Monday, August 22, 2011

Samurai Champloo

Buy "Samurai Champloo" at **Amazon**

"Samurai Champloo" is a 26 episode long anime that takes place in Edo Japan.  However this particular anime is most noted for combining modern referencing into Edo like settings, also "Samurai Champloo" is well known for being one of the very few anime that use hip-hop in its soundtrack.  This anime starts out with random encounters that that develop into a partnership where the group sets out on a quest together hence the main plot.  The three main characters are Fuu, Mugen, and Jin who are on a quest to find a samurai who smells of sunflowers.

In all this series was heavily action packed and not short on laughs.  The episodes in this series are more like random events that happen on the groups journey rather than episodes that pertain to the plot.  Once you get more towards the last few episodes, mainly the last three, the plot really begins to unfold.  Each episode throughout the series however has its own feel to it, some episodes are just plain hilarious while other are very serious or very sad.  Not much consistency or constant vibe given off from this anime but it does however keep the audience at a lose as to what will happen next making it an interesting series.  The main characters in this series are very rich in personality as well as polar opposites in personality.  Fuu the helpless and clumsy girl leading the group, Mugen the rough cut bad ass who will pick a fight with anyone, and Jin the well mannered highly educated samurai who knows how to use a sword as well as his mind.  In all this anime was an action packed thriller/roller coaster ride that had its ups and downs, what really held this show together were the fight scenes, the show lacked depth.

Good:
-Action Packed
-Characters had rich personalities
-Combined an action packed anime with good balance of comedy
-Ending was one the audience could enjoy (Especially episodes 24-26)
-Soundtrack was original

Bad:
-Random assortment of episodes, no real plot following
-No essential vibe to series, each episode stood on its own
-Show started off fast and furious not very original

Scully Rating: 8.3 out of 10