Samurai Champloo
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| Samurai Champloo | |||
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 Promotional image of (from left to right) Jin, Mugen and Fuu |
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| サムライチャンプルー (Samurai Chanpurū) |
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| Genre | Chanbara, Comedy-drama | ||
| TV anime | |||
| Director | Shinichirō Watanabe | ||
| Studio | Manglobe | ||
| Licensor |   Madman Entertainment  Geneon Entertainment MVM Films |
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| Network |  Animax, Fuji TV |
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| Original run | May 20, 2004 – March 19, 2005 | ||
| Episodes | 26 (List of episodes) | ||
| Manga | |||
| Author | Shinichirō Watanabe (story) Masaru Gotsubo (art) |
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| Publisher | Kadokawa Shoten |
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| Demographic | Shōnen | ||
| Magazine | Shōnen Ace | ||
| Original run | August 2, 2004 – October 29, 2004 | ||
| Volumes | 2 | ||
| Anime and Manga Portal | |||
Samurai Champloo (サムライチャンプルー Samurai Chanpurū) is a Japanese animated television series consisting of twenty-six episodes. It was broadcast in Japan from May 20, 2004, through March 19, 2005, on the television network, Fuji TV. Samurai Champloo was created and directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, whose previous work, Cowboy Bebop, earned him renown in the anime and Japanese television communities.[1] The show was produced by studio Manglobe.
The series is a cross-genre work of media, blending the action and samurai genres with elements of slapstick comedy. It is also a period piece, taking place during Japan's Edo period. The series is interwoven with revisionist historical facts and anachronistic elements of mise-en-scene, dialogue and soundtrack. The series' most frequent anachronism is its use of elements of hip hop culture, particularly rap and the music it has influenced, break dancing, turntablism, hip hop slang, and graffiti. The show also contains anachronistic elements from the punk subculture and modernism, but less prominently.
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[edit] Plot
A young woman named Fuu is working as a waitress in a tea house when she is harassed by a band of ruffians. Another customer, Mugen, offers to take care of them in exchange for food, but ends up instigating a brawl. Jin, a stoic young ronin in samurai garb, enters the tea house in the midst of the fight. Mugen attacks Jin after he proves to be a worthy opponent and they begin fighting one another, ignoring a fire that started during the brawl. They both faint from smoke inhalation. When they awaken, they find they have been arrested for the murder of Shibui Tomonoshina, the magistrate's son, and are to be executed. With help from Fuu, they escape and Fuu asks them to travel with her to find "the samurai who smells of sunflowers," a mysterious man Fuu can give little description of, but whom she insists she must find. They agree to join her, with Fuu making only one condition: they are not to duel one another until the journey is done.
[edit] Setting and style
Samurai Champloo employs a unique blend of historical Edo period backdrops with modern styles and references. The show relies on factual events of Edo-era Japan, such as the Shimabara Rebellion ("Unholy Union;" "Evanescent Encounter, Part I"), Dutch exclusivity in an era where edict restricted Japanese foreign relations ("Stranger Searching"), Ukiyo-e paintings ("Artistic Anarchy"), and fictionalized versions of real-life Edo personalities Mariya Enshirou and Miyamoto Musashi ("Elegy of Entrapment, Verse 2"). As well as more prominent anachronisms like Mukuro having a revolver or the presence of American's ("Baseball Blues".)
Incorporated within this are signature elements of modernity, especially hip hop culture, such as rapping ("Lullabies of the Lost, Verse 1"), graffiti ("War of the Words"), bandits behaving like "gangstas" (both parts of "Misguided Miscreants"), The censorship bleeps replaced with Record Scratching and much of Mugen's character design, including a fighting style influenced by breakdancing. Samurai Champloo's musical score predominantly features hip hop beats. Certain anachronistic references are not based upon hip hop, however, such as baseball ("Baseball Blues") and references to the atomic bombing of Nagasaki ("Cosmic Collisions").
[edit] Characters
Samurai Champloo tells the story of three strangers in the Tokugawa era, (also known as the Edo Period) who come together on a journey across Japan.
- Mugen: A brash vagabond from the Ryukyu Islands, Mugen is a wandering sword for hire with a wildly unconventional fighting style that resembles breakdancing. He wears metal-soled geta and carries a nihontō on his back (although, historically, the Tokugawa government prohibited unauthorized men from carrying daishō or any of its components). In Japanese, the word "Mugen" means "infinity".[2]
- Jin: Jin is a mild-mannered ronin who carries himself in the conventionally stoic manner of a samurai of the Tokugawa era. Using his waist-strung daishō, he fights in the traditional kenjutsu style of a samurai trained in a prominent, sanctioned dojo. Jin wears glasses, an available but uncommon accessory in Edo era Japan. Spectacles—called "Dutch glass merchandise" ("Oranda gyoku shinajina" in Japanese) at the time—were imported from Holland early in the Tokugawa period and became more widely available as the 17th century progressed. In Japanese the word "Jin" means "benevolence" or "compassion"--one of the 7 cardinal virtues of bushido.[3][unreliable source?]
- Fuu: A feisty young girl of approximately 15 years of age, Fuu recruits Mugen and Jin to help her find a sparsely-described man she calls "the samurai who smells of sunflowers." A flying squirrel named "Momo" (meaning "peach" in Japanese and also short for "momonga," meaning "flying squirrel") accompanies her along the way, inhabiting her kimono and frequently leaping out to her rescue when she encounters trouble.
