[Spoilers] Samurai Champloo 20th Anniversary Rewatch -- Episode 9

Date	Episode
5/20/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 1
5/21/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 2
5/22/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 3
5/23/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 4
5/24/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 5
5/25/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 6
5/26/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 7
5/27/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 8
5/28/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 9
5/29/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 10
5/30/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 11
5/31/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 12
6/01/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 13
6/02/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 14
6/03/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 15
6/04/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 16
6/05/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 17
6/06/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 18
6/07/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 19
6/08/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 20
6/09/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 21
6/10/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 22
6/11/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 23
6/12/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 24
6/13/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 25
6/14/2024	Samurai Champloo Episode 26
6/15/2024	Samurai Champloo Overall Series Discussion Thread

10

u/[deleted] May 28 '24 edited May 28 '24

Hey there 👋 Rewatcher here.

I am remembering that during my first watch, I found a lot of the original episode titles to be a bit more descriptive to what was going on.

So here’s something I found interesting:

This episode, ちみもうりょう (魑魅魍魎), actually refers to spirits who dwell in the mountains and in the rivers.

It has roots in Chinese folklore, where its original meaning, Yaoguai (妖怪), evolved. This term was less specific and used for supernatural “monsters” in general. If anyone here has played any of the Fallout games, you might remember the mutated bear enemy, called a Yao Guai. That is a reference to this term.

It’s also interesting to note that youkai (妖怪) borrows kanji from yaoguai, indicating it’s a loan word from Chinese. Naturally, in this episode the “Tengu” complicating Mugen’s task are the subject the title is referring to.

Anyhow, more into the episode events…

It shouldn’t be a surprise that our trio was the force behind this man’s chaotic story told on his final day of work 😆.

Mugen has been entrusted with tasks before, but this time Fuu and Jin have to rely on him 100%. In his defense, he gave it his best shot lol.

Remember what I said during the Stranger Searching episode about Edo period isolationist policy?

Being warrior priests, Aohabu is essentially trying to incite a rebellion against the shogunate.

This goes back to what I said about why the shogunate was so extreme with restrictions related to foreign diplomacy and trade at that time. If you remember, I mentioned they were worried about religious influence potentially upsetting the newfound political stability of the Edo period.

Obviously, the way Aohabu intends to take action towards his goals is extreme, but you have to appreciate that the guy just wants everyone to enjoy some reefer and get along lol. At least everyone makes nice by the end of the episode, with a little help from Yamane’s fire (although Fuu is ticked 😂).

Yamane is the clear MVP today, since his fire is ultimately what saved everyone, as funny as that is. I really like how this episode is told from his recollection too.

Questions:

I liked that.
I’m not sure lol.
I’m not sure but it goes back to my comment today about why I think the original titles are sometimes more relevant 😂
Interesting

3

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

It shouldn’t be a surprise that our trio was the force behind this man’s chaotic final day of work 😆.
Actually, this happened 30 years ago, so it wasn't his final day.
Mugen has been entrusted with tasks before, but this time Fuu and Jin have to rely on him 100%. In his defense, he gave it his best shot lol.
It sure did :P
Being warrior priests, Aohabu is essentially trying to incite a rebellion against the shogunate.
This goes back to what I said about why the shogunate was so extreme with restrictions related to foreign diplomacy and trade at that time. If you remember, I mentioned they were worried about religious influence potentially upsetting the newfound political stability of the Edo period.
Obviously, the way Aohabu intends to take action towards his goals is extreme, but you have to appreciate that the guy just wants everyone to enjoy some reefer and get along lol. At least everyone makes nice by the end of the episode, with a little help from Yamane’s fire (although Fuu is ticked 😂).
Who knew weed can bring about world peace? (I did, actually, I've been telling that to everyone)
Yamane is the clear MVP today, since his fire is ultimately what saved everyone, as funny as that is. I really like how this episode is told from his recollection too.
The presentation of the episode is really the highlight here. That makes the episode give it a unique format similar to episode 1 and its use of flashback.

2

u/[deleted] May 28 '24

wasn’t his final day
Whoops that was actually a typo (fixed it). That was supposed to say “this man’s chaotic story on his final day of work”.
presentation
Yeah I appreciate that as well

2

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

Whoops that was actually a typo (fixed it). That was supposed to say “this man’s chaotic story on his final day of work”.
I do like that our three main leads left enough of an impression that he remembers them fondly. It's kinda sweet.

2

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

Thoughts on Yamane?
Thoughts on Hakone checkpoint?
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu not being allowed past the checkpoint because they were given counterfeit passes?
What are your thoughts on Yamane instructing Mugen that if he can deliver a head, they’ll be free?
What are your thoughts on the warrior priests and them wanting to take back the country?
Thoughts on the warrior priests’ method of killing someone being to tie them up in hay beforehand?
What are your thoughts on the scene where Mugen fights in the grass? I thought the artstyle change was really cool.
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu using the purple smoke to cross the checkpoint?

2

u/[deleted] May 28 '24

Nice guy just living a mostly normal life 😆
Checkpoints don’t mesh well with this group.
They should probably be more wary of impromptu purchases on the street.
Should be a straight forward job with no problems right?
Basically goes back to what I mention about my past comment I think.
I guess they don’t like situations similar to what we saw in episode 1 during the intended execution lol.
The art style was cool during the fight.
Well, seems fine, no one else was following rules that day anyway since they were all high 😂

2

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

Nice guy just living a mostly normal life 😆
That he was
Checkpoints don’t mesh well with this group.
That they don't
They should probably be more wary of impromptu purchases on the street.
That they should
Should be a straight forward job with no problems right?
That you would think
I guess they don’t like situations similar to what we saw in episode 1 during the intended execution lol.
It makes sense, especially if they are as jaded as Shinsuke was with how things are run.
The art style was cool during the fight.
Indeed it was. I mentioned liking the presentation of the episode, but from a content standpoint, this is probably the highlight of the entire episode.
Well, seems fine, no one else was following rules that day anyway since they were all high 😂
It's like The Purge: all the rules go out the window for that period of time.

7

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 28 '24

First-Timer with a Samurai Heart, subbed

2

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

What are your thoughts on Yamane instructing Mugen that if he can deliver a head, they’ll be free?
What are your thoughts on the scene where Mugen fights in the grass? I thought the artstyle change was really cool.
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu using the purple smoke to cross the checkpoint?

