Illustrations above by Tsubaci Anna--see more of her way-cool work at http://www.annarocks.jp.
Yokoso! (Welcome!) This is my tribute to my favorite anime series, Shinichiro Watanabe's Samurai Champloo. From the director and screenwriter of the much-revered anime gem, Cowboy Bebop --a thing of beauty which consistently makes fan lists of the five best series ever--has come a handsome, innovative, and thoroughly kickass neoclassic. Together with excellent writers Shinji Obara and Dai Sato, who also worked on Bebop, and character designer Kazuto Nakazawa, Watanabe has created another major obsession in my life. I love this thing to bits, and I want everyone else who appreciates beauty, imagination, energy and fine art in anime--or, hell, anywhere-- to love it too.
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Please hang out and read what I have here: there's my Champloo discussion forum, Swords and Sunflowers; very detailed episode summaries [WARNING, SPOILERS GALORE!] , some random thoughts on the three main characters, a detailed guide to the anachronisms that make the series such a trip, a guide to all and I mean all the characters in the series to date, and lots of pictures. LOTS of pictures. =)
January 2010 Hobby Figures Global Release Update:
*sigh* Another year, another round of monthly delays in the cold-cast porcelain releases. Mugen has been rescheduled from January 11 to February 10, 2010; but Jin's current release date is February 25th, which almost certainly means we'll soon see Mugen rescheduled into March. And so it goes. --More updates to follow, I'm sure.***
BUT, here are pix of the final version of Mugen, with his box and accessories!
And, there is Fuu news from HFG! A post on the website dated December 2 2009 states: "M.Ono [has] come into the last step of the Fuu prototype Zero sculpt. Pictures in black and white will coming soon on our website." I'll be sure to have those for you ASAP!
***[--or maybe I shouldn't say "I'm sure"; they've let their website expire. If you click the link, you get this:
On a happier (I hope) note, Triad Toys'December e-mail newsletter says:
"CHAMPLOOS ARE HERE! It has been a long and arduous road for us to bring the Jin and Mugen Samurai Champloo figures to
you. Being really die-hard fans of the series and creator Shinichiro Watanabe, we made every effort to try and get
the production figures exactly the way we had prototyped and envisioned them - a task that proved extensively long
(over 2 years) and mechanically difficult. With moving eyes, full metal weapons and a brand new Otaku 2.0 super
articulated body, Jin and Mugen can finally cause some samurai mayhem. We are very happy with the end result
and hope you enjoy them as much as we did. We do apologize for the long wait, but it's finally over and the
wait is well worth it. Now on to Fuu!!!"
So if these have been on your Xmas list for the aforementioned 2 years, I hope you
Check out FUNimation's Champloo page: watch episodes for free (in dub OR sub)!, see their kickass new trailer ("...the age of the samurai. A time for honor...
a time for courage...a time for hip-hop.") and get info on their new Blu-ray box set, released on Dec. 15th.
The Jin and Mugen fanlisting is now officially open, and everyone's welcome to join!
Next up! A gallery of fan art that's been featured on this site over the past years--many thanks to our guest artists!
"Battle Cry" is here!
* * *
Day begins with the morning bell. Judy Renee Pope
Amalgam main page was created July 23rd-30th, 2004.
Amalgam page logo created by Judy Renee Pope (thanks, princess).
=+=====100,000th page hit--September 2005=====+=
[left: Kuzunoha bidding farewell to her children: see episodes 20-21.
"hobbyfigures.com expired on 01/05/2010 and is pending renewal or deletion."
Also their Facebook page hasn't been updated since Dec. 1.
...I do hope this isn't bad news.]
--their website has likewise been updated to show a release date of Dec. 18th, and and they have pix to back it up:
and I have a little room left on that credit card!
Where the River Meets the Sea
Samurai Champloo fan art.
Our fellow Champloo webmaster bigbigtruck's
American Champloo fan doujinshi project
is still showcased here at Amalgam!
[Left, detail from Snow at Shiba Park (1931);
right, detail from Snow at Hie Shrine (1931),
by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)]
Night is long, empty moon still in the sky.
Everything must end.--Fujiwara no Ietaka
September 8th 1960-September 6th 2007
My anime series reviews by season, 2006-present.
Call me obsessive? Sigh over Jin? Send me on a one-way trip to Edo? (I'm still waiting for that one!=)
The name is, as ever, Paula J. O'Keefe: angelynx@spookhouse.net
Thanks to everyone who continues to read the site and write to me-- I truly appreciate it!
HP
=+=====Proudly embarking on our 6th year!=====+=
(...will we reach 300,000 in 2010?)
=+=====200,000th page hit--August 2006=====+=
=+=====250,000th page hit--August 2007=====+=
=+=====290,000th page hit--July 2009=====+=
right: Yoshitsune's ship attacked by Heike/Taira warrior ghosts in the form of crabs: see episode 22.]
Illustration by Norio Shioyama.
[Notice: Samurai Champloo and its characters are (c) 2004-to-infinity Manglobe/Simoigusa Champloos.
I do not own them and I have nothing here for sale; this is just an expression of my admiration and love. Please
don't hit me.]