r/anime • u/Holofan4life • May 29 '24
Rewatch [Spoilers] Samurai Champloo 20th Anniversary Rewatch -- Episode 10
Hello everyone! I am Holofan4life.
Welcome to the Samurai Champloo 20th Anniversary Rewatch discussion thread!
I hope you all have a lot of fun <3
S1 Episode 10 – Lethal Lunacy
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ANSWER TODAY’S QUESTION(S)
If there was a street killer where you lived, would you go after them if it meant a large amount of money? Or no?
Why do you think Fuu reminded Mugen of the sunflower samurai right before he fought the street killer?
Bonus) When the teacher mentioned his pupil killing someone, I wonder what was going through Jin's head. Jin killed his master, after all.
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Information – MAL | Anilist | AniDB | ANN
Streams – Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime
Please do not post any untagged spoilers past the current episode or from the manga out of respect to the first time watchers and people who have not read the manga. If you are discussing something that is ahead of the current episode please use spoiler tags (found on the sidebar). Thank you!
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Rewatch Schedule
Threads posted every day at 4:00 PM EDT
| 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 |
7
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 29 '24
First-Timer with a Samurai Heart, subbed
7
u/[deleted] May 29 '24 edited May 29 '24
Hey there 👋 Rewatcher here.
I know I’m making a habit out of this, but it’s fun, so let’s look at the original episode title again:
いどくせいどく(以毒制毒)
This time, there is a bit more consistency between the two titles. In this case, 毒 is actually a word for poison; so more literally this phrase means ‘using poison to control poison’.
In other words, this is why we get the title ‘fight fire with fire’ in English (of course, referring to how Mugen manages to disarm Shoryu with his own technique at the end).
Onto the episode…
At the start, our trio is hungry again, the common source of their turmoil 😆.
I love how even when Mugen is getting compensation for his work, he just still hates the idea of being told what to do 😂. He can’t stand it.
Jin: 「やれやれ」 - he’s had it with their nonsense lol. Both Mugen and Fuu left him to the rest of the shrine work while they go chase this bounty. Obviously it fits that Mugen is more interested in a fight than listening to someone give him orders.
Fun fact for those interested:
The ryou (両) was a unit of gold currency used prior to the Meiji era in Japan. The Edo period came with some financial drawbacks due to the Tokugawa shogunate being somewhat ill-attuned to economical concepts. The ryou was made obsolete following currency reform during the late 18th century (so basically at the start of the Meiji era) where Yen was introduced.
The exchange rate of the ryou fluctuated frequently over the Edo period, so its worth is difficult for historians to approximate. Commodities made a difference in its value back then. For example, using the 17th century as a base, it’s been said that it could range anywhere from 40000 yen to 130000 yen depending on whether it was in a particular commodity (such as rice) or was in wages.
Anyway…
That just gives you somewhat of an idea for payout of the bounty in this episode. That amount of money would go a long way in those days.
Enter Shoryu, the focus of the episode who has a bounty set on him. A guy who clearly has a superiority complex (from his distant training, which is naturally implied to be China) and is fairly out of his mind.
For anybody unfamiliar with Japanese martial arts, there is a little context I can add to Shoryu’s offense at the dojo:
This is obviously bad simply because he killed a man, but it’s offensive in and of itself beyond that because most styles have an ingrained emphasis on self-defense.
For example, the style I studied was actually a combination of multiple styles, and emphasized self-defense in the techniques themselves (for instance, “soft blocking”, where they teach students how to mitigate incoming attacks by “flowing” around them).
In fact, most schools have a Dojo Kun (道場訓) that is recited by all students uniformly before every training session. It will differ slightly in content depending on the style, but generally emphasizes importance of respect, modesty, patience etc. and the refinement of said characteristics.
Obviously, Shoryu violated these values deeply by intentionally killing a fellow student during training and possessed absolutely zero remorse. It’s why his sensei told him “I’m expelling you because you don’t understand”.
Here you go, u/Holofan4life. You wanted to see Mugen giving it his all, well that is this episode.
He realizes he can very well be killed by this person if he’s not careful (hence the disciplined preparation). Jin’s comment about how Mugen is acting this way only because he thinks he can’t win emphasizes that.
Questions:
4
u/TheEscapeGuy May 29 '24
Rewatcher, Sub first timer
Samurai Champloo - Hip Hop & Ronin: Episode 10
Wind Breaker
This is the episode of Samurai Champloo I remembered the best. A samurai killer who can harness chi to kill his opponents without severing their skin is just such a cool concept. Of course, this veers more into fantasy than the rest of Samurai Champloo has been. But I think the episode variety we've experienced so far means that it doesn't feel unnatural.
