Samurai Champloo

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: SAMURAI CHAMPLOO
Japanese: サムライチャンプルー
English: Samurai Champloo
More titles

Information

Type: TV
Episodes: 26
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: May 20, 2004 to Mar 19, 2005
Premiered: Spring 2004
Broadcast: Saturdays at 10:30 (JST)
Studios: Manglobe
Source: Original
Genres: ActionAction, AdventureAdventure, ComedyComedy
Themes: HistoricalHistorical, SamuraiSamurai
Duration: 24 min. per ep.
Rating: R - 17+ (violence & profanity)

Statistics

Score: 8.511 (scored by 611729611,729 users)
1 indicates a weighted score.
Ranked: #1232
2 based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity: #106
Members: 1,185,231
Favorites: 36,160

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8.51
Ranked #123Popularity #106Members 1,185,231
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Episodes: /26
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Synopsis

Fuu Kasumi is a young and clumsy waitress who spends her days peacefully working in a small teahouse. That is, until she accidentally spills a drink all over one of her customers! With a group of samurai now incessantly harassing her, Fuu desperately calls upon another samurai in the shop, Mugen, who quickly defeats them with his wild fighting technique, utilizing movements reminiscent to that of breakdancing. Unfortunately, Mugen decides to pick a fight with the unwilling ronin Jin, who wields a more precise and traditional style of swordfighting, and the latter proves to be a formidable opponent. The only problem is, they end up destroying the entire shop as well as accidentally killing the local magistrate's son.

For their crime, the two samurai are captured and set to be executed. However, they are rescued by Fuu, who hires the duo as her bodyguards. Though she no longer has a place to return to, the former waitress wishes to find a certain samurai who smells of sunflowers and enlists the help of the now exonerated pair to do so. Despite initially disapproving of this idea, the two eventually agree to assist the girl in her quest; thus, the trio embark upon an adventure to find this mysterious warrior—that is, if Fuu can keep Mugen and Jin from killing each other.

Set in an alternate Edo Period of Japan, Samurai Champloo follows the journey of these three eccentric individuals in an epic quest full of action, comedy, and dynamic sword fighting, all set to the beat of a unique hip-hop infused soundtrack.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Background

Samurai Champloo is the only anime to have featured music from the Japanese hip-hop producer Nujabes prior to his death in 2010. The anime also spawned the 2006 video game Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked for the PlayStation 2.

The show aired in two parts, with the first half airing Thursdays at 2:28 AM on Fuji TV from May 20, 2004 to September 23, 2004, and the second half airing Saturdays at 10:30 AM on BS Fuji from January 22, 2005 to March 19, 2005.

Geneon Entertainment USA originally licensed and released the show in North America, but after their closure in late 2007, the show went out of print. FUNimation Entertainment later entered a distribution deal with Geneon to distribute some of their titles, including Samurai Champloo. After the distribution deal ended, FUNimation later outright licensed the series.

Episode Videos


Related Anime


Characters & Voice Actors

Mugen

Main
Nakai, Kazuya
Japanese

Jin

Main
Sato, Ginpei
Japanese

Kasumi, Fuu

Main
Kawasumi, Ayako
Japanese

Sara

Supporting
Tamagawa, Sakiko
Japanese

Imano, Yatsuha

Supporting
Hidaka, Noriko
Japanese

Sakami, Manzou

Supporting
Ishizuka, Unshou
Japanese

Kariya, Kagetoki

Supporting
Sugou, Takayuki
Japanese

Shinpachi

Supporting
Afra
Japanese

Bundai

Supporting
Wakamoto, Norio
Japanese

Sakonshougen, Nagamitsu

Supporting
Yamadera, Kouichi
Japanese

Staff

Satomi, Tetsurou
Producer
Watanabe, Shinichirou
Director, Episode Director, Script, Storyboard


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Opening Theme

Preview
Spotify
Apple Music
Amazon Music
Youtube Music
"Battlecry" by Nujabes feat. Shing02 (eps 1-25)
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Ending Theme

1: "Shiki no Uta (四季ノ唄)" by MINMI (eps 1-11,13-16,18-22,24-25)
2: "Who's Theme" by MINMI (eps 12)
3: "YOU" by kazami (eps 17)
4: "FLY [SMALL CIRCLE OF FRIENDS]" by Tsutchie & fat jon (eps 23)
5: "San Francisco" by MIDICRONICA (eps 26)




Apr 21, 2010
"Samurai Champloo" may not have the same ring to it as "Cowboy Bebop," yet it is a title that has a similar function: to illustrate a combination of multicultural pulp fiction sensibility. Where Cowboy Bebop was a past + future fusion of jazz, rock, and blues, spaghetti western, kung fu, and noir cinema genres, and a setting equating outer space to the great frontier, Samurai Champloo is a more wildly anachronistic mélange of Edo-period history and contemporary hip-hop and bohemian culture. "Champloo" itself comes from the word "chanpurū," Okinawan for "something mixed," and a source of Okinawa's pride in multicultural acceptance. Cowboy ...
Apr 3, 2013
I caught Samurai Champloo as it aired back in 2004, and though I liked it enough, it didn’t impact me as much as I hoped it would. Though maybe that’s not entirely true, as the soundtrack did indirectly change my life, thanks to the composer Nujabes introducing me to instrumental hip hop and providing a soundtrack to my life for the next few years.

I recently re-watched the show and felt compelled to write a retrospective/review of the series. While watching Jin, Mugen and Fuu traipse around 19th century Japan getting into ridiculous adventures, I realised Shinichirô Watanabe’s follow up to Cowboy Bebop is one of ...
Dec 16, 2006
Jin
Samurai Champloo is the latest work from Writer/Director Shinichiro Watanabe, who is most recognized for his work on Cowboy Bebop. One of the very few things Champloo and Bebop have in common is their great scores. Champloo mixes two subjects which would never be put in one sentence together, western hip-hop and eastern samurai swordplay. Yet the mixture comes out with a brilliant result. The fights scenes are hyped up with the speed and flow from the music and come out magnificent. But Champloo isn't all about fighting. Many things happen along the road for the ...

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Recent Forum Discussion

Poll: Samurai Champloo Episode 9 Discussion ( 1 2 3 )
Scribbly - Jul 17, 2008
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Jun 5, 8:34 PM
Poll: Samurai Champloo Episode 19 Discussion ( 1 2 )
smokes - Dec 6, 2009
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Poll: Samurai Champloo Episode 15 Discussion ( 1 2 3 )
SunSir - Mar 20, 2008
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Jun 3, 11:50 AM
Poll: Samurai Champloo Episode 14 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 )
Akral - Sep 16, 2007
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