Review of Samurai Champloo

Let me preface this by saying although I rated the overall show a 7, some of the episodes were off the charts 10/10. However many of the episodes seemed derivative and lacked in story leading to a diminished overall rating. The plot for many episodes follow the same progression and it gets old. Occasionally there will be one or two episodes that break the mould but then it's right back to the same story. When I watched those masterful episodes I couldn't help being slightly in awe of the beautiful writing. In terms of character development I think this show is lackluster. There was a lot ofpromise here, but it didn't seem to flourish as much as I had hoped.

The conclusion to the show was decent and caught me off guard, which I liked. I am glad that the ended wasn't super predictable.

The highlights of this show for me are the historical (although often not accurate) references, the recognizable and unique art style, and the soundtrack that incorporates rap along with some more traditional Japanese folk songs.

This offbeat (pun intended) anime isn't one that I would find easy to recommend to my friends. While the art style has lots of quirky and character, the lack of story and strong character development leaves much to be desired. There are a few hidden gems though, and it's not an overly big commitment to watch the show. I'd recommend to friends who are curious and want to try something a little different.