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[RawkHawk2010]

Recently in a thread where a dude asked what anime was the best on Netflix, Samurai Champloo came out as the clear winner. So why don't we talk about what makes this anime so good?

I suppose the first things I think of are the organic personalities of the characters and how they remain consistent throughout the entire series. Mugen, Jin, and Fuu are each other's "first friends", but they're always still emotionally distant enough to keep the viewer guessing on whether Fuu's ass is actually gonna get saved or not. (Or if Mugen and Jin are ever going to stop literally trying to kill each other.)

And so, not once were the characters ever stripped of their isolationist samurai spirits, resulting in what is probably the most "endingy" ending I've ever seen, if that makes sense. No cliffhangers, no contrived happiness, just the characters returning to their separate chosen paths.

I also really enjoy the fusion of historic and modern elements, such as the reoccurring urban/hip-hop motif and how it left its mark on everything from elements of the art style to the music. And oh man, OH MAN, the music. With contributions from Fat Jon, Forces of Nature, *drumroll* Nujabes and others, it's definitely a contender for best anime soundtrack of all time.

Just Forget

Mystline

Battlecry

Who's Theme

And one more thing? The baseball episode was the G.O.A.T.

(Discuss.)

 

[iavi]

Bruh. Spoilers.

Samurai Champloo is also a personal fav of mine. It came at the right time of life, and was as good as it is. I don't think anything will replace it.

 

[Zekes!]

I watch SamCham about once a year. It's sooooo good

 

[airmangataosenai]

I still can't believe Watanabe hasn't directed since this. Such a criminal waste of talent.

Edit: Kids on the Slope was him? Guess I need to watch it now!

 

[Kalnos]

Show is pretty average for the most part but the music was amazing as fuck.

 

[Salsa]

second best anime in the world after Cowboy Bebop because fuck everyone except watanabe because WATANABE

also fuckin NUJABES!

rip

 

[Discotheque]

Better than Cowboy Bebop. Fuck Ed, he/she/whatever can burn in hell.

Mugen and Jin are balla balla. Crazy sword-fights. this scene was awesome

soundtrack was god-tier.

edit: cowboy bebop is really good but ed is awful. i like this better.

 

[Slygmous]

Does anybody know how good the transfer is on Blu-ray?

This is the only anime series I own on DVD, if that says anything to people on the fence. It's a fantastic show.

Spoiler

I almost stopped watching at the Baseball and Halloween episodes, they were awful and out of character, nearly killed the entire series

 

[Dereck]

Fat Jon dominated that anime.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7s9nySLga8


I thought this scene from episode 14 was pretty dope, I really liked when the drums kicked in.

 

[CountBlack]

Show made me find out about Nujabes.

I can't be more thankful

 

[Jarmel]

I still can't believe Watanabe hasn't directed since this. Such a criminal waste of talent.

Edit: Kids on the Slope was him? Guess I need to watch it now!

Yea Kids was nowhere near as good as either. Hopefully Space Dandy later this year lives up to the hype.

 

[Discotheque]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7s9nySLga8


I thought this scene from episode 14 was pretty dope, I really liked when the drums kicked in.

haha we both posted different scenes from the same episode. one of the series' best i'd say.

 

[Soriku]

I love the beatboxing dude.

 

[Passive Assassin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd02f1xn4Z8

This scene. And of course the Counting Stars track that comes along with it.

 

[RawkHawk2010]

Spoiler

I almost stopped watching at the Baseball and Halloween episodes, they were awful and out of character, nearly killed the entire series

Whaaaaaaaaaat?

 

[Imm0rt4l]

haha we both posted different scenes from the same episode. one of the series' best i'd say.

Yep, it was a great one.

 

[toastyToast]

Best anime ever. Fuck it, I might start it again right now

Spoiler

When Jin fights Kariya at the end when he takes the hit to get an opening with the swaggest shit I have ever seen in my life. Tears, straight tears. Oh shit and the way Mugen does thing with that one-armed dude and he decapitates his ass OMG. That same bit was used in The Boondocks. RIP Bushido Brown

Does anybody know how good the transfer is on Blu-ray?

It looks like a DVD upscale. Probably not worth it

 

[Freshmaker]

Was the sequence where Mugen inadvertently

Spoiler

killed the shogun

in the anime? I can't remember. Probably the best story in the manga.

