User Reviews

I finished this anime in two days and my only regret is that i didn't watch it earlier. im a new anime fan as i just recently got into it but still i have watched the big ones such as death note, fullmetal alchemist, one punch man etc.. but i never really heard of samurai champloo until i stumbled on it when i finished cowboy bebop (same creators). let me just say..

IT IS SO AMAZING. the plot. the visiuals. the MUSIC. the characters. just about everyting. i loved watching fuu, mugen and jins journey to finding the samurai who smells of sunflowers.. just pure enjoyment. never had a dull moment. you really grow attached to the characters and its so nostalgic once you finish the show knowing you won't get to be with them anymore.. anyway if you are like me and usually read reviews before watching a series then im here to tell you: DO IT. samurai champloo is WORTH IT and so much more. now that ive finished it i cant wait to rewatch it again.

your fellow anime comrade

The anime has the setting of the Edo time period of Japan and it is surprising how perfectly the Hip hop music matches with this kind of a setting. Not only the opening song, Battlecry gives you the elegant vibes, the other songs like Small Circle of Friends and San Francisco are just as catchy. Even the non-hip hop songs like Shiki no Uta, Who's theme and Obokuri-Eeumi in the Okinawan dialect give you the feelings of the 90s nostalgia. The OSTs which are played during the fight scenes or the deep conversations are really well made and perfectly suit to those respective scenes. Nujabes has been widely praised for the Samurai Champloo soundtrack and very rightly so. In terms of quality, this soundtrack is second to none(Okay, maybe second only to Naruto's). This anime has made me appreciate the Japanese Hip hop even though I have never found the conventional Western Hip hop interesting.

Having the setting of Edo Japan, the anime has several historical references. While there is some accuracy in it, most of it is just for fun. The story revolves around Mugen, Jin and Fuu as they journey across Japan trying to find "The samurai who smells of sunflowers." In their journey, they experience all sorts of crazy things, get into trouble and try to make money or find the means to survive as long as they are traveling together. As the show progresses, the mysteries of the characters' pasts are slowly revealed. The anime has a bittersweet ending. Once their motives are all achieved, the three characters go on their separate paths. Yet, it doesn't really intend to make us feel emotional. In an elegant manner and using the Hip hop style, they just ask us to carry on whilst playing the song 'San Francisco.'

The characters are so damn interesting. I was shocked to see the character of Mugen. It was nothing like any other main character. As a self-taught and ruthless swordsman, he just doesn't know how to hold back. Not only is he arrogant but always looks to pick up meaningless fights and wouldn't mind brutally injuring or killing others. His past is beautifully explored though. You would understand from where he got such beasty personality. Jin has noted that it is surprising how a reckless and impulsive man like him is still alive. Despite traveling together and having minimum hatred for each other, Mugen and Jin wish to kill each other someday. Despite Jin being just as cold on a contrary, he is much wiser and calculating samurai. Rarely losing his stoic exterior, he doesn't bother sharing his past, his motives, his mysteries or even his basic feelings with Mugen and Fuu. He does however manage to fall in love with a woman, who taught him how to cook Eel. Fuu, despite being cheerful and a foody woman, too has her own motives. In fact, the main storyline of this show entirely depends on what she is upto or on the factors responsible for her actions or decisions. Fuu seems to be much more sensible than Mugen and Jin, something that allows her to trick even such cold men and make them work for her.

Few episodes are only for the references sake. So don't be shocked when you see the main characters apparently dying just for them to appear well and alive in the very next episode as if nothing was happened to them. I am pretty sure most of the people won't take it positively. Nevertheless, the things that matter the most are fabulously done. For instance, the scene in which we see Mugen drowning and we get to see the glimpses of his past life. Not only was the scene emotional, nicely animated and perfectly executed, but the song Obokuri-Eeumi makes it look even more beautiful and deep. The action scenes are brilliantly choreographed as well. Some of those managing to trigger the characters' philosophies or deep thoughts really make the show look more interesting.

The elegance of Samurai Champloo has managed to amaze me and even the ending was done in such a way that the completion of the anime feels totally satisfying. I will praise it endlessly but on the other hand, I will also have no complaints if it doesn't have the season 2.

