Samurai Champloo

Champloo

(Note: Things that appear throughout the series, for instance Jin's glasses, will be mentioned at their first appearance and assumed thereafter.)

A quick note on the use of English words. Early on we made some attempt to keep tabs on the use of English and Japanized-English ("Japlish") words and phrases in Champloo, but there are so many of these in so many episodes that it proved a daunting task. I will accept notes on them if people consider them especially noteworthy, but overall, I think the appearance of English and Japlish words should be considered as one of the series' basic stylistic devices, not as individual anachronisms where they occur.

--There's some interesting commentary on the history of this linguistic phenomenon in the notes to Episode 1.

Note of general interest:--Several people, among them Meredith Raley, have pointed out that a villain in the Rurouni Kenshin series, Shishio Makoto, uses a serrated sword called Mugenjin (sometimes translated "Infinity Blade"). According to web sources, it was made by Arai Shakku--the same swordsmith who forged Kenshin's famous sakabatou (reverse-blade sword)--and is so saturated in the flesh and body fats of Shishio's victims that any friction will set it afire, permitting him to use various fire-style techniques. I don't think there's any conscious link between this and Champloo, but it deserves to be mentioned in context.

Update, effective 2008:--At this point, I'd prefer to only accept suggestions on topics not yet covered in the Guide --not further information on topics we do have a note on. I'm sure my readers are savvy enough to do their own Web searches if they're curious about something mentioned here. Also, please, if making a suggestion that includes links, choose the best one or two links you've found on the topic, not a whole page of them. Thanks.

Dating Champloo--An overall list of the dates and occurrences leading us to date the series in the mid/late 1600's.

Episode 1: Tempestuous Temperaments/Storm and Stress

Episode 2: Redeye Reprisal/Veritable Pandemonium

Episode 3: Hellhounds for Hire (Part 1)/Tacit Understanding

Episode 4: Hellhounds for Hire (Part 2)/ Tacit Understanding

Episode 5: Artistic Anarchy/Utter Indifference

Episode 6: Stranger Searching/ Redheaded Foreigner

Episode 7: Risky Racket/Surrounded on all Sides

Episode 8: The Art of Altercation/Self-Conceit

Episode 9: Beatbox Bandits/Evil Spirits

Episode 10: Lethal Lunacy/Fighting Fire With Fire

Episode 11: Gamblers and Gallantry/Degeneration Angel (a/k/a "Fallen Angel")

Episode 12: The Disorder Diaries/Learning from the Past

Episodes 13/14: Misguided Miscreants (Parts 1 & 2)/Dark Night's Road (Parts 1 & 2)

Episode 15: Bogus Booty/Through and Through

Episode 16: Lullabies of the Lost (Verse 1)/Idling One's Life Away (the first verse)

Episode 17: Lullabies of the Lost (Verse 2)/Idling One's Life Away (the second verse)

Episode 18: War of the Words/Pen in One Hand, Sword in the Other

Episode 19: Unholy Union/Karma and Retribution

Episodes 20/21: Elegy of Entrapment (verses 1 & 2)/Generous Elegy (Parts 1 & 2)

Episode 22: Cosmic Collisions/Anger Shot Toward Heaven

Episode 23: Baseball Blues/Heart and Soul Into the Ball

Episodes 24/26: Evanescent Encounter (Parts 1-3)/The Circle of Transmigration (Parts 1-3)