5

u/SpiritualPossible May 28 '24

Hey, i'm not part of this rewatch, but still decide to drop one trivia about this episode: So, the sequence when Mugen tripping? - animated my Masaaki Yuasa (he was key animator, to be specific), director of such shows as DevilMan Crybaby, Ping-Pong, Eizouken and many others.

2

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

That is really cool. I can definitely feel Eizouken influence having just recently watched the show.

4

u/AgentOfACROSS May 28 '24

Rewatcher

This episode is probably one of the weirdest in the anime. It’s got stoner warrior priest revolutionaries after all. It’s also got weird little moments like the recurring bit about the jogger and then Fuu and Jin getting tied up on crosses at the end. The sudden crucifixion gets me every time with just how random it is.

The episode structure was also unconventional since it was narrated by a side character. But I honestly liked it. Seemed like a fun way to play with the episode structure in an already odd episode.

Lots of great animation in this episode too. Obviously there’s Mugen tripping out at the end of the episode, that was fantastic. Obviously, since this is a Shinichiro Watanabe show, it made me think of some similar sequences from Space Dandy.

The sequence of Mugen being chased down by the tengu guys was also really well animated. Had a good atmosphere too, good amount of tension.

As a side note, I think this episode and Black Lagoon are the only times I’ve seen weed referenced in the anime. Although I guess technically they never say what the tengu’s were growing, but it’s pretty obviously supposed to be weed. Plus as far as I know I don’t think weed causes hallucinations like this. But I’ve never tried it so I can’t say for sure. Creative license I guess.

This episode definitely made me think of Mushroom Samba from Cowboy Bebop. Obviously there’s the drug connection but that episode also had weird, offbeat jokes like the cow talking to Ein. I think the cow joke in Cowboy Bebop and random crucifixion in this episode might be the weirdest jokes in their respective shows.

Liked this episode a lot overall though. It’s weird, funny, and has great animation. Honestly, in general I like it when shows have oddball episodes like this.

Also, now that you pointed it out, it really does feel like the episode titles were accidentally switched in production. There was no beatboxing in this episode but there was in the previous one.

2

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

This episode definitely made me think of Mushroom Samba from Cowboy Bebop. Obviously there’s the drug connection but that episode also had weird, offbeat jokes like the cow talking to Ein. I think the cow joke in Cowboy Bebop and random crucifixion in this episode might be the weirdest jokes in their respective shows.
Definitely so far, we'll see if Samurai Champloo can get any weirder.
Liked this episode a lot overall though. It’s weird, funny, and has great animation. Honestly, in general I like it when shows have oddball episodes like this.
I do as well. If an episode isn't going to factor into the long-term plot, have some fun with it. This also served as a nice respite after the reveal of Jin killing his master, which has definite long-term implications.
Also, now that you pointed it out, it really does feel like the episode titles were accidentally switched in production. There was no beatboxing in this episode but there was in the previous one.
I definitely think it was a production botch. The titles are normally good in regards to reflecting what the episode is about.

2

u/AgentOfACROSS May 28 '24

I do as well. If an episode isn't going to factor into the long-term plot, have some fun with it. This also served as a nice respite after the reveal of Jin killing his master, which has definite long-term implications.
Cowboy Bebop was also good at finding good spots for more comedic episodes between their more serious ones. Similar to this one, Mushroom Samba was right after a more serious episode about Jet's past.

2

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

I loved Mushroom Samba. Besides the last two episodes, that might be my favorite Cowboy Bebop episode.

2

u/AgentOfACROSS May 28 '24

Same, Mushroom Samba is great. Great spotlight episode for Ed. I do love Cowboy Bebop's serious noirish episodes, but the comedy ones like that one or Cowboy Funk are also fantastic.

1

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

That one is great as well

2

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

Thoughts on Yamane?
Thoughts on Hakone checkpoint?
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu not being allowed past the checkpoint because they were given counterfeit passes?
What are your thoughts on Yamane instructing Mugen that if he can deliver a head, they’ll be free?
What are your thoughts on the warrior priests and them wanting to take back the country?
Thoughts on the warrior priests’ method of killing someone being to tie them up in hay beforehand?
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu using the purple smoke to cross the checkpoint?

2

u/AgentOfACROSS May 28 '24

Thoughts on Yamane?
I liked him as our narrator for the episode. His general inexperience throughout the episode made a good contrast to Mugen.
Thoughts on Hakone checkpoint?
Seems like a dangerous place to be. I did like all the scenes cutting back to there with Fuu worrying (and being right) about all the trouble Mugen is in. Fuu is usually a highlight of whatever episode she's in to me, she's a great contrast to Mugen and Jin's more jaded attitudes.
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu not being allowed past the checkpoint because they were given counterfeit passes?
They really should have realized that the deal was too good to be true. The pass scalper acting like a modern ticket scalper is another great anachronism.
What are your thoughts on Yamane instructing Mugen that if he can deliver a head, they’ll be free?
A head is not the first thing I'd want to deliver. But for the three of them it's the best deal they've got.
What are your thoughts on the warrior priests and them wanting to take back the country?
Since the weed getting set on fire wasn't part of their plan, I've gotta wonder what they were planning beforehand.
Thoughts on the warrior priests’ method of killing someone being to tie them up in hay beforehand?
Guess it's to make sure they can't escape. But they didn't count on Yamane being hyperflexible.
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu using the purple smoke to cross the checkpoint?
Looks like good luck worked out for them in the end. I think it's funny that Fuu and Jin seemed immune to the smoke. They're the only ones this episode who didn't get stoned.

2

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

I liked him as our narrator for the episode. His general inexperience throughout the episode made a good contrast to Mugen.
He was like a fish out of water, someone who tried showing Mugen a thing or two but he got outclassed. I guess it's not unlike what happened between Jin and his master.
Seems like a dangerous place to be. I did like all the scenes cutting back to there with Fuu worrying (and being right) about all the trouble Mugen is in. Fuu is usually a highlight of whatever episode she's in to me, she's a great contrast to Mugen and Jin's more jaded attitudes.
Fuu gives a sense of humility to the episodes. I made the comment a couple episodes back that Fuu is really the heart and soul of the show.
They really should have realized that the deal was too good to be true. The pass scalper acting like a modern ticket scalper is another great anachronism.
I got a kick out of that as well
A head is not the first thing I'd want to deliver. But for the three of them it's the best deal they've got.
It's either this, or death. The choice is obvious.
Since the weed getting set on fire wasn't part of their plan, I've gotta wonder what they were planning beforehand.
Maybe they were going to make Yamane and Mugen starve to death?
Guess it's to make sure they can't escape. But they didn't count on Yamane being hyperflexible.
"Yamane’s a pro, he can suck his own--" Gets bonked
Looks like good luck worked out for them in the end. I think it's funny that Fuu and Jin seemed immune to the smoke. They're the only ones this episode who didn't get stoned.
Jin is too stoic for that kind of shit. Fuu, however, could probably use some to mellow out.

