Was it a mistake to bring Samurai Jack back?

Was it a mistake to bring Samurai Jack back?

The built up hype was a mistake.

No it was pretty awesome. If I let a bad ending ruin everything I couldn't enjoy The Big O.

The series needed a conclusion, and it gave more than it took away.
The first three episodes, as fucking everyone says, are some of the best stuff in animation of this whole decade.
The rest of the season, while never reaching that height and definitely bumping along the way holds up well enough to be entertaining. Every episode has something of worth on it, every single one.
All in all, it was pretty great, and I do not regret one bit watching it.
The one thing I lament is that now you can't talk about Samurai Jack on Sup Forums anymore without the thread eventually derailing into Ashi no matter the topic at hand.

No. Giving it a fanbase was a mistake.

This. I liked the season, despite some pacing flaws, all except the ending, which got fucked over.

But still, I like a lot of it.

So, just out of curiosity. Do you dislike the ending for where the plot went, because of how rushed the execution was or both?

I personally resent the execution more than I resent them offing Ashi and sending Jack back. I felt that wasn't so bad; I liked it.

Sadly yes.
As much it would've sucked for Samurai Jack to remain unfinished, it would've been for the best as it's still a solid series that could stand well on its own.
The final season was a dissapointment that promised much but gave little.

Rushed execution mostly, if we just had a few more episodes it would have been pretty solid, especially for the ending

Pacing and order. An extra two episodes where they actually think through the ramifications and explicitly square away Jack's sentiments of "I do not want you to become only a memory" with his PURPOSE, possibly ending with Ashi consciously deciding as a tie-breaker.

We got a collapsed souffle

I personally feel it gave more than it took away.
While the final episode left a bad taste in many fans' mouths, the overall experience was quite enjoyable.

It wasn't my ideal ending, but I would be just fine with it had it not been so rushed. It really needed just ONE more episode.

If it were MY ideal ending, I would've had Jack NOT go back to the past, but instead save the FUTURE from Aku. Once Aku is killed, the time travel affects catch up to Jack, rapidly aging him up. Before Jack dies, he gives his sword to Ashi, who continues to keep the future safe.

Jack is seen about to be reunited with his ancestors, ashamed that he couldn't save him, but they're all so proud of him for the hero he's become. Hell, maybe the Scotsman joins him, we see a scene with him, Jack and all his ancestors, Scotsman belting out stories from their times together.

I dunno, that would've been my preferred ending. I don't mind the ending we got, but I wish they had time to do it better.

The suddenness of it all did take a lot of the impact away. Which is rather sad, because I think that abrupt twists can be extremely tragic if they are correctly executed. The main issue that the series had was time.

It could exist or not, idc.
But another season is still a material to watch.
5th was fine, on the difrrent level than first ones but still fine.

ThisIt was honestly pretty fuckin decent. The problem was people just expected way too much from this. Lesson: don't get hyped up and you won't be dissappointed.

Although the culprit in this is adult swim for making the fuckawesome trailers.

There's not one scene or episode of the new season that's worth going back for a watch. All of the other seasons have PLENTY of memorable moments.

Jack dying was also one of the endings I had envisioned. I did actually hope that the series would go full circle back to its roots and that if Jack died in combat he'd do it Ronin style with Agat.

However, I did really enjoy the underlying theme that by just undoing the entire world that Aku had created he not only destroyed all that it was evil, but also all the good that had flourished there. Jack losing Ashi felt like a potent message of the ramifications of his actions. For me, if they chose to go back, Ashi needed to die, no way around it.

Add in those 13 years in between seasons.

Man, I do miss that hype, though. At least, the hype in between episodes or before the season started; it was possible to talk about Samurai Jack again. Now we're back where we were before season 5. At least now there's something to discuss.

Both.

>Oh we could have gone back the entire time.
>Oh because we want back in time I won't exist.
>Oh that means that everyone you ever met and everything you ever did in the future ceased to matter

The End

Thanks.

