Review of Samurai Champloo
*Completed for the 2018 Anime Watching Challenge: (64) Watch an anime tagged as Martial Arts and/or Samurai* First of all, I know full well that I'm late to the party with this one, and I'm kicking myself for not watching this masterpiece sooner. I don't like to use the word 'perfect' when describing something, especially when it comes to art, as it's completely subjective, but after finishing Samurai Champloo, perfect is the only word I can think of to describe it. Samurai Champloo follows our three main characters on their journey to find the samurai who smells of sunflowers. Along the way, they go from town totown and meet and interact with that town's residents. While there are story arcs that overlap, the series is very episodic in nature, and oftentimes we're introduced to new characters and conflict every episode.
What makes the show compelling, is that the side characters are handled masterfully. There's not a single one that wasn't memorable, and you find yourself getting attached to characters that will never be seen again. Some of them are truly heartbreaking, such as the pickpocket episode, while some can be extremely funny, such as the artist episode.
But by no means does the supporting cast overshadow our three main characters. In fact, the best aspect of this show are these three and their interactions with one another. Our two samurai, Mugen and Jin, are polar opposites. While Jin is reserved and respectful, Mugen is brash and reckless. Acting as a sort of glue between the two is Fuu, a cheerful, somewhat air-headed girl. At first, the three absolutely cannot stand one another, but as they spend more and more time together, we start to see them come together as a group. By the time the series is over, they seem to have a sweet, genuine bond.
In addition to the story and characters, I would be remiss to not mention the audio and visual elements of the show, as they are equally good. As expected from a series directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, Samurai Champloo oozes style in every regard. The character designs, especially Mugen, are vivid and imaginative, and the fight scenes are incredibly smooth.
On the flip side, the audio is just as polished. With a soundtrack done by legendary hip hop producer Nujabes, the series has no shortage of memorable background tracks, as well as an incredible opening and ending theme. Complimenting the background music, the voice acting is impeccable. I watched the series dubbed, and the dub they put together is damn good. As expected, Steve Blum steals the show with another incredible performance, and Jin and Fuu aren't too shabby as well. There are a few issues with the dubbing of some background characters, but overall it's still very well done.
In conclusion, this series is amazing, and I can't put how great it is into words. If by some chance you haven't seen it yet, drop whatever you're doing and watch it.
10/10