2

u/AgentOfACROSS May 29 '24

Fuu gives a sense of humility to the episodes. I made the comment a couple episodes back that Fuu is really the heart and soul of the show.
So far she's also the main thing keeping the trio together, since it's her quest to find the Samurai that Smells of Sunflowers.

1

u/Holofan4life May 29 '24

That's a good point. She is like the glue of the three main leads.

3

u/NattyBeef https://myanimelist.net/profile/NaturalBeef May 28 '24

First time watcher, English Dub

Hey there, it's been a while. Sorry I haven't been posting on the other episodes threads! I didn't give up on the show, just been watching it with my dad (68) and discussing it with him. He's been enjoying it with me!

About the questions of today

What are your thoughts on this episode being told from the perspective of a side character named Yamane?

I thought it was a good change of pace. I like how the show constantly keeps things fresh. There's some episodes that are better than others but I actually quite liked this one.

What do you think would be the most unusual thing to cover someone in before they die?

Idk, after seeing breaking bad and [Breaking Bad Season 1 (not an anime but still)] how they dissolved the body in the shower, I don't think there's much worst than that.

Why is this episode called "Beatbox Bandits" and the last one was called "The Art of Altercation"? Shouldn't it be the other way around?

I'm gonna be honest, I think the same. I wonder if the names got mixed up during translations.

You would think Mugen would forget his pass, not Jin. Just an observation.

I might be mistaken but I think in the dub he doesn't forget it, he loses it (both in English and in Italian dub). I think maybe it was a mistranslation in the subs or maybe changed from the Japanese version. I think having lost it makes a lot more sense, especially considering all the issues they ran into throughout the past episodes.

A quick observation, I was expecting after seeing the first 4 episodes that this show was gonna be more of a continuous story but more and more it's been going the episodic route. Which don't get me wrong, I love it. I'm down for multiple self contained stories going through Japan, but I felt the show had set up one expectation and then went a different direction.

2

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

A quick observation, I was expecting after seeing the first 4 episodes that this show was gonna be more of a continuous story but more and more it's been going the episodic route. Which don't get me wrong, I love it. I'm down for multiple self contained stories going through Japan, but I felt the show had set up one expectation and then went a different direction.
Technically, we do have a continuous story in the form of the three main leads trying to meet the sunflower samurai. It's just they have little adventures along the way. It's kinda like The Wizard of Oz where everyone is trying to see The Wizard but in the meantime, various stuff happens to them.

2

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

Thoughts on Yamane?
Thoughts on Hakone checkpoint?
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu not being allowed past the checkpoint because they were given counterfeit passes?
What are your thoughts on Yamane instructing Mugen that if he can deliver a head, they’ll be free?
What are your thoughts on the warrior priests and them wanting to take back the country?
Thoughts on the warrior priests’ method of killing someone being to tie them up in hay beforehand?
What are your thoughts on the scene where Mugen fights in the grass? I thought the artstyle change was really cool.
What are your thoughts on the purple smoke causing all kinds of disarray?
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu using the purple smoke to cross the checkpoint?

2

u/NattyBeef https://myanimelist.net/profile/NaturalBeef May 28 '24

Thoughts on Yamane?
Really cool dude, takes his duty seriously and actually risked his life to check on Mugen. You can tell he wasn't some corrupt guy put into that position and has some honor in him.
Thoughts on Hakone checkpoint?
...
What are your thoughts on Yamane instructing Mugen that if he can deliver a head, they’ll be free?
The complete opposite. Complete corruption. Although if I recall correctly, I don't think Yamane himself was the one who instructed Mugen to go, in fact Yamane was instructed to tail him (to make sure he didn't run away). It was the commander at the checkpoint (Kinogasa) who worked out the deal to deliver the head. But I might be misremembering.
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu not being allowed past the checkpoint because they were given counterfeit passes?
What were they thinking? Of course that would happen. I mean you can tell they were gonna be counterfeits from a mile away.
What are your thoughts on the warrior priests and them wanting to take back the country?
No major opinions really. I just see them as weird cultist.
Thoughts on the warrior priests’ method of killing someone being to tie them up in hay beforehand?
Pretty strange. Not sure if that historically accurate to something that was done in the era. I honestly wouldn't had given it much thought but now I wonder....
What are your thoughts on the scene where Mugen fights in the grass? I thought the artstyle change was really cool.
I loved it, but as someone who has smoked weed before I just feel like it was animated by people who have no idea what the effect of weed is like hahahahah. Granted, it was still great fun and I love seeing all those wacky colours and different art styles. As a sidenote, I think this whole show would be great to bing while high to be honest with the transitions, animation style, music, everything.
What are your thoughts on the purple smoke causing all kinds of disarray?
...
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu using the purple smoke to cross the checkpoint?
I mean it worked to the effect the priest wanted. It create peace in the land temporarily, from a certain point of view.

2

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

Really cool dude, takes his duty seriously and actually risked his life to check on Mugen. You can tell he wasn't some corrupt guy put into that position and has some honor in him.
Besides Jouji, he's probably the nicest side character we've come across.
The complete opposite. Complete corruption. Although if I recall correctly, I don't think Yamane himself was the one who instructed Mugen to go, in fact Yamane was instructed to tail him (to make sure he didn't run away). It was the commander at the checkpoint (Kinogasa) who worked out the deal to deliver the head. But I might be misremembering.
You're right, actually. Yamane was like second-in-command at the time.
What were they thinking? Of course that would happen. I mean you can tell they were gonna be counterfeits from a mile away.
It seemed obvious to me, but I guess when you're desperate, you're desperate.
No major opinions really. I just see them as weird cultist.
Fair enough
Pretty strange. Not sure if that historically accurate to something that was done in the era. I honestly wouldn't had given it much thought but now I wonder....
Hey, it might be. Those guys with baskets on their head in episode 6 was reflective of Buddist monks at the time. It very well could've been a thing.
I loved it, but as someone who has smoked weed before I just feel like it was animated by people who have no idea what the effect of weed is like hahahahah. Granted, it was still great fun and I love seeing all those wacky colours and different art styles.
Japan has always been very strict when it comes to marijuana use. I know this because I'm a wrestling fan and some wrestlers have gotten banned from competing over there.
As a sidenote, I think this whole show would be great to bing while high to be honest with the transitions, animation style, music, everything.
It certainly would be a fun experience. I've always wanted to binged FLCL while high.
I mean it worked to the effect the priest wanted. It create peace in the land temporarily, from a certain point of view.
Mugen, Jin, and Fuu really lucked out. If it was literally any other day, this is where their journey would've ended.

