22 Years Ago, Cowboy Bebop Director Released His Best Historical Action Anime

Shinichirō Watanabe is one of the most highly regarded anime directors, best known for his all-time classic Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy, and several more acclaimed shows and films. Watanabe first gained recognition in 1994 when he served as the co-director of the legendary sci-fi anime Macross Plus. However, it wasn’t until 1998 that he gained global acclaim and cemented his legacy as one of the most celebrated anime directors of all time. Over the decades, he has primarily worked on original anime, which often struggles to attract attention compared to those stories based on manga and light novels. However, thanks to Watanabe’s revolutionary animation and exceptional storytelling, almost every project under him has received praise from fans and critics alike.

One of his most memorable works is still Samurai Champloo, which deserves just as much praise as Cowboy Bebop. The anime premiered on May 20th, 2004, exactly 22 years ago, and is now considered one of the best historical series of all time. However, the anime wasn’t an overnight mainstream juggernaut upon its release, but instead gained fame over the years and is now considered no less than a classic. Watanabe takes a unique approach by infusing a hip-hop soundtrack in the Edo-themed story that was way ahead of its time.

What Is Samurai Champloo About?

The anime series is largely episodic, where each episode feels like a self-contained adventure as they build character depth and continue the central quest to find the mysterious samurai who smells like flowers. The story is based on a short manga series written and illustrated by Masaru Gotsubo. Even though some of the episodes are fillers, these original scenes only add more depth to the main trio, Mugen, Jin, and Fuu.

The story is set in an alternate version of Edo-period Japan, where Fuu, a young waitress, saves Mugen and Jin from an unfortunate situation and seeks their help in return. The two samurai couldn’t be more different from one another, but relent after her request since they are indebted to her and begin serving as her bodyguards for the journey ahead.

Despite their unpleasant first encounter, the group sets out on a mission to find the mysterious samurai from Fuu’s past, and the only lead they have is that he smells of sunflowers. As the story continues, the group encounters several people along the way while the truth about their pasts slowly unravels.

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