Illustrations above by Tsubaci Anna--see more of her way-cool work at http://www.annarocks.jp.
Check out FUNimation's Champloo page: watch episodes 1-8 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 box set, released on June 30th. ($69.98--or a mere $39.98 from
RightStuf.)
More on FUNi's sweet Champloo deal below.
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.
Amalgam is five years old this month!
As usual, we have some plans for the site's birthday: I'm delighted to announce that I've
been granted the right to build a Jin and Mugen fanlisting (I couldn't believe there
wasn't one already!) by The Fanlistings.org.
Also, we will be adding a gallery of the art that's been featured on this site over the past years,
AND we will be completely overhauling the always-popular doujinshi
section with many more and better synopses--based on translations, finally!--thanks to my
generous friends at champloo_doujin.
All of this will be coming your way by the end of July--especially during our anniversary week, July 23rd-30th--so keep checking in!
July 2009 Toy & Figure Update:
...the usual monthly reschedule by Hobby Figures Global. While Mugen's release date stands at July 15th,
this time it's Jin who's been moved back, to July 30th 2009. Do we still have a chance of getting both in the same month?
We'll see...
A further delay, apparently: Triad Toys' website states that their 12" Jin and Mugen
action figures, originally scheduled for Dec. 2008 release, pushed back to
March, then to April and then to June 2009, now have no advance
release date more specific than "second quarter 2009".
(*sigh* Didn't anyone but me preorder these things?...not that it helps any, since Triad lost my preorder...)
The gorgeous cold-cast-porcelain figures from Hobby Figures Global--cross your fingers!
Read more about HFG and see lots more photos of these beauties at their website.
FUNimation picks up Champloo's USA licensing!
12/31/08: Anime News Network reports: "The North American distributor FUNimation Entertainment announced on Wednesday [Dec. 30th] that it will distribute Shinichiro Watanabe and Manglobe's Samurai Champloo television anime series for Geneon Entertainment. Watanabe directed Cowboy Bebop and two segments of The Animatrix before taking on this historical action series with tongue-in-cheek anachronisms. FUNimation will release the entire 26-episode anime series in a box set in 2009. [See update above.][...]Geneon Entertainment had released this anime series in North America in 2005 and 2006, but [Geneon] ceased in-house distribution of its own titles in September 2007. FUNimation announced at Anime Expo 2008 this past July that it agreed to manufacture, sell, and distribute selected DVD titles from Geneon Entertainment in North America. However, FUNimation had not announced that it will distribute Samurai Champloo until now."
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My anime series reviews by season, 2006-present.
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. =)
* * *
[Left, detail from Full Moon at Magome #169 (1930);
right, detail from Winter Moon, Toyama Plain (1931),
by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)]
and we have her gracious permission to showcase it here at Amalgam!
Day begins with the morning bell.
Night is long, empty moon still in the sky.
Everything must end.--Fujiwara no Ietaka
Judy Renee Pope
September 8th 1960-September 6th 2007
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!
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.
HP
=+=====See plans for our 5th birthday above!=====+=
=+=====150,000th page hit--March 2006=====+=
=+=====200,000th page hit--August 2006=====+=
=+=====250,000th page hit--August 2007=====+=
=+=====275,000th page hit--June 2008=====+=
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.]