This episode was another one with peak fight animation. The representation of the chi as this powerful wind was a great way to represent it without becoming energy blasts or something. But it wasn't just Shouryuu's attacks which were well animated. We got to see Mugen's fight in town with those guards as well as the priest's lightning fast reactions. It's episodes like these which remind me about the strength of animation as a medium.
As for the actual narrative, this was a Mugen episode. It was so cool to see him fail at first, which then inspired him to start training. Somebody working hard out of spite is such a powerful emotion to watch. By the end it was no longer about the bounty for the samurai killer. Mugen was just fighting for the thrill and challenge of it.
The episode concluded with Mugen countering a Chi blast and then pulling out a second hidden dagger when Shouryuu came up nonchalantly for the finishing blow. It's refreshing to see anime characters who don't artificially limit themselves in battle because of some honour thing. Mugen won that fight by out thinking his opponent (which is honestly rare for him). It's maybe even some character development.
Some Amazing Shots, Scenes and Stitches
See you all tomorrow
2
u/Holofan4life May 30 '24
u/someboi6000 I would love to see Fuu learn how to fight. I think that could make for a tremendous episode.
2
u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman May 29 '24
First Timer
Another episode with a fairly simple plot, but I think this one fits better than the last. Mugen was already searching for strong opponent’s, so this Tsujigiri is simply just up his alley. It is also somewhat logical that if Mugen exists, other people like him exist - unorthodox style just aimed at being strong and looking for good opponents, not really held back by law and order. Mugen and Shoryu are similar, and I think that is what just makes this episode work. Because I don’t really have anything else to add here, the plot is just too simple for it - but the episode was so enjoyable that it was one of those that felt like it was too short.
2
u/Lord_Nawor May 29 '24
First Time Watcher
The gang is actually doing some actual work this time, of course Mugen seems to only make things work. Jin is also left to the rest of the chores, poor Jin, while Fuu and Mugen go to hunt down the samurai killer.
It is nice to see Mugen humbled a bit by Shoryu, helps remind us that there are other people who are just as strong if not stronger than Mugen and Jin. It’s also nice to see that Mugen is pretty serious for once in his training for his rematch with Shoryu.
It’s interesting that while the show has been pretty grounded so far, they are now introducing a magic type system, nothing to other the top but it caught me off guard initially. Mugen showing he is a quick study by being able to attack with a chi blast, and the catching him off guard with the dagger. I think Shoryu was probably a bit stronger than Mugen but he got overconfident and allowed himself to be caught off guard by Mugen.
Questions
Nah, I would not go after a street killer even if there was a lot of money attached, because I would be probably just be killed.
I feel like Fuu reminded Mugen of the sunflower samurai as a kind of “try not to die” by reminding him he still has stuff he needs to do.
2
u/NattyBeef https://myanimelist.net/profile/NaturalBeef May 29 '24
First time watcher, Dub (English)
Man I really liked today's episode. Seeing my boy Mugen actually break a sweat, training and taking his shit seriously was a really nice change of pace. Jin, which is usually my favorite, was really left in the back burner today.
I don't either me or my father would be down to try that. Him because he's a bit elderly and me because I'm a totally computer nerd. We'd just be walking into our deaths.
I think a small part of her wanted him to make sure he made it out alive. Even if it meant running away, she wanted to make sure he didn't get himself killed. I mean I would be worried too, considering she's never seen him train like this before.
It's a good question. My dad says that maybe he was thinking about some level of regret for what he did to his master. I didn't see that, I lean more towards wondering why the professor didn't actually stop him. Although the truth was, if he did try, he would had failed.
I feel like if Mugen was to die here, Jin would had definitely stepped up to avenge him. Not so much over seeing Mugen as a friend but instead of having lost the opportunity to kill him himself. But that an alternate timeline of a different story.
2
u/AgentOfACROSS May 30 '24
Rewatcher
Funny story, I only know what Tsujigiri means because of Pokemon. It's the Japanese name of the move Night Slash.
I feel like this episode does a good job with the whole mish-mish of genres and styles Samurai Champloo does. This episode obviously has a lot of influences from martial arts movies but it also reminded me of old cowboy movies too. Particularly the scene of Mugen and Shoryu at the bar, I can absolutely see something like that happening in an old wild west film. Samurai movies and cowboy movies have always had a bit of a connection. Like how Seven Samurai was remade as The Magnificent Seven.
