Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0013023278196
Format: Animated
Label: Geneon [Pioneer]
Languages: Array
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
MPN: 12781
Number Of Items: 7
Publisher: Geneon [Pioneer]
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2006-07-04
Running Time: 30
Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]
Theatrical Release Date: 2005-01-11

Mugen's a completely wild, uncontrollable warrior - deadly with his blend of capoeira-style swordsmanship and short temper. Jin is the epitome of the stoic samurai, lightning-quick, cool and always in control. And Fuu? She's an adorable (and somewhat airheaded) girl who manages to rein these two in to help her search for a mysterious "samurai who smells of sunflowers." Hopefully, she can keep them from killing each other and stay out of trouble along the way...Now own the entire journey of Mugen, Jin and Fuu in one complete set!
Shinichiro Watanabe's film noir-ish sci-fi adventure Cowboy Bebop set a new standard for cool in anime in 1998, and Samurai Champloo, an edgy mix of Edo-era martial arts and hip-hop irreverence, is a worthy follow-up. A string of coincidences brings together three misfits in a two-bit tea house: Mugen, a rebellious vagabond; Jin, a taciturn ronin; and Fuu, a nutty waitress. The sardonic Mugen lacks the polish that distinguishes a classic martial artist--he uses break dance spins and flips against his foes. Jin moves with a polish that approaches iciness: When he unsheathes his sword, he becomes a lethal work of art in motion. Fuu forces Jin and Mugen to help her find a mysterious samurai "who smells of sun flowers." As the ill-assorted trio wanders towards Nagasaki, Watanabe treats the audiences to a string of outrageous, anachronistic adventures. In Episode 18, Mugen belatedly learns to read at a smackdown elementary school, while Jin tries to settle the rivalry between the heirs to the dojo of his former sensei. The seemingly unrelated storylines collide in a no-holds-barred graffiti contest featuring Tokugawa rap lyrics, ink-brush tagging, Hiroshima homeboys, and a caricature of Andy Warhol. But Watanabe reveals the hidden significance of these nutty interludes when he brings his picaresque adventure-comedy to a close. Like Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo leaves the viewer wanting more. (Rated 16 and older: violence, violence against women, profanity, brief nudity, sexual situations, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

Customer Rating:
Summary: Funky, Sweet Samurai Animae
Comment: A pure animae joy. Hot martial arts, hip hop funkiness and an interesting trio made this series addictive. Excellent drawing and action kept the story engaging. Don't hesitate to watch.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: An Interesting Twist Of A Hip-Hop Version Of The Samurai
Comment: I actually saw a few episodes from my friends collection and after seeing those decided I had to get this collection for myself. The three antagonist for the series is Fuu(A young lady whose searching for an elusive samurai she can only vaguely remember smelling like sunflowers), Jin(A seemingly rogue samurai ronin and while he keeps his emotions calm and his temperament even he seems to be hiding a dark past), and fianlly Mugen(A street punk who has a great appetite for fighting and destruction but also surprisingly his fighting skills are equal to Jin's). The series is a mix of mostly dramatic action episodes and a sprinkling of comedic ones as well. I've found the one I feel most humorous is when a United States ship docks at a village and the only way the people of the village can get rid of them is to win a game of Baseball. The action scenes are bloody and there are a few adult scenes as well though no outright nudity I do advise not letting young children watch this series. It was pretty hard for me to get this set and now Funimation has gotten the right to re-release Geneon dvds hopefully new fans will be able to get this set again. If it does take a while I have seen some movie stores still selling this set so the choice is up to you. The video is wide-screen and very clear and sharp so don't worry about any graininess or blurring. The English voice actors did a great job for their characters and of course the Japanese voice actors did incredible as well so no problems on that part either. So if you're looking for a nice unique samurai action anime this is a good choice for you....

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Despite the Price....
Comment: Here is the lowdown:

Geneon Animation Japan is no longer in business because they kept sending animation to Korea for shows such as Ergo Proxy (and the Japanese fans will NOT put up with that). But this has NOTHING to do with the pricing here.

Even while Geneon was still in business, Pioneer had the rights to translate, market, and sell their anime. Pioneer is greedy, and gouging the American consumer. Until recently, Cowboy Beebop was $180 (now a new set is down to $80). Check out the Tenchi Muyo collections as well.

It seems that FINALLY Pioneer is starting to see the light and copying the success of ADV (mainly) and Funimation by selling sets cheaper and in thinner packaging to lower shipping costs.

Ok, to the show now:

Great animation, great music (though I am not a fan of the intro song or animation), and great fun.

The story is engaging and the characters are all...well...'characters'. This is produced from the same genius mind that brought us Cowboy Beebop (one of the greatest shows ever!) and it does not fail to live up to Watanabe's standards.

For details, see other reviews.

Pros: Great story, animation, fun, disreputable characters, history (though inaccurate, still fun)
Cons: Historical inaccuracies (though it never said it WAS accurate, just some douchebags are going to think it is truly accurate), some music just doesn't fit

Viewing Preference: English Dubbed

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Fun. Exciting. and Action packed!
Comment: If your looking for a good ol' serious Samurai story, then don't bother with this anime. But, if your interested in wacky outrageous fun with 3 struggling individuals living in the samurai era then this is for you! This series combines hip hop and samurai in a way that is different and innovative and that's what I like most about this series.

This was easily in my top 5 anime series to watch.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Huh?
Comment: $23 a disk? I loved the series, but the price for the set is outrageous! Even a Blu-Ray release would barely justify the price.

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