Review of Samurai Champloo

I want some of whatever Shinichiro Watanabe was drinking/smoking from 1998-2004, because while the idea of melding mid-2000s hip hop culture with an Edo-era Japanese setting might seem like trying to mix oil and water, it's more like, say, blood and water - immediately contrasting, to something oddly beautiful, to a solution so perfect it's practically unnoticeable. The series follows three loners on their cross-country travels toward an unnamed "samurai who smells of sunflowers," with all the detours and obstacles it entails. Mugen's a reckless, loudmouthed criminal with a tragic backstory, whose only hobbies seem to be fighting and chasing tail. Jin, his foil, is arelatively silent and stoic ronin who knows little more than life by the sword. The glue keeping them together is Fuu, their 15-year-old de facto leader, who's equal parts stubborn, compassionate and lovable. While the true purpose behind the plot doesn't become apparent until later, the series embodies focusing on the journey rather than the destination, with the three meeting several interesting characters, traveling to new places and experiencing growth otherwise impossible.

Regarding the abstract elements of the series. there's a grounded naturalism and ambience that permeates through the screen and speakers - even during the most gruesome and violent of scenes, the entire thing feels oddly calm, almost like a late-night bowl of ramen in a quiet Japanese restaurant with a baseball game on TV. The trio spends more time traversing the countryside and sharing dialogue than they do exploring cities and fighting (or evading) enemies, and the jazzy, proto-lo-fi hip hop soundtrack provides the perfect backdrop to their occasionally upbeat but overall slow-paced journey.

The animation team knows when to be sharp and detailed yet also when to be atmospheric and restrained, and anyone attentive to the more "artistic" side of anime will likely find something to appreciate in the technical experimentation throughout the visual storytelling. Episode 14, in particular, easily rivals anything I've seen in my decades of watching anime in sheer emotion and artistry. Seriously, it's transcendent; I can't sing its praises enough.

Now, as far as critiques go ... there are a couple of filler episodes that are a bit too egregious for a series as short as this is. The story starts a bit too simply and takes a bit to truly get going - not in a "lacking action" sort of way, but more "lacking the nuance and emotional/moral complexity" that Watanabe has shown to be easily capable of, both in Cowboy Bebop and later parts of this series. With these complaints stated, I'd still consider the show to be thoroughly enjoyable and artistically satisfying, but just flawed enough to prevent it from being in my list of all-time favorites alongside Bebop or Evangelion.

It's a series where you can bask in the Japanese greenery with a cup of coffee and nod your head to the lo-fi, jazzy beats, or you can study the motivations and relationships between the characters, with all the thematic and philosophical subtext within (and I honestly should've discussed these more, but I shouldn't be writing this at work). In that regard, it really is a show that covers all bases, and one I'd easily recommend to either a newcomer or veteran of the genre.