The animation in the series was good, especially the fight scenes. They were FABULOUS. I’m always a fan the shaky camera animation and blur techniques the animators add. What can you expect form Shinichiro Watanabe, who gave us great direction in Cowboy Bebop.

Most of the series felt like filler episodes with a hint of main story line in it. Example: LOOK!! An all you can eat contest! Now let’s give a tour to this clog wearin’, red headed, blue eyed, tall guy to get our stuff back! Oh, by the way have you seen the samurai that smells of sunflowers. The story doesn’t really pick up until towards the end of the series, which gets interesting, because you find out more about the main characters and their back story.

The voice acting was good. In the English version the main characters were well cast; kudos to you casting director. Daniel Andrews (Mugen), Kari Wahlgren (Fuu) and Kirk Thornton (Jin) portrayed their characters’ personalities very well.

Overall I really enjoyed this series. If you like great sword fighting action with a hip-hop flare to it, then you’ll be entertained watching this series.

Shinichiro Watanabe (director Cowboy Bebop) gives us another visual masterpiece, as stunning animation meets a masterfully crafted aesthetic blend of modern-day Hip-Hop culture and the Japanese Edo period. Character designs are practically flawless, and are represented in amazing precision throughout the series. The backgrounds and scenery are amazingly detailed, and the lighting in every scene looks carefully rendered. The color palette is also well established, as highly saturated colors are matched wonderfully with desaturated ones.

The fight scenes are well choreographed. Blinding speed is represented as meticulously as slow-motion, and minus the common viewer error (also known as blinking), the audience is never left wondering how something happened. Lip syncing is as good as one would expect from a high-budget dub, and while there might be some inconsistencies, the only option is to learn Japanese. Otherwise, it is a fact of life.

Samurai Champloo is the perfect blend of short-term and long-term plot development. Each episode (or sometimes two-part episode) has a definitive beginning and ending, and for the most part can be watched independently from each other, even out of chronological order, and still make sense. Of course, the long term plot, the search for the samurai who smells of sunflowers, is followed from the first episode to the last, and develops periodically inside the episodical plotlines.

The writers also took an interesting approach to the flow and presentation of the plots throughout the series. Some episodes gracefully skip over parts of the journey that may have been uneventful, and narrators aren’t shy to point it out. Other episodes are knee-deep in details, from the meaning behind the journey to character development, all of which has its function within the story. This can be disorienting at times, but is definitely in the spirit of the Samurai Champloo series.

The voice acting in Samurai Champloo is outstanding. Steven Blum (Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, Big O), Kirk Thornton (Vampire Hunter D, s-CRY-ed, Perfect Blue), and Kari Wahlgren (FLCL, Wolf’s Rain, Witch Hunter Robin) deliver stellar performances of the three main characters, and for the most part, the minor characters’ and extras’ voice acting leaves nothing to be desired.

At times, what sounds like deliberate over-the-top voice acting is taken a bit too far. What works for a series like FLCL, where comedy is a much larger element, seems out of place in Samurai Champloo, which takes a more serious approach to its storytelling.

The total package is stellar. Samurai Champloo is a compelling story that keeps you watching, minute after minute, episode after episode. Its rewatch value is right up there with Cowboy Bebop, and unlike Cowboy Bebop, there aren’t many episodes to “skip over” to get to the “good stuff.” Plenty of action coupled with character development and a strong plotline make this an easy recommendation for anime connoisseurs or those interested in checking out this “anime thing.”

Don’t be surprised if your rental turns into a purchase with this one.

The animation’s fairly good, though a bit unrealistic at times.(Honestly, there is absolutely no way that Jin’s hair could be anywhere near as long and thick as it is shown in the final episode.) The vibrant color adds to the mood of the show.

In an era where Samurai anime are far too popular, Samurai Champloo pulls through as one of the best. The story follows three unlikely companions - a Ryukyuan pirate, a ronin, and a teenage girl- on their journey to find the mysterious “Sunflower Samurai”. The story takes on many twists and introduces several historical figures, making the show slightly educational.

The portrayal of all three main characters is quite believable. Kirk Thornton is fabulous as the “silent samurai” Jin. Some of the side characters aren’t the best actors, but we can assume that was to make the abilities of the main trio shine through.

Overall the series is fairly good as far as anime goes. The series seems to drag on for quite some time, even though it consists of the typical 26 episodes average to anime these days.

Samurai Champloo is a funky mix of traditional Edo style and modern Hip Hop sensibilities. The main characters are brilliantly combined to lend the story crisp anachronistic details.

Champloo uses a very simplistic color palate that is remarkably soothing throughout all the multilayered plots that twist faster than Mugen in the fantastically choreographed fight scenes.

