Samurai Gun, Volume 1: Cocked and Loaded (Collector's Edition)

Based on a manga by Kazuhiro Kumagai, the extremely violent and strangely anachronistic anime series SAMURAI GUN reimagines the pivotal moment when ancient Japan first confronted the changing winds of Western modernity. In the mid-19th century, Japan is still awash in its feudal customs, with lawless and corrupt samurai marauding the nocturnal countryside brutally slaughtering innocent (and mostly female) victims with traditional swords and spears. Enter lone wolf Ichimatsu, a moody young man who decides to battle the evil shogunate with a newly invented weapon: guns. The ensuing gunfight action sequences play out against a dusty backdrop of saloons and brothels for a decidedly spaghetti Western-like feel--albeit one with copious amounts of graphic violence as warm jets of blood splash across the screen and sadism toward women prevails. The 13-part series kicks off with this first volume of four episodes.