I absolutely LOVED Cowboy Bebop. When I found out that Samurai Champloo was from Watanabe as well, I had to watch. HAD to. And I was not disappointed in the least! The artwork: stylish, lavish, colorful, detailed, and beautiful! As in Cowboy Bebop, this show isn't full of hot-bodied women with ridiculously childish features, cut-and-paste still frame fight scene accentuated with speed lines as in Yuyu Hakusho (I still love that show, however); it had a very realistic, emphatic feel about it. Another poster commented on the well-done fight scenes, and I wholeheartedly agree! As a participant in kendo and iaido classes, I recognized that almost every move in the fights were accurate and practical, true to real sword fighting.
Characters: every single character was original, endearing! They each had their funny little quirks, their own personal issues that really makes you empathize with the characters. The voice acting is superb, both in English and Japanese.
Overall: I love the way Samurai Champloo employs modern day hip-hop beats and certain personalities, entwining them with a feudal era Japan. While the storyline seems a bit flimsy and is peppered with perhaps 1 too many filler episodes, the compelling, gorgeous, artistic components of the show are like a slap in the face: it's fresh, it's funky, it's Samurai Champloo!
Characters: every single character was original, endearing! They each had their funny little quirks, their own personal issues that really makes you empathize with the characters. The voice acting is superb, both in English and Japanese.
Overall: I love the way Samurai Champloo employs modern day hip-hop beats and certain personalities, entwining them with a feudal era Japan. While the storyline seems a bit flimsy and is peppered with perhaps 1 too many filler episodes, the compelling, gorgeous, artistic components of the show are like a slap in the face: it's fresh, it's funky, it's Samurai Champloo!