Reviews Samurai Champloo (Anime Review)

Name - Samurai Champloo

Creator/Studio : manglobe/Shimoigusa Champloos (Jpn)
: Geneon Entertainment (USA)

Type - Anime

Style/Genre - Action/Comedy/Drama

Number Episodes/Volumes - 26 Eps

Is it complete? - Yes

Format the Anime was viewed - Fansubs, though official DVDs have officially been released.

Brief Description of Anime/Manga - Muugen and Jin are two men living in old Japan. One is a casually dressed thug with an afro comparable to Spike Spiegles' (CB), while the other is a more conventionally dressed character sporting a nifty pair of glasses; a character more reminicent to a Samurai/Ronin. They meet up together by chance in a resturant and all hell breaks loose. For the first time ever both of them realize they've met someone they can't kill. Before they could finish thier fight they're carted away to be executed.

However before the deathblow falls they find themselves saved by one of the women who worked at the resturant they trashed, a young woman by the name of Fuu (A woman comparable to a more mild mannared Kaoru from RK). Striking up a deal with her the two men put off thier interrupted 'fight to the death' with one another to help her find a certain man- A Samurai who smells of sunflowers.

Setting out the trio find themselves in an adventure traveling all over Old Japan, getting themselves in trouble almost as much as they help others they meet along the way.

Animation - 9/10 - Fluid and real, Samurai Champloo is sharp and clean. Muugen's Break Dance style of sword fighting is like watching liquid silk roll across your eyes. Jin Takes a more traditional approach to sword fighting, and is just as impressive, and is what you've come to expect from a high quality Samurai flick.

Voice Actors - 9/10 - All excellent. Muugen is as irritated sounding as Jin's cool demeanor. Fuu is your typical airhead out on a serious mission. The supporting cast are just as excellent

Music - 8/10 - The OST is awesome, and the method's it's uncorporated into the series is masterful. Slick grooves and modern beats and rhythms all combine together to give this old school Samurai Anime a sharp, edgy feel.

Storyline - 7/10 - It's good, by any means, and it keeps you interested. But as far as Anime Storylines are concerned it's only average.

Characters - 10/10 - The characters are what makes this series shine. Vibrant, wild, and powerful, the supporting cast makes Samurai Champloo into a real, believable world. With a several "guest" refrences from characters from other Japanese series, each creatively included into the flow of the story, as well as characters that go over the edge while maintaining their believability, they are the corner stone of this series. Never mind Muugen, Jin and Fuu. The supporting cast is masterful and alive.

Overall - 9/10 -Samurai Champloo is an excellent series. Strong in all areas, as well as a blast to watch it is an exciting romp through ancient Japan heavy with modern themes and undertones (including, but not limited to- Tagging, Baseball, homosexuality, and a slew of other topics.) It's a hell of a lot of fun to watch and well worth the time/money. I see this as being the next big thing, real soon.

Opinions - Imagine Cowboy Bebop meeting Rurouni Kenshin: That is Samurai Champloo. Funny, edgy, and a blast to watch this series is a wild romp. Many of the jokes/cameo's may not make sense to use Westerners because many of them slyly refer to other Japanese drama's/shows or thier cultural lifestyle. The Fansubs I watched were kick*ss enough to point out all these cool little, jokes and puns, as well as explain some of the history behind some of the "guest stars". Don't let the goofy title fool you, this show is everything and a bag of chips. If you loved Cowboy Bebop, then this series will be Seventh Heaven (the kind manned by a certain, busty woman with a white shirt, black miniskirt, and sparring gloves).

~W

 

Very nice review. My first excellent.

 

I like how you're example of combining Cowboy Bebop and Rurouni Kenshin defines this series. I agree, it does look like that. You presented this information very professionally and you very fair with the rating system. Nice review!

 

Impressive. I've had my eye on this anime for a while now, and didn't even know what it was about. I'll make sure to catch it ost likely to put it in my collection in the near future!^^

-Seishin