Review of Samurai Champloo

Few anime are as much of a joy to watch as Samurai Champloo. Much of this is due to the immediately likeable trio of Mugen, Jin, and Fu, whose disparate personalities lead to constant humorous interactions. Indeed, Samurai Champloo manages to pull off what few anime have before: it is sincerely funny, and seldom feels forced. Add to this a pretty interesting premise, timely social commentary, some badass fight scenes, and a highly engaging and satisfying ending, and you have a recipe for a great show. Like other Watanabe series, Samurai Champloo goes above and beyond on animation and audio andtreats them as integral to the story itself. Not only is the scenery exquisite and the fight scenes meticulously crafted, but the animation melds with the original hip hop soundtrack, from the scene cuts to the dialogue to the battles, such that the entire series is hip hop, and it wouldn't be Samurai Champloo otherwise. While this soundtrack isn't as memorable as that of Cowboy Bebop, it is just as much the soul of the series.

All of this praise may make it seem as if the show has no faults. That depends, even more than is ordinarily the case when reviewing anime, on one's perspective. The bulk of the series is about the journey, rather than the destination, but at times this can make it feel like mostly filler. Many early episodes do little to advance the plot, apart from bringing our travelers slightly closer to their geographical destination, and consequently the show tends to lack a hook or sense of suspense until the end. This is not say to say it's uninteresting, so long as you enjoy the characters and the ride. As a fan of the series, I view Samurai Champloo as simply a fantastic watch, even if the story isn't permeated with deeper meaning or the viewer isn't constantly bombarded with plot. But if you're only looking for a compelling story, you might be better off skipping to the end. In any case, this is not a show to pass up.