The Part Of Rick And Morty's Samurai And Shogun Part 2 Anime Fans Are Loving

Numerous episodes of Adult Swim's "Rick and Morty" have featured homages over the course of five seasons of the fan-favorite animated series. However, one of the show's most ambitious attempts yet has been tackling Japanese film and culture in their intriguing "Samurai and Shogun" short. In March 2020, Adult Swim dropped the first part of the "Samurai and Shogun" episode (via YouTube). The first part of the short clip sees Rick as a ninja tasked with protecting Morty from a horde of Ninja Ricks who attack them on their travels.

This week, Adult Swim has since dropped "Samurai & Shogun Part 2," which continues the anime-influenced story. "Rick and Morty" pulls inspiration from the popular manga "The Lone Wolf and Cub." The special relationship between father and son translates well to this version of Rick and Morty. Even more impressive is how the anime special becomes moving in its own right. After watching Ninja Rick defend Morty one more by killing a plethora of Ricks, "Samurai & Shogun Part 2" ends as the pair walk through a graveyard of Morty headstones. Wounded in battle, Rick does everything he can to get Morty back home. Rick pushes a carriage, a familiar sight to those who enjoy "The Lone Wolf and Cub," but his dedication to Morty and self-sacrifice is what turns this into a legitimately moving tale.

There appears to be a significant crossover between anime fans and "Rick and Morty" fans tuning in to enjoy "Samurai & Shogun Part 2." The clip, posted to Adult Swim's YouTube channel on November 12, received over 250 positive remarks (at time of writing). A notable theme among the YouTube comments saw fans shouting out their appreciation for the use of anime aesthetics in the animation to help tell a new story. YouTube commenter Teddy Riggs wrote, "This does a way, way, way better job at being anime more than what 'High Guardian Spice' is doing," while fellow commenter aspektx remarked, "This has such a different aesthetic and yet still keeps true the underlying reality of who Rick and Morty are really." Additionally, commenter Sowergaming Bro reacted to the clip, writing, "I like how they gave an in-depth explanation before Rick powers up just like how anime does it," another commenter states.

It is difficult to find a fan who has not been wildly appreciative of the anime special. In a post shared to the subreddit r/rickandmorty, Redditor u/OGeyeschinese states in part, "Every single bit that of that was 10/10." It is also hard to disagree with Redditor u/thatonegirl6688, who commented, "This is really good. I'm surprised there aren't more comments." The internet has been surprisingly quiet in light of this new content, but the fans that are vocal are highly positive.