Review of Samurai Champloo

I cannot tell you how much I love Samurai Champloo. It’s easily my favorite anime with samurai in it. And I don’t think it gets enough love or recognition which is a big shame. First of all, the characters are great. You got Mugen who’s an asshole but a lovable one. He’s voiced by Steven Blum in the English dub. And I think any character this guy voices, no matter how much of an asshole they are, is immediately likable. There’s also Jin who’s this silent but deadly guy, and like Mugen, he’s a badass. And the rivalry between the two is so entertaining towatch. And Fuu is my favorite character just for how god damn adorable she is. Not in an attractive way obviously. Because if I said it that way, it would be very wrong (Fuu is apparently 15 years old according to the internet). And while she does become a damsel in distress a lot of times, she is shown to be brave and determined. If Mugen and Jin are the meat of this show, then Fuu is the heart of it. And while Mugen and Jin are trying to run away from their past, Fuu is trying to find her past. And the three of them together makes for one of the best trios in any anime.

One of my favorite scenes in this show is when they’re all at this campfire at night and they’re talking about their past. It sounds cliche, but it’s executed very well. In fact every theme and concept in this show is so great. The samurai action is of course awesome. And the way this show incorporates rap culture and boom bap instrumentals as the soundtrack is what makes it stand out from other samurai anime. And believe it or not, rap is my favorite genre of music whether it’s experimental or trending. So yeah, this show is made for me. If this show had like, the generic samurai type music, it wouldn’t be as good.

I mean if you are looking for an accurate representation of feudal Japan you're not gonna get it here. They even break the fourth wall at the beginning of the show, saying that this is all bullshit and you shouldn’t take it seriously. Like there’s an episode where they play baseball and an episode where they inspire the flower paintings of Vincent Van Gogh. And the episode: “The Cosmic Collisions,” is so weird and out of left field that you just have to see it for yourself. And the best part about this show is that there’s nothing else after it. There’s no sequel, no spin-off, no movie, nothing. It’s just these 26 glorious episodes and that’s it. And while some people might have wanted something else, personally, this is all I really need. Because this show ends in such a satisfying way that having a sequel would feel completely unnecessary and pointless. I mean there was a video game that came out on the PS2, released 2 years after the show aired, um, it’s ok, I guess.

So overall, if you haven’t seen this certified banger of a show, I highly recommend Samurai Champloo. It’s really one of the goats so give it a scratch. You know like the vinyl scratch in the show, right? Sorry that this review is super fucking corny.

ORIGINALLY REVIEWED ON 01/26/2023