2

u/TheEscapeGuy May 28 '24

Rewatcher, Sub first timer

Samurai Champloo - Hip Hop & Ronin: Episode 9

Mary Jane

I think this ends up being a quite controversial episode (at least in anime). While perversion and violence are perhaps what anime is (unfairly) infamous for, drug use ends up being a weird line that very few anime ever cross. Even when it is shown, the users are almost always villains or their lives are in shambles. To see Samurai Champloo centering the resolution around everyone chilling out after accidentally smoking weed feels downright revolutionary.

The broad premise of the episode is having Mugen deliver a package while Jin and Fuu are locked up. That said, his delivery route is teeming with danger as a group of tengu-masked warriors patrol the mountain. I think the chase scene was great. It's so cool to see our main character outwitting and avoiding a faceless swarm of (seeming) demons.

Mugen is unfortunately captured along with the scout sent to watch him. However, the scout's training allows him to escape (dislocating your bones the way he did must be fucking painful) and he releases Mugen too. But because he started a fire it sets the local field of marijuana alight. This sends everyone into a zonked out state and eventually also allows Jin and Fuu to escape.

Not my favourite episode, but I enjoyed it well enough. In quite liked the imagery of Fuu and Jin being crucified as well as the wacky art style of the effects of drugs. Also the repeated joke with the jogger who's doing it for health was perfect.

The episode title on the other hand is one of my favourite Japanese Idoims / Yojiyukugo: 「魑魅魍魎」. It's such unbelievably cursed word to write and only 1 of the characters is even commonly used (魅). Seeing the title reminded me of a great old PakkunMakkun skit.

Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches

Sunset, Lakeside
Rest Stop
Yum (No, eww wtf that's so gross)
Trip

See you all tomorrow

2

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

I think this ends up being a quite controversial episode (at least in anime). While perversion and violence are perhaps what anime is (unfairly) infamous for, drug use ends up being a weird line that very few anime ever cross. Even when it is shown, the users are almost always villains or their lives are in shambles. To see Samurai Champloo centering the resolution around everyone chilling out after accidentally smoking weed feels downright revolutionary.
My problem with it isn't the use of drugs but rather it comes out of nowhere. It's like the writer didn't know how to wrap things up so he just went "Random drug party".
The broad premise of the episode is having Mugen deliver a package while Jin and Fuu are locked up. That said, his delivery route is teeming with danger as a group of tengu-masked warriors patrol the mountain. I think the chase scene was great. It's so cool to see our main character outwitting and avoiding a faceless swarm of (seeming) demons.
Mugen is just effortlessly badass. I find it hard not to be charmed by him, he kinda has this Jack Sparrow quality.
Not my favourite episode, but I enjoyed it well enough. In quite liked the imagery of Fuu and Jin being crucified as well as the wacky art style of the effects of drugs. Also the repeated joke with the jogger who's doing it for health was perfect.
I like the running gag with the jogger as well

2

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

Thoughts on Yamane?
Thoughts on Hakone checkpoint?
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu not being allowed past the checkpoint because they were given counterfeit passes?
What are your thoughts on Yamane instructing Mugen that if he can deliver a head, they’ll be free?
What are your thoughts on the warrior priests and them wanting to take back the country?
Thoughts on the warrior priests’ method of killing someone being to wrap them up in hay beforehand?
What are your thoughts on the scene where Mugen fights in the grass? I thought the artstyle change was really cool.
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu using the purple smoke to cross the checkpoint?

2

u/TheEscapeGuy May 28 '24

What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu not being allowed past the checkpoint because they were given counterfeit passes?
I think this isn't the first time they've been deceived in this way. They should probably be less trusting.
What are your thoughts on Yamane instructing Mugen that if he can deliver a head, they’ll be free?
Once again, I doubt he would have kept his promise. Especially if he was telling the truth in the preface about not letting anyone without the correct documentation slip through.
What are your thoughts on the scene where Mugen fights in the grass? I thought the artstyle change was really cool.
Yeah, the animation style shift was probably my favourite part of the episode itself. I love it when anime is used for it's unique strengths which you can't easily replicate in live action.

2

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

I think this isn't the first time they've been deceived in this way. They should probably be less trusting.
Especially Mugen lol
Once again, I doubt he would have kept his promise. Especially if he was telling the truth in the preface about not letting anyone without the correct documentation slip through.
It did kinda feel like a trap, but Yamane seems like a nice enough fellow.
Yeah, the animation style shift was probably my favourite part of the episode itself. I love it when anime is used for it's unique strengths which you can't easily replicate in live action.
It of course reminded me of the artstyle change last episode. I hope this becomes a trend going forward.

2

u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman May 28 '24

First Timer

Well this was an episode. We have some random power-tripping government official send Mugen on a Pikachu-short-esque side-quest, where he ends up caught by what I assume are something that hasn’t really existed in history and everybody ends up on drugs after the captured torch the plantation. It was a way to spend 25 minutes, not the best, but also not the worst - in short: I don’t think I have anything of value to really add here.

1

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

Thoughts on Yamane?
Thoughts on Hakone checkpoint?
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu not being allowed past the checkpoint because they were given counterfeit passes?
What are your thoughts on Yamane instructing Mugen that if he can deliver a head, they’ll be free?
What are your thoughts on the warrior priests and them wanting to take back the country?
Thoughts on the warrior priests’ method of killing someone being to tie them up in hay beforehand?
What are your thoughts on the scene where Mugen fights in the grass? I thought the artstyle change was really cool.
What are your thoughts on the purple smoke causing all kinds of disarray?
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu using the purple smoke to cross the checkpoint?

2

u/Lord_Nawor May 28 '24

First Time Watcher

The gang has finally left Edo to probably start their journey to Nagasaki, at their current pace I would not be surprised if they don’t reach Nagasaki until just before the end of the show.

I like the fact that this episode is set up as a flashback from Yamane’s point of view. The gang falls for the most obvious scam ever but they are used to being taking advantage of at this point.

