Samurai Champloo

author: Shinichiro Watanabe
review type: anime
status: completed
genre: Shonen, Chanbara, Action
episodes: 26
studio: Manglobe
original run: May 20, 2004-March 19, 2005

Synopsis

Having a group of thugs sexually harass you isn't what you'd want to start your day with. But a young women named Fuu; an ordinary 16 year old waitress at a tea shop encountered such. As she is being harassed she stumbles upon a lack luster and slack customer by the name of Mugen. He being broke, decides to take care of Fuu's problems with a simple request that he be rewarded food for his services. But surpassing all expectations, what should have been a negotiation turned out into a brawl.

Innocently, Jin; a young stoic swordsman enters the tea shop. He catches Mugen's attention once being noticed as a formidable opponent. They soon enter into a battle royale. Each pitching technique for technique, flair for flair and an all round sense of style. But unknown to them however, a fire sets ablaze in the tea shop they're fighting in. They both faint from inhaling too much smoke.

When awakened, they find themselves behind the fetters of a prison cell. They are charged for the murder of Shibui Tomonoshina, who just happens to be the magistrates son. And their penalty for the murder; execution. But to their relief, Fuu comes to their rescue. She aids them in escaping but has an important request. They must travel with her in a search for the samurai who smells like of sunflowers. To Jin and Mugen's dismay; Fuu has little clue about who this man is, but she only remembers his scent. They agree to help her. But she has one rule for Jin and Mugen: they can't battle each other until their quest is complete.

And so begins an interesting journey for Jin, Mugen, Fuu; a motley trio in searching of a mysterious man. Welcome to the Edo era, Welcome to Samurai Champloo.




Rempits Vrooming Comments

It takes luck to strike once, skill to strike again. So hats off to Shinichiro Watanabe for being an excellent director and creator of what can be dubbed as one of the best shounen titles of all time ( his previous work being Cowboy Bebop).

The atmosphere and environment which Samurai Champloo is to placed in, is as complexed as Cowboy Bebop. Watanabe again displays the art of mashing the ancient with the modern; having mashed Okinawan, hip-hop, samurai and modern Japanese traditions and styles to create the perfect balance of a world so dysfunctional and ridiculous and at the same time so intriguing, funny and interesting.

On character development, you can't get any better than having Jin and Mugen color your computer/tv screens. Jin and Mugen are what shounen manga's can be at their best, stretching even into touching the borders of seinen yet maintaining that shounen-ness throughout their tenure in the series. Why them again?

If we were to take normal shounen fanfare, you'd notice a pattern. There would be two existing rivals. One would be better than the other. But they are on the same team. The loser will be inspired, would own a super impossible dream and would work hard towards achieving it. The tough one would sense that the loser is becoming stronger and would decide to go rogue. The loser suddenly becomes stronger with a philosophy of peace and reconciliation; something the rogue would never think or pursue while growing logically in terms of skill and experience.

Now doesn't that sound familiar?

You don't have that here. Mugen and Jin are not originally on the same team, they even team up because of a special circumstance. Each are at each other's throats, literally, and they would just want to be the top-fighter. Mugen and Jin are total opposites and their are so antithetical that they are introduced into the scene as top notched fighters; again with themselves being extreme opposites of an orthodox and unorthodox fighter. So you can't place a finger on whose the loser or the all time prodigy. You can even say you can't tell whose good and whose bad.

Fuu on the other hand differs from most shounen heroines simply by being absolutely bimbotic. It's a relief actually, after watching tons of predictable shounen anime. She embodies what a woman can be at times; especially when they want something done. So hats off again to maintaining a striking balance between exaggeration and reality.

This is one anime I could go on and on and on. But hey the art is superb, the plot is interesting, the fight scenes are so tasty and the characters are original. Just that Mugen might remind you a little of Spike from Cowboy Bebop but either way it is just not you're ordinary shounen flick.



Rempit Rates

Character Development: 4/5
Plot: 5/5
Art: 5/5
Originality: 4/5