Amazon.com: Shinichiro Watanabe's film noir-ish sci-fi adventure Cowboy Bebop set a new standard for cool in anime in 1998, and Samurai Champloo, an edgy mix of Edo-era martial arts and hip-hop irreverence, is a worthy follow-up. A string of coincidences brings together three misfits in a two-bit tea house: Mugen, a rebellious vagabond; Jin, a taciturn ronin; and Fuu, a nutty waitress. The sardonic Mugen lacks the polish that distinguishes a classic martial artist--he uses break dance spins and flips against his foes. Jin moves with a polish that approaches iciness: When he unsheathes his sword, he becomes a lethal work of art in motion. Fuu forces Jin and Mugen to help her find a mysterious samurai "who smells of sun flowers." As the ill-assorted trio wanders towards Nagasaki, Watanabe treats the audiences to a string of outrageous, anachronistic adventures. In Episode 18, Mugen belatedly learns to read at a smackdown elementary school, while Jin tries to settle the rivalry between the heirs to the dojo of his former sensei. The seemingly unrelated storylines collide in a no-holds-barred graffiti contest featuring Tokugawa rap lyrics, ink-brush tagging, Hiroshima homeboys, and a caricature of Andy Warhol. But Watanabe reveals the hidden significance of these nutty interludes when he brings his picaresque adventure-comedy to a close. Like Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo leaves the viewer wanting more. (Rated 16 and older: violence, violence against women, profanity, brief nudity, sexual situations, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon
Description: Mugen's a completely wild, uncontrollable warrior - deadly with his blend of capoeira-style swordsmanship and short temper. Jin is the epitome of the stoic samurai, lightning-quick, cool and always in control. And Fuu? She's an adorable (and somewhat airheaded) girl who manages to rein these two in to help her search for a mysterious "samurai who smells of sunflowers." Hopefully, she can keep them from killing each other and stay out of trouble along the way...Now own the entire journey of Mugen, Jin and Fuu in one complete set!
Geneon Animation Japan is no longer in business because they kept sending animation to Korea for shows such as Ergo Proxy (and the Japanese fans will NOT put up with that). But this has NOTHING to do with the pricing here.
Even while Geneon was still in business, Pioneer had the rights to translate, market, and sell their anime. Pioneer is greedy, and gouging the American consumer. Until recently, Cowboy Beebop was $180 (now a new set is down to $80). Check out the Tenchi Muyo collections as well.
It seems that FINALLY Pioneer is starting to see the light and copying the success of ADV (mainly) and Funimation by selling sets cheaper and in thinner packaging to lower shipping costs.
Ok, to the show now:
Great animation, great music (though I am not a fan of the intro song or animation), and great fun.
The story is engaging and the characters are all...well...'characters'. This is produced from the same genius mind that brought us Cowboy Beebop (one of the greatest shows ever!) and it does not fail to live up to Watanabe's standards.
For details, see other reviews.
Pros: Great story, animation, fun, disreputable characters, history (though inaccurate, still fun) Cons: Historical inaccuracies (though it never said it WAS accurate, just some douchebags are going to think it is truly accurate), some music just doesn't fit
Viewing Preference: English Dubbed
Fun. Exciting. and Action packed! If your looking for a good ol' serious Samurai story, then don't bother with this anime. But, if your interested in wacky outrageous fun with 3 struggling individuals living in the samurai era then this is for you! This series combines hip hop and samurai in a way that is different and innovative and that's what I like most about this series.
This was easily in my top 5 anime series to watch.
Huh? $23 a disk? I loved the series, but the price for the set is outrageous! Even a Blu-Ray release would barely justify the price.
Unique, stylish, and entertaining This box set is incredibly pricey, but if you can afford it I'd highly recommend it. The series is stunning, from style and animation to characters and value. Technical aspects: There are 26 episodes spanning seven volumes (discs), 1-5 having four episodes each and the final two having 3 episodes. I think the series has incredible replay value, and you can pick up the series at any episode and still enjoy it.
A journey story. A woman is searching for a man from her past - all she knows is that he was a samurai who smelled of sunflowers. Through accident she meets two men that are capable fighters, and accompany her on her journey after she saves their lives. The journey allows them to learn about each others' pasts and to grow into who they are.
But above all this is a layer of fantastic music and great humour, bright and interesting artwork, all of which combines into one amazing anime series.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
