Please note: this review uses the scoring and rating system from MAL, and was copied over from there.
In watching this series, i had honestly forgot it shared the director from Cowboy Bebop, though it was a little like always on the tip of my tongue as Mugen's dubbed VA is also Spike, and so I had to tell myself it was different from Bebop, and it was. To me, someone who is heavily engrossed in Bushido and Samurai themselves while not being able to act upon those innate desires to study the way of the sword, and be one with myself, I can say I was deeply moved by every episode of the anime.
From the beginning first watching an episode or two when it aired on Adult Swim I was completely smitten. The music, art style, the way the characters moved and spoke, and the gravity of every single scene just had me hooked! Though I couldn't watch it all back then, I finally made the good decision to take a few days and watch it.
STORY -- 9/10
The take on an "alternate universe Edo period" was very well done, and the main characters played off and against each other so well, I found myself rooting for a different one every episode! The narration by a side character who eventually appeared was a nice touch as well so opening scenes weren't so quiet, it gave life to the amount of time after the opening where they had to set the mood/tone for the episode. And though all of the episodes were meant to follow a singular timeline of the series, I feel the creators did SO well in making each one like it's own individual story that we could get into and feel sad when they ended.
ART -- 10/10
The fight scenes were beautiful, and what drove the story for a while, soon turned into "What are we doing?" which was fine for when that was introduced. How Mugen and Jin were introduced was great, your typical "I'm a Samurai" but with the creators own twist with the era and personality of each character.
Backgrounds and blurred swings during fights were amazing to see as they took nothing away from the context of the narrative or the characters, but in fact capitalized on silence and tones of color to capture moments and invoke emotion to the point where I'd pause and just look at certain frames/scenes.
SOUND -- 10/10
The soundtrack was spectacular, and it makes me want to listen to it over and over. The Opening is such a banger and it's one of those that you just shouldn't skip, it's a crime. The somber music in a way was mt favorite out of everything as the tones of the art and backgrounds in the scenes, as well as still shots of the characters just popped so much more and held my attention.
How it had a hip-hop flare to the seemingly soft style of music was a joy as well, and it fit with the era of Japan the show worked with. I don't know much about the music artist whose work was used in Champloo but they seem like a gem.
CHARACTERS -- 9/10
The array of characters in this was so diverse with the good, the bad, and the clearly intentionally ugly. Mugen, Jin, and Fuu were three unlikely people who just happened to make a big impact in each other's lives and journeyed together. Stubborn and erratic Mugen, stoic and reserved Jin, and the bubbly, and determined Fuu. They clashed in the first few episodes and then soon got to be there for each other, though they knew barely anything about the others.
The side characters are very colorful for the "different" period of Japan the show creates. From the villains, to the characters that mean well, to the main characters' past friends and allies. The special agent character who narrated the show was amusing, and some of the interactions with side characters toward and with the main characters was quite humbling and real in the period of Japan.
ENJOYMENT -- 10/10
I very much enjoyed the show in its entirety, and would watch it three, maybe five more times. Every time I watched an episode I felt so engaged with what was going on and I felt if I blinked I'd miss something amazing. Never have I enjoyed an anime as much as this, Samurai 7 is also up there as a special one too because I have a passion for Samurai anime.
OVERALL -- 10/10
It was a great anime to watch and it's a series I'll definitely get to own.
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