Samurai Champloo

I don't really watch a lot of Anime, but of the few series I have seen Cowboy Bebop is one of my favorites. The show about a group of rag-tag space bounty hunters had a truly original aesthetic appeal as well as an amazing, diverse soundtrack (Bad Dog, No Biscuits!). This show (that we should see in a live-action movie soon starring Keanu Reeves and Bruce Willis... and Megan Fox, sad-sigh) was all the brainchild of Shinichiro Watanabe. Back in High School, he released his new work: Samurai Champloo. I only ever caught an episode or two, but remember Sheridan raving about it. Well, I've finally sucked it down and have found it rather refreshing.

Much like Cowboy Bebop, Watanabe has incorporated a truly original theme and style to this show. Even though the show's set back in 1800's (?)... ummm, a long time ago when Samurais roamed Japan, there's this cool, rap/hip-hop attitude infused with the soundtrack and theme. (Hell, the main title screen is placed on a spinning vinyl record.) This is just plain... cool.

Take this and add in gore and violence in the non-stop avalanche of sword fights and samurai duels. Always engaging. Always fun.

If I had to say anything bad about this show, it's the same thing I would want to say about Watanabe's previous work: The show's story craps out by the end. This was my big guff in Cowboy Bebop. There was this awesome build as we find our main character's doppelganger has obtained control of this huge crime syndicate, his best gal has just been gunned down by hired goons, and now we're approaching the final showdown. Alright, I'm ready for this... but then the fights over even before it has begun, and as for all the rest of the characters (there are four besides the lead), they just sort of go off on their own paths. Nothing is resolved. Life just resumes. This didn't seem to bother most people as it did me. I guess I just like closure.

Back to Champloo... The story revolves around three individuals: two samurais (one well-tempered, the other a nut-job) and a ditsy girl that's run away from home or some crap. Anyways, the girl convinces the other two guys - who are committed to having this duel with one another - to hold off fighting and help her find a samurai that smell of sun flowers. In short, through much blood they find the sun flower samurai (turns out to be the girl's estranged father) which is accompanied by a bunch of long-winded battles... then the show ends. Not to spoil anything (although I've already revealed plenty), but all three characters live, the two samurais agree to not battle one another, and everyone splits off at a diverging road to head along their own paths, literally. Once again, no closure. It just rubs me the wrong way when you witness a lack in character growth - or, in this case, none at all. What did I just suffer through? What was it all for? Sure, there were some entertaining fight scenes - I'll give it that much - but why not show, let's say, the nut-job samurai how to control himself???

To be fair, the show does touch upon these points. And while not completely obvious, there are a few fleeting moments where we see some changes in our characters. It seems what Watanabe looks to do in his work is to just educate the audience on his characters' backgrounds; slowly but surely. That's the payoff... I suppose. By the end of the show we are finally made aware of how each person has got there, and maybe that gives the audience some indication of where they might go next after the story ends. For some, this works.

Not for me. I like a proper ending, dammit!