We’re living in an age where every TV show is getting brought back in a new form. Such is the life when people can stream old shows and fall in love with them again for the first time. Some of these reboots are successful enough on their own merit, and others–like, sadly, The X-Files for the most part–can’t quite recapture the magic of their original counterparts. And then there’s Samurai Jack, which is returning for a limited series on Adult Swim in March. A continuation of Genndy Tartakovsky‘s genre-bending action series, this one’s aged with its audience, and it shows in the new trailer.
It’s been 13 years since the last episode of Samurai Jack–which didn’t end the series at all–but it’s been 50 years since the last we saw of Jack’s story. Aku has disappeared, but his evil is still law, and Jack–who hasn’t aged at all, for some reason–is steadily losing hope of ever getting back to the past.
The original four seasons were on Cartoon Network and were rated TV-Y7, a fitting rating for all the robotic destruction that ensued; now, with it on Adult Swim, the show’s rated TV-14, and even just from the trailer, we know we’re in for a bit harder edge. Jack’s pain, both mental and physical, are on full display, and the violence feels much more tactile, more “real,” even in the far-flung future hell. Phil LaMarr’s voice acting sounds suitably despondent, even in his trademark stoicism.
While the tone has grown up considerably, the art style is still just as distinctive as before, but now much crisper and in HD. There are also a lot more instances of pop-art flourishes, which render just about every shot a painting I would hang in my house.
The new limited series premieres on March 11, and I’m already the most excited person that exists (unconfirmed). Share your excitement below, and go read my retrospective of the original first season, Samurai reJacked.
Images: Adult Swim
Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist and a scholar of animation for the ages. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!
