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Last night (Saturday March 28, 2020) Toonami debuted a pretty awesome Rick And Morty Anime Short called Samurai & Shogun.
Before Toonami aired last night (Saturday, March 28), Adult Swim SVP and Toonami co-creator Jason DeMarco teased that there would be something special during this broadcast tweeting, “#Toonami fans, I feel really good about tonight’s little goodie. Something special just for you. I hope you enjoy it! Keep your eyes peeled!” Confirming in a follow up that this short is a reference to Kazuo Koike’s famous work Lone Wolf & Cub from producer Maki Terashima (who has been involved with Production I.G. projects such as the new seasons of FLCL and the upcoming Uzumaki anime) and director Kaichi Sato, DeMarco stated that it took a year to put the project together!
The Anime was dubbed in Japanese with English subtitles and the short was animated using CGI by Studio DEEN. Rick (Yohei Tadano) and Morty (Keisuke Chiba) were voiced by there Japanese VA’s from the Japanese Dub of Rick and Morty.
Titled “Samurai & Shogun” (Drunken life, dreamy death) this short takes inspiration from Lone Wolf & Cub and makes a completely awesome and crazy new world with it. Following the adventure of a parallel world Rick who takes a Shogun Morty from a group of killer Ninja Ricks who demand he returns the Shogun Morty to them, the Rick refuses and a violent and gruesome fight ensues until it gets just as trippy as one would come to expect from this series.
Lone Wolf and Cub is a manga created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima. First published in 1970, the story was adapted into six films starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, four plays, a television series starring Kinnosuke Yorozuya, and is widely recognized as an important and influential work.
Lone Wolf and Cub chronicles the story of Ogami Ittō, the shōgun‘s executioner who uses a dōtanuki battle sword. Disgraced by false accusations from the Yagyū clan, he is forced to take the path of the assassin. Along with his three-year-old son, Daigorō, they seek revenge on the Yagyū clan and are known as “Lone Wolf and Cub”.
When Lone Wolf and Cub was first released in Japan in 1970, it became wildly popular (over 8 million copies were sold in Japan) for its powerful, epic samurai story and its stark and gruesome depiction of violence during Tokugawa era Japan.
Lone Wolf and Cub is one of the most highly regarded manga due to its epic scope, detailed historical accuracy, masterful artwork and nostalgic recollection of the bushido ethos. The story spans 28 volumes of manga, with over 300 pages each totaling over 8,700 pages in all.
Rick and Morty – Samurai & Shogun Cast and Credits:
Director/Script: Kaichi Sato https://twitter.com/kaichisato
Cast: Yohei Tadano (Rick WTM72)
Keisuke Chiba (Shogun Morty)
Executive Producer: Maki Terashima-Furuta https://twitter.com/MakiTerashima
Producer: Koji Iijima (Studio DEEN) https://twitter.com/MID_PEACE
Production: Studio DEEN https://twitter.com/st_deen_pr
What did you guys think of the short? Let us know below in the comments and on our social media accounts.