>scaramouuuuuche
>ecstasy of gold
>"the decisions that you made..."
>"leave now and live..."
>DEMONGO
>dude just kill yourself!
>EVERYBODY LOVES SOMEBODY
>that Aku holding the sword painting
>that final shot

Sup Forumsntrarians, man.

It was a mistake to devote an entire season to a deus ex/throwaway character and ending on erasing everything that came before it

To be fair, they could only go back after Aku awoke his essence within Ashi. Pretty in character for Aku to fuck himself over just trying to be a petty bastard.

Ashi's existance being erase did make a bit of sense at the very least.

And your last point is completely valid. However, it was his actions in the future that allowed him to kill Aku in the end, so everything did amount to something.

That's the problem with the entire series. It had good episodes and moments but it made Ashi the main focus only to delete her at the end.

And the shame was Jack had already introduced us to characters that were deleted but they don't get a single thought.

The Scotsman got retroactively erased after all he did to help Jack.

Re-watching Samurai Jack back in the hype before S5, it pretty much became one of my favourite cartoons. Season 5 was necessary for me, because I really wanted to see an ending.


It was kinda disapointing. It was not horrible, but it was worse than the other 4 seasons for sure. Especially because it felt different. They changed Jack's character a bit too much.

>They changed Jack's character a bit too much.
In which ways? I'm genuinely curious.

Most of those were forced memes and brainlet bait.

May as well have every character screaming at the top of their lungs at all times like Gumball if we're going to make a reference show.

That and Jack is never given the moral dilemma of whether he should return to the past or stay to help his friends. In previous episodes, its already been established that Jack will abandon a portal to help another in need, here its just Ashi pushing him in and the decision is made for him.

They probably could have devoted an entire episode to it but he just jumps the fuck into the portal and kills off an entire timeline.

I still feel the focus of the series was on Jack. This was, after all, Jack's journey. Ashi was just tagging along and while she did receive plenty of screen time to develop her character, I don't think she overshadowed Jack too much.

And with that complain
>but it made Ashi the main focus only to delete her at the end.
we reach another point that's very hard to tackle.
So, she was a new character who died at the end. Alright. And some people will argue that her being given so much screentime only to have her killed at the end is wasting time. However, you could also say that giving her little development only to kill her off at the end would make her more of a tool than a plot device. I personally feel that her character was well balanced with her death.

Wouldn't that make the original memorable moments memes as well in your eyes?
>I, DEMONGO HAVE COME TO COLLECT THE ESSENCE OF THE GREATEST WARRIORS
>YOU SLIPPER WEARING...
>BIG FLAMING EYEBROWS
And let's not forget
>EXTRA THICCC

Execution. Jack/Ashi was chock full of bad writing staples.
>slaughter a gang of assassins, except one, because reasons
>hook up with the chick whose sisters you murdered, both of you are okay with this
>last-season hookups in general
>she has powers just like the main villain! use this deus ex machina to END SERIES

I feel like it could have been saved if they revealed that somehow, Jack knew Ashi was Aku spawn from day 1 and took her along as an insurance policy, but ended up liking her as a person

>n previous episodes, its already been established that Jack will abandon a portal to help another in need, here its just Ashi pushing him in and the decision is made for him.
I do enjoy that little bit in that Ashi, having been made aware of how much he wishes he could go back, took the blame for all the moral responsibility from Jack because she knew he would have hesitated.
But that's just my way of looking at it.

The massive difference in quality between the first 3 episodes and all the ones after that is the source of all backlash.

>EXTRA THIDD XD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's the worst of them all.

>>slaughter a gang of assassins, except one, because reasons
Well, that was purely luck. He clearly intended to kill her at first. Saving her life was acknowledged when Jack straight up shows remorse and denial in episode 4 after the slaughter.