Samurai Champloo is the long-awaited next project from Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe. His two short films in the Animatrix compilation (Kid's Story and Detective Story) give American audiences a sneak peek at the phenomenal art style of this series, but they barely hint at the jaw-dropping action and unorthodox blend of history and music contained therein.

The similarities with Bebop end at the fact that the series has three protagonists: the vagrant swordsman Mugen, the rogue samurai Jin, and the tea-shop waitress Fuu. This unlikely and volatile trio begin a road journey through post-shogunate Japan (ca. 1780), brought together by circumstances best seen to be believed.

"Champloo" means mixed-up or stir-fry, and that's what this series is: a stylish blend of old school values and situations, meshed with more modern sensibilities, fighting styles, and visual design. Over the lush, dynamic art, a soundtrack of some of the best hip-hop from modern Japan plays. Though it's a noticeable device in the first few episodes, it doesn't take long before the music feels like second nature despite the anachronism.

Champloo is many things: a mature drama, an action series, an uproariously funny comedy and a visual feast. Watanabe-san demonstrates here that the success of Cowboy Bebop was uniquely his, and no fluke - fans of that series will not be disappointed, despite how radically different the two story lines are from one another.

As the title card of the first episode of Samurai Champloo says, "Just shut up and watch."

From start to finish, this anime gave me a good feeling, relaxing and yet it kept me interested and wanting for more. Cannot describe the feeling exactly but it was a real pleasure watching it, just pure happiness.

The three protagonists, Jin, Fuu and Mugen are great and each has their own character which makes them a lovely trio. Animation is superb, that classic art style that sadly you don't see anymore. Story is interesting even though not much happens untill the second part of the anime, but I just love seeing feudal Japan in an animation, and just random things, you don't need to save the world every episode. Overall I would recommend this to absolutely anyone, it's a real gem.

I find it difficult to find a quality anime. The vast majority of content is catered to children and weebs. Whether it be the standard harem MC protagonist that is allegedly relatable by being pathetic and incapable of controlling his emotions; 9/10 struggle from comically childish, amount of control over their feelings, inequity and insecurities. This stands apart by it's ability to have characters that are relatable, skillful, and in control. It can be likened to the quality content of my youth. The animation is phenomenal, and it's overall marvelous.

I highly recommend watching Samurai Champloo for all anime and art fans. The story line is of a girl Fuu who meets Jin and Mugen. Jin is a disciplined and meditative character while his counter part Mugen is a reckless, wild, bastion who wields his sword and tongue like a hurricane wind. Fuu and the two samurai are on a path to find the samurai who smells of sunflowers, the series follows their journey.

The artistry of the show is incredible, and as a full time artist (www.ecstaticexpression.org) I was drawn in and kept looking forward to watching the episodes. Fans of the orient, samurai's and art enjoy the stories of Fuu, Jin and Mugen.

Samurai Champloo is so underrated. Jaw-dropping action and unorthodox blend of history and music contained therein.

With three protagonists: the vagrant swordsman Mugen, the rogue samurai Jinn, and the tea-shop waitress Fuu. This unlikely and volatile trio begin a road journey through post-shogunate Japan (ca. 1780), brought together by circumstances best seen to be believed.

"Champloo" means mixed-up or stir-fry, and that's what this series is: a stylish blend of old school values and situations, meshed with more modern sensibilities, fighting styles, and visual design.

Champloo is many things: a mature drama, an action series, an uproariously funny comedy and a visual feast. You will not be disappointed, despite how radically mind blowing it is.

Just watch it.

I think it was boring in some episodes of this series but over all it was good and enjoyable to watch it was ashame they never managed a second session of the show I have been waiting years and still nothing so I am disappointed.

A great story, but the ending feels off.

Firstly, I am not a Cowboy Bebop fan... but this does put a smile on my face.

