Afro Samurai Takes On Mugen In This Live-Action Reel

While this summer promises to feature an insane battle of Neon Genesis Evangelion against Shin Godzilla in Universal Studios Japan, some fans decided to create their own crossover battle with a live action film depicting the Afro Samurai facing off against the grungy, short fused Mugen from the Samurai Champloo series. Team Red Productions brought this energetic duel to life with swords clashing between these two ronin in a live action battle that fans didn’t see coming.

Afro Samurai and Mugen are two sides of the same coin, two warriors searching for vengeance with their swords at the ready. Though to be honest, their personalities could not be more different as Afro is a stoic, composed duelist who says next to nothing during his fights while Mugen cannot stop talking when he is facing an opponent. While Mugen’s style is akin to that of the dancing combat, Capoeira, Afro’s style matches his demeanor with strong, precise movements.

Mugen and Afro also completed their journeys in similar fashions, gaining the vengeance they both craved. While Mugen continued to journey across the world, Afro became a target for warriors across the world thanks to his acquisition of the “number one headband”, an article of clothing that told the world that you were the greatest fighter around.

Who do you think would win in this battle between the Afro Samurai and Samurai Champloo’s Mugen? Would you like to see these characters return to the world of anime and manga at some point in the future? Let us know in the comments or feel free to hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and number one headbands!

Afro Samurai was a manga series originally created by artist Takashi Okazaki, adapted into an anime in 2007 from Gonzo K.K. The series also received a sequel in the form of Afro Samurai: Resurrection in 2009. The story follows the Afro Samurai in his quest for vengeance against the man who killed his father and his search for the “number one headband”. Featuring voice work from Samuel L Jackson, the series also spawned its own video game.

Samurai Champloo is an original anime series directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, with characters designed by Kazuto Nakazawa, and mechanical designs from Mahiro Maeda. Produced by Manglobe in 2004, the series was Watanabe’s first big original anime series effort following his work on Cowboy Bebop. The series is now streaming on YouTube, Hulu, and FunimationNOW. Samurai Champloo is described as such, “Mugen is a ferocious, animalistic warrior with a fighting style inspired by break-dancing. Jin is a ronin samurai who wanders the countryside alone. They may not be friends, but their paths continually cross. And when ditzy waitress Fuu gets them out of hot water with the local magistrate, they agree to join her search for the samurai who smells like sunflowers.”