Apart from this trio, the other characters tend to appear only once or twice throughout the entirety of the series.
[edit] Production
Samurai Champloo is considered to be an example of the popular chanbara film and television genre—the trademarks are a setting in the Edo Period, a focus on samurai or other swordsman characters, and lots of thrilling, dramatic fights.[4] Chanbara was used in the early days of Japanese cinema (when government political censorship ran high) as a way of expressing veiled social critiques.
The word, champloo, comes from the Okinawan word "chanpurū" (as in gōyā chanpurū, the Okinawan stir-fry dish containing bitter melon).[5] Chanpurū, alone, simply means "to mix" or "to hash." Therefore, the title, Samurai Champloo, may be translated to "Samurai Remix" or "Samurai Mashup."[6][unreliable source?]
[edit] Media
[edit] Anime
Samurai Champloo premiered in Japan on May 20, 2004 on Fuji Television, and ceased broadcasting on March 19, 2005, spanning a total of 26 episodes. It was also aired in Japan on Animax
Geneon, licensed the show for distribution in North America almost a year prior to the show's airing in Japan. An English dub of the series premiered in the United States on the Adult Swim anime block on May 14, 2005. The version aired was edited and had foul language replaced with sound effects, in addition to cutting out some blood. The final first run of the episodes concluded on March 18, 2006. Samurai Champloo debuted in Canada on December 24, 2006, on the digital station, Razer. The series has also aired in the United Kingdom, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and Germany. Funimation has recently announced to distribute Samurai Champloo for Geneon since they have ceased in-house distribution of their titles in 2007. Geneon, in association with Funimation, will re-release the entire 26-episode anime series in a box set in 2009.[7]
The episodes use six pieces of theme music. "Battlecry" performed by Nujabes and Shing02 is used for the opening theme for all twenty six episodes. "四季ノ唄 (Shiki no Uta Song of Four Seasons)" by Minmi is used for the primary ending theme, except for four episodes. Episode 12 uses Minmi's "Who's Theme" as its ending, episode 17 uses "You" by Kazami, 23 uses "Fly" by Azuma Riki, and the final episode uses the song "San Francisco" by Midicronica for its ending.
[edit] Manga
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A Samurai Champloo manga debuted in Shōnen Ace on August 2004. Tokyopop licensed the manga in an English-language release in North America and Madman Entertainment licensed it for an English release in Australia and New Zealand. It is also licensed for a Portuguese-language release in Brazil by Panini.
[edit] Soundtracks
Music used in the series was released across four CD soundtracks by Victor Entertainment. The first, Samurai Champloo Music Record: Masta, was released on June 23, 2004. Produced by Shinichirō Watanabe's longtime friend and DJ Tsutchie and the Japanese hip-hop duo Force of Nature,[8][verification needed] the album features 18 instrumental tracks and one mid-tempo ballad sung by R&B songstress Kazami. Samurai Champloo Music Record: Departure was released on the same date, containing 17 tracks, with two being vocal pieces performed by rap artist Shing02 and R&B songstress Minmi. The album was produced by Japanese DJ/producer Nujabes and American MC/producer Fat Jon.[8]
Two additional soundtracks followed on September 22, 2004. Samurai Champloo Music Record: Playlist contained an additional 18 tracks, all created by Tsutchie, with only one being a vocal piece: a remix of the first album's song "Fly," now performed by Azuma Riki of the hip hop group Small Circle of Friends[8] The final album, Samurai Champloo Music Record: Impression , features 23 tracks from Force of Nature, Nujabes, and Fat Jon. Rap artists Suiken and S-word, members of Tokyo rap group Nitro Microphone Underground appear providing guest vocals and Minmi performs the final song on the album.[8]
[edit] Video game
Bandai developed a video game for the PlayStation 2 entitled Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked; however, the manufacturer has stated that the game has no relation to the show. It was released on April 11, 2006, in the United States and received mixed reviews.[9][unreliable source?] The game is notable for having given Mugen's distinctive sword a name, "Typhoon Swell"--it was never called by this name in the anime or manga series.
[edit] References
- ^ Anime UK News :: Press :: Samurai Champloo Box Set release details
- ^ Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook, Secrets of the Samurai: A survey of the Martial Arts of Feudal Japan (Castle Books, 1999) p. 83
- ^ http://home.europa.com/~telscope/tsjapan.txt
- ^ Silver, Alain, "The Samurai Film", The Overlook Press, New York, 1977, pg. 37. 0-87951-175-3
- ^ Samurai Champloo: Tempestuous Temperaments - TV.com
- ^ Samurai Champloo
- ^ "Funimation Entertainment to Distribute Samurai Champloo". Anime News Network. 2008-12-31. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-12-31/funimation-entertainment-to-distribute-samurai-champloo.
- ^ a b c d ROMAN ALBUM: Samurai Champloo. Mangaglobe/Shimoigusa Champloos, Dark Horse Comics Inc., p. 50-54
- ^ GameRanking.com
[edit] External links
- Official Samurai Champloo web site (Japanese)
- Official Fuji TV Samurai Champloo web site (Japanese)
- Official Geneon Samurai Champloo web site
- Official Madman Entertainment Samurai Champloo web site
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