There is no doubt that Samurai Champloo is a good anime. From the very start, characters and the story are well defined, and the idea of mixing 19-century samurais with hip-hop culture is rather well executed. The dynamic between Jin, Mugen and Fuu is very interesting and funny to watch, with the two swordsmen constantly being each other's opposite. The development of the story is quite fascinating: the main goal is always to find the Sunflower Samurai; however, everything that happens to the trio on the way is a result of them trying to find some food and get some rest. Some of the plotlines felt too real, as the matter of a fact, and the themes of violence, slave trade, gambling and promiscuity definitely provide the show with an appropriately dark undertone.

On the-not-so-bright side of things, the last few episodes could have been done better. The show is all great and realistic up to the twentieth episode when I-do-not-know-what happens; and the baseball filler kinda ruins the tension we are supposed to get at the climax of the story. The character development is also a bit lacking; we know what Jin and Mugen are like from the very start, but little do we get to know them throughout the whole series. Also, how many cuts and bullets can one samurai take before they die? No spoilers here, but that question ruins the ending for me personally.

All in all, give it a go - if not for the story in general, then for an entertaining and realistic way the 19-century Japan is presented.

Samurai Champloo is a complete and utter masterpiece. No matter what emotion you may be feeling at the time, it will scratch that itch (and more ;) ).

I don't care what taste in media you may have, NOT watching Samurai Champloo would be a dishonor to whatever higher power/being you may believe in. In fact if you are a straight up ashiest, you would still be insulting some unknown cosmic entity (of far greater intellect to your own) by not watching this show, SO JUST WATCH IT BIT£H.

GOD. This show is good. Real good. Heads up, in my opinion the first 2/3 episodes are the weakest, so push through to be truly rewarded in a golden shower of glory.

This is my first review so I apologize for any sloppiness. Was rather intoxicated when compiling this masterly written review, so please give me some acknowledgement or at least some pity for my efforts.

Much love to all

Charlie. M. H. The 3rd

P. S watch COWBOY BEBOP + SPACE DANDY, = 10/10.

i don't see where all this "best anime ever"-style praise comes from. to be sure, "samurai champloo" is an enjoyable piece of lightweight entertainment, but its also seriously flawed.

the good thing about the series is, of course, the animation, which is just gorgeous. especially the fight scenes are flawless and its worth watching the series for those alone. the character designs are quite cool too, with sexy mugen stealing the show. the sets and backgrounds are beautiful, too. the show is one amazing eye-candy.

but the story is rather weak and slow. every episode has a little adventure or mystery which is enough to carry the episode itself, but those little adventures never have anything to do with the overall plot. and said overall plot, the search for the samurai who smells of sunflowers, is not only rather boring, but doesn't seem to progress at all. therefore, there is no suspense or momentum, no sign that the series is headed anywhere.

so, is "samurai champloo" worth watching? it sure is - its pretty and its fun. but i don't think its the masterpiece everyone seems to have seen.

I have heard so many praise this series and I can really not see why. I have seen 18 episodes of this show and after 18 episodes, really nothing has happened. Really. Nothing has happened, which according to me is a miracle.

The story is progressing at turtle speed. In the first 15 episodes or so, 95% of the content is about food, how hungry they are, how they are going to get money for food, whacking up some random guys to get money for food and finally eating food. You got it? Everything is about food.

Don't get me started on the music. Mixing feudal Japan with rap, hip hop and scratching is according to me just horrible and I'm not even Japanese. The intro song is so bad you just laugh at it, especially the lyrics.

But everything is not horrible. The animation is really good, so are the fighting scenes. You can see they have really put effort into the animation, you don't see any normal cheap tricks like making the fighting and running occur with blurry closeups/swooshing, if you know what I mean. The female character is also alright, nothing of that "I behave like I am 6 years old and am doped up on speed", like most female characters behave in anime.

If they put so much effort into the animation, why not putting up a decent manuscript as well? Why they didn't do this is a clue to me. No wonder the show almost got canceled in Japan and that they had to do a break after the 17th episode. Really, the story progress is as dull as watching paint dry. The characters evolve about just as fast as the paint. You got to know something about their backgrounds after a dozen+ of episodes or so. Or why the heck they are even doing what they are doing. Unacceptable.

Enough said. Spend your time on something else. After I had seen the 18th episode, which was the start of season 2, I gave up. The episode that was supposed to perhaps give this show new life was perhaps one of the worst in the whole series.

