I’ve been hearing about Samurai Champloo! for the longest time. However I never bothered watching it since I got sick of Samurai anime titles because of the dozens of Samurai themed shows that I watched a few years ago (Samurai X, Deeper Samurai Kyo, 7 Samurai, etc.) I was finally convinced to watch it a few weeks ago and I personally find it to be the best samurai genre anime I’ve ever seen in my life.
Samurai Champloo! is like a collage of events appearing one after the other. It really depends on your personal preference if you enjoy shows like this. Watching Champloo is like watching Tarantino movies – very fast-paced, riveting, and each scene seems detached from the next (Lol). For me, I find this fun and compelling.
The story revolves around three strangers who come together through a random series of events. All three of them are really different from one another which makes the character dynamics interesting. Here are the character descriptions from Wikipedia:
Mugen: A brash vagabond from the Ryukyu Islands, Mugen is a wandering sword for hire with a wildly unconventional fighting style that resembles breakdancing and capoeira. Approximately 19 years of age. [4] He wears metal-soled geta and carries a katana on his back, although, historically, the Tokugawa government prohibited unsanctioned men from carrying daish? or any of its components.[5] In Japanese, the word “mugen” means “infinite” or “endless.”[6]
Jin: Jin is a mild-mannered ronin who carries himself in the conventionally stoic manner of a samurai of the Tokugawa era. Approximately 20 years of age. Using his waist-strung daish?, he fights in the traditional kenjutsu style of a samurai trained in a prominent, sanctioned dojo. Jin wears glasses, an available but uncommon accessory in Edo era Japan. Spectacles — called “Dutch glass merchandise” (“Oranda gyoku shinajina” in Japanese) at the time — were imported from Holland early in the Tokugawa period and became more widely available as the 17th century progressed.[7]
Fuu: A young, feisty girl of approximately 15 years of age, Fuu recruits Mugen and Jin to help her find a sparsely-described man she calls “the samurai who smells of sunflowers.” A flying squirrel named “Momo” (meaning “peach” in Japanese and also short for “momonga,” meaning “flying squirrel”) accompanies her along the way, inhabiting her kimono and frequently leaping out to her rescue when she encounters trouble.
I won’t go into detail about the story because that would spoil everything. Instead, I’ll just state some of the reasons why I found Samurai Champloo! is one of the best titles I’ve watched.
Music: Simply top-notch. The music enchances all the emotions of the characters which makes it easier for the viewer to relate. The soundtrack is so good that I decided to buy the OST and have the songs in my iPod. I love listening to the OST while driving.
Combat Scenes and Animation: Samurai Champloo was directed by Shinichir? Watanabe, the person behind the Cowboy Bebop series. The combat scenes are realistic but they also exhibit a lot of drama and flair. No weird ass techniques like in Samurai Deeper Kyo.
I really recommend this but please be warned, it’s not really as fun as watching Samurai X. It’s not 100% brainless so you’ll need to be a little sophisticated to fully appreciate it.
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Whistler on February 12, 2008
classic talaga yang samurai champloo… break dancing kendo ftw!!
hex on February 12, 2008
bro, san ku mapapanuod to? anung site? d q mahanap sa crunchyroll
Akuzihs on February 12, 2008
@hex you can find some episodes at veoh.com
ei waukeen try mo nxt review ung “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya”, napanood ko sya last year pa pero yang anime n yan high rated ^_^ ganda eh…
waiting for season 2 ~_~…
roiji on February 13, 2008
haha ganda nga haruhi suzumiya no yuutsu hehe” kulet lalo na yung dance step…
Wauks on February 13, 2008
I’ve watched it already. It’s actually scheduled for review next week :heh:
hex on February 13, 2008
nice nice, thx
J.hero on May 3, 2008
yeah, i agree.. i have dvd of this for a long time, but i have just watched it a while ago and now can’t stop watching it. . hehe heh.
mimiku on December 2, 2008
This is one of the best anime I’ve watched. Hindi ko lang masyadong like ung ending. I really hoped that Jin and Fuu will end up together but then I’ve read that the director of the anime said there will be no sequel for SC. =’<