 

[Visualante2]

I've been watching this recently, I always liked Nujabes and I was enamoured with the art and mashed up setting initially.. but as the series went on, I just kinda lost interest. The quality of each episode was hit and miss. Some times nothing would happen. It's a good anime but it always surprises me that people rate it as highly as like Cowboy Bebop. It basically leans on a gimmick.

 

[Antiwhippy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OobUV9q0aDA

RIP.

 

[Zekes!]

I've been watching this recently, I always liked Nujabes and I was enamoured with the art and mashed up setting initially.. but as the series went on, I just kinda lost interest. The quality of each episode was hit and miss. Some times nothing would happen. It's a good anime but it always surprises me that people rate it as highly as like Cowboy Bebop. It basically leans on a gimmick.

I feel like the first half is better

 

[Clockw0rk]

Best anime ever. Fuck it, I might start it again right now

Spoiler

When Jin fights Kariya at the end when he takes the hit to get an opening with the swaggest shit I have ever seen in my life. Tears, straight tears. Oh shit and the way Mugen does thing with that one-armed dude and he decapitates his ass OMG. That same bit was used in The Boondocks. RIP Bushido Brown

It looks like a DVD upscale. Probably not worth it

Champloo is my favorite anime (though tbh I don't watch much).

With that said...

Spoiler

As sick as it was that he used that suicide move against Kariya, I felt the buildup to it was just so lame. Jin has a flashback of some hidden technique right as the final battle begins, and then goes on to use it 5 seconds later. zzzzzzzzzzzz. Woulda been way better if that dream sequence was introduced way earlier in the show (if not the first episode) so that the viewer could forget about it. Woulda had way more impact that way IMO.

Champloo is sick!

 

[RawkHawk2010]

I've been watching this recently, I always liked Nujabes and I was enamoured with the art and mashed up setting initially.. but as the series went on, I just kinda lost interest. The quality of each episode was hit and miss. Some times nothing would happen. It's a good anime but it always surprises me that people rate it as highly as like Cowboy Bebop. It basically leans on a gimmick.

The only one I wasn't really crazy about was the one where

Spoiler

they fall through a mineshaft and end up in the cosmic lunar place.

I recall loving everything else though.

 

[Peter Bazooka]

The only one I wasn't really crazy about was the one where

Spoiler

they fall through a mineshaft and end up in the cosmic lunar place.

I recall loving everything else though.

I wasn't a fan of that episode either. Luckily the baseball episode was the very next one.

 

[RawkHawk2010]

I wasn't a fan of that episode either. Luckily the baseball episode was the very next one.

Yah, anyone becoming hesitant about finishing had to feel reinvigorated after that.

Hearing Boondocks was inspired by Champloo makes a lot of sense...since its kickball episode was totally in the same spirit.

 

[Amagon]

RIP Nujabes

 

[Hawkian]

Good show, good music, good hawk

 

[Fuzz Rez]

I must be the only one who loves the mushroom episode :b So freaking good. As for the show? I really loved it on my first watch but these days I have hard time getting past 10 episodes. Most of the episodes just aren't that interesting that I would bother to watch them again.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

I got the whole series on BluRay and love it. Amazing show.

 

[ElectricBlue187]

Nujabes really made this show as good as it was. Without the music I don't think this show would hold up very well.

 

[O.DOGG]

Second favorite anime after Cowboy Bebop. I watch it about once a year and it warms my heart every time. Also, no one posted Shiki no uta yet, so allow me.

 

[BrokenEchelon]

That three part series finale is so fucking heartwrenching man.

Such a fantastic show.

 

[Kikujiro]

second best anime in the world after Cowboy Bebop because fuck everyone except watanabe because WATANABE


also fuckin NUJABES!

rip

One of the greatest director for sure, we lost Satoshi Kon and Watanabe isn't doing anything, it's such a shame.

 

[Empty]

i think i like this show for introducing me to nujabes more than the actual story itself. though it is a lot of fun in its own right too.

 

[TheChits]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd02f1xn4Z8

This scene. And of course the Counting Stars track that comes along with it.

This is definitely one of my favorite scenes in the whole show. Counting stars is such a perfect fit and it kicks in at just the right moment. Another scene that really had an impact on me was

Spoiler

Mugen's death scene when he is falling into the sea. The music is so beautiful

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEQtkLNTmRs

 

[Mesoian]

Michko Y Hatchin was better.

i think i like this show for introducing me to nujabes more than the actual story itself. though it is a lot of fun in its own right too.