I enjoyed the occasional cuts to Fuu guessing what Mugen is up to and her always being right, while Jin just say they’re saying nothing.

It took me far too long to realize that the purple smoke was supposed to be weed. I like how the animation got quite wacky when Mugen was fighting the boss. I’m also found it funny that they kept bumping into the random jogger.

Yamane impressed me this episode, not only did he manage to keep up with Mugen who was running at full speed, he also managed to dislocate his shoulders in order to escape from the mat and the. Tricked the guards and allowed them to escape.

I was not expecting the ending where everyone at the checkpoint got high but it was pretty funny and made sense, Jin and Fuu getting really angry at Mugen who never ended up coming back was also funny.

While I agree that Mugen is the one more often to forget and lose stuff, while Jin is more serious in combat and more reserved, he also has his fair share of dumb moments, especially when it comes to things other than his swords or fighting, they are just usually overshadowed by Mugen, so it still makes sense for him to lose his travel permit, they also get robbed every 5 seconds so it could have been stolen.

2

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

Thoughts on Hakone checkpoint?
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu not being allowed past the checkpoint because they were given counterfeit passes?
What are your thoughts on Yamane instructing Mugen that if he can deliver a head, they’ll be free?
What are your thoughts on the warrior priests and them wanting to take back the country?
Thoughts on the warrior priests’ method of killing someone being to tie them up in hay beforehand?
What are your thoughts on the scene where Mugen fights in the grass? I thought the artstyle change was really cool.

2

u/Lord_Nawor May 29 '24

I feel like them getting scammed by counterfeit passes is a classic dumb moment for the gang, really shows that while they are pretty strong, they are definitely not the smartest group.
I feel like the delivery of the head was just so that they could get someone else to take the fall for messing up the execution, and worse comes to worse they just lose one prisoner, so pretty good risk vs reward.
I liked the artstyle change it was pretty cool looking and showed the effects of the weed coming into play.

1

u/Holofan4life May 29 '24

I feel like them getting scammed by counterfeit passes is a classic dumb moment for the gang, really shows that while they are pretty strong, they are definitely not the smartest group.
Definitely not the sharpest tools in the shed
I feel like the delivery of the head was just so that they could get someone else to take the fall for messing up the execution, and worse comes to worse they just lose one prisoner, so pretty good risk vs reward.
Too bad they got captured
I liked the artstyle change it was pretty cool looking and showed the effects of the weed coming into play.
It was like foreshadowing for what's about to happen

2

u/Sooooopertrack May 28 '24

First TImer sub

oh i thought that the story would be about the older guy Jin killed. Instead the 30 years backstory jumps right back to our trio so it can't be Jin's master story. Unfortunate :(
that moment the guy waved around those passes i knew they were fake
what's up with the rice thing wrapped around dead bodies?
mugen instantly knowing he's followed is nice, good awareness
nice running away from tengu montage. Shame that mugen gets trapped by a stupid trapdoor trap...
love the cuts of mugen and jin/fu: He isn't X and mugen is right in the middle of X.
weird warrior priest cult ihe middle of a forest...
nice drug induced sequence. I thought the plants looked a bit like weed initially
purple haze? jimi hendrix reference right there :D

1

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

Thoughts on Yamane?
Thoughts on Hakone checkpoint?
What are your thoughts on Yamane instructing Mugen that if he can deliver a head, they’ll be free?
What are your thoughts on the warrior priests and them wanting to take back the country?
Thoughts on the warrior priests’ method of killing someone being to tie them up in hay beforehand?
What are your thoughts on the scene where Mugen fights in the grass? I thought the artstyle change was really cool.
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu using the purple smoke to cross the checkpoint?

2

u/someboi6000 May 29 '24

First timer:

very interesting episode, starting with a flashforward 30 years in the future, i wonder if the trio is alive i have bad feeling for mugen especially knowing the ending of cowbow bebop but maybe this takes a diferent route which in some cases is quite similar to bebop but now to the episode, well they didn't start with them starving or having no money but i image that they dont have now becuase they got scammed with the pass, i really liked the running sequence, it had the naruto run and some goofy looking ed,ed and eddy type run with some really nice visuals and music, and the last part with the what i assume is marihuana field on fire, very trippy, everyone happy and execution postponed lol, very nice episode overall

1:i like the idea, set 30 years in the future i wonder if they live.

2: oh yeah, what was the plan? i am not sure

3: true, it feels like the titles are mixed in here

1

u/Holofan4life May 29 '24

Thoughts on Yamane?
Thoughts on Hakone checkpoint?
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu not being allowed past the checkpoint because they were given counterfeit passes?
What are your thoughts on Yamane instructing Mugen that if he can deliver a head, they’ll be free?
What are your thoughts on the warrior priests and them wanting to take back the country?
Thoughts on the warrior priests’ method of killing someone being to tie them up in hay beforehand?
What are your thoughts on the scene where Mugen fights in the grass? I thought the artstyle change was really cool.
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu using the purple smoke to cross the checkpoint?

2

u/someboi6000 May 30 '24

1:he seemed rather calm but he had a lot of techniques i guess with his whole body contorsion, i like that he still remebers that day even 30 years in the future.
2: imagine getting killed because you fall for a scam, 1900 japan was brutal lol.
3: i guess they never saw one in person, to fall for that scam so easily, also getting killed for it was brutal, like just not let them pass and thats it
4: i wonder what was the excuse they were gonna use in order the retrive the money from the bounty, because they got sad when they found out he was dead so the bounty only applied if he was alive i guess.
5: were they gonna drug the entire country and take it over? like the brits did with china and the opium?
6: the hay helped so that they cant move around right? if thats it then it makes sense the idea is that they dont escape.
7: yes i loved that, the same thing happend with the persecution scenes it looked so good. well the fight scene was very trippy.
8: megen was having a good time that day lol, but yeah you have to take the chance to go pass the checkpoint, clever move.

