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Special Features
"Battlecry" opening promo video
Promo video
Conceptual art
Teaser trailer
Bumper ballery
Textless opening and closing songs
Trailers
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
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
Product Description
For the first time ever, the buck wild samurais of the Champloo crew are carving up the competition on Blu-ray…catch the action now before the game passes you by.
Let’s break it down. Mugen’s a reckless sword-slinger with a style that’s more b-boy than Shaolin. He’s got a nasty streak that makes people want to stick a knife in his throat. Then there’s Jin, a deadbeat ronin who speaks softly but carries a big blade. He runs game old-school style, but he can make your blood spray with the quickness. When these roughnecks bring the ruckus, it ain’t good for anybody, especially them. Enter Fuu, the dizzy waitress who springs her new friends from a deadly jam. All she wants in return is help solving a riddle from her past. She and the boys are tracking the scent, but there’s ninety-nine ways to die between them and the sunflower samurai.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
117 of 126 people found the following review helpful
This show has been reviewed in detailed lots of times so if you want a review of the content then you should look at the various reviews for the dvd version as the content of the 26 episodes is in fact the same. I'll concentrate on the blu-ray vs. dvd debate that is brewing up.
Now, I've been told that this show will never actually be in true hd because of the various CG(computer graphic) elements that were done in SD. In order for us to see this show in true hd they would have to go back and redo all of the CG elements that were originally done in SD. A lot of earlier shows have this problem, such as Cowboy Bebop which when this comes out in blu-ray will probably be an upscale as well. Thus, this is probably the best we will ever get. Older animation that was hand drawn was done completely on film which in fact has an infinite resolution. Computer graphics are limited to the actual resolution at which they were created at, but they can be upscaled such as in this tv show. Since this was a tv show that aired on SD originally, the computer graphics were done in SD, hence the need to redo the CG for a true HD resolution.
I've seen pictures from an upscaled DVD and from this Blu-ray and overall the Blu-ray looks better in my opinion. If you look carefully at still shots you will notice that the dnr filter used removes some of the detail in the picture. So looking closely, the DVD has just a tad more detail in certain parts. You have to remember though, that the animation style does not have a ton of detail to begin with so you will have to look really hard to see the difference in detail. The ONLY time I could really tell that the DVD had more detail was on scenes were there were large pieces of wood paneling. On the DVD you see that there is more detail on the wood where the blu-ray version slightly blurs this out because of the dnr filter used. Again, in the still shots I saw, I could only tell on the wood paneling of certain scenes. On the characters, backgrounds, etc. I could tell no difference in detail.
A lot of people REALLY miss the benefit of blu-ray in these instances though. DVD's are much more compressed than Blu-ray's in both picture and sound. That is one of the reasons why the DVD version has colors that are not as vibrant and a picture that has a lot more noise and macroblocking. So while the DVD has just a smidge more detail in certain parts, this is negated by the fact that the DVD version is highly compressed, introducing artifacts into the picture and in the process giving you a picture that is not as good as it could be.
Overall, in my opinion, this makes the much higher bitrate sound and picture in blu-ray the winner. We can complain that the show isn't in true HD, but we have to remember that unless they redo the CG parts, it probably never will be in true HD. People can cling to their DVD's and say they are the best, but they will miss the fact that the higher bitrate of blu-ray in both picture and sound give a better overall experience.
The difference between the DVD and Blu-ray isn't night and day but it is definitely noticeable. If you have neither, then the blu-ray version is the one to pick up, but if you have the DVD set already then this isn't worth picking up unless Samurai Champloo is one of your all-time great favorites, or you just have money to burn.
Now, I've been told that this show will never actually be in true hd because of the various CG(computer graphic) elements that were done in SD. In order for us to see this show in true hd they would have to go back and redo all of the CG elements that were originally done in SD. A lot of earlier shows have this problem, such as Cowboy Bebop which when this comes out in blu-ray will probably be an upscale as well. Thus, this is probably the best we will ever get. Older animation that was hand drawn was done completely on film which in fact has an infinite resolution. Computer graphics are limited to the actual resolution at which they were created at, but they can be upscaled such as in this tv show. Since this was a tv show that aired on SD originally, the computer graphics were done in SD, hence the need to redo the CG for a true HD resolution.
I've seen pictures from an upscaled DVD and from this Blu-ray and overall the Blu-ray looks better in my opinion. If you look carefully at still shots you will notice that the dnr filter used removes some of the detail in the picture. So looking closely, the DVD has just a tad more detail in certain parts. You have to remember though, that the animation style does not have a ton of detail to begin with so you will have to look really hard to see the difference in detail. The ONLY time I could really tell that the DVD had more detail was on scenes were there were large pieces of wood paneling. On the DVD you see that there is more detail on the wood where the blu-ray version slightly blurs this out because of the dnr filter used. Again, in the still shots I saw, I could only tell on the wood paneling of certain scenes. On the characters, backgrounds, etc. I could tell no difference in detail.
