Samurai Champloo V. 02 (Animé TV)

 

Picture: B-     Sound: B     Extras: C     Episodes: B-

 

 

Picking up in progress with the second set of episodes, Samurai Champloo (2004) is about a darker-than-usual Animé world that involves sexploitation traps, older Yakuza, entanglements with the police and other screwy goings on that involve art and photography.  The episodes here are, each running about 22 minutes:

 

5) Artistic Anarchy

6) Stranger Searching

7) A Risky Racket

8) The Art Of Altercation

 

 

Animatrix and Cowboy Bebop director Shinchiro Watanabe goes for several styles, though not too far apart, still more diverse than you usually get for a show like this.  The portrayal of women is not exactly as progressive as Bubblegum Crisis, but it is not as childish or regressive as we have been seeing lately.  It also looks like a bit more time and money is being put into the show.  A new generation of HD-aimed series are slowly finding their way to TV and DVD and that means upping the ante.  Samurai Champloo is a semi-comic show that could mean new life for the already lively and highly profitable Animé market.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 16 X 9/1.78 X 1 image is more diversely stylized than usual, so lack of clarity in spots is on purpose, more obvious when compared to the best shots in each show.  It is a nice approach, with a good if somewhat muted color scale.  The sound that is here includes an oddly dubbed Dolby Digital 5.1 English mix, while you get a Dolby 2.0 Japanese mix and a really pleasant DTS Japanese 5.1 mix that is only equaled lately by the Gungrave series.  Geneon has had few DTS titles, but the increase in such releases are welcome because they have been the best on the market for sound in most cases.  Skip ex-Driver – The Movie, though, reviewed elsewhere on this site.

 

The only extras are a teaser trailer for this show and previews for three other Geneon DVD titles, which is weak.  At least it is one of their stronger series releases.  Also odd is the use of Hip Hop/DJing music for the credits, which disappears in the actual story.  That might work in another series, but would not work here, though Forces Of Nature does the music.  For Animé fans, this is as much a must-see as anything.  It earns its 16 years and up rating for themes, sex, language (esp. in lame English) and some bloody violence.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo