Samurai Champloo
Road warriors

// Synopsis: After a pair of fighters are rescued from execution by an orphan teenager, they pledge to be her companions as they travel around Japan searching for the samurai that smells of sunflowers.

// Review: This anime title from the director of Cowboy Bebop gets points for originality and deviating from the tired anime bible. The word "champloo" means mixed up, and this anime combines stylized swordplay with hip hop music. It's also a blend of soft handed drama and light hearted humor.

/ Each episode is a stand alone mis-adventure, usually involving the trio getting into some kind of trouble or trying to help someone during their travels. The story is supposed to be about the teenage girl Fu, who for some reason is looking for a mysterious samurai that smells of sunflowers. Along the way it turns out that they are being pursued by assassins.

/ It's a fun romp but not exactly compelling because there is really no big storyline. When it finally wraps up, I found the ending to be extremely anti-climatic. That leaves the weight of the series to fall on the characters, but they aren't developed very much.

// Wrap up: It has a lot of good things going for it: the swordplay looks cool and its revisionist history and humor is amusing and original. You won't find yourself missing any of the characters when it's over, but decently entertaining none the less.

Entertainment rating: 3