Samurai Champloo: The Complete Series

I'm not much of a hip-hop fan (I'm a hater, just hatin'), so I avoided watching Samurai Champloo despite the many recommendations for it that came my way. The few clips I had seen of the series had annoying (for me) background music and weird art, so that was that...or so I thought. Destiny arrived in the form of a bout of severe bronchitis that left me stranded in bed with nothing to do for a week and a half. Since I had exhausted all other options for entertainment by that point, I reluctantly decided to go for it with Samurai Champloo, which had to beat staring at the ceiling, right?Other fans of the series won't be all that surprised to hear that I was hooked from the very first episode I saw, notwithstanding the fact that the opening song made my eardrums bleed and still does. I really (really) do not like hip-hop, but I LOVED the way that it is incorporated into this series. Samurai Champloo would not be what it is without its musical and hip-hop influences, so I decided to suspend my judgments and go where it took me, which is a classic chanbara jidaigeki with all of the usual suspects - Fuu, the naive and feisty waitress with just enough street smarts to keep her alive (but not out of trouble); Jin, the ultimate traditional swordsman and warrior; Mugen, the wild-haired ronin from Ryukyu, with his exceptional natural talents and battle instincts; and the colorful side characters who float in and out of the episodes. At the time that Samurai Champloo was made, hip-hop was a battle cry for a new Japan, while nothing is more traditionally appealing than the jidaigeki (which in itself is a vehicle to criticize government abuses and corruption). To put the two together and tell these stories is truly inspired."Tabi ni deru" or going on a journey is a classic Japanese cultural element that is central to why Samurai Champloo is structured the way that it is. The belief that you grow exponentially as a human being through travel is so fundamental to the way that Japanese experience life that many televisions specials are based upon sending a celebrity on a "Journey Of Discovery." I have actually seen a special in which a boy-band member travels to the absolute sticks in the Chinese countryside to learn how to make fried rice. This kid is from a famous studio that takes young people from their families and raises them to be stars, usually from a ridiculously early age. I am sure that having money, fame, and fortune is nice work if you can get it, but seeing him bloom like a flower under the caring eyes of his host family, who were as far from the glitz and glamour of his life and career as you could possibly get, was kind of...special (sorry). I found it touching to see how he experienced the poverty and emptiness of the countryside contrasted with the warmth and kindness of the Chinese family who took him in and not only taught him about making fried rice, but a lot more about the richness and value of human connections. Yes, he grew exponentially. Meanwhile, I, as a member of the audience, honked in a tissue whispering "it's...beautiful...", and I also gained some excellent tips on making fried rice! Win-win, my friends - food for the body and food for the soul. That's why we have these episodes in Samurai Champloo that seem to be connected by nothing, but there is a major life lesson in every single one. Oh, it's not heavy-handed by any means - blink, and you'll miss it. These human elements, done with a lot of delicacy, are what make Samurai Champloo so amazing.The music...is...incredible. I'm ranting, but traditional singing (Ryukyu-style - somewhat like sean nos) and shamisen have its moments here, along with Nujabes and Minmi's "Shiki no Uta" (lyrics that brought images of Japan to life behind my eyelids, so beautiful). The ending credits of the episodes are full of hints about Fuu, sepia-toned and nostalgic, which kept me guessing on her bizarre quest, which at first struck me in the same way as it strikes Mugen and Jin, Fuu's unwilling companions. She's searching for the Samurai that Smells of Sunflowers - whaaaat?? I've got sunflowers in my garden, and they don't smell like anything - which is kind of the point. Please just watch it if you've come this far - I'd have to write a book to explain the story without spouting spoilers left and right. You'll get what Fuu is looking for. And what Jin is looking for. And what Mugen, who is determinedly not looking for anything, finds, despite himself.There is so much going on in this series that I often return to watch it just one more time and go away thinking on what I saw. Don't let the sword fights and non-stop action fool you. Samurai Champloo is a brave piece of social commentary on persistent and deep-rooted beliefs that are part of traditional Japanese society and are often widely and uncritically accepted by people who ought to know better. Like what? Well, the status of women is a very big one, and so is xenophobia (Mugen is from Ryukyu, and I cannot tell you how many times that I have had people tell me in all seriousness that people from Ryukyu are not really Japanese, with the implication that they are ever so slightly inferior), and let's not forget the episode with the eating contest, and the "why" behind the story of the Samurai Who Smells of Sunflowers - you don't have to agree or disagree, by the way, it's just put out there for you to see and think about.I enjoyed all of the episodes, but the ones that especially stood out for me were the two Misguided Miscreants ones, which tell of Mugen's past; the two Elegy of Entrapment ones in which our friends meet Sara, the blind shamisen player; and the last three, called Evanescent Encounter, which end the series. Just wow.I'm sorry I wrote a book instead of a review, and thank you for reading it! I hope you will give Samurai Champloo a shot, and enjoy it as much as I did.

