Samurai Champloo: The Complete Collection
by Eric P. Sherman
List Price:
Our Price: $59.24
You Save: $10.74 (15%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $26.99 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Ayako Kawasumi, Ginpei Sato, Kazuya Nakai, Kirk Thornton, Steve BlumDirector: Eric P. Sherman
Brand: Funimation
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Japanese (Original Language); English (Original Language)
Format: Box set, Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 625 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-06-30
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Funimation
DVD Reviews of Samurai Champloo: The Complete Collection
DVD Review: As A Jaded Anime Fan, I Must Admit That This Was INCREDIBLE!
Summary: 5 Stars
I wouldn't really consider myself a big fan of anime, having only seen about 50 titles to date (mostly theatrical films). I have enjoyed a majority of the ones I've seen (especially the Studio Ghibli line), but most of them haven't blown me away. I'm one of those blasphemous fiends who finds great enjoyment in anime that *real* fans of anime don't like very much. You know, stuff like "Vexille" (2007), "Appleseed" (2004), and "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children" (2005) - movies that everyone likes to rip apart even though they're far more entertaining than most of the artsy fartsy stuff that finds its way onto everyones top lists. I've also disliked and even hated a number of highly acclaimed titles. You know, stuff like "Akira" (1987), "Neon Genesis Evangelion" (1995), "Grave of the Fireflies" (1998), and "Princess Mononoke" (1997) - titles that get endless reverence for reasons that I simply do not understand. For myself personally, anime is like a mine field because I really have no idea whether or not I'm gonna hit a pretentous, irritating mess.
This past weekend I had no Asian dvds to watch, which is a rarity. So I did some online research and came across a series by the name of "Samurai Champloo" (2004). Like every other anime series, it got really high ratings and everyone went on and on about how awesome it was - yada yada yada. I rolled my eyes. Then I noticed that it was created by the same team that brought us "Cowboy Bebop" (1998), an anime that I recently finished and enjoyed very much. On that fact alone I decided to take a chance. I purchased the Complete DVD collection at a local store, and ended up finishing the entire series (a 10 hour project) in one day.
Fuu, a waitress who works in a teahouse, rescues two master swordsmen, Mugen and Jin, from their execution to help her find the "samurai who smells of sunflowers." Along the way they meet a lot of people and get involved in various conflicts. This is one of the few anime that I've seen that exhibits superior quality in every single aspect of film-making. The animation itself is stunning, with incredibly beautiful environments on constant display, and the Japanese voiceacting is top notch. The two biggest positives, however, are the character development and the swordfights.
With regards to the former, I must give some serious props to the scriptwriter, who crafts some fantastic characters here with very distinct, engaging histories. These are expertly developed characters who come to life. As much as I enjoyed "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex GIG 1 & 2" (2002, 2004), I always felt that the characters were too dry and textbook. Not so in "Samurai Champloo", which introduces its characters in a very warm, endearing manner while using a hefty amount of witty comedy that bonds them with the viewer as well as each other. It was also an excellent decision to have a very slow, methodical bonding process that basically takes the entire runtime before culminating in a family-esquire relationship. This makes perfect sense given their cynical histories, and comes off as entirely convincing. By the end the viewer will have no choice but to be emotionally invested in their lives, which maximizes the impact of the final 6 or 7 episodes when they confront some formidable opponents.
That brings us to the swordfighting scenes, which are without question the greatest I've ever seen in an animated film or show. The quality of the action choreography is high throughout, but the last 6 or 7 episodes will completely blow you away. We're talking multiple showdowns with bad guys who are so intimidating that one questions the well-being of the protagonists, who are considerably talented in their own right. What results is what I call "superlative awesomeness" that will have the viewer on the edge of their seat for virtually every single second. If you thought the swordfights in "Ninja Scroll" (1993) were good, you've GOT to see this! A truly magnificent, exhilarating experience.
I still have much to see in the realm of anime, but it's gonna be tough to top "Samurai Champloo." I'm completely and whole-heartedly in love with this the same way I'm in love with "My Sassy Girl" (2001, South Korea) as a romantic comedy or "Kairo" (2001, Japan) as a horror movie. A must see by any common definition of the term.
10/10
Description of Samurai Champloo: The Complete Collection
Mugen?s a buck-wild warrior -- violent, thoughtless and womanizing. Jin is a vagrant ronin -- mysterious, traditional, well-mannered and very strong as well. These two fiercely independent warriors can?t be any more different from one another, yet their paths cross when Fuu, a ditzy waitress, saves them from being executed when they are arrested after a violent swordfight. Fuu convinces the two vagrant young men to help her find a mysterious samurai "who smells of sunflowers." And their journey beginsShinichiro 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
Bestsellers in DVD
![The Story of Jeremiah [VHS] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
The Story of Jeremiah [VHS]Vision Video; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Wresting With God [VHS]by Vision Video
Vision Video; Published: 1990-10-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
Study Bible Video with Workbook [VHS]Spring Arbor Distributors; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $7.95
Price in other shops:
Tempo:Childrens TV Favourites Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $9.17
Price in other shops:
Tempo.Herbs:Parseley'Sb/ Party Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
![Strike the Original Match [VHS] Image](/images/Strike-the-Original-Match-VHS-0001374079-X.jpg)
Strike the Original Match [VHS]New Liberty Films; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
![Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS] Image](/images/Medjugorje-The-Miracles-and-the-Message-VHS-0001373293-X.jpg)
Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS]JPN Film Production; Release date: 1995-12-15; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.99
Mayo Clinic Echocardiography Review Course for Boards and Recertification DVD 2008by Mayo
DVD
Price in other shops:
Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging DVD: Single Userby Oakstone
DVD
Price in other shops:
Cost Accounting [VHS]by Charles T. Horngren, George Foster, Srikant M. Datar, Howard Teall
Pearson Canada, Toronto; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
High School of the Dead Complete CollectionADV Films; Release date: 2011-06-28; DVD
Best price: $32.92
Price in other shops:
Shigurui: Death Frenzy Complete Box SetFunimation; Release date: 2009-03-31; DVD
Best price: $17.85
Price in other shops:
Yu Yu Hakusho: Season Three SetFunimation; Release date: 2008-11-11; DVD
Best price: $14.47
Price in other shops:
Akira (Geneon Signature Series)Release date: 2004-01-06; DVD
Best price: $15.91
Price in other shops:
Yu Yu Hakusho: Season Four SetFunimation; Release date: 2009-01-13; DVD
Best price: $14.47
Price in other shops:
Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files - The Complete First SeasonFunimation; Release date: 2008-07-08; DVD
Best price: $17.78
Price in other shops:
Cowboy Bebop - The MovieSONY PICTURES HOME ENT; Release date: 2003-06-24; DVD
Best price: $2.22
Price in other shops:
Trigun: The Complete Series Box SetFunimation; Release date: 2010-10-26; DVD
Best price: $24.49
Price in other shops:
FLCL: The Complete SeriesFunimation; Release date: 2011-02-22; DVD
Best price: $21.99
Price in other shops:
Cowboy Bebop Remix: The Complete Collection (Anime Legends)BANDAI ENTERTAINMENT; Release date: 2008-02-05; DVD
Best price: $29.35
Price in other shops: