Samurai Champloo ( Samurai Chanpurū ) is a Japanese animated television series consisting of twenty-six episodes. It was broadcast in Japan from May 20, 2004, through March 19, 2005, on the television network, Fuji TV. Samurai Champloo was created and directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, whose previous work, Cowboy Bebop, earned him renown in the anime and Japanese television communities. The show was produced by studio Manglobe.
The series is a cross-genre work of media, blending the action and samurai genres with elements of slapstick comedy. It is also a period piece, taking place during Japan's Edo period. The series is interwoven with revisionist historical facts and anachronistic elements of mise-en-scene, dialogue and soundtrack. The series' most frequent anachronism is its use of elements of hip hop culture, particularly hip hop music and the music it has influenced, break dancing, turntablism, hip hop slang, and graffiti. The show also contains anachronistic elements from the punk subculture and modernism, but less prominently. It is one of the first anime TV shows based on hip-hop (Afro Samurai is the other, having been released in 2007).
A Samurai Champloo manga debuted in Shōnen Ace on August 2004. Tokyopop licensed the manga in an English-language release in North America and Madman Entertainment licensed it for an English release in Australia and New Zealand. It is also licensed for a Portuguese-language and Spanish-language release in Brazil and Spain by Panini. There are only 2 volumes in this series.
Samurai Champloo
Genre Chanbara, Comedy-drama
TV anime
Directed by Shinichirō Watanabe
Studio Manglobe
Licensed by
AustraliaNew Zealand Madman Entertainment
CanadaUnited States Geneon Entertainment
United Kingdom MVM Films
Network Animax, Fuji TV
English network United States Cartoon Network (Adult Swim)
Original run May 16, 2004 – March 19, 2005
Episodes 26 (List of episodes)
Manga
Written by Shinichirō Watanabe
Illustrated by Masaru Gotsubo
Published by Kadokawa Shoten
English publisher Australia New Zealand Madman Entertainment
Canada United States Bandai Entertainment
Singapore Chuang Yi
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Shōnen Ace
Original run August 2, 2004 – October 29, 2004
Volumes 2
The series is a cross-genre work of media, blending the action and samurai genres with elements of slapstick comedy. It is also a period piece, taking place during Japan's Edo period. The series is interwoven with revisionist historical facts and anachronistic elements of mise-en-scene, dialogue and soundtrack. The series' most frequent anachronism is its use of elements of hip hop culture, particularly hip hop music and the music it has influenced, break dancing, turntablism, hip hop slang, and graffiti. The show also contains anachronistic elements from the punk subculture and modernism, but less prominently. It is one of the first anime TV shows based on hip-hop (Afro Samurai is the other, having been released in 2007).
A Samurai Champloo manga debuted in Shōnen Ace on August 2004. Tokyopop licensed the manga in an English-language release in North America and Madman Entertainment licensed it for an English release in Australia and New Zealand. It is also licensed for a Portuguese-language and Spanish-language release in Brazil and Spain by Panini. There are only 2 volumes in this series.
Samurai Champloo
Genre Chanbara, Comedy-drama
TV anime
Directed by Shinichirō Watanabe
Studio Manglobe
Licensed by
AustraliaNew Zealand Madman Entertainment
CanadaUnited States Geneon Entertainment
United Kingdom MVM Films
Network Animax, Fuji TV
English network United States Cartoon Network (Adult Swim)
Original run May 16, 2004 – March 19, 2005
Episodes 26 (List of episodes)
Manga
Written by Shinichirō Watanabe
Illustrated by Masaru Gotsubo
Published by Kadokawa Shoten
English publisher Australia New Zealand Madman Entertainment
Canada United States Bandai Entertainment
Singapore Chuang Yi
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Shōnen Ace
Original run August 2, 2004 – October 29, 2004
Volumes 2