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While the classic series often dominates debates about the top anime ever made, its spiritual sibling, the iconic series, warrants comparable praise. The impact of this historical epic still resonates today, particularly in Sony's major Ghost of Tsushima series.

A Deeper Homage

This latest Ghost of Yotei, the follow-up to the 2020 PlayStation 5 exclusive, deepens its nod to samurai films with the addition of Kurosawa Mode. This setting offers grayscale imagery, textured effects, and retro audio effects. Additional modes include the intense director mode, which focuses the view and amplifies gore and grime; and Shinichirō Watanabe Mode, featuring a chill beat soundtrack crafted under the creator's direction.

For those interested about the second one, Watanabe is the creative force behind the jazz-heavy the space opera and the hip-hop-fueled Samurai Champloo, among other notable anime.

Fusing Past and Present

Watanabe’s classic 2004 anime Samurai Champloo blends Edo-period Japan with hip-hop culture and modern sensibilities. It follows the unlikely trio of Mugen, a untamed and erratic swordsman; Jin, a reserved and formal ronin; and Fuu, a brave waitress who hires them on her mission to find “the warrior with a floral scent.”

While the musical backdrop is ultimately his design, much of the series' music was influenced by legendary beatmaker the late artist, who tragically left us in 2010 at the age of 36. Nujabes earns his flowers alongside Watanabe when it comes to the music the anime is famous for and honors in the new game.

Style Mixing

Much of what made the series shine on the late-night block was its smooth integration of urban music and Japanese heritage. That combination has been a mainstay in urban art since Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993, which itself stems from an group of youth growing up on action cinema featuring the martial arts legend and Sonny Chiba.

For many, the programming block and Samurai Champloo served as an introduction to lo-fi/experimental hip-hop, with artists like the beatmaker, the rapper, and Flying Lotus, the last one of whom went on to compose for the Netflix anime the historical series.

Stylized Storytelling

Artistic and meaningful, Champloo’s opening introduces the main characters through symbolic creatures in the scene — the wild one struts like a chicken, while Jin moves with the composed, fluid style of a carp. Although the show's main trio are the star of the series, its secondary characters are where the true heart of the anime resides.

There’s thief Shinsuke, who has a tragic tale of survival in one chapter, and another character named Yamane, whose exchanges with the wild swordsman impact him greatly that Yamane ends up in his diaries years later. In the later chapter, “the episode title,” Jin develops feelings with a spouse forced into sex work named Shino and helps her escape from a establishment.

A Unified Narrative

At first glance, the 26-episode series appears to tell a episodic adventure of the group's travels to encountering the Sunflower Samurai, but as Samurai Champloo develops, events from earlier installments begin to weave together to form a connected plot. Every experience our heroes experience along the way has an impact on both the characters and the main plot.

Period Influences

The series also references historical happenings (the same setting as the game), interpreted by Watanabe’s creative revisions. Occurrences like the feudal conflict and settings such as the Hakone Checkpoint (which the character watches over) are embedded in the story.

In the beginning, ukiyo-e artist Hishikawa Moronobu shows up and momentarily focuses on Fuu as his inspiration. After she declines his offer, his work later ends up with the hands of the Dutch artist, who, in the series' creative version, is influenced to create his famous sunflower paintings.

Enduring Impact

All of these elements tie directly into the anime's soundtrack, giving this period drama the kind of singular style that other works have long tried to capture. Shows like Afro Samurai (featuring Wu-Tang’s RZA), Tokyo Tribe, and the Netflix original all tried to mirror its mix of aesthetics and audio, but with diminishing returns.

the sequel has the potential to pick up where Samurai Champloo left off, igniting a new wave of impact much like the anime once did. If you’re starting the game, it’s worth revisiting Champloo, because without it, there’d be no “Watanabe mode,” no wave of beat-driven series, and no continuing impact of Nujabes, from which the inspiration comes.