Samurai Jack

This article is about the series. For the title character, see Samurai Jack (character).

Samurai Jack
Genre
Created byGenndy Tartakovsky
Directed by
Voices of
Theme music composer
Opening theme"Samurai Jack"
Ending theme"Samurai Jack"
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes62 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerGenndy Tartakovsky
Running time22 minutes[7]
Production companies
Original release
NetworkCartoon Network
ReleaseAugust 10, 2001 (2001-08-10) –
September 25, 2004 (2004-09-25)
NetworkAdult Swim
ReleaseMarch 11 (2017-03-11) –
May 20, 2017 (2017-05-20)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Samurai Jack is an American animated action-adventure dystopian television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. The show is produced by Cartoon Network Studios. Tartakovsky conceived Samurai Jack after finishing his work on his first Cartoon Network original series, Dexter's Laboratory, which premiered in 1996. Samurai Jack took inspiration from Kung Fu, the 1972 televised drama starring David Carradine, as well as Tartakovsky's fascination with samurai culture and the Frank Miller comic series Ronin.

The titular character is an unnamed Japanese samurai prince who wields a mystic katana capable of cutting through virtually anything. He sets out to free his kingdom after it is taken over by an evil, shapeshifting demon lord known as Aku. The two engage in a fierce battle, but just as the prince is about to deal the final strike, Aku sends him forward in time to a dystopian future ruled by the tyrannical demon. Adopting the name "Jack" after being addressed as such by beings in this time period, he quests to travel back to his own time and defeat Aku before he can take over the world. Jack's search for a way back to his own time period transcends Aku's control, but Jack's efforts are largely in vain due to the way back to his home ending up just out of his reach.

Samurai Jack, originally airing for four seasons comprising thirteen episodes each, was broadcast from August 10, 2001, to September 25, 2004, without concluding the overarching story. The show was revived thirteen years later for a darker, more mature fifth season that provides a conclusion to Jack's story, with Williams Street assisting in production; it premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim as part of its Toonami programming block on March 11, 2017, and concluded with its final episode on May 20, 2017. Episodes were directed by Tartakovsky, often in collaboration with others.

The series has garnered critical acclaim and won eight Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Animated Program, as well as six Annie Awards and an OIAF Award. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest animated shows of all time.[8][9][10]

  1. ^ Jubera, Drew (August 12, 2001). "Watching TV: Is 'Samurai' One for the Ages?". Arts. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Burbank, California. p. L12.
  2. ^ "Samurai Jack". TV Guide. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  3. ^ Hart, Nick (June 12, 2002). "Samurai Jack Wins the Award for World's Best Anime at International Animated Film Festival" (Press release). Time Warner. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  4. ^ Kohn, Eric (March 1, 2017). "'Samurai Jack' Review: Adult Swim Resurrects the Best Samurai of the 21st Century, and It's Already an Action-Packed Masterpiece". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 31, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  5. ^ Bastien, Jade Bastien (May 26, 2017). "Samurai Jack Was the Most Poignant Depiction of Loneliness on TV". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  6. ^ Robinson, Tasha (March 10, 2017). "Genndy Tartakovsky on Reviving Samurai Jack: 'I Was out of Shape for Working This Hard Again'". The Verge. Archived from the original on April 2, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  7. ^ Polo, Susana (March 2, 2017). "Samurai Jack: The Essential Episodes". Polygon. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  8. ^ Pagano, Elizabeth (September 13, 2022). "The 30 Best Cartoons and Animated Series of All Time, Ranked". One37pm.com. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  9. ^ Osiyemi, Shola (June 22, 2023). "Why Samurai Jack Is The Greatest Cartoon Network Show Ever". Medium. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  10. ^ Marlborough, Patrick (May 26, 2017). "'Samurai Jack' Is Probably the Most Beautiful, Inventive Cartoon Ever". Vice. Retrieved September 5, 2023.


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