>I feel like it could have been saved if they revealed that somehow, Jack knew Ashi was Aku spawn from day 1 and took her along as an insurance policy, but ended up liking her as a person
I don't really see how that makes much sense for a character like Jack.

You fucking said it. I mean, is there a correct way to use it anymore? When the majority does whatever they want with it becomes meaningless.

>In previous episodes, its already been established that Jack will abandon a portal to help another in need
Also, that happened fucking 50 years ago. Jack has changed since then. As of the end of the series, he still doubts that what he did was fully right, but he has done it regardless and now he can only hope it was indeed for the greater good.

No, but it was a mistake to include Ashi

This. Remember how he rushed into the last portal he saw with no speeches or smiles? He just went for it, not a care in the world.

It needed two more episodes or a longer finale.

>muh 3 episoduseeeees!!!!

As repetitive as that kinds of posts get, it is true that they were the peak of the fifth season, and this is coming from someone who loved the entire season beginning to end.

Gotta get back, back to the past...stop samurai jack season 5

THIS

I needed more sword fights. Seriously, not enough slicing and dicing.

>Well, that was purely luck. He clearly intended to kill her at first. Saving her life was acknowledged when Jack straight up shows remorse and denial in episode 4 after the slaughter.

I can get him showing remorse, but sparing this one girl just feels forced, like how when villains say "But before I finish you off, just one thing..."

>I don't really see how that makes much sense for a character like Jack.
Jack's fought Aku for literal years, had Aku's essence in himself, and may have even been intimate with him in female form at one point. If anyone could smell the filth of Aku inside a person, it'd be Jack.

I got what I needed out of it
and then it was ripped away from me
But I'm okay with how the series wrapped up overall

My biggest complaint is the pacing and execution, everything else was good, if not great.

>I can get him showing remorse, but sparing this one girl just feels forced, like how when villains say "But before I finish you off, just one thing..."
Not really. In my humble opinion, Jack couldn't bring himself to execute her.
He's just gotten over killing in self defense. There's a difference between fighting someone to the death and just killing a bound and "helpless" victim. Jack wasn't ready to take that step yet, so he just improvised and took her with him. Then, as she spoke, he realized what a distorted view on reality she had and tried to help her. Just keep her from killing him; as soon as she wasn't attacking on sight Jack was more than willing to ditch her and continue his journey alone.

>Jack's fought Aku for literal years, had Aku's essence in himself, and may have even been intimate with him in female form at one point. If anyone could smell the filth of Aku inside a person, it'd be Jack.

Well, my point is that taking hostages isn't really Jack's style, and he has known just how evil Aku is in first person; he knows Aku wouldn't bargain with Jack over something as petty as a daughter.

I don't know, aside from the first three I think most of the episodes were redundant or just boring.
Watching it with Sup Forums was pretty fun though

The memes were good, too.

Yes because of all the autists who had their own vision for how the series would end and disagreed with Genndy's vision because they spent ten years thinking about it.

I think pretty much every episode had something memorable.
>4: stunning backgrounds and color usage to create a breathtaking atmosphere
>5: while the most boring of the bunch, the Omen first speaking is quite memorable
>6: cameos are fun and Jack's sudoku is tense as hell
>7: Jack's spiritual journey is amazing
>8: romance made me laugh like no other episode
>9: good ambiance and great fight
>10: final shot was something beautiful, both visually and in meaning

An 8/10 season of a classic show, in TV's current desolate fuckscape, AND you can troll kissless virgins with it?
Of course it wasn't a mistake. It was a blessing.

Did he stay a virgin?
What kind of magic powers does a 75 year old wizard obtain?

Show's over. Get over it, nerds.

As much as I didn't like the ending. It was still an overall good to watch and it was fun.

>Aku didn't even get a proper final boss fight
Did he even transform into anything outside of the giant wrecking ball he crushed the Scotsman's army with?

It gets repeated because it's true. The first three episodes of season 5 are way better than the rest of it and no sensible person disputes this.

Well, thanks for repeating what I just said.

