's emotions. Look at it that way.

[–] lostronin20 15 years ago

*************SPOILER******************
Yeah, after he fights the teddy bear and the teddy bear kills ninja ninja you find out that ninja ninja was who he wanted to be but couldnt because of his path to revenge, so therefor afro's mind created ninja ninja so he could cope

[–] rsin_bassist 15 years ago

This brings up a good point. Alot of modern "heros" in stories nowadays go opposite of classic heros. The confrontaition at the end is just a battle between two monsters. Afro has fighting abilities/training like a samurai-he is not excatly a true samurai in terms of state of mind. If your like me and youve seen WAY TOO MANY movies where the heros are sappy, high-moral, and whiny, then you understand that making characters that don't give a **** is more to the point of what we want to see.

[–] nemesis_908 15 years ago

Yeah, he was a twat.

Up until the 3rd episode i thought he might have some kind of redeemable quality; but he doesnt.

When the whole thing had finished i was outraged that he was still alive.

[–] Psycojester 15 years ago

The reason Afro is such an unlikeable bastard is because we're not meant to see him in a positive light. The whole point of the series is that Afros need for revenge is his entire drive and as a result of that its destroyed everything good in his life and in him.

The primary focus of the series is the self-destructive nature of Afros quest.

[–] hangman88 15 years ago

Hmm yes I agree, this ANIMATED character is a *beep*

[–] shirldagirl76 15 years ago

Afro is a fallible hero. The whole point was either forgive and forget or turn into that you hate the most. It really is a powerfull story. The fact he kills Ninja Ninja shows he has lived this long with only one thing in mind, why should he change at the end of the movie. It shows the true vicious circle that is life.

[–] iguanaray 15 years ago

If that's truly what the writers intended, I really fail to see what's so "powerful" about the idea that people are born with a set of ideals and absolutely cannot change. In fact, it's a pretty stupid and horrible message.

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'll give Gonzo the benefit of the doubt and assume they wrote a story that was merely silly as opposed to completely moronic in every way by assuming that blind, pointless revenge wasn't Afro's *ONLY* objective. He most likely knew that his father wanted to prevent further conflict (having been raised by him and all), so unless he believed that he was claiming the number one headband for the greater good, going on a bloodthirsty quest for revenge was like taking a huge dump on his father's grave.

If "revenge" was his one and only purpose, he's an awfully written character even by anime standards. He's not a psychotic chaotic evil type (as proven by the fact that he still had some emotion left and shed some tears after taking down his childhood friend) and clearly wasn't fighting for his own personal gain; he was doing it all in the name of his father. A generally pacifistic father that couldn't have possibly taught him that ruthless slaughter in the name of revenge is a good idea. So unless becoming Number One was a matter of ends justifying the means, this show has an intensely stupid premise and an equally stupid protagonist.

[–] Ruthless_Xero 14 years ago

If you watch Resurrection, you'll see that Afro didn't wear the Number One because he was tired of all the killing. The cycle will always continue though, as Justice says, and this is made evident when Sio takes the Number One from Afro, which sets off the events of Resurrection.

"I will be the last... and you will go first" - Sarevok

[–] greenvillemetro 15 years ago

lulz worthy

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] iguanaray 15 years ago

I don't think that's what Gonzo were going for, and if they were it's a pretty idiotic premise. His quest wasn't merely SELF-destructive, but also harmful to those around him. So assuming he didn't think he was fighting for a higher purpose, why did he care so deeply for mindless, blind revenge to begin with? It makes no sense considering his father's ideals.

He clearly wasn't born a ruthless killer devoid of empathy either and I doubt witnessing his father's death turned him into one; he had plenty of normal human emotions left in him that he had to put tons of effort into repressing.

[–] queent1821 14 years ago

I don't think he's meant to be likable...just understood. To be so consumed in something so much that it takes over your life, and alienates you from who and what you love is insane, but it's the path Afro took instead of letting things go. And thus, he's partially insane in my book, and that's kind of what I like about him...

He does deal with his emotions, partially as Ninja Ninja and partially in the fight with Kuma. If you notice in episode four, after Kuma names everyone indirectly killed by Afro, Afro repeats their names (he even says Otsuru twice). He knows who he's killed (indirectly or otherwise) and he lives his life in flashbacks, which to me denotes some sort of remorse, guilt and love. I just don't think we're meant to see that "soft inside" part of Afro...although it would make for a hell of a season 3...

As for killing Kuma...Kuma was no longer Jinno as he was, but a creation of an evil genius. Killing Kuma in essence was supposed to set Jinno free, but it just didn't happen that way...at least not until later. As Afro said, his aim was to only move forward, and Kuma, friend or no friend, just got in the way.

[–] kirbynintendo 13 years ago

I mean, can someone explain to me how can in any way be considered a hero (especially after trying to kill his childhood friend) and how anything he did in this show represents the actions of a Samurai?

Who said he was a "hero?" He's an anti-hero. The real heroes are some of the characters he comes up against.

He may have had samurai training, but he's not a samurai in the true definition of the word, and I don't think he's supposed to be. Aside from his martial arts training he hardly adheres to any kind of formal samurai code & he doesn't even use proper stance when fighting, anyway.

Everything about the show "breaks the rules" so to speak, and it takes place in a surreal world, kind of like Samurai Champloo but the opposite; SC takes place in ancient edo but has modern aspects, while Afro Samurai takes place in modern times but has ancient cultural aspects.

I'm just curious why you expected Afro to be a "hero," or why you expected him to adhere to traditional samurai code in the first place? Not every story is about a "good guy."

[–] PhreeRaddicalz 13 years ago

Thats the point. he's not a hero. he's just a person bent on revenge.

youre 100% right..... thats the point of the character. he's not likeable because his Father was murdered over a head band.

you lose -Team America, World Police

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] collwade 12 years ago

Phree makes a good point, he isnt a hero, just hellbent on revenge. However, his antisocial nature and killer attitude (excuse the pun) probably has something to do with watching his father get beheaded by a man with three arms over a title in front of him and that he carried his dads head with him months afterward.

[–] Thenewnexus 8 years ago

He reminds me of the Punisher,but I like both characters

Class is Pain 101. Your instructor is Casey Jones