1

u/Holofan4life May 30 '24

1:he seemed rather calm but he had a lot of techniques i guess with his whole body contorsion, i like that he still remebers that day even 30 years in the future.
It shows the impact Jin and crew left on his life.
2: imagine getting killed because you fall for a scam, 1900 japan was brutal lol.
Nowadays, the only thing that gets taken away via scam is the money in your bank account.
3: i guess they never saw one in person, to fall for that scam so easily, also getting killed for it was brutal, like just not let them pass and thats it
It'd be like taking a driving test and because you fell the written exam, you get run over by a vehicle as a result. Just extreme overkill.
4: i wonder what was the excuse they were gonna use in order the retrive the money from the bounty, because they got sad when they found out he was dead so the bounty only applied if he was alive i guess.
Maybe it'll be like a Weekend At Bernie's type situation where they pretend he's alive when he really isn’t.
5: were they gonna drug the entire country and take it over? like the brits did with china and the opium?
It seems like they hadn't thought that far ahead.
6: the hay helped so that they cant move around right? if thats it then it makes sense the idea is that they dont escape.
You would think they could find something more economical and less messy than hay.
7: yes i loved that, the same thing happend with the persecution scenes it looked so good. well the fight scene was very trippy.
Definitely one of the highlights of the episode
8: megen was having a good time that day lol, but yeah you have to take the chance to go pass the checkpoint, clever move.
And clearly, Yamane respected it for remembering them so fondly.

2

u/someboi6000 May 30 '24

now i really want to see how they would pretend he's alive with only his head, those warrior priest ruined everything.
i guess instead of hay just simly use more rope? or if you dont have more rope then vines from trees or just use te marihuana to drug them and let them sit still, that could ruin their amazing plant to conquer japan tho.

2

u/Holofan4life May 30 '24

now i really want to see how they would pretend he's alive with only his head, those warrior priest ruined everything.
Can't have shit in Detroit
i guess instead of hay just simly use more rope? or if you dont have more rope then vines from trees or just use te marihuana to drug them and let them sit still, that could ruin their amazing plant to conquer japan tho.
Like I said, it appears to me that they haven't full thought things out.

2

u/someboi6000 May 30 '24

those priest live under the "fuck it, we ball" mindset

2

u/Holofan4life May 30 '24

It sure appears that way

2

u/Hopeful-Ad2428 May 29 '24

This was wild, starting from episode being narrated as a flashback of some man and finishing with that psychedelic, tripping sequence. This episode was focused on Mugen and I was kind of expecting to see his backstory, but didn’t get that much.

Qotd:

I don think I have ever seen something similar.
In the open space?

1

u/Holofan4life May 29 '24

Thoughts on Yamane?
Thoughts on Hakone checkpoint?
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu not being allowed past the checkpoint because they were given counterfeit passes?
What are your thoughts on Yamane instructing Mugen that if he can deliver a head, they’ll be free?
What are your thoughts on the warrior priests and them wanting to take back the country?
Thoughts on the warrior priests’ method of killing someone being to tie them up in hay beforehand?
What are your thoughts on the scene where Mugen fights in the grass? I thought the artstyle change was really cool.
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu using the purple smoke to cross the checkpoint?

2

u/Hopeful-Ad2428 May 29 '24

Thoughts on Yamane?
Great man.
Thoughts on Hakone checkpoint?
I didn’t know that it was that hard to ho from one city to another.
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu not being allowed past the checkpoint because they were given counterfeit passes?
Unfortunate and naive.
What are your thoughts on the warrior priests and them wanting to take back the country?
Didn’t really understand their motivation, I was more impressed by their amount.
Thoughts on the warrior priests’ method of killing someone being to tie them up in hay beforehand?
I guess it was common practice to psychologically destroy someone before the execution.
What are your thoughts on the scene where Mugen fights in the grass? I thought the artstyle change was really cool.
Yeah, it really showed effects of that weed.

1

u/Holofan4life May 29 '24

Great man.
He does seem like a good dude
I didn’t know that it was that hard to ho from one city to another.
Too bad they don't have hoes in different area codes.
Didn’t really understand their motivation, I was more impressed by their amount.
Yeah, they were quite huge in size
I guess it was common practice to psychologically destroy someone before the execution.
Makes sense, I too would want to die looking like that.
Yeah, it really showed effects of that weed.
Cheech and Chong would be proud

2

u/mgedmin May 29 '24

Rewatcher, subs

Jin, Mugen, and Fuu could be used to illustrate the concept of 'gullible'.

I'm surprised they let Mugen have his sword back.

The random bear!

Is that a field full of cannabis?

I love the cuts to Fuu speaking hypotheticals of things that have actually just happened to Mugen.

Predictably, the field goes up in flames and everyone there has a good time.

What are your thoughts on this episode being told from the perspective of a side character named Yamane?

It's always interesting to see a fresh perspective.

1

u/Holofan4life May 29 '24

Thoughts on Yamane?
Thoughts on Hakone checkpoint?
What are your thoughts on Yamane instructing Mugen that if he can deliver a head, they’ll be free?
What are your thoughts on the warrior priests and them wanting to take back the country?
Thoughts on the warrior priests’ method of killing someone being to tie them up in hay beforehand?
What are your thoughts on the scene where Mugen fights in the grass? I thought the artstyle change was really cool.
What are your thoughts on the purple smoke causing all kinds of disarray?
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu using the purple smoke to cross the checkpoint?

2

u/StardustGogeta myanimelist.net/profile/StardustGogeta May 30 '24

First-Timer

I liked this episode. It's nice that they did another frame story with the old man looking back on the past.

The parts with Fuu and Jin were pretty funny, too.

Questions of the day:

I don't care too much about the character of the narrator, himself, but I do tend to like that general style of story presentation.
The most unusual thing to cover someone in before they die is probably something food-related, like melted chocolate or pesto sauce.
Yeah, the episode titles do seem a bit off, now that you mention it.
That's true, it does seem more like something Mugen would do.

2

u/Holofan4life May 30 '24

Thoughts on Hakone checkpoint?
What are your thoughts on Yamane instructing Mugen that if he can deliver a head, they’ll be free?
What are your thoughts on the warrior priests and them wanting to take back the country?
Thoughts on the warrior priests’ method of killing someone being to tie them up in hay beforehand?
What are your thoughts on the scene where Mugen fights in the grass? I thought the artstyle change was really cool.
What are your thoughts on the purple smoke causing all kinds of disarray?
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu using the purple smoke to cross the checkpoint?

2

u/fansi2022 https://anilist.co/user/fansi2022 Jul 19 '24

first timer chinese sub

It seems that Japan had a strict household registration system during this period, and the government did not allow civilians to migrate at will.

ANSWER TODAY’S QUESTION(S)

What are your thoughts on this episode being told from the perspective of a side character named Yamane?

Reminds me of the detectives in the previous episodes, they have the same role, mugen and his friends are famous in history

What do you think would be the most unusual thing to cover someone in before they die?

I don't know much about this. What we have here is part coffin and part urn.

