Following up on his smash hit success Cowboy Bebop, Shinichirō Watanabe released the cult hit Samurai Champloo. Anime fans and non-anime fans around the world fell in love with the series, but what did the team at Manglobe INC get so right?

Samurai Champloo is a single series of 26 half-hour episodes. Each one stands alone as a perfectly unified and expertly told tale, but for the regular viewer the shows are tied together by an overarching storyline. This plot strand concerns our three heroes, Mugen, Jin and Fuu and their long journey across the length and breadth of Japan in search of a samurai who smells of sunflowers. Once their vague purpose has been fulfilled Mugen and Jin plan to fight to the death as the two most skilled swordsmen in Japan.

The defining feature of the show is its intentionally anacronistic approach to the traditional samurai TV show. Japanese slang, English language loans words and 21st century fashion trends are big in Shinichirō Watanabe’s conception of Edo-era Japan. Rather than avoid historical accuracy altogether or stick too slavishly to the facts, Samurai Champloo revels in a cheeky and addictive blend.

Historically accurate characters, events and locations, are infused with nods to 21st century hip-hop culture. Wandering samurai trying to make a name for themselves are accompanied by their own entourage of travelling rappers who announce their arrival and relay legends of their victories in MC style. Break dance and bushido. Graffiti and geta. Keitai strappu (the ubiquitous small toys that dangle off of Japanese cellphones) and kimono.

The characters are superbly drawn, both literally and figuratively. Mugen’s fighting style is reminiscent of breakdance and is characterised by improvisation and instinct, like his Cowboy Bebop predecessor Spike. In contrast Jin is a serious, quiet, methodical samurai whose fighting style complements his character. The mismatch between the trio is one of the central tensions of the show, and thus one of its main attractions.

Each characer’s persona and his fighting style are indivisible from each other, lending weight and meaning to the show’s numerous action set pieces. The characters are defined by the style of their movement as much as their words. This kind of image/story integration is not possible when animation standards are low. Samurai Champloo’s version of Edo-era Japan though, is a superbly realised world.

Historical Japan and the trio of misfit grafters is rendered beautifully. The characters are designed in an intrinsically modern Tank Girl-meets-graffiti-art style and animated smoothly. None of the fudging or repeated animation loops that blight the cheaper TV anime offerings; every frame of Samurai Champloo screams freeze me, print me and hang me on your wall.

Any initial resistance you might have to the historical inaccuracies in the show, like modern Japanese expressions, the uber-trendy soundtrack and katana straps in Edo era Japan, are very soon dissipated by the charm and humour that pervades Samurai Champloo. The postmodern irony, however, never spills over into cynicism. The season displays a great tonal range. There are standout moments that will genuinely move you.

In particular, watch out for the moment at which a wounded Mugen takes revenge on the childhood friend who betrayed him and silently limps past his similarly duplicitous childhood sweetheart. Not a word or a look betrays Mugen’s inevitable pain, but the screams of “kill me” from his now defenceless ex are piercing. Also be sure to notice the drum soundtrack that races over the scene in contrast to the slow, silent way in which Mugen hobbles on by, condemning the girl to a life of vulnerability. It is truly one of the most inspired soundtrack choice Of Rice and Zen has heard.

All in all if you’ve never seen Samurai Champloo, or you’ve simply not seen it recently and forgotten how good it really is, Of Rice and Zen thinks it’s about time to recognise this classic anime as a keeper and welcome it to your collection in the highest image quality version the twenty-first century has to offer.