Samurai Champloo

Written by Little_Wolf-18 on May 23, 2013 at 11:34 AM

I got into this anime on the reverse way--saying, not by genre search, summary, ANN review, or the like, but by fan fiction. Which is funny in retrospect, since a lot about this anime doesn’t work in entirely the usual way; but it does that quite well.


The setup in itself is simple. We’ve got our group of perhaps complicated main characters, thrown together by perhaps a complicated fate, yet they’re chasing a single goal--finding the samurai who smells of sunflowers. Along the way, they stop in various towns, get caught up in various historical developments and fates, tend to make a mess out of those, but in the end contribute to things one way or another. That journey takes a while, a few extra-wrong turns along the way, and it does tend to wear a bit thin with that rather episodic pattern.

That’s but the surface, though. After all, “Samurai Champloo” is a historical anime as well, and it references historical developments and Japanese culture, especially its art, quite a bit. But there’s more to come, also for the non-history otaku.

Where the plot may appear simple and episodic at first glance, the bigger picture only begins to puzzle-piece together a little later. The bigger picture being the characters, their aims and motifs, their pasts, and that very journey in itself, because while we know the goal of that search, it still has some surprises to offer. And those surprises, both in the sense of story and characters, are gold to watch unfold, rhyme unintended.

It’s all the better that the story does get its closure in the end. That one may not be surprising, but it’s still very fitting and absolutely heartwarming… in an odd way, but it is.

Of course, though, that story wouldn’t work without its characters.

Most side characters are one-arc ones as well, and while some may appear a bit over-the-top, they’re all involved in some or another historical mess, conflict, development, whatever--and our dear main characters end up helping them in the oddest, but eventually most productive, of ways.

Those main characters shine. They may appear a little typical at first--rough and unshaven Mugen, a wannabe pervert and quick to jump into action; quiet samurai Jin with his code of honour; and last but definitely not least the quirky, ditzy waitress Fuu. Oh, and let’s not forget that lovely sidekick Momo, who is Fuu’s flying squirrel and usually found somewhere in her kimono.

All those characters are one of a kind, however--if not at first glance, then at second. They’re well-designed, with their good traits and flaws all the same, and as the viewer gets to know them better, they become all the more lovable, and entertaining anyway.

Character backgrounds fit well, and add depth to both the characters and the story as they’re unfolded. Character development is a little slow for an anime of 26 episodes, but it’s nevertheless there; and it’s just fun watching the entire group go from a completely ragtag and only half-working team to actual teamwork and almost-friendship. They encounter quite a few problems on that lane, but Samurai Champloo wouldn’t be Samurai Champloo if there weren’t trouble… entertaining trouble, that is.

The dialogue is witty and quirky, and the script manages to convey both funny and more serious moments well. Since the series is short but smart, there’s no chance of the humour getting old. And it definitely helps that the voice acting’s up there, both in subbed and dubbed version overall.

For the fact that this anime isn’t too new, the animation’s pretty darn good if you ask me. High quality, with nice details, realistic colouring, and few shortcuts. The action is quick, pretty intense, but also definitely one of the attracting factors about “Samurai Champloo”.

And the music!! Though I never thought I’d say that, the music is awesome. And it’s not even all traditional, which is something I go for in history-based anime. Instead, the music is as ragtag as our lovely team in the beginning. There are class Japanese songs, but also modern tunes, there’s hip-hop, in fact the opening sounds like some mixture of hip-hop and rap ^^". I’m not even much of a fan of hip-hop, or ragtag OSTs for that matter, but if you ask me, it works with this anime, and it works well.


There’s something about “Samurai Champloo” overall that’s just done right. Regarding its genres and topics, it manages to balance things out very well; the historical feel, complete with references to art and Japanese culture in general; the action; the comedy; the drama; the mysteries behind the characters; and so on. Its plot may, at first glance, be more or less episodic, but for once I can’t hate that--because there still is a plot, or at least an undercurrent of one, in the characters, their development, and the surprises that come with puzzle-piecing together their pasts and the entire mystery of the search. Its characters are designed extremely well, deep, adding depth to the story, and they make the journey just fun. The animation’s still up there, and the music, as ragtag as it may be, fits for some reason.

And let’s not forget that most important part; the entertainment. I’d easily give “Samurai Champloo” a 6/5 for that if I could, because as much as I’m not a fan of episodic setups and hip-hop music, the entertainment is through the roof. There’s action, fast, pretty direct, and sometimes rather bloody (I’ve encountered far worse in anime, but oh well). There’s the adventurous aspect of the journey. There’s comedy in every episode, be it just the quarrels of our ragtag team--and it’s rarely just that. There’s surprises around every corner. There’s drama and character development. And when you’d least expect it, there’s heartwarming moments as well.

“Samurai Champloo” may be simple in its setup, and pretty direct on the surface; it’s entertaining, with action, comedy, and drama all the same, with a distinctly modern feel to the humour, and with awesome characters. It’s fast, quirky, and fun. If you care to dig deeper, though, it’s more than that, too; its characters simply add another level of depth you wouldn’t expect at first.

For the most part, “Samurai Champloo” is light and fun; and if you’re looking for a tearjerker, or even a romance, you’re looking at the wrong archive. However, if you ask me, there’s a kind of beauty behind this anime that’s rare to find; something that’s just done right. It’s both relaxing and with depth; its characters are pure gold; and it’s not only for the history lovers out there, since it pushes all boundaries of historical anime. I personally love it. That historical background’s one thing, but even more entertaining to me are the characters, the subtleties or rather undercurrents of plot, and of course that smart but relaxing comedy.

IMHO “Samurai Champloo” has the potential to appeal to a broad audience. To limit that a bit, though, I’d recommend it for those looking for an adventure/action/comedy combination with some drama and awesomely done characters.


Cheers, and thanks for the read!~