I decided that I had to start one of the new anime series eventually, and thus watched the first five episodes of “Samurai Champloo”. It seems good fun, is rather bloody and foremost stylish. But that is also one of the problems I have with it: It seems to be tailor-made for the American market. Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe (of “Cowboy Bebop” fame) and outfitted with — sometimes fitting and sometimes forcibly overlaid — hip-hop music, the character designs are very reminiscent (but not as radical) as the Animatrix’ “The Kid” with its very slender limbs.
I have to say the animation is awesome enough to make me keep watching it, but I sincerely hope that there will be a properly engaging story-arc rather sooner than later… A trio of two different (and averse) but equally capable samurai and the reconciling quota-female is not the most ground-breaking of story ideas.