Just call him the bass Samurai

Forget about the recent Tom Cruise East-meets-West big budget epic. The more relevant cultural cross-pollination occurs in “Samurai Sportsman.” Here Yoshi Amao, a modern-day samurai, meets up with a series of American outdoor sports mavens in his quest to become a master of the outdoors.

In the first episode, Yoshi yearns to master the art of fishing and teams up with Outdoor Life Network regular Bill Dance.

After a few cursory lessons, they set out in search of bass. When the fishing is slow, Yoshi breaks into a samurai fish dance, while his sidekick cuts loose with a West Tennessee two-step for luck. The hoofing quickly pays off as Yoshi hooks up and becomes one with the fish. A catch-and-release ceremony follows.

Don’t expect a lot of highly usable information here, grasshopper. Instead, you’ll find a unique half-hour curio that combines charm and goofiness in an effort more enjoyable than the vast majority of mainstream programming.

-- Michael Koehn