Post by Melissa Foxworthy on Dec 1, 2007 20:09:42 GMT -5
It is the story of three very different people brought together for a strange but common goal.
One is Mugen, a fierce warrior who has a primal attitude to fighting and life. He calls his unique style of fighting Champloo Kendo, and it's inspired by breakdancing (sort of like bboying).
Another is Jin, a more traditional swordsman who relies on his incredible skill to fend himself against any threat to him, ordinary or not.
The two of them are fierce rivals whose path appear destined to frequently cross. They would not even be traveling together if not for the third person in their party: Fuu, a supposedly ditzy waitress who, in excahnge for helping them out of a jam, has asked the two samurai to accompany her on a journey. Their goal--to locate a certain mysterious samurai who smells of sunflowers.
And so the three travelers begin their journey through this "new-old" land. As mentioned before, this is far from the typical samurai anime. Mixed in simultaneously with robes and swords (ie. Jin) is very modern and mature ideas along with modern music and moves (ie. Mugen).
Orphaned as a kid, Mugen happened to grow up in the roughest, toughest part of old Japan you could think of: Ryukyu (present-day Okinawa). It was the bowery of its day, a combination seaport/prison camp where survival really was order #1. With so many and so diverse people arriving daily, Mugen picked up a lot and learned how to survive in the rough-and-tumble environment. Eventually, Mugen develops his own one-of-a-kind fighting style: Champloo Kendo (the term "champloo" comes from music, meaning a mixture of multiple styles). Much like the modern style known as capoeira, it's a hodgepodge of fighting moves he picked up along the way along with things he cooked up himself, all mixed together with breakdancing moves to keep things interesting. Most of the time, Mugen's a simple, sensible man who always takes the pragmatic approach to things--his way of living can boil down to just two words: "whatever works". His sword is a samurai blade with the hilt of a sai, and his sandals have steel plates nailed to the undersides--unusual, yes, but d**n good ideas. He'll whoop you for your money or defend a distressed damsel if the situation suits him. But the fire's always burning in him, and once it's set off, he can become d**n wild.
Mugen is a suspicious and slippery guy who's shrewd and sharp-eyed at the same time. An opportunist like no other, he lives for one thing: to keep on living life on his terms. He's anti-authoritatian, anti-traditionalist, whatever else you want to name him. The tattoos on his wrists and ankles indicate he's spent time in prison on the mainland, so it's easy to see he's not a model citizen. Basically, he'll break a rule if he wants to--simply because it's a rule (and you wonder why he can almost never agree with the prim-and-proper Jin; the first time they met it was an instant sword fight). This is a man who's out to shape his own destiny. In the process, he begins to see things around him and come to believe that it's a philosophy that the world could use a little.
The name "Mugen" can come to mean several things, depending on how you look at it. It could mean "without illusions" (alluding to his pragmatic philosophy), "not an illusion" (like "the real thing", alluding to his skill and ability to survive), or even (if you use the alternate Kanji) "without limits" (perhaps alluding to his potential).
It's written all over him. From his lean, clean look to the glasses on his face to his flowing blue robes to his daisho (his matched set of katana and wakizashi). This classically-trained samurai from an aristocratic background just emits an aura of tradition. He is calm and level-headed, keeping his cool at all times, and he is a strict follower of bushido, the code of the samurai (his very name means "compassion", which is one of the principles of bushido). This is a man who earns respect and gives it in turn.
So why's this high-born high-class man now a ronin on the run? It's because he committed the ultimate master-student taboo. Jin killed the very man who taught him how to wield a sword. However, at least in Jin's eyes, what he did was justified. It must've been one hell of a reason for a man like Jin to commit such a taboo, but he will not elaborate on the exact reason or circumstances. Still, because of his act, Jin's constantly watching his back for other students of the late master. The late master was legendary, reputed to have fought in a thousand duels and won all of them, and now Jin's life is wanted as vengeance. Unluckily for those who seek that vengeance, Jin was an extremely apt pupil, and he's survived so far.
In a very real sense, Jin is lightning in a bottle. Most of the time, Jin looks at the world as narrowly as he keeps his eyes (which he normally keeps very narrow indeed). He normally speaks flatly (if at all) and adheres almost sickeningly to traditions (respecting his elders, etc.). But when his hands go to his swords, the bottle comes uncorked, and when Jin strikes, it's always with a purpose--to kill his enemy. His fighting mentality is simple--"one stroke, one kill". His moves are all about blinding speed, utter precision, and unmatched efficiency.