Minor characters, though very rarely repeated from episode to episode, are painstakingly given definition in the here and now. The twisted and deformed bodies are often as much grotesque as they are beautiful. This isn’t a world of pretty people.

Director Watanabe uses typical Japanese symbolism to draw the audience in and then twist us around, putting us on a completely different, yet satisfying track.

The story follows Fuu on her quest to find the Samurai who smells of sunflowers accompanied by Mugen, a former pirate, and Jin, a ronin samurai.

Even though most episodes are self-contained they lead the characters forward in the overall arc. Character development and back-story are introduced slowly, almost teasingly, one detail at a time. The flashbacks are done extremely well and instead of slowing down the story, they push the viewer frantically into the future.

Kari Wahlgren plays both sarcastic shrew and delicate damsel with remarkable flexibility. Kari’s emotional and psychological range is impressive. I often found myself flinching in sympathy with Mugen and Jin as she railed against them and found myself sniffing in empathy when she played abandoned and betrayed.

Kirk Thornton portrays Jin as an emotional cripple. His words are taciturn and refined, but behind the stoic facade, Kirk leaks in pain of betrayal and rejection.

Not since Cowboy Bebop has a series so perfectly mixed the music to the visuals. Watanabe seriously knows his stuff. I know an anime has reached this level of perfection when I scream at the television and at the same time I am able to feel the cathartic release as the final credits role on the last episode. Watanabe never lets go of the goal and his ability to go off on sidetracks and remain undeterred from the purpose allowed me to give up all control and follow him wherever he wanted to take me. Samurai Champloo is a world worth revisiting.

The animation in this show isn’t too bad, it isn’t choppy like some fast paced martial arts anime shows, or repeat the same action over and over like some might on occasion. It also isn’t as advanced as some other animes out. It’s about medium quality I’d say.

I give this one a 4 just because the storyline is too straightforward from what I’ve seen. They go to different towns, do crapyp little side missions that never last more than two episodes, then go on to the next town. Really should have branched off the storyline at some point.

Voice acting is pretty good. Like many other shows though, the characters always sound somewhat bored with what is going on. Don’t put enough feeling into the lines if you were to ask me.

Overall - Despite the fact that the story moves slowly, the voice acting and animation make it good to watch still. Usually has great action sequences in it.

This show is absolutely beautiful, pure and simple. You’d be crazy not to appreciate just how distinctive, smooth, and downright awe-inspiring this style of animation is. Watching Mugen’s break-dance-influenced fighting is adrenaline-pumping in itself, and episodes can sometimes throw you for a loop (like, ahem, a certain recreational drug episode) like no other show could. Character design is diverse and remains consistent in producing recognizable characters with specific expressions and mannerisms, which makes it much easier for the casual fan to keep track of.

What Champloo doesn’t lack is depth. A little on the hard-side to keep track of watching an episode only here and there (which is not necessarily a bad thing), it helps to watch the whole show in order from beginning to end. It’s interesting that seemingly ’filler-type’ episodes pack a big significance towards the end of the show (the entire plot comes together in around three episodes, a little quick for my taste but still acceptable), while episodes that seem full of vital information do nothing more than lead into the next episode. This leads to an unpredictable story that keeps the show fresh until the end.

Beat-boxing. For some reason this part of hip-hop culture adds immensely to the mood of the show. Coupled with unconventional styles of fighting and the flashes of present-day cityscape, Champloo’s execution is new and intriguing. Overall, the soundtrack isn’t anything that stands out (looking for orchestral scores? Time to search elsewhere), but frequent bursts of hip-hop make up for it. And the dub? Nothing short of fantastic. I’m a bigger fan of the English version than the Japanese, which was hard to top in the first place. Lines run smoothly together and the translation is believable and comprehensive. Very impressive.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves saying this is the greatest anime of all time. I can be honest, however, in saying that it’s certainly one of the most unique shows and best dubs to be released in awhile. This show isn’t for kids, mind you, but it’s sure to appeal to a wide range of anime fans.

The animation in Samurai Champloo is a kind of style that is quite new to anime. The character designs are so traditional, yet there is a sense of modern-ness to their personas. The way the characters interact with each other physically, be it in battle or otherwise, is very believable and fluid.

Either something new is learned about a character or there is a really cool fight scene. Even if the trio is trying to scam their way into getting their next meal, something interesting is always happening to draw the viewer in.

The actors cast in this anime were perfect choices. It takes really talented people to make such a cast of such different characters come to life. Samurai Champloo has such a cast.

Samurai Champloo is an anime that I believe every anime fanboy/fangirl must have in their collection. It is a perfect blend of modern-day animation in a very traditional setting. And really, how does it get better than that?