Samurai Champloo

Yebyosh · Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 12:06 pm Post subject: Samurai Champloo

I was going through its official site for any news on what this series is.

The best I could find was

"時代劇とHIPHOP、ウチナーとヤマト、サムライと現代人といった様々なファクターをサンプリングし、テーゲーにチャンプルーした全く新しいサムライ・アクション＆ロード・ムービー。 "

which roughly translates to

"A historical play mixed with HipHop, uchina ( Okinawa, in Okinawan language ) and medieval-Japan ( Yamato ), samurai & modern people ( I assume they mean culture here ), all mixed in with these various factors. te-ge- (??) ni Champloo ( as far as my research shows, this is a term used for a type of food ) is a completely new take of samurai action & road ( means way, as in Way of the Samurai ) movie ( not series? )."

I know the man-in-charge of this is the one who did Cowboy Bebop and I heard he likes to mix things up in his productions.

But it seems like this project is one whole big secret. No one seems to know what it really is besides the three characters Mugen, Jin & Fuu. There was a 2 panel comic sample released which seems to indicate it will take place in the past.

But from the description, this could be a nightmare to sub due to the Okinawan component.

Anyone has better info on this series? Otherwise we can only wait for the release on May 19 this year on Fuji TV.

Specky · Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2004 6:04 pm Post subject: not much

While I honestly haven't been following news of it myself, (There was also no indication of it what-so-ever at TAF) I did catch the first chapter of the comic in a bookstore as I was walking by.

The art wasn't awful but not grand either and the only thing I really got out of it is the main character Mugen (?) is very Spike-ish. Hungry and would rather shoot first and ask details later.

Fuu was working in a restraunt (Classic Kenshin Tei style) and then there was a scuffle and Mugen walked in, sliced a guy and got in a big brawl. I can't remember why Jin showed up, (He seems the assasin for hire type) and of course there is another fight between teh two. Mugen seems to practice a very sloppy/unpredictible/loose sword style where Jin is more traditional. Anyway they destroy the restraunt and Fuu ends up tagging along after them. (Due to being jobless now) Though Mugen and Jun seem to not notice and are more interested in fighting with each other.

Very Bebop-ish feel. (Which is a good thing IMO)

That is from a 5 minute glance at a honya. I'm sure I missed details and I also have no clue how closely the manga and anime will be related. While the manga doesn't seem to be too visually great I figure having the music and animation for the fight scenes will make the anime a more enjoyable experience.

Yebyosh · Posted: Sun May 09, 2004 12:30 am Post subject:

Well, with the broadcast date coming, the site has updated with character infos of the 3 leads. I'm trying to translate as best as I can. So here's Mugen!!!

Age 20.

Acting like a poor weak worm in a gala, he dresses and speaks as would a lustful guy.

He has the instincts of wild animals and possesses a superhuman prowess and acts like a beast.

The creator and sole practitioner of the Champloo sword style which basically is a mix of any styles, which adapts to any changes in the situation of the fight.

The extraordinarily strong sword style is still under creation, with lots of random and unnecessary as well as unorthodox moves. It can be said to be the breakdancing of sword styles.

He does things with emotions but never with confidence or trust. Any possible companions are likely to come off burnt in their encounters.

His taste is to live recklessly on the fine line between life and death, for only in that moment can one experience and exceed their limits.

Born on one of the islands of Ryuukyuu. His childhood moments were often spent alone.

Not one to rely on someone else, as far as he is concerned, opression and betrayals can continue, for he adopts "No one can be trusted" as his sole policy on living his life. When did he seem to want to seek "The strength that cannot be beaten by anyone"

Forgive my bad Japanese Very Happy

At least now we know what the heck Champloo is. Next up Jin then Huu.

Yebyosh · Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 12:27 am Post subject:

Jin

Age 20.

In order to disguise himself, he puts on a pair of glasses and acts as a dandy.

He was recorded in the Edo Period as a swordsman who was never defeated in over 1000 fights with other sword schools.

In the history of Japanese fencing, the Illusionary sword style was the ultimate of ultimates but records of it are slowly lost. Jin was one of the best disciples to enter that doujou and the young swordmaster's excellence was said to be proof of his talent.

However due to a certain matter, he fled the dojou.

Thereafter, he became a wanderer.

He will kill anyone who abandoned swordsmanship with one stroke.

So we are left with Fuu/Huu.

Smeggy · Yari Ashigaru Joined: Nov 08, 2002 Posts: 361 Location: Uk

im really looking forward to this one now Smile

anyone know which groups are gonna pick it up?
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darkhunger · Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 6:50 am Post subject:

Yebyosh · Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 12:49 pm Post subject:

Lastly Fuu

Age 15.