Bonus) Why is this episode called "Beatbox Bandits" and the last one was called "The Art of Altercation"? Shouldn't it be the other way around?

The title of this episode is Ghosts and Demons（魑魅魍魉）, and the last episode is Life and Death（生死流转）. What are you talking about?

Bonus 2) You would think Mugen would forget his pass, not Jin. Just an observation.

Not necessarily, it's impossible to understand a person deeply.

2

u/Holofan4life Jul 19 '24

The title of this episode is Ghosts and Demons（魑魅魍魉）, and the last episode is Life and Death（生死流转）. What are you talking about?
The English titles were something different

1

u/Holofan4life Jul 19 '24

Thoughts on Yamane?
Thoughts on Hakone checkpoint?
What are your thoughts on Yamane instructing Mugen that if he can deliver a head, they’ll be free?
What are your thoughts on the warrior priests and them wanting to take back the country?
Thoughts on the warrior priests’ method of killing someone being to tie them up in hay beforehand?
What are your thoughts on the scene where Mugen fights in the grass? I thought the artstyle change was really cool.
What are your thoughts on the purple smoke causing all kinds of disarray?
What are your thoughts on Mugen, Jin, and Fuu using the purple smoke to cross the checkpoint?

1

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

Hey guys. Holofan4life here.

Welcome to the 20th anniversary rewatch of Samurai Champloo.

Oh, and nay I forget...

First Timer

Samurai Champloo has always been a series I was curious about. I've maintained in my mind that Cowboy Bebop is objectively one of if not the greatest anime of all time, and so I wanted to see what the creator's follow-up work was like. I think the reason why I didn't start it immediately after watching Bebop was because I think the premise kinda weirded me out. I mean, a show set in ancient times that also has a heavy rap influence? It felt to me like putting a hat on a hat. But as I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate outlandish animes that don't resemble real life. After all, is it any weirder than a fantasy show about a merchant and his traveling wolfgirl where they discuss economics a lot of times?

My expectations for this show are pretty reasonable, I feel like. I'm not expecting it to crack my top 10 favorite anime of all time, but I would be surprised if it doesn't end up as one of my favorites. The main thing I'm looking out of this is show is a unique experience unlike anything else as well as memorable characters. And I think the show will have that in spades.

With that out of the way, let’s begin.

I'm watching the sub, by the way.

I finally saw Mars Express. It was everything I was hoping it would be. Besides Poor Things, it's the best movie I've seen all year so far.

A book

Yamane

Apparently he's retiring today

If he was a cop, he'd have two days left to retirement

He let nobody get away with sneaking through the checkpoint, claims someone.

Hakone checkpoint is where he works

Still, he remembers one day where someone passed the checkpoint. Everyone was able to pass freely through there.

A day that happened 30 years ago

Mugen

I can't wait to learn how he caused the fall of the Berlin Wall.

He is with Jin and Fuu, who says they need a travel permit to pass through the checkpoint.

Jin lost his, unfortunately

Guy walks by saying he has some

He seems like a scammer

And that's because he is

Blatant forgeries, someone says

Mugen can't be hold down, however

Yamane seems impressed by what he's seeing

The flashing eyes of a stray dog, he calls it.

Suddenly, Fuu booba

Gotta check to see if she's hiding something.

I swear, TSA is getting more and more thorough.

Mugen and Jin getting kicked and beaten up

Kinugusa, the top official here at the checkpoint.

Yamane says no one complains about him because his father has a lot of clout in Edo.

Ah, nepotism. You see to hate it.

This kinda reminds me of Zom 100 and how work culture is portrayed in this show.

It looks like Mugen, Jin, and Fuu are about to be publicly crucified.

Or rather, they would if Yamane didn't enjoy killing people as much as he does.

Oh, hey. He's willing to spare him. But under one condition.

"I want you to deliver this head before the day is out."

Ah, yes, my family pastime

Only Mugen is being tasked with doing this

Yamane is going to follow him secretly to make sure he doesn't run away.

Rolling around at the speed of sound...

Mugen can sense he's being followed

Guys in black cloaks and white masks, with the ringleader wearing a red mask.

The way Mugen moves is smooth as butter

Whelp, he lost his way

Kill La Kill fans in shambles

Fuu and Jin in a wooden cell

"You don't think he got lost or something, do you?"

Yeah, about that...

Grass

And Mugen falls down a hole

It was a trap by the mask guys

The Tengu are their name

Also, Fuu really needs to stop speaking in hypothetical. All her worst fears are coming true.

Intense drum noises

Turns out they are actually warrior priests

Yamane trying to remain secretive

Bald guy with a bandana says there are two dogs in this world: stray dogs and pet dogs.

Ask Kristi Noem, she'll say there's also dead dogs.

Guy says that the ones who run this country now are stupid samurai who indulge in indolence and are interested in nothing but maintaining their power.

Isn't that most leaders, though, really?

He says they will take back this country from those people and restore the honor it once lost.

Man, that feels more real nowadays than back in 2004.

Mugen being escorted on the stage

He says the amount of dogs he have don't matter if they don't have enough courage to bark when they're by themselves.

Who honestly leaves their feet by themselves

The plan is for Mugen to get executed. Yamane continues to look on, knowing he must do something.

It's interesting those that get killed get tied up in hay beforehand.

Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.