Let me begin by saying I am a huge Cowboy Bebop fan. Spike Spiegel is my hero, okay? So as much as I was dying to see this new work from the mind of Shinichiro Watanabe, I was apprehensive from the standpoint that I didn't want to see any subsequent work destroy any luster or afterglow that Bebop left behind in its wake. I was downright scared, I mean, how can you mix samurai action with hip-hop? I know Bebop's atmosphere of 1940's noir and 2071 spaceships didn't seem possible at first, but I was proved wrong by that. Maybe Watanabe-san had stepped too far outside the box this time.

I'll just come right out and say it: Shinichiro Watanabe can make anything he dreams up work. ANYTHING.

Samurai Champloo is one of the absolute coolest series I have ever seen. And by ever I mean live-action, animated, whatever. "Ever" ever. If you like anime, this is required watching, a new classic for the medium. If you don't like anime, watch this and you just might start to.

The story centers around two rogue samurai and the girl they're somewhat assigned to protect. Fuu, the young damsel who always seems to get in and out of distress; Jin, the serious samurai, and Mugen, the samurai who's seriously un-serious. The three travel around Edo-period Japan in search of the mysterious "Sunflower Samurai". And if I told you any more than that, I'd ruin so much of it for you. Just know this - the first episode will hook you like Tyrone Biggums to crack.

If you're a fan of anime or Cowboy Bebop or just really bad-ass shows/movies in general, you owe it to yourself to check this one out. You can pick up the DVDs or just check it out Saturday nights on Adult Swim.

Oh, and if you watch Adult Swim regularly and haven't caught Samurai Champloo yet, shame on you. You should know better.

I absolutely LOVED Cowboy Bebop. When I found out that Samurai Champloo was from Watanabe as well, I had to watch. HAD to. And I was not disappointed in the least! The artwork: stylish, lavish, colorful, detailed, and beautiful! As in Cowboy Bebop, this show isn't full of hot-bodied women with ridiculously childish features, cut-and-paste still frame fight scene accentuated with speed lines as in Yuyu Hakusho (I still love that show, however); it had a very realistic, emphatic feel about it. Another poster commented on the well-done fight scenes, and I wholeheartedly agree! As a participant in kendo and iaido classes, I recognized that almost every move in the fights were accurate and practical, true to real sword fighting.

Characters: every single character was original, endearing! They each had their funny little quirks, their own personal issues that really makes you empathize with the characters. The voice acting is superb, both in English and Japanese.

Overall: I love the way Samurai Champloo employs modern day hip-hop beats and certain personalities, entwining them with a feudal era Japan. While the storyline seems a bit flimsy and is peppered with perhaps 1 too many filler episodes, the compelling, gorgeous, artistic components of the show are like a slap in the face: it's fresh, it's funky, it's Samurai Champloo!

The art, story, music are all very decent, i was very entertained through most of it with the exception of a few filler episodes, the character development is also on point and you get enough screen time from each of the main characters to develop a love for all of them. I highly recommend watching it.

First some disclaimers. I came to anime late in life, not completely understanding the power of this art form in the right hands. I have since compensated for this untoward behaviour by watching about 50 of the genre, both full length and series, sequentially, in a very short period of time. Like, days. I am currently not sure what year it is, or what country I am living in, but I know for a fact that anime is no less an art form than the stuff you stand in line for at the museums. Second disclaimer, after watching this series, I made a beeline for Cowboy Beebop -- oops sorry for the pun -- but could not get past the first in the series. (This may or may not lend credibility to the other IMDb reviewers who maintain the two series are as different as they are similar?) Disclaimers aside, this is a wonderful treat, fun, action-packed, great music, fascinating themes, and a lot hidden irony (and other treats) buried deep in the dialog for those with very sharp ears. The characters, who form a brilliant ensemble cast, are as good anything in mainstream media. MAKE SURE YOU GET THE English AUDIO. The hip-hop sub-theme is fun, never too distracting. Highly recommended. FOOTNOTES: After watching a highly concentrated mix of Japanese and American anime, my conclusion is that the Japanese product is better crafted to an entirely higher order of magnitude. My favorite so far is APPLESEED, which, no coincidence, had, I believe, the strongest story line and script to support the wonderful animation. My criticism of Japanese anime generally is that the stories tend to be considerably weaker than the animation, leaving the viewer with an "A/V high" that last for a few hours, and then you forget why you liked the product in the first place. (oops) American product is better written, period. I consider the LAST AIRBENDER series, and the feature OVER THE HEDGE, to be two of the best productions ever done in America, regardless of genre.