Always cheerful, vibrant & full of curiousity, she's also quite an obliging girl.

A girl who has been moving around, taking on jobs with no obligations tied to them.

She keeps a flying squirrel in her sleeves, which at times prove to be of help.

Why does she go round taking various odd jobs? There must be a reason.

This girl has been going round searching for a man. Throughout her wide range of jobs, she was seeking to seize clues to help her find a particular man.

What kind of man would make her decide to go about touring various countries in a search.

There's a saying "Any lovely lady that goes on a solo trip would face dangers, for to hire a bodyguard costs money or something...". At a said place, her appearance would coincide with the meeting of Mugen & Jin.

And so these 3 people go on a journey to seek out the mysterious man called "The Sunflower scented Samurai".

The concept is a bit foreign & weird to me as well. Having never watched Cowboy Bebop (yep never, may redress that in the future), I think I could go in to watch as a neutral bystander and see how it would feel when aired.

But it seems the plot so far is a two rivals with a possible common love interest goes off together to help their lady find this mysterious guy who most probably would be the girl's father or murderer of her parents.

Yebyosh · Posted: Wed May 19, 2004 11:04 pm Post subject:

Saw this up somewhere else but it just had to be here for rememberance Laughing

Maybe this is what Bakuretsu Tenshi's lyrics were trying to say when they go "Everybody's loosey"...

Kaiser · Posted: Wed May 19, 2004 11:06 pm Post subject:

OMG.. fanservice.. lol

I thought it was supposed to somewhat serious.. oh well... I guess there weren't bras back then huh?
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AlDim · Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 1:14 am Post subject:

Finally Shinichiro Watanabe is doing a new show, I can't wait to see it subbed! Not just because Bebop is my favorite anime but because this one seems very interesting in terms of ideas and especially visuals.
Watanabe is one of the very few directors who really know what they're doing, try to experiment, and can get major budgets because of the huge success of their previous works.
I saw the trailer recently ( http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/ram_v/samurai/samurai_c_CM1S.ram ) and it looks absolutely amazing.

Yebyosh · Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 3:58 am Post subject:

Heh the mystery is solved...

AlDim · Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 7:46 am Post subject:

Just watched the ep1 raw and... IT ROCKS! It looks unbelieveable (most OVAs don't get even close to such visual quality) and very stylish. The whole concept is unique and really fun, it's unlike anything I've seen before. The characters are probably the coolest I've seen in years. They aren't the most original ones but when put in such a weird anime with such an unusual style they become something completely new.
However the thing that stands out the most is the direction, Watanabe is going for some really neat experiments.
I bet some people who have dug too much into the usual ways of making anime won't like this but, personally, I think this could easily be the best show of 2004.

Specky · Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 9:51 am Post subject: good with the bad...

Well, there is defiantly room for some good anime here, I can't say the animation was anything ultra fancy seeing as the first ep. is always one of the more high budget ones and this felt about par for the course to me. (Though the STYLE is what Watanabe was really "scratching" <can I be hip and use that word here?> around with.) The cuts were really interesting and hearing hip-hop during a samurai sword fight is almost as cool as when the Green Hornet theme comes on in Kill Bill. ^_^ There is potential there all right.

For me it was mainly all about Fuu's seiyuu Kawasumi Ayako (I really liked her Herikawa Koishi from Onegai Teacher...) she seemed to drop right into the role. Of course it doesn't help that for some reason the designer managed to give her such great facial expressions... Aside from that Mugen comes across as a more angry Spike and Jin plays tsukkomi to Mugen's Boke. Hopefully they won't be the always angry and always silent characters for the whole show. Looking forward to seeing if they develop more.

The other thing that has me interested is it seems like Watanabe (Maybe unwillingly) is going to give the Faye Valentine fanboys a little love in a way with Fuu and how her backgound may see more focus of the series plot than poor Faye did. Aside from that, I do think she could have done without the every-anime-needs-a-mascot-flying-squirrel. Oh well.

The "This is fiction and not based on real history" that got interrupted by the "Stop rambling, shut up and watch" was another highlight for me.

Should be fun.

darkhunger · Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 10:28 am Post subject:

Keitarou · Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 10:32 am Post subject:

No Specky, you can not be hip and are not allowed to use that word here.

However, if you ever get tired with your "gig" over in japan and you stop carin' about the "bread"... signal the "doghouse" to hit the "head" twice more before you "skate" and "cack"... but be sure to take a "taste" and "hang" for a bit before you "cack", otherwise you might end up becomin' a "square".

What it is!
And what it will be!
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You can't hold no groove if you ain't got no pocket.