There’s a charm and cadence to Barnet’s vocal performance that is somewhat reminiscent of Dante Basco. With Samurai Rabbit as his first lead animation voiceover role, Barnet proves there’s more to him as an actor than just a pretty face. Since his breakout role as Paxton Hall-Yoshida in the Netflix series Never Have I Ever, it’s no exaggeration to say that Barnet has become something of a heartthrob garnering an ardent following. In contrast to his stoic ancestor Yuichi, voiced by Darren Barnet, is the perfect personification of the arrogance of youth. Samurai Rabbit reminded me at times of the aforementioned Nickelodeon 2012 TMNT CG-animated animated series, both aesthetically and tonally, which seems quite fitting since Doug Langdale wrote several episodes for two seasons on that version of the franchise. True, Yuichi is bestowed a mystical yo-yo to aid in the capture of yōkai but thankfully he still retains his sword and isn’t stripped of his signature weapon à la TMNT’s Michelangelo and nunchucks. The series in no way dumbs down the property for the sake of simplicity or to skew to a younger viewership. ![]() The husband and wife animation writing team are probably best known for their comedy work in animation such as various Scooby-Doo straight-to-video movies but have also demonstrated a unique ability to balance both humor and rich serialized storytelling with more recent projects like the acclaimed Maya and the Three. It certainly plays to the strengths of Candie Kelty Langdale and Doug Langdale who serve as executive producers and co-developers. ![]() It’s no surprise Samurai Rabbit puts a greater emphasis on humor than perhaps the source material. Yōkai are a frequent and major element of the Usagi Yojimbo comics, but their inclusion in Samurai Rabbit has a quasi- Ghostbusters feel to them as Yuichi and friends are tasked with capturing and even befriending them throughout the series. Gone is a traditional Japanese wandering ronin story and instead, we are treated to aspiring samurai Yuichi Usagi who along with his friends and fellow misfits defend Neo Edo against the strange and unusual yōkai demons of Japanese mythology. Fans, and even the producers themselves, weren’t sold on the idea from the get-go but eventually, Batman Beyond overcame the odds and became a rich addition to the Batman mythology. It’s an approach not dissimilar to what Bruce Timm and company took with Batman Beyond when tasked by the network to create a new teenage Batman show in order to appeal to a younger demographic. ![]() While I’m sure most fans would have likely preferred a direct adaptation that is already ripe for the animation medium, Sakai not only approved this specific take pitched by Gaumont Animation but was very involved in every step of the process. Usagi Chronicles is a bit of a misnomer as this isn’t a straight adaptation of Sakai’s original comics but rather an original storyline that follows Usagi’s descendant in the far future of Neo Edo in a mix of sci-fi tech, magic, and classic Japanese culture. Let’s address the elephant (or your animal of choice) right off the bat. ![]() Though previously a guest star, this time around audiences will truly be able to dive into Sakai’s world albeit with a slight caveat. Given Sakai’s affiliation with the TMNT franchise, any comparisons to the terrapin warriors are completely understandable (as you’ll discover throughout this review). Obviously, this isn’t the anthropomorphic samurai rabbit’s first venture into the animation medium and I think it’s fair to assume that the majority of people (myself included) were likely first introduced to Miyamoto Usagi, through his guest appearances in the various Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoons, including the recent 2012 CG-animated series from Nickelodeon. After nearly four decades in print across multiple publishers, comic creator Stan Sakai’s beloved Usagi Yojimbo series has finally received its own long overdue animated series with Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |