Review of Samurai Champloo

Samurai Champloo is an innovative yet classic samurai story, an aesthetic tour de force, and overall just very, very cool. I caught episodes here and there on Toonami and Adult Swim when I was a kid, and while I enjoyed them, I never really saw enough of the anime in one sitting to reveal the masterpiece I was witnessing unfold in real time. Now, having revisited this classic I first visited in the misty depths of the mid 2000s, it is clear to me that Samurai Champloo is a work of art, in every sense of the term. Just likegood food has salt, fat, acid, heat, and balances them perfectly, this anime has action, humor, drama, plot progression, and holds them all in perfect balance, so they are able to stand on their own and compliment each other at the same time. Any one of these aspects is good enough to set this show above most other anime, but the fact they are all this good is truly something special. Beginning with the story, it is simultaneously a classic story and one which innovates at every opportunity, as touched upon earlier. It is classic in that it touches upon all of the well-worn footholds that make up a samurai/ronin adventure tale, and does so with the mastery that such classicism deserves, and immerses you in that sense of adventure, depth, and realism that classic tales are meant to. Meanwhile, it takes that masterfully constructed and timeless base and constructs upon it a series of unique modern offshoots and unusual pop culture inclusions which make Samurai Champloo what it is. I won't include any spoilers here, even though that would make this easier, so I will leave it at this; The juxtaposition of a classic story and innumerable creative flares pair extremely well, and even as Samurai Champloo plays very fast and loose with its concept of history, what is essentially the historical fantasy world it creates is immaculate, and you will be spending time in that world while you daydream for a long while after you're done watching this anime.

The art lends itself to this end, blending the graceful beauty of Edo era Japan with an energetic and lively art style which defines all the moving pieces which inhabit this living world. The passion which went in to the art, from the immaculate backgrounds down to the seamless fight scenes, absolutely shows. The characters are expressive and emotionally readable, and even the background characters are often given the same treatment, which speaks to the dedication with which this show is made. Occasionally some characters will look exceptionally ugly, which may be off-putting to some, but this is done for visual gag comedy, and makes sense within the general style of the show, which more often than not is extremely beautiful.

The sound is one of the most distinctive parts of Samurai Champloo, and is the first thing most people think of when they talk about it. It is characterized by these distinctly Japanese style hip-hop influenced beats, bordering on lo-fi, throughout. It fills every scene with life and emotion, and radiates 'coolness'. When it's absent, the silence is felt as this heavy thing on your chest, which really speaks to the power of that music's presence. Not to mention, I never once skipped the OP or the ED, which are excellent in their own right. The sounds of life are also rich and detailed, from the crunching of dirt to the splashing of blood, and makes the world feel real and lived in. Also, I watched the dub because that's how it aired when I first saw it as a kid, and it's a fantastic dub, one of the best I've ever heard to be honest. The voice talent here is incredible, and I cannot recommend the dub enough as a result.

The characters are perfect for the world they're placed in, and are a deeply interesting mix of people, especially our main 3 protagonists, Fuu, Mugen, and Jin. Their differences seem insurmountable, but the way they all grow closer throughout their journey is unforgettable. Even the cast of characters they meet over the course of that journey are engaging and leave their mark on the story in each of their own distinct ways. Overall, if I had to describe Samurai Champloo in 1 word, it would be this: Authentic. This is what it looks like when an anime is made with the goal of making a work of art, and that authenticity shows through in every facet of the finished product. I felt the ebbs and flows of this anime as I watched it, and now I count it as a part of me. That is something that can only be said of a precious few anime out there. It has earned every ounce of praise it gets. This show has heart, and whether you're watching it to relax or to experience a masterpiece and pick apart the details, you can do both, and in either case I would highly recommend the experience.