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While the classic series often leads discussions about the best anime ever made, its close relative, Samurai Champloo, merits comparable acclaim. The influence of this samurai saga still resonates today, particularly in Sony's premier Ghost line.

Expanded References

This recent the new sequel, the follow-up to the original PlayStation 5 exclusive, deepens its nod to Japanese period dramas with the inclusion of the classic film mode. This feature offers monochrome graphics, vintage film look, and old-school sound. Fresh features include the intense director mode, which sharpens the camera and intensifies blood and mud; and the anime-inspired mode, featuring a chill beat soundtrack influenced by the filmmaker's guidance.

For those interested about the latter, Watanabe is the mastermind who created the jazz-soaked the space opera and the hip-hop-fueled the Edo-era adventure, among other celebrated anime.

Fusing Past and Present

Watanabe’s 2004 show Samurai Champloo merges feudal Japan with modern music culture and modern sensibilities. It tells the story of the improbable team of the wild swordsman, a wild and unpredictable fighter; the calm ronin, a stoic and principled ronin; and the brave waitress, a brave young woman who enlists them on her mission to find “the mysterious sunflower samurai.”

While the audio landscape is primarily his work, much of the series' music was shaped by legendary beatmaker the late artist, who tragically left us in 2010 at the young age of 36. Nujabes earns his recognition together with Watanabe when it comes to the music the anime is renowned for and pays homage to in Ghost of Yotei.

Artistic Blending

Much of what made the series shine on the late-night block was its seamless blending of hip-hop and Japanese heritage. That combination has been a staple in the music scene since the classic album in 1993, which itself originates from an entire generation growing up on action cinema with Bruce Lee and the iconic actor.

For many, Adult Swim and Samurai Champloo served as an entry point to chill beats, with artists like the beatmaker, Shing02, and Flying Lotus, the latter of whom went on to score the Netflix anime Yasuke.

Artistic Narration

Stylized and symbolic, the series' intro sequence introduces the main characters through representative beasts in the visuals — Mugen struts like a bird, while Jin moves with the composed, fluid style of a carp. Although the show's central characters are the highlight of the series, its side players are where the true heart of the anime resides.

There’s thief the young character, who has a heartbreaking background of endurance in one chapter, and another character named the guard, whose exchanges with the wild swordsman impact him greatly that Yamane ends up in his memoirs years later. In the later chapter, “the episode title,” the ronin develops feelings with a spouse sold into prostitution named Shino and assists her departure from a establishment.

A Cohesive Journey

At the outset, the full season appears to tell a non-linear tale of the group's travels to encountering the Sunflower Samurai, but as Samurai Champloo unfolds, happenings from past chapters begin to interconnect to form a single, cohesive narrative. Every experience our main characters experience along the way has an impact on both the characters and the broader story.

Period Influences

The series also references historical happenings (the same era as the game), interpreted by Watanabe’s creative revisions. Incidents like the historical uprising and locations such as the Hakone Checkpoint (which the character protects) are woven into the story.

At the start, ukiyo-e artist the historical figure shows up and briefly fixates on the female lead as his subject. After she declines his offer, his work later ends up with the hands of the Dutch artist, who, in the series' fictional history, is influenced to create his iconic floral artworks.

Enduring Impact

All of these components tie directly into the anime's music, giving this samurai story the kind of unique character that other works have long tried to achieve. Titles like the urban samurai series (featuring Wu-Tang’s RZA), the hip-hop anime, and the Netflix original all attempted to recreate its fusion of music and visuals, but with diminishing returns.

Ghost of Yotei has the opportunity to continue from where the classic anime concluded, sparking a new wave of impact much like the anime once did. If you’re starting the game, it’s worth exploring Champloo, because without it, there’d be no “the special setting,” no surge of hip-hop-infused anime, and no enduring influence of Nujabes, from which the legacy comes.