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Samurai Champloo review by InsaneSith
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This is possibly one of the most interesting titles to come from Shinichiro Watanabe
, of Cowboy Bebop fame. A fusion of hip-hop and feudal Japan, Samurai Champloo is a testament to its name, Champloo being Okinawan for "mixing things up." Our three main characters are essential outcasts from society. There's Mugen a tough-guy loner with no real concern for anyone but himself; Jin a calm samurai/ronin with an old-school sense of justice, and then we have Fuu, a perky 15-year-old who is pretty much a woman's woman. Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, with character design by Kazuto Nakazawa, Samurai Champloo is a series not to be missed.
By an odd turn of events our unlikely trio meet and form a pact, Mugen and Jin are to help Fuu find "The samurai who smells of sunflowers". Taking us all across Edo period Japan, our characters find themselves in one exciting adventure after another. Much like Bebop there's a balanced mixture of comedy and drama in the series, as each episode plays off the previous one well. Our main characters aren't the only interesting creations in the series either, along the way we run into a thug with a grudge against Mugen, a disfigured man believed by villagers to be a monster, plenty of assassins, an awkward Elvis-wannabe with a beatboxing protégé, and even graffiti artists. While the series is not historically accurate, we do get a sense of some realistic ideologies and beliefs of the time period. Xenophobia was rife in Japan at this point, and this is well portrayed in one episode, creating a very fun filler-esque episode full of wacky antics.
Starting in 2004 and ending in 2005, Samurai Champloo has become an instant classic due to its fun storyline, quirky characters, and its unorthodox take on feudal Japan. Featuring music by Fat Jon, Nujabes, Tsutchie, and Force of Nature, Samurai Champloo features a solid Hip-Hop/R&B soundtrack that compliments the show so well (and features the debut compositions by these artists). The action sequences are actually designed to sync with the music, instead the music synching with the action. While it took me a bit of getting used to, the English track, featuring the voices of Steven Jay Blum (Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop), Kirk Thornton (Kostabi in Last Exile), and Kari Wahlgren (Lavie Head in Last Exile), is very well done and fits with the characters I had already gotten to know, almost giving them a new light.
In the end I think what I loved about Samurai Champloo are the memorable characters, the fun and adventurous story, and the creativity. It's not overly complex, nor is it incredibly simplistic. It's not something that makes you think and question your existence or principles; it's just a fun series. So if you're looking for something to keep you entertained for hours, this is it.
~ InsaneSith