A lot of people REALLY miss the benefit of blu-ray in these instances though. DVD's are much more compressed than Blu-ray's in both picture and sound. That is one of the reasons why the DVD version has colors that are not as vibrant and a picture that has a lot more noise and macroblocking. So while the DVD has just a smidge more detail in certain parts, this is negated by the fact that the DVD version is highly compressed, introducing artifacts into the picture and in the process giving you a picture that is not as good as it could be.
Overall, in my opinion, this makes the much higher bitrate sound and picture in blu-ray the winner. We can complain that the show isn't in true HD, but we have to remember that unless they redo the CG parts, it probably never will be in true HD. People can cling to their DVD's and say they are the best, but they will miss the fact that the higher bitrate of blu-ray in both picture and sound give a better overall experience.
The difference between the DVD and Blu-ray isn't night and day but it is definitely noticeable. If you have neither, then the blu-ray version is the one to pick up, but if you have the DVD set already then this isn't worth picking up unless Samurai Champloo is one of your all-time great favorites, or you just have money to burn.
37 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
Samurai Champloo was not animated in HD so this set is an upscale. However, it appears that a filter was used to scrub the grain from the video. For example, in one scene on the DVD you can see the individual roof tiles on some buildings. In the same scene on the Blu-Ray disk, the roof is just a blurry mess.
I recommend getting the DVD set over the Blu-Rays. I suppose if you hate grain that was added to the video on purpose by the animators and can stand the drop in detail, you should get this set. Since this is a true case where the DVD has more detail than the Blu-Ray set, I would go for the DVD and just use an upscale player.
I recommend getting the DVD set over the Blu-Rays. I suppose if you hate grain that was added to the video on purpose by the animators and can stand the drop in detail, you should get this set. Since this is a true case where the DVD has more detail than the Blu-Ray set, I would go for the DVD and just use an upscale player.
46 of 55 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
This just arrived for me at my door not too long ago. Being that Samurai Champloo is one of my favorite animes, I was excited to pop this in my PS3. I knew beforehand that this would be an upscale, but if the upscale were anything at least like Full Metal Panic: TSR, then I would be satisfied. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
Just looking at the picture was a disappointment to me. I own the DVDs as well, so I took one out as a reference and compared the two. The difference between the Blu-ray and upscaled DVD were almost negligible. There wasn't that much of a difference. The blu-ray version had a *smidge* more clarity, but nevertheless almost looked identical to the DVD version.
If you own the DVDs already, then don't waste your time. If you don't own this series yet, then this is a great purchase.
I am giving this two stars as I would not have purchased this knowing what I know now.
Just looking at the picture was a disappointment to me. I own the DVDs as well, so I took one out as a reference and compared the two. The difference between the Blu-ray and upscaled DVD were almost negligible. There wasn't that much of a difference. The blu-ray version had a *smidge* more clarity, but nevertheless almost looked identical to the DVD version.
If you own the DVDs already, then don't waste your time. If you don't own this series yet, then this is a great purchase.
I am giving this two stars as I would not have purchased this knowing what I know now.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Quit looking and buy this!
Samurai Champloo is a fun, unique series to watch. I was hooked after seeing the first episode (The fight scene in the tea house where our 3 primary characters meet!). Read more
Published 2 months ago by =GOB=
samurai champloo series
this is just an awsome blend of samurai fighting / hip hop / comedy / suspence / action. i fell in luv with this series by the 1st episode alone. Read more
Published 8 months ago by chino
An anime must have
this is a great series especially if your into newer anime series has a some funny points & jokes here and there and its not over done the blu-ray really looks nice as well i... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Jason J. Charles
What is the problem?
So the argument has been "Dvd or Blu-ray", upscale, and animation looking bad. Well i can say personally that i watch the series on blu-ray on a 50+ inch LCD Tv with and HDMI cable... Read more
Published 13 months ago by michael moreno
Blu-ray Upscale Disaster
I'm not going to go into the plot of Samurai Champloo, other sites and reviewers have that covered, but here is the deal, Funimation has yet again releases another upscaled piece... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Xeon Negotiator
Good set
This series is simple and so fun. I'm not an anime fan but this definitely had a more subtle vibe.
Published 16 months ago by Jsk
Great Series!
I saw Samurai Champloo years ago when it was running on Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim". At first I didn't understand what was going on but the story telling was so good that I felt... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Stephanie Jones
5 stars
This is one of my fav's and in blue ray, its even cooler. Its picture is as clear as a bell and sounds jest as good.
Published 18 months ago by carnut
AWESOME series
Anyone who knows anime knows of this series. Great artwork - great storyline - and lots of action. A must buy for any anime fan. Perfect for your collection. BUY.
Published 18 months ago by Willm
Awesome!
I'm relatively new to the anime scence. I've only seen a handful of movies/shows, and those have been over a very long span of time. Read more
Published 19 months ago by M. Herzog
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