Jin and Mugen are diametric men in more ways than can easily be expressed: aristocrat vs. street rat, traditional vs. radical, water vs. fire, order vs. chaos...the list goes on. Until they were practically forced together by Fuu, the only way these two expressed themselves to each other was through their swords--and they've yet to settle that argument.
Being forced upon this wild journey forces Jin to contemplate himself and his adherence to tradition. It is really worth it to keep holding onto what are perhaps the only remaining possessions in his world: his swords, his code, and his honor? It's a question only Jin himself can answer.
Note: Just as with Mugen, you can look to alternate Kanji to get perhaps other ideas on Jin's mentality and potential. One of them means "fast", another "blade", both of which apply here.
Jin is ice-cold and calculating, the exact opposite of Mugen, whom he finds rude and boorish. He is a traditional samurai, but still an amazing fighter. In a way, he has two personalities, one that is quiet and more passive, but once he draws his sword, he's as dangerous as hell.
Little is known about him, except that he is from a samurai family and follows up with that. He is most likely the most mature of the trio, always keeping his cool no matter what the situation. Jin is very enigmatic, and hard to get to.
Fuu is the one who brought two entirely different men together and forced them to travel with each other until they find her Sunflower Samurai, which her motivations for it are unknown. Her mother is dead and her father took off, and she took up a job at a restaurant, until it was set ablaze, and while Jin and Mugen's battled inside no less.
Despite her cute and girly appearance, she isn't a pushover and won't let herself be picked on. But the main question is: What is her obsession with this samurai who smells like sunflowers? What do sunflowers smell like? Do they even smell? Who is he? What is his importance?
These questions are answered by the end of the series: he's Fuu's father.
Fuu is a brave girl with a dream to find the "Sunflower Samurai". One day she ran into two guys who ended up helping her. Even though she looks likes a weak girl she is strong... but not that strong. Sometimes the guys don't get along, but Fuu is always there to keep them from fighting.
Fuu has no parents and is searching for a samurai that smells like sunflowers, which is weird because I don't think sunflowers have a scent. She first is introduced to Mugen, and he saves her from the governor's son and his friends who are loitering at a local teahouse.
When the teahouse gets set ablaze and burns down, Fuu basically has nowhere to go except with the old couple that owned the teahouse, but she decides to help Mugen and Jin escape instead. She frees them on account that they must promise to go with her and help her find the samurai that smells of sunflowers.
One is Mugen, a fierce warrior who has a primal attitude to fighting and life. He calls his unique style of fighting Champloo Kendo, and it's inspired by breakdancing (sort of like bboying).
Another is Jin, a more traditional swordsman who relies on his incredible skill to fend himself against any threat to him, ordinary or not.
The two of them are fierce rivals whose path appear destined to frequently cross. They would not even be traveling together if not for the third person in their party: Fuu, a supposedly ditzy waitress who, in excahnge for helping them out of a jam, has asked the two samurai to accompany her on a journey. Their goal--to locate a certain mysterious samurai who smells of sunflowers.
And so the three travelers begin their journey through this "new-old" land. As mentioned before, this is far from the typical samurai anime. Mixed in simultaneously with robes and swords (ie. Jin) is very modern and mature ideas along with modern music and moves (ie. Mugen).
Orphaned as a kid, Mugen happened to grow up in the roughest, toughest part of old Japan you could think of: Ryukyu (present-day Okinawa). It was the bowery of its day, a combination seaport/prison camp where survival really was order #1. With so many and so diverse people arriving daily, Mugen picked up a lot and learned how to survive in the rough-and-tumble environment. Eventually, Mugen develops his own one-of-a-kind fighting style: Champloo Kendo (the term "champloo" comes from music, meaning a mixture of multiple styles). Much like the modern style known as capoeira, it's a hodgepodge of fighting moves he picked up along the way along with things he cooked up himself, all mixed together with breakdancing moves to keep things interesting. Most of the time, Mugen's a simple, sensible man who always takes the pragmatic approach to things--his way of living can boil down to just two words: "whatever works". His sword is a samurai blade with the hilt of a sai, and his sandals have steel plates nailed to the undersides--unusual, yes, but d**n good ideas. He'll whoop you for your money or defend a distressed damsel if the situation suits him. But the fire's always burning in him, and once it's set off, he can become d**n wild.