I recently bought the blurays of Cowboy BeBop and decided to add Champloo to my collection as well. Disks and Packaging where in great shape and I couldn't be happier.

Classic series. If you haven’t seen it then you should. A true anime classic

One of my favorite anime series. Delivered fast and nothing was loose in the case, would definitely suggest.

Mugen is a cocky, rebellious, bandy-legged fighter who incorporates break-dancing techniques into his unorthodox fighting style. Jin is more your typically calm and stoic samurai (or ronin, to be more precise), steeped in martial tradition, who finds satisfaction in the perfect execution of his warrior craft. Mugen and Jin aren't friends - in fact, they are contentious and want to test their skills against each other - yet they find themselves joining forces, thanks to Fuu, an insistent and kinda quirky waitress who inveigles the two into helping her search for the Samurai Who Smells Like Sunflowers. For 26 episodes, the discordant trio undergo many adventures, some serious, some hilarious, some just plain out weird. The only constants are the bickerings amongst the three, the scrounging for food, and the intrusion of modern day sensibilities. Oh, and the rampant butt kicking as done by Mugen and Jin.On the heels of his popular Cowboy Bebop anime series, Shinichiro Watanabe decided to put a new spin on the samurai anime with his irreverent, hip Samurai Shamploo. Shamploo means "stir fry" or a mix, and this is certainly what this series is about, as it fuses the traditional samurai credo and decorum with the unexpected modern day incursions of hip hop attitudes, beatboxing, street tagging, and baseball. The episodes are supported by cool Japanese hip hop music soundtracks and blazing hip hop scratches for scene segues. Watanabe also makes beautiful use of visual metaphors, thereby adding more depth to the shenanigans. The ripping animation and dynamically constructed fight scenes are guaranteed not to disappoint.Kudos, too, to the voice actors, especially Steven Jay Blum (aka Daniel Andrews, who also voiced Cowboy Bebop's Spike) as the bestial Mugen. Kirk Thornton as Jin and Kari Wahlgren as Fuu are both excellent. The voice actor for the sometimes series narrator Policeman Sakami Manzou ("the Saw") is also very good.These episodes are definitely rated PG-13. This anime series doesn't hesitate to throw in scenes of drug use and graphic violence. Some episodes even contain mild sexual scenes.My favorite episodes are "The Art of Altercation" (for the spoken word samurai and his beatbox backup), the atmospheric "Cosmic Collisions" (where the trio fight the undead), the hilarious "Baseball Blues" (where the American pitcher couldn't find the strike zone with the dog at bat, and he ends up inadvertently hitting the mutt - not to worry, no animated dogs were hurt in the making of this anime), and the concluding 3-episode arc "Evanescent Encounter" (where Mugen and Jin are challenged to their very limits, resolve their rivalry, and Fuu at last catches up to the Sunflower Samurai).Here are the 26 episodes (alliterative American titles first, with the original Japanese titles in parenthesis):- "Tempestuous Temperaments" ("Storm and Stress") Episode 1- "Redeye Reprisal" ("Veritable Pandemonium") Episode 2- "Hellhounds for Hire" Parts One & Two ("Tacit Understanding") Episode 3-4- "Artistic Anarchy" ("Utter Indifference") Episode 5- "Stranger Searching" ("RedHeaded Foreigner") Episode 6- "A Risky Racket" ("Surrounded on All Sides") Episode 7- "The Art of Altercation" ("Self-Conceit") Episode 8- "Beatbox Bandits" ("Evil Spirits") Episode 9- "Lethal Lunacy" ("Fighting Fire with Fire") Episode 10- "Gamblers and Gallantry" ("Fallen Angels") Episode 11- "The Disorder Diaries" ("Learning from the Past") Episode 12- "Misguided Miscreants" Parts One & Two ("Dark Night's Road") Episode 13-14- "Bogus Booty" ("Through and Through") Episode 15- "Lullabies of the Lost" Verses One & Two ("Idling One's Life Away") Episode 16-17- "War of the Words" ("Pen in One Hand, Sword in the Other") Episode 18- "Unholy Union" ("Karma and Retribution") Episode 19- "Elegy of Entrapment" Verses One & Two ("Generous Elegy") Episode 20-21- "Cosmic Collisions" ("Anger Shot Toward Heaven") Episode 22- "Baseball Blues" ("Heart and Soul into the Ball") Episode 23- "Evanescent Encounter" Parts One - Three ("Circle of Transmigration") Episode 24-26

