Samurai Jack - Spirit of the Samurai

[maichan]

So, I was watching the last episode of season 4 of Samurai Jack - Jack and the Baby.

The story goes kind of like this....
Jack is enjoying a snack of fresh peaches, when he hears a baby cry and races to find out what's the matter. He finds and rescues a baby being held captive by a band of baby-eating monsters.

The two of them then set off to find the baby's mother. They have little luck and experience many hardships. Jack eventually tells the baby a bedtime story of Momotaro (Peach-boy, a Japanese folk-tale). The baby becomes sick, and wants peaches - so Jack and the baby return to the peach orchard, where the monsters find them again and a battle ensues.

After the final defeat of the monsters, the baby's mother appears. When she notices a change in her child, Jack explains the baby has ..."achieved sakai, the spirit of the samurai".

My wife tells me that as far as she knows, Sakai is strictly a family name and has no meaning in relation to samurai. So that brings me to ask, was this a nod the our beloved Stan Sakai? Anyone have any insight?

[Trevis Woods]

I have no answer for your question but wow do I love that show. Got all the seasons on DVD and there are some amazing episodes out there that never get old.

I do know that IDW publishing will be releasing a new 5 issue limited series Samurai Jack comic and the first issue will have a variant cover drawn by Genndy Tartakovsky the creator...They are also releasing a Samurai Jack classics volume 1 which will collect previously printed Samurai Jack comic book stories. Maybe from old Cartoon Network comics(DC?)...release dates look to be in October.

I always thought it would be cool if Mr. Tartakovsky would write an intro to one of the collected editions...Someday I would love to get a commission from Stan with Usagi, Leo and Jack all together.

[maichan]

I have the DVD collections also, and I finally sat down to finish watching seasons 3 & 4. Season 4 had some really great episodes that I enjoyed. I never followed the comic book series, but I do keep hoping that a final animated story will be produced one day.

[tru2gzus]

I have no answer for your question but wow do I love that show. Got all the seasons on DVD and there are some amazing episodes out there that never get old.

I always thought it would be cool if Mr. Tartakovsky would write an intro to one of the collected editions...Someday I would love to get a commission from Stan with Usagi, Leo and Jack all together.

I echo your sentiments Trevis!! That would be a sweet piece with all three! Really enjoy the series myself and wish there were a final episode too!

[Steve Hubbell]

Anybody pick this up last week?

[Jubei]

I picked up #1, with the Tartakovsky cover:




Thought they captured the spirit of the show and character quite well. Art was good too.

[midoribari]

I saw a couple of issues avaliable at the comics shop I frequent. I think I'm gonna have to do a series re-watch sometimes after finals.