The problem is that every possible fight between Jack and Aku had been already spent in the original four seasons. Jack was so above Aku's level that it was a literal plotpoint; after all Aku wouldn't have destroyed all the time portals and cowered in his castle if he was able to take on Jack on a straight fight.
Seeing Aku being humiliatingly killed was the most satisfactory we could have hoped.

I have never seen anything like Samurai Jack anywhere else. More of that made me a merry man.

Bump

eh, it finally completed his story. What an awful ending, however.

I'm honestly not dissapointed in anything we got. I'm more dissapointed in the time we had with it. If the season was twice as long this stuff could've built up at a reasonable pace but because it was only 10 episodes everything felt really rushed.

This is 110 percent correct.

The 1st two episodes were goat though

This. What we got wasn't perfect, but it was damn good.

Considering how other reboots like Teen Titans and Powerpuff Girls have gone, I think I'll count my blessings.

This thread again? ok, first episodes were pretty tense
jack actually killed a human, but coped
cave belch
actually finally liked someone of the opposite sex, bout fucking time, not only that she could actually fight instead of helpless romance shlock
did what he said he was going to do and killed aku
overall yes, it was good closure
now stand back while babies cry over forced hetero shipping or shipping in general and how jack 'screwed' everyone over when he went back. news flash everything was already fucked

No. I enjoyed the season even though it was kinda rushed. The only thing im upset about it im a total sucker for happy endings, so i was sad that jack didnt get to have ashi even though the gods couldve totally helped him

Except for his lips, yes.

I could live with a sad or bittersweet ending, but the show needed an ending consistent with its own themes. Ending the series with Jack going back to The Past was a mistake.

Yes, yes, it's in the intro lyrics, but ending the series like that completely undercuts Jack's entire character arc over the course of the show - coming to terms with everything that happened, overcoming the ghosts of The Past, forgiving himself for failing the people of his time, and ultimately finding things in The Future worth fighting for. How many countless times did we see Jack give up an opportunity to go back to The Past for the sake of saving a life, or defending a people in The Future?

Going back to The Past in the end and undoing The Future, erasing all the lives he saved, all the lives he made better, all the people he encountered and befriended... it just doesn't fit with the rest of the show. We needed to see Jack finally move on and accept his place in The Future

The problem isn't necessarily just that she was killed off, but that it comes across as less of a conclusion of her story and more of a last minute fuck you to Jack.
This gives her a tool-ish feeling in the end

>all except the ending, which got fucked over.
But this was the only reason worth bring it back... And they fucked it up.

I was honestly okay with pretty much all of it except for the final episode. It was massively rushed.

Good question
The final episode made wonder about the relationship between CN and Genndy

The final season as a whole was great but the ending felt like the masterpiece of somebody who was angry and bitter.

I lost a lot of respect for Genndy and grew up watching his work

THIS. While I agree that the quality dropped past the 3rd episode it was still good. There were many mistakes along the way, especially the pacing, but it was still enjoyable.

I agree with this. I do feel that going back to the past went against the new season's themes, and I feel it really suffers from it. I actually predicted that the new season, being more adult and such, would actually keep Jack in the future because we wouldn't be confined to an all happy ending. And by the way the season is written, I still think that's what was supposed to happen at the end. However, I think that as the ending was coming near Genndy got cold feet about the whole matter and decided to send Jack back to keep the fans content because he could foresee the shit that could be flung his way if Jack didn't got back to the past. He miscalculated, although I feel that whether Jack had gone or stayed fans would have been pissed off regardless. Genndy tried to take the best bad decision possible, and he picked the worst instead. Kinda sad, but I still enjoyed the finale despite these flaws.

I'm the user to whom you are responding and I have to concede you that point in that it does seem like that.
I prefer to see it, based on visual cues and such, that Ashi's death wasn't an accident and that she made a conscious sacrifice to send Jack back.
The ending is rushed enough to allow for this interpretation at least.