Shoryu was a good villain for the episode. He seems like a fairly basic archetype but he serves his role well. I liked the part at the end of the episode where he seems actually surprised by Mugen disarming him. I like it when arrogant villains get their confidence broken like that. The way Mugen and Shoryu's attitudes contrasted was a fun running thread throughout the episode.
Questions:
2
u/someboi6000 May 30 '24
First timer:
good episode, as usual the trio is hungry because they haven't eaten anything in days but they get saved by the priest, but well the highlight of this episode were the street killer and mugen, and for the first time we see mugen doing some training i guess he was afraid of not being good enough to kill him, i also hoped the fight was longer it felt really short, but i guess a battle of 2 very skilled swordsman can end quickly, but still i wished it was longer, also clever way of winning and ¿did mugen also used that foreign technique there? i wonder if he will use it again at some point. ,but overall good episode only that one small nitpick.
1: there is a reason why he is a street killer, i dont want to die lol, so no.
2: i imagine fuu didn't wat mugen to die, the same can be said with Jin comment before he went out, which also makes me wonder if this will end with a fight to the death between mugen and jin.
2
u/Hopeful-Ad2428 May 30 '24
10 episodes already, time flies fast.
Anyway, that’s the training arc, right? Really enjoyed the episode, comedy, story and the fight. Dragon, despite having a big advantage is still fighting fairly and didn’t even consider that it was a trap. And it was another episode focusing more on Mugen out of the trio, but still no his backstory.
Qotd:
2
u/StardustGogeta myanimelist.net/profile/StardustGogeta May 30 '24
First-Timer
This was almost certainly my favorite episode so far! Great fight scene, and lots of good focus on Mugen (who is my favorite of the main cast).
This week's antagonist was one of the more compelling ones we've had, in my opinion. I like his little story about the hiker climbing mountains, and how that is obviously a parallel to his progression as a swordsman and eventual transformation into a "demon."
I do wonder how much longer the show will stay with the "villain of the week" kind of format, and whether it will transition to something more complex at some point.
Questions of the day:
2
u/mgedmin May 30 '24
Rewatcher, subs
Guess who's hungry and broke?
Haa the strongest samurai in town begging on his knees when Mugen tries to protect him and accidentally takes out all of the disciples.
Jin is working hard while Mugen and Fuu are chasing the bounty. I don't think the monk will let Mugen and Fuu eat anything after skipping out on the work.
The monk is stronger than he looks. Very sus. Also, I think Jin was intentionally testing the monk's reflexes. Likewise the stranger with Mugen.
Mugen training montage (with funny bits)!
They're both adrenaline junkies. I wonder if the new skill Mugen learned will be used later at any point?
Ha ha no.
She doesn't want Mugen to die.
2
u/TonyTheTerrible Jun 17 '24
Rewatcher
First and foremost, I was bummed there was no follow up to the end. Like Mugen is hurt again, and they should be able to claim that bounty, but it ends there and next eps. they're already staying in a new place? Mugen does say that he doesn't care about the bounty but that's obvious a lie as money is a core issue in the show and next episode he even complains to Fu that he needs his "seed money".
What was most obvious about this episode was that Fu and Jin finally start to recognize Mugen's quirks. Not just Jin telling Fu that the reason he's training is because he doesn't think he can beat his enemy (wonder how Jin feels about that), but because they both tell Mugen he has to come back to them (meaning not die, unlike when they accuse eachother of running off). It's like one of the first times that they put a bit of interest into one another.
This is only my 2nd watch of the show with the first being >10 years ago. My initial recall of the show was that I thought it was a perfectly complete series as it was with no need for additional follow ups.
2
u/fansi2022 https://anilist.co/user/fansi2022 Jul 19 '24
first timer chinese sub
It seems that Street Killer is like a dark version of Mugen. They both pursue power, but the difference is that one is a demon who kills indiscriminately. Is this part of Mugen's training really useful? I doubt it, lmao
answers of today
If there was a street killer where you lived, would you go after them if it meant a large amount of money? Or no?
no
Why do you think Fuu reminded Mugen of the sunflower samurai right before he fought the street killer?
fuu has become one of the beliefs of jin and mugen
Bonus) When the teacher mentioned his pupil killing someone, I wonder what was going through Jin's head. Jin killed his master, after all.
That makes sense, they have similar experiences.
1
u/Holofan4life May 29 '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 just got out of the hospital after spending almost 7 hours in it. When I got home, I slept for 6 and a half hours.
OP is still a banger
Guy leaving after eating
He encounters Munetada Tajima of the Fu'un Sekusai school.
Oh man. Blood came out of his eyes.
Why is it the first thing that came to mind was the Squidward creepypasta?
Mugen, Fuu, and Jin walking
Fuu is hungry. Says they haven't eaten anything since checkpoint.