YES. THIS.

 

[ReadingRambo]

I adored Cowboy Bebop but never watched this. Might as well check it out if it's on Netflix.

 

[Cedric]

To all the people saying Bebop is better than Samurai Champloo I must object. I watched Champloo two years ago and started Bebop recently. It's an amazing show, don't get me wrong, but the animation, music and voice acting are much better in Champloo. Also, Bebop kinda ends each episode so abruptly sometimes, it's kinda weird. I'll have to rewatch Samurai Champloo afterwards though so I can make a better judgment. Oh, and Spike is amazing, but Ed is so pointless.

 

[XenoRaven]

My second favorite anime. Watanabe is amazing. I got the whole series on Blu-Ray awhile ago. I need to watch it again in dat HD.

 

[BrokenEchelon]

To all the people saying Bebop is better than Samurai Champloo I must object. I watched Champloo two years ago and started Bebop recently. It's an amazing show, don't get me wrong, but the animation, music and voice acting are much better in Champloo. Also, Bebop kinda ends each episode so abruptly sometimes, it's kinda weird. I'll have to rewatch Samurai Champloo afterwards though so I can make a better judgment. Oh, and Spike is amazing, but Ed is so pointless.

Animation is better in a more recent show? Crazy.
Music being better is subjective, as they both have great soundtracks.
There isn't a damn thing wrong with Bebop's voice acting. It's probably the best dub in anime history.
Yeah, man, abrupt endings. Like how the last episode ended abruptly, that was totally silly!
Every character has to follow the hero's journey or be a trope, got it.

Mind you, I constantly wrestle with which one of these two masterpieces is the better masterpiece, but those are some awful arguments against Bebop.

 

[Tookay]

As a huge Bebop fan, I didn't like it. Champloo was like all the elements of its predecessor but mixed in the wrong way.

I never really felt like the main trio meshed, nor were they likeable individually. Bebop's characters were loners (and could hold up episodes by themselves) but still tried to be a family, to the show's benefit.

The main story/side story balance seemed off, partially because the hook (sunflower samuai) wasn't as strong as the Spike/Vicious/Julia drama and partially because I didn't care what happened to the characters. There might have been some poignancy to the characters going their separate ways at the end, if I was invested in them at all as a team, but it didn't work as intended.

And the music/setting/style clash of samurai/hip-hop didn't work for me the same way space/noir/western did for Bebop.

 

[y2dvd]

It honestly didn't capture me at all like how Cowboy Bebop did. Maybe I'll get it another chance.

 

[darkside31337]

Such a better show than Bebop. One of my all time favorites.
And yeah RIP Nujabes.

 

[Cedric]

Animation is better in a more recent show? Crazy.
Music being better is subjective, as they both have great soundtracks.
There isn't a damn thing wrong with Bebop's voice acting. It's probably the best dub in anime history.
Yeah, man, abrupt endings. Like how the last episode ended abruptly, that was totally silly!
Every character has to follow the hero's journey or be a trope, got it.

Mind you, I constantly wrestle with which one of these two masterpieces is the better masterpiece, but those are some awful arguments against Bebop.

Hahaha, yes I realize the music is subjective. I'm not close to the final episode by the way, I'm at like 14 but yes I find that sometimes the episodes end really abruptly (I started the show maybe a month ago or so). As for the Dub, minor characters, especially in the earlier episodes, have pretty bad voice acting in my opinion. Don't get what you're getting at with the trope thing, Ed has been around for a couple of episodes now and has done absolutely nothing...

edit: Regarding the animation, I'm aware that the fact Champloo came out years after Bebop is a huuugefactor. However, I feel like if you compare Champloo with TV shows that were going on around the same time (or even stuff that airs currently) then yes it has amazing animation in general.

 

[Moaradin]

It's not as good as Bebop, but it's still one of the best anime around. Wish the guy would do more stuff.

 

[Sialeeds]

One of my favorite anime Good music and characters are so wonderful.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Fantastic show that led me to Nujabes <3

 

[Myriadis]

I love that series and it's the only anime series I bought DVDs for.
My personal favorite is the one with the blind musician Sara. The ending still gives me goosebumps.

I should watch Cowboy Bebop. Never watched a single Episode of it. Then again, I barely watch Anime anyway.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I don't remember much about it, but I remember not being thrilled about the ending.