Samurai Champloo - Complete Box Set (DVD, 2009)

For many people this is just some show that they happened to get into from watching Adult Swim, which it is, but it also has quite the pedigree. Namely the creator is also the man behind such other notables as Macross and the notoriously popular Cowboy Bebop. Being an immense fan of Bebop, I looked more into this series to find that I am just as drawn to it. Just as with Bebop, there is an over-arcing plot, which is similarly barely explained, but the series seldom takes itself too seriously. There is a very healthy smattering comedy, romance, drama, and of course action. The characters are dynamic and although they may only be featured for a single episode it is plain to see how they add to the story rather than detract, and how they exhume traits out of the three main characters which the viewer might not otherwise see (if one was to think of the show as a series of events rather than a choreographed sequence of steps). Best of all, the show always keeps you guessing. It is difficult to imagine what the next episode will bring, and it is that dynamic nature which I love.

My largest problem (Keep in mind that such a term is relative. It barely bothered me) is the emphasis on hip-hop are the music of choice. It may be that I am not much a rap afficionado but I don't see the parallel between the story and this genre of music! In Bebop, where the genre was Jazz and Blues, the fit was perfect due to the bursts of action, much like the trumpeting of a horn, and the lulls of drama and stories of loss, like the slow strumming of a blues guitar, however in Sam Cham the only comparison I can make is between the dichotomy of the three traveling companions, and the mixes and layers of hip-hop, which are sometimes very different from one another but still create enjoyable music. It's my only problem and more of a pet-peev than anything.

All in all a fantastic show. This box set is particularly great because prior to this the entire series was selling for $160 USED! An awesome deal. If you were or are a fan of Cowboy Bebop DO NOT pass this up.