Samurai Champloo

Review by Matthew Anderson

DVD Preview Screener

Company: Geneon

Series Length: 17 episodes

U.S. Release Date: 15 January 2005

Rating: R (Language, violence, adult situations)

This is a special preview of a press sampler, English Audio only.

EXTERNAL EXAM

In Edo, two warriors have met for the first time. One is named Mugen, a dirty, back alley fighter with a chip on his shoulder. The other is Jin, a refined and elegant ronin who goes out of his way to do the right thing.

Like oil and water, the two of them don't mix well. From the moment they meet, the only thing they want to do is kick each others asses. When fate intervenes in the form of a corrupt government official and a cute waitress named Fuu, the two men put their differences aside to help Fuu find a mysterious samurai who "smells like sunflowers".

They just have to survive long enough to do so.

WIDESCREEN REVIEW

STORY: This has got to be the hippest show ever to come out of Japan. Credit is due largely to Chief Scriptwriter Shinji Obara and director Shinichiro Watanabe. A groovy blend of snappy banter and intense action, the staff takes the tired "Samurai-anime" genre and gives it a much needed face lift.

ACTING: Another superb job by Bang/Zoom! Entertainment. David Lucas is perfect as the crass and crude Mugen. His smooth voice, combined with his cocky attitude shows how much of a bad ass Mugen is. For Kirk Thornton, he goes the other way, using a softer voice for Jin. He projects a very calm and quiet demeanor this very "Zen" character.

The rest of the cast is excellent, with "Bebop" alum Beau Billingslea and Wendee Lee making distinctive guest appearances.

FAN SERVICE: Well, there are a couple of suggestive shots and some jiggle factor, but nothing too titillating.

FINAL EXAM

Samurai Champloo is the shiznite!

That's it. There's the review.

You think I'm kidding? That is it! There is nothing else to say. What do you want from me?

I guess I could talk about it's in your face attitude. In the first episode, they flat out tell you they don't care that it's a work of fiction, and that those looking for historical accuracy had best step back. How they are not afraid to have the dialogue sound like something 20th century street punks would say, despite being set in Edo period Japan. I could talk in-depth about it's smart ass vibe, but I'm not gonna.

Maybe it would be better to talk about the main characters. How Mugen and Jin are such bad asses, you know that anyone who fights them is going to get messed up. We can look at why they are more concerned about fighting each other instead of joining forces to fight evil. We can look at how in the modern age, these two men would be rival gang leaders, instead of wondering fighters. Sure, we could look at the very yin and yang relationship between these two men, but I'm not in the mood.

I can say a few words about the animation. It's smooth, highly detailed, and the cg elements are blended perfectly with the traditional animation. There is a fluidness to the animation, it's almost like water. The quality is so good, "Samurai Champloo" looks like it should be a movie, not a TV series. The costume designs are an interesting blend of modern and medieval styles, emphasizing its street warfare attitude. On second thought, forget about it.

No I got it now. I'll mention how fly the soundtrack is. How Tsutchie, fat jon, Nujabes, and FORCE OF NATURE have the funkiest and freshest hip hop mix this side of the Pacific. Just as good as Yoko Kanno, these boyz know how to rock a mike, word to ya mutha! Nah, I'm too old to sound like some sort of gangsta freak.

While I don't give a crap, the DVD is going to be loaded with some cool swag. Not only is there a Japanese and English 5.1, there is a Japanese DTS 5.1, so all you audiophreaks can get your groove on. You get the "battlecry" opening music video and the original teaser trailer. It's going to be presented in 16x9 anamorphic wide screen, so your plasma can get a much needed work out. Well, at least that's what the box says.

Seriously, Samurai Champloo is going to be the #1 title of 2005. Its smart ass attitude, smooth animation, and tough characters make this anime a worthy successor to the phenomenal "Cowboy Bebop". If you don't get this series the minute it hits the shelves, I will personally kick your ass!

Return to Top

Back to the Special Features Page