a5c7b9f00b Fuu, a waitress who works in a teahouse, rescues two master swordsmen, Mugen and Jin, from their execution to help her find the &quot;samurai who smells of sunflowers.&quot; 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 thisa historical piece,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 behavetheir personality dictates. Jin is a minimalist, saying what is needed to be said and anything else is punctuated by a soft, &#39;Hmmm.&#39; 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,he utilizes break dancing-like moves and often doesn&#39;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? Take a rude crude breakdance-fighting dude with a bad attitude, a stoic &quot;by-the-book&quot; ronin and a spunky young waitress who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Throw them together into the sizzling wok of a world where ancient meets modern and stir in a wide array of other interesting characters.<br/><br/>The entire structure of Samurai Champloo&#39;s setting, characters and story mirrors that of the Okinawan stir fry dish the show is named after. Mugen (the breakdance-fighting dude) and Jin (the ronin) are recruited by Fuu(the waitress), after she saves them from execution. Together they must journey through this intriguing new world of a stylized Edo Period on a quest to seek out a mysterious samurai who smells of sunflowers. The narrative follows more along the style of American TV series; episodes are largely stand-alone but with an overarching storyline to tie one episode to the next. Each episode gives a glimpse into this unique worldenvisioned by director Shinichiro Watanabe while developing our 3 main characters&#39; back-stories.<br/><br/>On their own, each ingredient tastes great; each character has their own unique charm that really grows on you within the first episode alone. But it is their interactions with each other and the different situations they are thrown into what this &quot;dish&quot; is really about. The marvelous script weaves the 3 different personalities together in and out from one misadventure to the next, making for a wide mix of funny lighthearted moments with darker and even sad ones. The voice actors bring such chemistry to the the characters that it is easy to lose oneself in this show.(this is one of those few anime where the English dub actually sounded better than the Japanese voice track).<br/><br/>To complete the dish, Shinichiro Watanabe garnishes Samurai Champloo with some of the most awesome animation, stunning action sequences and artwork seen in an anime series. Though not up to the standards of a animated movie, Samurai Champloo&#39;s animation is along the lines of a high budgeted OVA; fluid, smooth and with almost no reliance on the usual animation &quot;short-cuts&quot;. A stunning achievement for the new anime studio &quot;Manglobe&quot;. The artwork combines modern anime aesthetics with a style similar to the traditional Japanese paintings. A few action scenes look a little &quot;flat&quot; thanks to the stylized minimalist shading, but they do not detract from the overall enjoyment of the show.<br/><br/>So once again, master &quot;chef&quot; Shinichiro Watanabe managed to produce one delectable delicacy of an anime series. A lip smacking blend of old and new, funny and serious; there is something to satisfy everyone in this series. A true spiritual successor to his 90s hit &quot;Cowboy bebop&quot; and easily a time honored classic in the making. This is a &quot;must have&quot; for any anime fan with a taste for great stories.
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