Samurai Champloo is a one of a kind anime, in my opinion, it’s one of the best. I was not one of the many who first experienced this as it aired outside of Japan in 2005 on Toonami. In fact, I was barely four years old and the only anime I had experience with at that point were Pokemon and Kiki’s Delivery Service on VHS, but I digress. Upon getting more into the medium in my mid to late teens, I kept hearing the name Samurai Champloo. I always thought, “what a peculiar name.” and with such a name it always stuck with me. Sooner or later it’d creep up on my watchlist and I found myself embarking on a journey that left such an impact on me that it’d change the trajectory of my life. I get it, that sounds overdramatic, over the top, and over the cringe to most people. But that is honestly the impact this anime had on me when I needed it most. So exactly ‘why’ and ‘how’ did this piece of art change the direction I headed towards in my life?
Before getting into the ‘why’s and the ‘how’s, you need to know the ‘what’. As in, what is Samurai Champloo? The story is about a girl named Fuu, who strikes a deal with two swordsmen to be her bodyguards on her quest for, “the samurai who smells of sunflowers” after saving them from being executed for standing up to the corrupt prefect of that town. The first episode alone had me hooked by displaying tasteful anachronism with hip-hop culture meshing with traditional Japan. And it unapologetically demonstrates it throughout. For example, Fuu’s cry for help spontaneously gets chopped and screwed in the middle of an episode for no reason other than style.
It also creatively conveys the changing times in Edo Japan, both literally and figuratively. Illustrating that the older generation may find it difficult to move on, while the new blood thrives in breaking the laws of tradition. The show excels meshing two themes that otherwise clash against each other. Proving the point that there’s room for both old and new ideals to not only coexist, but to be able to find a common ground.
This is perfectly illustrated through its main cast. Mugen is a rude and vulgar yet exceptional swordsman who mixes in breakdancing with his fighting style. Jin, is a stoic samurai who vehemently clings onto their ideals in a post-samurai world. Then there’s Fuu, who is the glue who keeps the cast firmly bonded whether they like it or not, and usually at her expense. She’s a bit of an entitled princess, but manages to have the most common sense of the bunch. Though that’s not saying much. Even beyond them, this show is filled with a rainbow of personalities that come and go. Only adding to this world’s righteously inventive style. There’ll be characters that you feel immense pity for, characters whose existence will leave you perplexed, and characters you love to hate. Not to mention, the voice acting is perfect.
The side cast is also nicely used to translate the various themes. It uses its characters and their dilemmas as a progressive statement, advocating for the acceptance and tolerance of minority groups. And I must say that I didn’t pick up on this until after my second watch. The show executes this message with ease and not coming off as forced or ham-fisted like a good amount of western media does today with a similar message, but I digress. The point is, this show manages to convey its themes on social issues remarkably.
If you aren’t sold on this show from its sick style, or cast of characters, then allow me to sell you on this show’s visual department. Holy matrimony, the artstyle, animation, backgrounds, and visual effects are an aesthetically delightful experience that has never left me since watching this show. The show has swift, smooth, and flashy animation especially in its fighting choreography. The characters are often lanky or have exaggerated features. They possess a somewhat thick black outline that enhances their distinct physical attributes. This show is able to use color to highlight a particular emotion, timeframe, or vibe the show evokes like no other show has before. Be it a profusely hot day beside a beach having a yellow-tinged hue, a jungle during a storm drenched in cobalt blue, or a duel where we only see profusely black silhouettes in front of a glowing neon background. Couple the colors with the various settings and backgrounds that I can admire for hours with their vast detail and soothing picture-like aesthetic and my eyes are feasting.
I’ve saved my favorite part of this anime for last, the soundtrack. Yes, I love every aortic aspect of this show, but it’s the soundtrack that elevates this piece of art to another level. For every anime, the soundtrack is a companion piece for it, meant to aurally enhance the viewing experience. However Samurai Champloo is a rare case where the show is a companion for the soundtrack. For starters, the composers are Fat Jon, Force of Nature, Nujabes, and Shinji "Tsutchie" Tsuchida. The music is beyond eclectic, as each artist brings out their best work and distinct style to give this show a sense of atmosphere unique to Samurai Champloo and Samurai Champloo alone. Enjoy the soundtrack as it takes you across the Sahara desert, an auditorium full of 1000 drums ripping, and songs that are as much bedtime hymns as they are dance floor rippers. It’s almost impossible to label the soundtrack under a single genre, as doing so would be a huge disservice. Samurai Champloo is a one of a kind anime, in my opinion, it’s one of the best. In all aspects, the eclectic soundtrack, the theme of following your own path and rising back up anytime life tries to knock you down, creative anachronism, and the characters that feel genuine. It's perfect and I implore anyone reading this to join these three in search of the Samurai who smells of sunflowers, to find their own life's destiny
