November 3rd, 2020
My thoughts on Samurai Champloo
Anime Relations: Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo
Samurai Champloo was directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, also known for his work on Cowboy Bebop(which you’ve seen). The thing is Watanabe is a very artistic director. Both Bebop and Champloo in my opinion don’t have the best stories. Bebop is episodic, so there is not much of a story; Champloo does have an overarching theme set in stone, but it takes frequent detours from it. Then again, the point of both of these shows is the experience. The experience makes up for whatever missteps they make, and the experience is why I love them both so much.
What I mean by this is, take for example “Asteroid Blues” in Cowboy Bebop. It immediately hooks you in with jazz music juxtaposed with a high octane fight scene between Spike and some guy(see, already I can’t remember the story). Similarly, Champloo hooks you in from the first episode with a high octane action scene and an amazing OST. You’ll know when it plays in the first episode. The story isn’t that important, but the characters in Shamploo have fully fleshed out personalities, and this makes Mugen, Jin and Fuu memorable. “Mugen is Spike’s ancestor”, is what I read on a YT comment. And honestly that’s pretty accurate.
The thing I love the most about the show is the music. Nujabes is known for pioneering a unique blend of lofi and hiphop, and it fits the show’s aesthetic very well. The opening, Battlecry, features cool ass rapping by Shing02, and has cool visuals. The ending theme is mellow and I have never skipped it— whenever it plays it leaves me wanting more. Even though it was the only anime Nujabes made music for, it’s a major reason I like it so much, because now Champloo’s legacy is Nujabes’ legacy in the anime industry. Nujabes profoundly impacted many watchers with his music through Champloo, which established the overall tone for the show despite it being set in the Edo period(which had drastically different musical instruments). There are four unreleased soundtracks, or music records by Nujabes, Tsutchie, Fat Jon and Force of Nature which are also 🔥. The music is so powerful in Champloo.
When certain songs play in the anime, mixed in with the artstyle, they create SUCH A MOOD. It’s amazing how shows like Champloo among others are able to establish their atmosphere so effectively. The Edo period setting is always emphasized and the show never looses sight of realism whilst remembering that the music can be whatever. Fortunately the music never disappoints and I would say it’s perfectly placed in every episode. Artstyle, characters and music are the main reasons I love Champloo. Not so much for story, but Champloo has its own vibe that can’t be replicated, mark my words.
What I mean by this is, take for example “Asteroid Blues” in Cowboy Bebop. It immediately hooks you in with jazz music juxtaposed with a high octane fight scene between Spike and some guy(see, already I can’t remember the story). Similarly, Champloo hooks you in from the first episode with a high octane action scene and an amazing OST. You’ll know when it plays in the first episode. The story isn’t that important, but the characters in Shamploo have fully fleshed out personalities, and this makes Mugen, Jin and Fuu memorable. “Mugen is Spike’s ancestor”, is what I read on a YT comment. And honestly that’s pretty accurate.
The thing I love the most about the show is the music. Nujabes is known for pioneering a unique blend of lofi and hiphop, and it fits the show’s aesthetic very well. The opening, Battlecry, features cool ass rapping by Shing02, and has cool visuals. The ending theme is mellow and I have never skipped it— whenever it plays it leaves me wanting more. Even though it was the only anime Nujabes made music for, it’s a major reason I like it so much, because now Champloo’s legacy is Nujabes’ legacy in the anime industry. Nujabes profoundly impacted many watchers with his music through Champloo, which established the overall tone for the show despite it being set in the Edo period(which had drastically different musical instruments). There are four unreleased soundtracks, or music records by Nujabes, Tsutchie, Fat Jon and Force of Nature which are also 🔥. The music is so powerful in Champloo.
When certain songs play in the anime, mixed in with the artstyle, they create SUCH A MOOD. It’s amazing how shows like Champloo among others are able to establish their atmosphere so effectively. The Edo period setting is always emphasized and the show never looses sight of realism whilst remembering that the music can be whatever. Fortunately the music never disappoints and I would say it’s perfectly placed in every episode. Artstyle, characters and music are the main reasons I love Champloo. Not so much for story, but Champloo has its own vibe that can’t be replicated, mark my words.
Posted by AcbSnakeDemon | Nov 3, 2020 1:53 PM | 1 comments