- Title: Samurai Jack – Episode XIII: Aku’s Fairy Tales
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Throwback Tuesday takes us back to the adventures of the time-displaced samurai and his quest to make his way home. The First Season finale of Samurai Jack is an unusual episode as it is presented entirely from the perspective of the show’s villain, Aku (Mako). Frustrated with the growing hero worship for Jack (Phil LaMarr), Aku gathers children together and tells them a series of fairy tales in an attempt to present himself as the hero and paint the samurai as the villain.
The tales vary from Aku as a great warrior saving the planet to modified versions of “Little Red Riding Hood,” “The Three Little Pigs,” and “Jack and the Three Bears.” In each story Aku attempts to highlight the samurai’s evil nature and destructive tendency, but his audience (knowing Jack to be heroic and good) refuse to accept any version of the character from Aku’s slanted perspective. Growing more and more frustrated with this captive audience, the the stories begin getting shorter and more convoluted until Aku gives up completely and storms out. This allows the children to craft their own tale of the samurai and how he will take down Aku.
The episode has several fun moments. While most of the show features Aku toying with the samurai, the episode focuses instead on his growing frustration and being unable to defeat Jack and how the samurai’s legend has begun to change the future that is Aku. Fans of Yogi Bear will notice a striking (if more murderous) resemblance between Jack and the bear in “Little Red Riding Hood” which also produces the show’s most adorable version of Aku as young girl with flaming eyes. There are also a reference to The Shining in “Jack and the Three Bears.” And the children arguing while increasing the heroic struggle in the final story allows Jack’s victory to be all the more sweeter.
This is one of the best episodes of the entire series.