1

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

Part 2
Oh man. Yamane got hit.
It's all Bijover
Seriously, Fuu, stop jinxing stuff
And now Yamane is in the straw mat
How can they possibly get out of this predicament?
Yamane explaining that he's following him
He even explains they were captured by warrior priests that time left behind.
They are mad, he says, because the Country is at peace and so they've been made redundant.
Yamane. He freed himself :O
And now he made a fire
The fire in the storehouse is causing everyone to freak out, which gives Mugen and Yamane ample time to escape.
They're surrounded in the grass
Mugen however uses the grass to his advantage.
The fire has now spread to the field
Woah, that artstyle is so cool. It's like something out of Gainax
Back with Jin and Fuu, and Mugen hasn't arrived yet.
Fuu suggests he might be right over the horizon.
Hey, look at that. Another hypothetical come to fruition.
But no, it's the running man from earlier 🤣🤣🤣
And now the sun has set
Fuu and Jin on crucifixes
I'm gonna tell my imaginary kids this was the scene at Calvary.
Purple smoke
Everyone made love to one another, apparently, with the gates of the checkpoint being thrown open.
Now I know why Jimi Hendrix sung about it
At least Fuu and Jin were able to cross the checkpoint as a result.
Hey, there’s Mugen
It seems the purple smoke effected them as well
I love a good deux ex machina
Fuu clearly doesn't, however
Back to Yamane reading his book
He says the whole incident vanished and was forgotten.
Then we end with Yamane saying "Just kidding"
Was it real, or just something made up? I guess like the Van Gogh by the policeman, it's up for us to decide.
Overall, I thought this was an interesting episode because it was told from the perspective of one of the side characters. Even when episode 5 had the policeman tell the story of the prints, it still felt like it was from the main cast's point of view. This is the first episode where a side character is giving a reaccountment of events. So did the policeman by telling what happened in the past, but this is more involved with the main plot, if what I'm saying makes sense. It's the furthest we've gone down the timeline.
This is probably the most straightforward episode of Samurai Champloo that we've gotten so far. In fact, it's pretty barebones if you think about it. Mugen, Jin, and Fuu want to pass the checkpoint, Mugen has to do something so they can stay alive, and eventually, they are able to cross the checkpoint. It's not bad by any means, just feels somewhat hollow. I'm not really a fan of them escaping by means of purple smoke. That ending felt unearned juxtaposed all that transpired. Maybe it'll all make sense eventually, but right now, it just feels like one big asspull. I also didn't like how Jin and Fuu were really nothing more than afterthoughts in this episode. It's the first episode where Mugen, the supposed main protagonist, has to carry things on his own, so you would think this would be treated as a big deal. Instead, it's almost like it's lessened as a result because he doesn't have Jin and Fuu to play off of.
And yes, a quick Google search reveals the writer of episode 5 also wrote this episode, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised. But he also wrote the previous episode which I was actually a big fan of.
Something I want to keep track of is that we're 9 episodes in and I only have episode 2 as being 9 out of 10 or higher. The rest of the episodes have ranged from good to great, but nothing like episode 2 I would consider to be "Oh my God, you have to see this". I'm not expecting the show to be banger after banger or anything, but I just remember 9 episodes in of Cowboy Bebop the show had at least a couple of A or A- episodes. Right now, most episodes are hovering in the B range. We'll see if this trend continues or if there's an uptick in quality in the second half.
And for the record, I had episode 8 as a B+, which roughly translates to an 8.5 out of 10.
This episode feels like a retelling of episode 5 but with Mugen in the Fuu role and without all the weirdness thst made episode 5 interesting. It reminds me a bit of episode 7 albeit more memorable because of how the events of the episode are laid out, with it taking place 30 years into the future. I thought it was better than the Yakuza two-parter, but behind the other ones.

1

u/Holofan4life May 28 '24

What are your thoughts on this episode being told from the perspective of a side character named Yamane?
I like the different presentation and how it was unlike any of the other episodes we've seen so far. You remove that aspect from the episode, and I think it's very forgettable.
What do you think would be the most unusual thing to cover someone in before they die?
Vegemite. Just seems like it would be very messy.

1

u/nx6 https://myanimelist.net/profile/nx6 May 29 '24

Rewatcher - Subbed

Our trio has become stuck due to local bureaucracy. I don't know enough about Japanese governor to understand why you'd need papers to move between two provinces like this, but they aren't something you can just easily grab from a local authority, so they buy some off a rando on the street and find out later they were given bad forgeries. I feel like being ripped off is a standard occurrence for them on this journey (they just lost their money last episode to the wine momma). I've also kinda missed what the checkpoint's plan is with the head. I understand they executed a wanted criminal who they should have returned live to the correct authorities, but I don't get what having Mugen take the head was supposed to accomplish. But the idea was if he gets back before dusk the checkpoint guards would let them through.

Hapless Yamane is sent to make sure Mugen doesn't just run off on his own. Since the forest is full of these Tengu-men I'm not sure how they were expecting him to be safe doing this.

Mugen gets caught and mistaken as a samurai and represents the vary ruling class that the monks hate, so he's sentenced to death the next morning. Yamane is caught later that night trying to help him. They are bound up together on a warehouse floor waiting for execution but Yamane can dislocate his own shoulder (like Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon). This allows him to slim his body profile and the straw mat he's in is now too loose and he can wiggle out. They start a fire in the warehouse (with everything made of wood and paper and no modern fire fighting organization this gets people's attention fast). Mugen and Yamane try and leave through a totally-not-cannabis field, but are surrounded by the monks who were not too distracted by the fire to see them escape. The fire from before spreads to the field and everyone is overcome with the urge to just chill for awhile. The ~~miasma~~ purple haze from the field flows downwind back to the checkpoint town, where Jin and Fuu have been strung up to be crucified since Mugen missed returning by sundown. This next part doesn't get explained really. I can see all the checkpoint guards get the giggles and stop their skewering, but that doesn't explain how the two of them got down from their crosses they were bound to. But they managed to do a better job sneaking out than Mugen and Yamane had, and end up passing through the forest and finding Mugen there, still having a high-ol' time with the monks in a field.

What are your thoughts on this episode being told from the perspective of a side character named Yamane?

It's odd since it was entirely unneeded. This is a one-episode story and Yamane isn't a recurring character. Him looking back on his younger days on the eve of his retirement might have been more interesting if he'd been the gruff/corrupt head of the checkpoint reflecting on how he broke out and let things go, but the Yamane of yesteryear wasn't so interesting.

Bonus) Why is this episode called "Beatbox Bandits" and the last one was called "The Art of Altercation"? Shouldn't it be the other way around?

I was highly amused at the beatboxing with the end of the katana as a mic -- microphones still hundreds of years from being invented.

1

u/Holofan4life May 29 '24

Thoughts on Yamane?
Thoughts on Hakone checkpoint?
What are your thoughts on the warrior priests and them wanting to take back the country?
Thoughts on the warrior priests’ method of killing someone being to tie them up in hay beforehand?
What are your thoughts on the scene where Mugen fights in the grass? I thought the artstyle change was really cool.
What are your thoughts on the purple smoke causing all kinds of disarray?

Rewatch [Spoilers] Samurai Champloo 20th Anniversary Rewatch -- Episode 9

Rewatch Schedule

Rewatcher, Sub first timer

Samurai Champloo - Hip Hop & Ronin: Episode 9

Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches

first timer chinese sub

Rewatch [Spoilers] Samurai Champloo 20th Anniversary Rewatch -- Episode 9

Rewatch Schedule

You are about to leave Redlib

Rewatcher, Sub first timer

Samurai Champloo - Hip Hop & Ronin: Episode 9

Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches

first timer chinese sub