Jack is Back

I am back, and so is Jack. After watching season 5 of Samurai Jack, I made a parallel to one of my other fanarts, and also my thoughts on season 5. Spoilahs:




The story of a lone swordsman who was thrown into a distopian future by the wicked Aku, and wanders the land, saving lives and finding a way home that has been halted for thirteen years, has  finally come back to take care of business. 

Turns out finding a way home took a little longer than expected for poor Jack. After fifty years, Jack is unaffected by time and has become mentally tortured with guilt. Trying to keep himself busy fighting robots, he's finding it harder and harder to avoid his own thoughts. Meanwhile, a secret cult of Aku-worshipers have given birth to a new breed of assassins, raised to kill Jack. Jack is pushed to extremes, until he's ready to fight back. Then he finds a character in the assassin, Ashi, who sees all the lives Jack has affected, affecting her as well to the point of saving Jack from himself. Soon enough, they build a connection, Aku comes back and everyone comes together for one big battle. 

Compared to the original seasons, which used abstract paintings, with paintbrushes, and this season, which uses digital art, it's really hard to tell the difference. Aside from a few details, the art style is spot-on with some improvements as well. You can tell the artists and animators did not get rusty during this hiatus. They work to keep the tone of every episode unique so each one won't blend together so easily. 
Personally, I liked the first few episodes the best, especially episode II, when Jack is running, fighting, and facing his demons. It was silent, intense, fast, and full of atmosphere. They take advantage of every possible use of lighting. I wouldn't say it went downhill after that, but rather it took a quick turn. If I have any issues, it comes with being a 10-part deal, and that's how some things feel like they've been resolved a little too quickly. It's like when Jack got his sword and gii back, his turmoil got erased pretty quickly.
I was not that excited about a love interest. I was thinking it was kinda out of nowhere, and usually action shows are pretty bad with romance (Watch Avatar and Korra). I could understand, considering Jack has spent a long time alone and has finally learned to open up to someone. Probably second closest was Scottsman. I think it brought the side of Jack who would finally allow himself to be happy. So it wasn't that bad. 
The word being tossed around with the ending is "bittersweet". At first, it felt like a simple, satisfying ending. Samurai Jack was never known for complexity. The ending happened pretty fast and you're left with the question "Now What?". I can see why it's bittersweet. Jack's whole goal was to get back home, and when he finally did, you realize all the lives he's changed in the future are gone, and there is noone else to share in his story. When you think about it, it's a pretty heavy sacrifice so he can see his family again. When it ends with Jack wandering the woods, since that's all he's done for fifty years, he's the audience, asking "Now What?". I guess with all the different expectations for an ending, you're not going to completely satisfy everyone. It wasn't so much a safe ending, but just a simple one. 

Overall, Season 5 of Samurai Jack delivered. It gave us emotion, intensity, artistry, creativity, all the stuff that worked in the past. Each episode had a point and an identity of its own. It was kinda rushed, but not a bad way to look back to the past.