Review of Samurai Champloo

What's not to like? Champloo means mash-up or re-mix in Japanese, an this is exactly what this show is. It re-mixes the classic ronin samurai story with modern pop references, and a strong hip-hop vibe, and does it brilliantly. It's got action, it's got drama, it's got comedy, strong character development, great music, and solid direction. People I know who claim to abhor anime, still fall in love with this series. It balances a very thin line of being a serious story with out taking itself too seriously. But like all the best stories in the world, this one shines becausethe characters are well developed, and the story flows through them organically instead of being forced to march forward around them. In addition to the characters, the stories, being a mash-up if you will, uses the Edo period to comment on modern society, from the sex trade, to art, to literature, to religion, and even atomic warfare. And it does so without being preachy, or condescending to the viewer. Instead of just being Important Themes that jump out at you, they work through each episode in a much more subtle fashion, something missing from a lot of anime.

I dare you not to like it. There really is nothing else like it anywhere, (except for maybe cowboy bebop which was made by the same people). This is a unique anime experience, in fact it's just a unique story experience in any storytelling medium and is definitely worth checking out.