There was something about this anime that had me continuing to watch episode after episode, despite the story on its own not sounding too impressive and the ridiculous characters. If somebody asked me to give it a gut-reaction rating out of ten, I'd say eight. However, there are other "8" animes that I wouldn't describe as being as great, so this gets a 9 from me out of personal bias. Your mileage can vary.
_| Summary |_
Samurai Champloo is a comedic historical fiction (informal categorizing), with some surprising commentary on the times. A lot of the humor is in the anachronisms--not all of which are
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easy to catch--as well as the ridiculousness of the characters. The story itself is a typicalstory of an unlikely trio (sound familiar?) on a journey to find someone. Half of the anime is spent heavily implying that they will split apart, leaving you wondering if they actually will. While the story is incredibly basic, it's the suspense from episode to episode and the very real desire to know if they ever reach their goal that keeps you going.
_| Story (7/10) |_
Let's be honest, if I were to give a person who had not seen the show a summary of the plot itself, they would find it lackluster, shallow and without merit. It's incredibly simple. The thing is, the writing itself is probably a 9/10. It's clever, intentional and often very rewarding from episode to episode. The main plot isn't the point, rather, it's a vessel the writer uses to bring us on an emotional journey.
Samurai Champloo's achievement is how intrigued it keeps you from episode to episode. There is a healthy balance of suspense, doubt, and even comedy to keep you going. It avoids many of cliches (not all of them) and leaves you truly wondering what is going to happen. There are a couple of really bad episodes, but the number of total plot holes is relatively low. I commend this anime for keeping a very specific goal in mind and sticking to it, rather than trying to have a huge scope and failing to meet expectations (not every anime can be Fullmetal Alchemist).
_| Characters (8/10) |_
The characters in this show are unique in their ability to shine through despite being technically flat. There isn't a lot of detail put into their personalities, and the show never spends a long time working on back-story or deep emotional insights as to why-they-are-the-way-they-are. However, they feel fresh, avoiding many of the stereotypes frequently exhausted in anime. Fuu (main character) is perfectly normal without being inept or overly talented in her areas of life. Mugen and Jin (the other two protagonists) show two very different, radical lifestyles. One is a well educated and intelligent lordless samurai, and the other is a brutish outlaw who never really thinks before doing anything.
I would almost be inclined to give them a seven instead of an eight, but they are so integral to the show that rating them on depth alone doesn't seem fair. It isn't about their depth (what I would generally base my character rating on), it's how they interact with the world around them. They manage to never fall into tropes, and while some of the anime was predictable, these characters took a life of their own and weren't always so easy to follow.
_ | Art (8/10) |_
While the visuals themselves aren't particularly memorable, it's the animation that catches my eye. The movements are very unique--stylistic--and the artist doesn't skimp out during fight scenes. Motion is fluid and interesting to watch. Mugen's fights using a break-dance style are particularly entertaining. I can't remember any still-frame battles that occurred (something I find common in anime, especially back when this came out). The world itself is refreshing, yet simplistic; it doesn't try to overwhelm you with crazy visuals or scenery but still manages to draw you in. There is an above average level of detail in the world itself, which gets props from me.
_| Sound (7/10) |_
It doesn't offend, and is often enjoyable, but I never found myself "wowed" by the soundtrack.
_| Enjoyment (10/10) |_
It's extremely entertaining to watch. It's funny. I found myself eye-rolling at quite a few parts but still kept coming back for more. it doesn't linger for too long on one theme or plot element. Overall, very entertaining for me. I loved it and will definitely be watching it again.
_| The Bad |_
To be honest, I found the ending to be inconsistent with the flow of the show itself. It seemed as though it was more committed to being different than it was to being particularly good. There is a lot of suspense, but that suspense feels artificial when viewed with a critical eye, and what happens after all is said and done is disappointing. Some have found the ending to be perfect, but I did not. There were a few episodes that contained information which was never referenced throughout the rest of the anime, leading to a few continuity issues.
The first half of the anime suffers from a lack of character development. A thought I had repeatedly was "after all this time, you'd think there was some sort of development on the friendship front." This anime is definitely not for people who rely heavily on character relationships, as all three main characters never directly express their emotions. It never satisfies your desire to see closure, and a lot of developments made are left behind in the end. These are some pretty serious flaws, but I decided in the end to keep with the high score solely because it is an anime I don't think I'll ever forget.
_| Overall (9/10) |_
Samurai Champloo will either click with you or it won't. If it doesn't, I would call it a 7-8/10 rather than my 9.
Jan 19, 2014
Samurai Champloo
(Anime)
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There was something about this anime that had me continuing to watch episode after episode, despite the story on its own not sounding too impressive and the ridiculous characters. If somebody asked me to give it a gut-reaction rating out of ten, I'd say eight. However, there are other "8" animes that I wouldn't describe as being as great, so this gets a 9 from me out of personal bias. Your mileage can vary.
_| Summary |_ Samurai Champloo is a comedic historical fiction (informal categorizing), with some surprising commentary on the times. A lot of the humor is in the anachronisms--not all of which are ... |
