Samurai Champloo # 2 & 3

[timepiececlock]

Samurai Champloo compared to Cowboy Bebop.

I'm not really seeing it. Well, no, I am seeing it a lot in one character, and not at all in anything else.

Mugen seems a lot like Spike, definitely. He's irreverant, he's comfortable with violence and good at inflicting it, he doesn't talk a lot, and he's got the SpikeSpiegel!Hair thing going on.

But Jin? Not much like Jet. Not like Jet at all, actually (see list), except for the fact that his name starts with a J. In fact, if I had to compare him to anyone, I'd compare him to that assassin woman in Outlaw Star, or Kakashi from Naruto (minus the porn books).

And Fuu... again, not really like Faye except for the name. At least not yet, speaking from only episode 2.

I don't know if I'm going to end up liking SC yet, but I am waiting for episode 3 to download. It's caught my interest.

Comments

[kenzier.livejournal.com]

Well, I liked it a lot from episode one, so I can't assure you that you'll like the rest if it hasn't really grabbed you already. However, it does seem to be getting much better story-wise now that we've reached double digit episodes. Some of the earlier episodes had trite storylines (but with nice SC quirkiness to make up for it) that we'd seen exercised in anime before. But every one since 9 has rocked my socks.

[donna-c-punk.livejournal.com]

I agree with what kenzier said. It does improve storywise, but I immediately loved everything about the first episode. It was different. Then again, I haven't seen that many animes, so ...

In fact, if I had to compare him to anyone, I'd compare him to that assassin woman in Outlaw Star

I'd compare him to Suzuka, too. He doesn't have the family/fatherly nature that Jet does. With the stuff that comes out about his past in future episodes, the parallel to Suzuka works well.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

He doesn't have the family/fatherly nature that Jet does.

Nor does he look like Jet, talk like Jet, or appear to behave like Jet. Nor is he easy-going, congenial, or even nice. The wonderful thing about Jet is that he is the nicest one of the whole crew, when you get right down to it. Jet is also not that stoic or stiff, not that formal (Jet is very much the kind of "everyman" you'd chat with in a bar, once you get past the physical intimidation), and more likely to laugh or grin or smile than Jin appears to be. And more likely to complain and less likely to start fights for the sake of fighting. Not that Jet doesn't like kicking ass, but Jin and Mugen seem to both have Spike's tendencies for picking fights and causing trouble for the sake of picking fights and causing trouble, something Jet always harangued Spike and Faye about. (did I spell that right? I wonder...) I don't even know if Jin is supposed to be the older one (they both look fairly young to me). Not to mentioned if Jin has a chip on his shoulder and a grudge against the world, it isn't nearly as obvious to everyone as Jet's was. And Jet wouldn't take dressing up as a woman with nearly such a straight face.

Sorry to go on a mini rant... but when I think about it now it seems an bizarre comparison in my mind. About the only that they have in common (so far as I've watched) is that their names start with J and they're both intidimating. And tall.

Hm... actually, my brain is now going to a Naruto vs. Sasuke comparison. That seems more appropriate to me. ... Well, it would be appropriate if you took away all the sweetness and cuteness from Naruto.

[donna-c-punk.livejournal.com]

Sorry to go on a mini rant... but when I think about it now it seems an bizarre comparison in my mind.

Hence why it drives me nuts over at _champloo. It seems that every new fan we get these days introduces themselves with, "Is it just me, or are these characters just like the ones on Cowboy Bebop?"

No, it's just you. And the other fifteen before you who can't tell characters apart.

[brigidforest.livejournal.com]

haha, first episode and i made this icon. i literally rolled my eyes, because every single main character in watanabe's shows are exactly the same. even the one in animatrix.

most people would agree that it's not to the caliber of bebop, but bebop didn't grab me until like jupiter jazz, and i still didn't love it. i had to re-watch it to love it. (actually i have a confession, the uber revered ballad of fallen angels i thought was trite and tried too hard to be symbolic at first glance.)

champloo is fun. at times they try too hard to appeal for your sympathy, but mugen's character does get more realistic more than just one dimensional bad boy thing.

i love the style of drawing though. it's just good old fun. it still has much potential to improve though. (i've only seen up to episode 6, so i'm judging from what little i've seen. i need to catch up.)

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

The drawing style is actually detracting from it in my opinion. It's just too dark for me. I like dark live action stuff, but really darkly drawn anime just bothers me because I feel like I have to concentrate just a fraction too much to make sense of what I'm seeing. In moderation that's okay but when every episode is dark it bugs me. Right now that's the biggest detractor for the show in my mind.

Which episode/story did he do in Animatrix?

I had no strong opinion about CB either for or against all the way up until the end. I had to see how it ended before I really liked it-- until then I was just watching it because it was on and it was anime and it wasn't the totally moronic kind of anime that kills your brain cells (Chobits, Scryed, Wolf's Rain, Dragonball Z). And even though I liked it a lot more having seen the ending, I didn't start to love it until A) I saw Cowboy Funk which I had missed my first time watching the series, and B) I got into Spike/Faye fandom.

[donna-c-punk.livejournal.com]

Which episode/story did he do in Animatrix?

He did "A Kid's Story" and "Detective's Story".

oh...

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

and the music. I would never like this show as much as I do if I hadn't fallen in love with the music. It was the music that really did it for me and got me into it.

[donna-c-punk.livejournal.com]

it still has much potential to improve though. (i've only seen up to episode 6, so i'm judging from what little i've seen. i need to catch up.)

Oh improves greatly after episode 8. 8 was the start of the better episodes. And I just loved 11.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Well, I think I'll stick around until 8 or 9 at least, to see what's what and if it really kicks in for me. Hell, I sat through 16 episodes of Saiyuki based on flist opinions alone, and that wasn't even as interesting has this has been in 3 episodes, art design complaints aside.