Illustrations above by Tsubaci Anna--see more of her way-cool work at http://www.annarocks.jp.
+++ Updated August 15 2010 +++
2010 Updates: Interesting additions to the Anachronisms Guide (Shoe logos in Ep. 18! An earlier appearance of Fuu's nail decals--right at the beginning in Ep. 1!) and the Episode Guide, thanks to my wonderful readers. Domo arigato gozaimasu, minnasan. =)
--I saw a wonderful J&M cosplay pair at Otakon and bought a neat print of M, F & J as steampunk characters. Champloo refuses to die!
And I FINALLY updated the seasonal anime reviews page.
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.
|
|
|||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
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. =)
TRIAD TOYS ROCKS!
Can hardly wait to have all three of these on my shelf! Big thanks to Triad for finally coming through 100%!
Having finally brought out their long-awaited 12" Jin and Mugen figures in December 2009, Triad topped all expectations by debuting Fuu almost immediately after them,
at this year's New York Toy Fair! And doesn't she look great?!
Check out FUNimation's Champloo page: watch episodes for free (in dub OR sub)!, and see the kickass new trailer ("...the age of the samurai. A time for honor... a time for courage...a time for hip-hop.") for their Blu-ray box set, released on Dec. 15th. (I'm not one to drool over every little tech innovation, but damn, that Blu-ray trailer looks pretty.)
The Jin and Mugen fanlisting is now officially open, and everyone's welcome to join!
Where the River Meets the Sea
Next up! A little gallery of fan art that's been featured on this site over the past years--many thanks to our guest artists!
Samurai Champloo fan art.
"Battle Cry" is here!
Our fellow Champloo webmaster bigbigtruck's
American Champloo fan doujinshi project
is still showcased here at Amalgam!
both by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957)]
* * *
Day begins with the morning bell. Judy Renee Pope
left: detail from Full Moon at Magome (1930);
right: detail from Winter Moon, Toyama Plain(1931);
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, 2006-10--updated at last!
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
=+=====Proudly embarking upon our 7th year!=====+=
=+=====200,000th page hit--August 2006=====+=
=+=====250,000th page hit--August 2007=====+=
=+=====300,000th page hit--March 2010=====+=
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.]