Mugen is a suspicious and slippery guy who's shrewd and sharp-eyed at the same time. An opportunist like no other, he lives for one thing: to keep on living life on his terms. He's anti-authoritatian, anti-traditionalist, whatever else you want to name him. The tattoos on his wrists and ankles indicate he's spent time in prison on the mainland, so it's easy to see he's not a model citizen. Basically, he'll break a rule if he wants to--simply because it's a rule (and you wonder why he can almost never agree with the prim-and-proper Jin; the first time they met it was an instant sword fight). This is a man who's out to shape his own destiny. In the process, he begins to see things around him and come to believe that it's a philosophy that the world could use a little.
The name "Mugen" can come to mean several things, depending on how you look at it. It could mean "without illusions" (alluding to his pragmatic philosophy), "not an illusion" (like "the real thing", alluding to his skill and ability to survive), or even (if you use the alternate Kanji) "without limits" (perhaps alluding to his potential).
It's written all over him. From his lean, clean look to the glasses on his face to his flowing blue robes to his daisho (his matched set of katana and wakizashi). This classically-trained samurai from an aristocratic background just emits an aura of tradition. He is calm and level-headed, keeping his cool at all times, and he is a strict follower of bushido, the code of the samurai (his very name means "compassion", which is one of the principles of bushido). This is a man who earns respect and gives it in turn.
So why's this high-born high-class man now a ronin on the run? It's because he committed the ultimate master-student taboo. Jin killed the very man who taught him how to wield a sword. However, at least in Jin's eyes, what he did was justified. It must've been one hell of a reason for a man like Jin to commit such a taboo, but he will not elaborate on the exact reason or circumstances. Still, because of his act, Jin's constantly watching his back for other students of the late master. The late master was legendary, reputed to have fought in a thousand duels and won all of them, and now Jin's life is wanted as vengeance. Unluckily for those who seek that vengeance, Jin was an extremely apt pupil, and he's survived so far.
In a very real sense, Jin is lightning in a bottle. Most of the time, Jin looks at the world as narrowly as he keeps his eyes (which he normally keeps very narrow indeed). He normally speaks flatly (if at all) and adheres almost sickeningly to traditions (respecting his elders, etc.). But when his hands go to his swords, the bottle comes uncorked, and when Jin strikes, it's always with a purpose--to kill his enemy. His fighting mentality is simple--"one stroke, one kill". His moves are all about blinding speed, utter precision, and unmatched efficiency.
Jin and Mugen are diametric men in more ways than can easily be expressed: aristocrat vs. street rat, traditional vs. radical, water vs. fire, order vs. chaos...the list goes on. Until they were practically forced together by Fuu, the only way these two expressed themselves to each other was through their swords--and they've yet to settle that argument.
Being forced upon this wild journey forces Jin to contemplate himself and his adherence to tradition. It is really worth it to keep holding onto what are perhaps the only remaining possessions in his world: his swords, his code, and his honor? It's a question only Jin himself can answer.
Note: Just as with Mugen, you can look to alternate Kanji to get perhaps other ideas on Jin's mentality and potential. One of them means "fast", another "blade", both of which apply here.
Jin is ice-cold and calculating, the exact opposite of Mugen, whom he finds rude and boorish. He is a traditional samurai, but still an amazing fighter. In a way, he has two personalities, one that is quiet and more passive, but once he draws his sword, he's as dangerous as hell.
Little is known about him, except that he is from a samurai family and follows up with that. He is most likely the most mature of the trio, always keeping his cool no matter what the situation. Jin is very enigmatic, and hard to get to.
Fuu is the one who brought two entirely different men together and forced them to travel with each other until they find her Sunflower Samurai, which her motivations for it are unknown. Her mother is dead and her father took off, and she took up a job at a restaurant, until it was set ablaze, and while Jin and Mugen's battled inside no less.
Despite her cute and girly appearance, she isn't a pushover and won't let herself be picked on. But the main question is: What is her obsession with this samurai who smells like sunflowers? What do sunflowers smell like? Do they even smell? Who is he? What is his importance?
These questions are answered by the end of the series: he's Fuu's father.
Fuu is a brave girl with a dream to find the "Sunflower Samurai". One day she ran into two guys who ended up helping her. Even though she looks likes a weak girl she is strong... but not that strong. Sometimes the guys don't get along, but Fuu is always there to keep them from fighting.
Fuu has no parents and is searching for a samurai that smells like sunflowers, which is weird because I don't think sunflowers have a scent. She first is introduced to Mugen, and he saves her from the governor's son and his friends who are loitering at a local teahouse.
When the teahouse gets set ablaze and burns down, Fuu basically has nowhere to go except with the old couple that owned the teahouse, but she decides to help Mugen and Jin escape instead. She frees them on account that they must promise to go with her and help her find the samurai that smells of sunflowers.