Samurai Champloo is a fun action anime with some pretty good English voice acting from Steve Blum Kirk Thornton and Kari Wahlgren.

It also has a lot of memorable characters entertaining action sequences and some pretty good humor. My only complaint about the show was some of the filler episodes I thought they were pretty forgettable.

I'm not really drawn in by many animes, they all seem (no offense, anime lovers) a bit nerdy, however i really liked Cowboy Bebop and Hellsing. Life after Shinichiro Watanabe after Cowbow Bebop? Samurai Champloo. Samurai Champloo follows the distraught, weird and sometimes tragic lives of Mugen, Jin and Fuu. What instantly makes you take a liking to these characters is their styles, Mugen , the crazy, dirt-mouthed warrior, Jin the master samurai and Fuu, the annoying girl. The series is full of twists and turns as Fuu struggles to find a samurai who smells of sunflower and Mugen and Jin's blurry past, which is slowly revealed throughout the series, which brings me to another plus; the story. I found this story to be one of the most progressive stories ever, keeping you on your toes and revealing a little bit about the character every episode.

The animation style is great, it's got violence, humor and a nice hip hop soundtrack to go along with it. A must for all (except the kids)!

One of the most universally popular and admired animes of recent years was Cowboy Bebop, a futuristic western with complex, entertaining characters and an amazing jazz and blues soundtrack. The movie version was even given a modest theater release in the states. So the creators of that show has to do something to either top themselves, or go in a completely different direction. With Samurai Chemploo they actually try to do both, strangely enough. Fuu is a young girl working in a tea shop somewhere in Japan during the 19th Century. A series of converging events land her in the middle of a duel between two rogue samurai, traditionally trained Jin, and the violent thug Mugen. She strangely manages to recruit them in a long journey to find a specific man, a samurai who smells of sunflowers. Along the way they encounter a variety of people and situations, and kind of gives a historical look at the Japanese culture of the time, involving the Shogunate and the influx of western influence. But there is no mistaking this as a historical piece, as it routinely breaks into modern rap and hip hop style music and dancing, with some animation exaggerations that make it comparable to the Looney Tunes. But the comparison to Cowboy Bebop is unmistakable. All the characters are unique creations, not archetypes or retreads, but distinct human beings who always behave as their personality dictates. Jin is a minimalist, saying what is needed to be said and anything else is punctuated by a soft, 'Hmmm.' Mugen is probably the star of the show, yet he is a loudmouth, speaks his mind, which is usually a swear word, and is actually an efficient slacker. Fuu is a very peppy and energetic girl, who manages to cope well in the foreign situations she is put in, and can talk her way out of and into anything very subtly. Another distinction is the way the music is integrated. The episodes in general have a more classical Japanese music soundtrack, the rap is usually in the more comedic episodes. But often a point will be given by a long period of no dialogue and only a distinctive song is played while characters go on with their lives. You learn what everyone is thinking, and it gives the audience time to let it settle in. The action is also a significant highlight. Every battle is distinctive, smooth, and perfectly paced. They move with superhuman speed, but is still grounded in real life and battle tactics. Mugen is especially enjoyable to watch, as he utilizes break dancing-like moves and often doesn't even need to use his sword. As a whole, the show is a treat to watch under different reasons. The quirky humor will thrill some people and turn-off others. That is the reason many Americans do not appreciate anime, because the visuals and comedy are sometimes culturally specific and very strange to foreigners. But the action is crisp and the characters can hold their own separately. What more can you ask for?

I was really into it at first, but then it seemed to go into filler more with unrelated stories. some were good but most i didn't care for. and i like the style and the cool things they do with altered history, but it got tired after a while. (1 viewing, 2/13/2020)