It's a cool anime, however... this is NOT FOR KIDS . Bought it for kids who love samurai anime. One day I heard cursing and adult language coming from their room .... rushed in and..... they're watching Samurai Champloo .I missed checking the age rating - MY FAULT, 14+ , and assumed its kids friendly like most anime.It was a big lost for kids but great gain for me. I loved it, awesome one, just don't watch it with young kids around.

Watanabe does it again!The Cowboy Bebop's director takes a new take of artistic historical culture (Edo-era) and upgrades it within a modern tone reflecting modern cultural norms. The anime itself is a comedy with each character flushing out deep developmental growth throughout the series. Unfortunately, its only 1 Season (26 Episodes) but I feel, that is all this series needed. Highly, recommended for any anime fan or just anyone looking for something different with historical themes mixed with a fantastic Hip-Hop soundtrack. It is geared towards a mature / older crowd.The Digital Copy works great in 2020, and can be redeemed at Funimation.The Physical disc comes in a generic double disc packaging.Pros:- Samurai Fighting- Hip-Hop Soundtrack- Edo-era- Characters are likeableCons:- too short (26 episodes)

This is easily one of the best anime ever made it may have a pretty simplistic story line to begin with however as the story goes on in the series it really grows and progresses. And it really captures your attention pretty quick and makes you want to keep watching to see what they are going to do next. And the animation is one of the best i have ever seen it's really good and the voice acting is outstanding. The show is really well balanced with good humour action and drama and can get really emotional at times which is very profound and the music is great as well. So if you are a really big anime fan and even if you're not this is definitely worth buying i doubt many people will regret getting this i sure didn't.

I am a huge fan of anime and I can say with absolute confidence that this is one of the best series I've had the privilege to come across. I love the story line, the soundtrack and the three main characters are all my favourites. You become so fond of them as the series goes on. The character development is soo great! The series has a great mixture of humour and action and each episode has its own unique story. It has an amazing flow to it. I find that is hard with a lot of animes but this series masters that. All in all it's an amazing watch and I would highly recommend it. It makes my top three favourite animes for sure. It deserves a lot of credit as I'm sure many people would enjoy it. It changed and impacted my life personally and everytime I see it I get the same sensations of beauty and amazement. I give it five stars and two major thumbs up! It really is terrific and I honestly cannot express how much I love this series.

Los blurays vienen decorados como discos de acetato, es un detalle bonito, 26 capítulos en los 3 discos, la historia es buena.