Why Samurai Jack Is The Greatest Cartoon Network Show Ever

When cartoon-lovers reminisce about Cartoon Network classics, many shows come to mind.

Dexters Labortory, Adventure Time, The Powerpuff Girls, as well as many others.

But there’s one show that separates itself from the crowd. A show so unique and different from your typical Cartoon Network show. A series that stands in a league of its own.

That show, is Samurai Jack.

Samurai Jack follows the story of a steadfast, stoic and skilled Japanese samurai who was flung into the future and is now a quest to defeat his thousand-year-old demonic enemy, Aku.

I’m going to be unraveling the brilliance of this show, explaining why I believe it’s the best Catooon Network show ever made.

Plot:

The plot of Samurai Jack is simple. A samurai, who is on a mission to defeat his arch-nemesis Aku. If he does so, he will rid the world of his darkness liberating the world of his evil tyranny. In order to achieve this, Jack must travel back in time and defeat Aku, before his evil prevails.

It’s a relatively straightforward task. However, as with all protagonists’ journeys, it’s never smooth sailing.

Jack traverses through Aku’s kingdom with the aim of finding a time travel machine or portal, that can send him back to the past. But every time he gets one step closer to achieving this goal, Jack fails.

What really brings the show to life is the episodic nature of the series. As previously mentioned regarding the visuals, every episode’s location is different and diverse.

Jack’s voyage is not set in one location, it bounces from one location to the next, and because of this, the audience gets to experience the marvelous world building of Samurai Jack.

Whether Jack’s fighting an old, grumpy and barbaric Scotsman in the centre of a bridge, or Jack’s battling against ultra-robot assassins in the middle of the desert. It all weirdly feels coherent, the audiences understands that this is all a means to an end of Jack’s mission trying to find a portal to return back home.

The simplistic plot, allowed creator Genndy Tartakovsky to flex his creative capabilities, implementing a diverse range of characters and locations.

Art:

There are several aspects of this show that are phenomenal. But a standout aspect, is the breathtaking background art and imagery.

In modern day animation lots of background imageries are electronically crafted, through advanced computer software.

This isn’t the case with Samurai Jack.

The art is primarily hand-painted, and it works really well.

There’s an epic display of colourwork that’s infused to each background, which really brings the background the life.

What augments the fantastic artwork of this show, is the show’s crossover in sceneries. The

scenery shifts back and forth from futuristic dystopia landscapes to rural and ancient settings.

Look at the image above for instance, it has a medieval feel to it.

It’s a dark, secluded, and dreary image. It features an imposing castle, that’s surrounded in a foresty environment, occupied by clusters of tall and shadowy trees.

It’s the type of image you would expect to see in a medieval novel.

Looking at this background, it’s hard to fathom that both images are from the same universe.

Its got a modern, industrial and futuristic atmosphere. It depicts a land where technology is prevalent, and advanced machinery is being put to work.

Both images depict the diverse world of Samurai Jack. It’s a show where every episode feels like a breath of fresh air, with new characters, new landscapes and new adventures.

The Protagonist: Jack

What truly makes Jack a great protagonist, is the simple fact that he says little, and does an awful lot.

He’s not a dialogue heavy character, who bores you with meaningless speech. He’s quiet, driven and focused on his purpose of finding a way back home.

An entire episode can go by where Jack says close to nothing, but that is all that is needed. The outstanding sound designs, visuals and tone of each episode, carries the plot forward. This allows Jack to never need to say much at all.

What I also respect about Jack is that he’s a righteous samurai, who follows an honorable code. He helps the weak battle against their oppressors, engaging in battles that he could of just left himself out of.

We as the audience being to feel just as desperate as Jack, yearning to see this samurai return back home. He’s trapped in this futuristic dystopia, lonely and alone, roaming through unknown lands, all in a desperate attempt at finding a way back home.

Jack endures countless trials and tribulations in his attempt to return home, and at times, it all seems hopeless.

But just like any great hero, Jack always finds the inner strength from somewhere to continue. He gets back on his feet, eager to destroy the wicked Aku, once and for all.

Samurai Jack is an unforgettable cartoon, that’s going to be remembered for decades.