Samurai Champloo

Please note that the review of this series is based on the viewing of Episodes 1-12 (26 episodes total).

Samurai Champloo is a jidai geki (samurai-period) piece with a twist. Based around the story of three travelers loosely bound together in their quest to find the 'samurai who smells of sunflowers', viewers are introduced to sly and surly streetfighter Mugen, who harbors an inherent dislike of authority; mysterious ronin, Jin, whose every movement is Zen exemplified; and ditzy waitress Fuu, whose moxy initiates their disjointed search.

The series is one of those noteworthy pieces that really strikes you visually, with the palette set from Episode 1 - the art practically oozes of cool from the get go. With frenetic fight scenes, gallows humor, and moving drama, if Tarantino produced anime, this could possibly be it. Cowboy Bebop producer, Sinichiro Watanabe, has crafted another piece that really stands out. The only flaw that might befall Champloo is having to emerge from the shadow of Bebop's fame. Fans of the latter will inevitably draw comparisons to the show's style, as the same techniques were familiarly employed: the use of hiphop rather than jazz to set the mood; two main characters as foiled dichotomies to their humorous sidekick; and a mission that needs to be accomplished but always underscored by the fact that our heroes are fighting against their perennially empty coffers and an equally empty stomach.

Though there are no overtly yaoi elements here, shonen-ai subtleties do emerge - specifically pointed at the main character, Jin. Jin is the classic samurai - stoic, silent, resolute - reliant on his strengths and bearing an air of quiet confidence. He is an accomplished swordsman overshadowed by a mysteriously troubled past. But beyond the hallmarks of angst, he is the epitome of the samurai code. Attention is drawn not only to his fighting style but to his beauty, as well. The opening episode highlights a fiery skirmish as he and Mugen duel it out, only to abruptly cut to Jin in a bath during a brief intermission - later revealed to be a dream sequence that preludes corporeal punishment. The second episode adds interest as a guised enemy meets Jin at an onsen: as he enters the bath, the gentleman remarks on the fireflies and asks if Jin knows why they glow. The light, he explains, is to attract the females... but sometimes males also end up attracting each other. And then there is Jin's nicely done attempt at cross-dressing, complete with shamisen, to liberate an unfortunate brothel employee. The guise proves thin, though, when he is asked to play and his true skill is revealed. Curiously, even his comrades repeatedly wonder about his tendencies to explain his aloofness to advances by the opposite sex. Various attempts by women leave him cold, and one has to wonder if one moving act of chivalry later on in the series is only just an act of bushido.

Regardless, innuendos are rife and references to BL are certainly there. Packed with just with the right amount of seriousness and humor, Samurai Champloo is a highly enjoyable show, very much recommended, and quite definitely a whole lot of fun.