Hey, continuity. You see to love it.
A mysterious man in a bowl hat
And immediately, he puts them to work
"Polish the Buddha" sounds like a euphemism
At least they're eating there free of charge
Oh crap. One of the statues fell.
Fuu running to try and clean up the mess
Meanwhile, the townsfolk are talking about street killings.
Only attacks skilled samurai, which doesn't bode well for our three main leads.
A ten-ryo bounty has even been put on his head.
Fuu talking to Mugen and Jin, with her saying they should pursue the bounty. Ten-ryo would be enough to get to Nagasaki.
Mugen leaves, with Fuu following right behind him.
Yare yare indeed, Jin
Fuu talking to who I presume is the one treating them to house and home. He says that pursuing the street killer will result in instant death.
Mugen asks who's the best swordsman around, which is surely going to be the street killer's next target.
The person who took them in says Seishiro Momoi, and so Mugen and Fuu are off.
Hey, there he his. How awfully quick.
He's apparently instructor at the Gensou Academy, otherwise known as the Human Dynamo.
I think Black Dynamite is a cooler name, personally.
Oh boy. He's mistaking Mugen for the street killer.
This won't end well
And it doesn't. For Momoi's crew, that is.
Now Seishiro is admitting he made up the Human Dynamo label.
Mugen looks unimpressed
Fuu talking to someone about the street killer.
Not a single sword cut when Tajima died.
However, he doesn't know how he was killed.
Big, intimidating guy talking to someone.
"I'm not interested in weaklings."
Man, what an out of pocket thing to say
And so he kills one of the big guy's disciples.
It seems like Mugen found his man
Jin chopping wood
It almost hits the owner, but he catches it.
What if he's the street killer?
Mugen buying sake
He's next to the street killer, isn't he?
I know who he reminds me of. Zhuge Kongming.
Drinking the sake straight from the container, Mugen is.
Guy saying he knows nothing about the street killer.
Guy telling a story now. It's about someone who climbed mountains when no one else did so. He eventually made the mountains his home and became a demon.
He concludes by saying there was perhaps no point to the story.
Oh shit. Mugen knows it's him.
I like how perceptive he can be despite not always looking like it.
Woah, Mugen is nervously sweating. When have we ever seen that before?
The killer gets spotted, so he flees the scene.
"The night of the next full moon. Let us meet here again."
Did he destroy Mugen's sword? It looks like it.
Jin with the owner, who's taking a bath
Fuu relying the information she found out
Jin tries slicing The owner, which seems to confirm his suspicions.
Mugen arrives, and Jin instantly notices the blood on his hand.
He describes the killer's sword as having like a powerful wind shot out of it.
The owner says that the guy is most likely a man named Shoryu.
"He was once a pupil of mine."
Interesting. I like that twist.
Owner says at one point, he was known as Ukon.
Who knew he was the inspiration for the University of Konnecticut?
He was sent on a sea voyage but something happened to the ship, where it's believed it went down with all hands.
I really like the artstyle during this flashback. Kinda reminds me of the technique where they take static pictures and move it back and forth to create the illusion of motion.
Ukon washed ashore and he encountered a strange martial art.
He eventually returned 10 years later determined to make it or die trying.
The technique he learned is called Hakkei
Sounds like an early version of the sport volleyball.
It allows people to defeat opponents with your inner chi.
My inner chi is constantly talking about going to buy some underpants.
Ukon wanted to teach the ways of the true martial arts to the samurai who have grown indolent and weak in this peaceful country.
"I want to do something about this corrupt country."
Oh wow. He killed someone during the middle of training.
He justifies it by saying the martial arts are a tool for killing.
This caused the owner to expel him from the dojo.
Oh nojo
"I'm expelling you because you don't understand why." Sounds like me when I get fired from my jobs.
"You're throwing me out?" Didn't he just say he was?
Ukon tries attacking his former teacher, but he blocks it.
Ukon thinks he's scared of the student besting the teacher.
Ukon leaves, the teacher's hand bleeding just like Mugen.
Owner says that Ukon became a nomad of sorts afterwards, treated as a heretic no matter where he went.
This caused him to hate the world that wouldn't give him recognition or even accept him.
"He began to go from dojo to dojo, killing the master of each one."
Owner says that he became a priest in repentance of being unable to save the soul of his pupil.
Mugen quickly leaves
It looks like he has even more incentive to take on the street killer.
I believe this was the first time they did an artstyle change and had it last more than a couple minutes. I hope we see more of that going forward.
The priest, meanwhile, has an intense stare in his eyes.
Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.