Samurai Champloo V. 03 (Animé TV)

 

Picture: B-     Sound: B     Extras: C     Episodes: B-

 

 

Samurai Champloo’s darker-than-usual Animé world that involves sexploitation traps, older Yakuza, entanglements with the police and other screwy goings on that involve art and photography continues with this third volume.  One of Geneon’s most formidable TV Animé releases to date, each 22 minutes-long show offers more of its kind of action storytelling.  The shows this time are:

 

9) Beatbox Bandits

10) Lethal Lunacy

11) Gamblers & Gallantry

12) The Disorder Diaries

 

 

To repeat, Animatrix and Cowboy Bebop director Shinchiro Watanabe goes for several styles, though not too far apart, still more diverse than you usually get for a show like this.  The portrayal of women is not exactly as progressive as Bubblegum Crisis, but it is not as childish or regressive as we have been seeing lately.  It also looks like a bit more time and money is being put into the show.  A new generation of HD-aimed series are slowly finding their way to TV and DVD and that means upping the ante.  Samurai Champloo is a semi-comic show that could mean new life for the already lively and highly profitable Animé market.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 16 X 9/1.78 X 1 image is more diversely stylized than usual, so lack of clarity in spots is on purpose, more obvious when compared to the best shots in each show.  It is a nice approach, with a good if somewhat muted color scale.  The sound that is here includes an oddly dubbed Dolby Digital 5.1 English mix, while you get a Dolby 2.0 Japanese mix and a really pleasant DTS Japanese 5.1 mix that is only equaled lately by the Gungrave series.  Geneon has had few DTS titles, but the increase in such releases are welcome because they have been the best on the market for sound in most cases.  Skip ex-Driver – The Movie, though, reviewed elsewhere on this site and know that is not necessarily the best version of

ex-Driver to begin with.

 

Again earning its 16 years and up rating for themes, sex, language (esp. in lame English) and some bloody violence, this disc is also lacking extra, which amounts to a few trailers and a colorful pullout in the DVD case with some text and pictures.  For such an ambitious show, you would think Geneon would include even more.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo