Editing Samurai Champloo (section)

{{Short description|Japanese anime television series}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox animanga/Header
| image        = Samurai Champloo key art.jpg
| caption      = [[Key art]] depicting (left to right) Jin, Mugen, and Fuu
| alt          = A stylized illustration of two men and one woman against an orange background
| ja_kanji     = サムライチャンプルー
| ja_romaji    = Samurai Chanpurū
| genre        = {{ubl|[[Adventure fiction|Adventure]]<ref name="MadmanChamploo"/>|[[Historical fiction|Historical]]<ref name="ANNretro"/>|[[Samurai cinema|Samurai]]<ref name="SFWreview"/><ref name="Otaku-USA"/>}}<!-- Note: Use and cite reliable sources to identify genre/s, not personal interpretation. Please don't include more than three genres (per [[MOS:A&M]]). --><!-- Note: Use and cite reliable sources to identify genre/s, not personal interpretation. Please don't include more than three genres (per [[MOS:A&M]]). -->
| creator      = [[Manglobe]]
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Print
| type         = manga
| author       = Masaru Gotsubo
| publisher    = [[Kadokawa Shoten]]
| publisher_en = {{English manga publisher
| AUS = [[Madman Entertainment]]
| NA  = [[Tokyopop]]
}}
| demographic  = {{Transliteration|ja|[[Shōnen manga|Shōnen]]}}
| magazine     = [[Monthly Shōnen Ace]]
| first        = January 26, 2004
| last         = September 25, 2004
| volumes      = 2
| volume_list  = 
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Video
| type         = tv series
| director     = [[Shinichirō Watanabe]]
| producer     = {{ubl|Takatoshi Hamano|Takashi Kochiyama|Tetsuro Satomi}}
| writer       = Shinji Obara
| music        = {{ubl|[[Shakkazombie|Tsutchie]]|[[Fat Jon]]|[[Nujabes]]|[[Force of Nature (duo)|Force of Nature]]}}
| studio       = Manglobe
| licensee     = {{ubl|[[Crunchyroll]]{{efn|In [[North America]] through Crunchyroll (formerly known as [[Funimation]]) and in [[Australia]] through [[Madman Anime]].}}|{{English anime licensee| UK  = [[MVM Entertainment|MVM Films]]| SEA = [[Odex]]}}}}
| network      = [[Fuji TV]]
| network_en   = {{English anime network
| AU  = [[SBS (Australian TV channel)|SBS TV]]
| CA  = [[MTV2 (Canada)|Razer]] ([[Kamikaze (Razer)|Kamikaze]])
| IN  = [[Animax (India)|Animax]]
| SEA = [[Animax Asia]]
| UK  = [[Viceland]]
| US  = [[Funimation Channel]], [[Adult Swim]] ([[Toonami]])
| ZA  = [[Animax South Africa|Animax]]
}}
| first        = May 20, 2004
| last         = March 19, 2005
| episodes     = 26
| episode_list = List of Samurai Champloo episodes
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Footer|portal=yes}}

{{nihongo|'''''Samurai Champloo'''''|サムライチャンプルー|Samurai Chanpurū|lead=yes}} is a 2004 Japanese [[Historical fiction|historical]] [[Adventure fiction|adventure]] [[anime]] television series. The debut television production of studio [[Manglobe]], the 26-episode series aired from May 2004 to March 2005. It was first partially broadcast on [[Fuji TV]], then had a complete airing on [[Fuji Network System]]. It was licensed for North American broadcast on [[Adult Swim]], and for commercial release first by [[NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan|Geneon Entertainment]] and later by [[Crunchyroll]]. It was also licensed for English releases in the United Kingdom by [[MVM Entertainment|MVM Films]], and in Australia and New Zealand by [[Madman Entertainment]]. A manga adaptation was serialized in ''[[Monthly Shōnen Ace]]'' during 2004, later released in North America by [[Tokyopop]] the following year.

The series is set in a fictionalized version of [[Edo period]] Japan, blending traditional elements with anachronistic cultural references, including [[hip hop]]. The series follows the exploits of tea waitress Fuu, vagrant outlaw Mugen, and [[ronin]] Jin. Fuu saves Mugen and Jin from execution, then forces the pair to aid in her quest to find a samurai who smells of sunflowers. Structured similar to a [[road movie]], the series focuses on tolerance and acceptance of minorities contrasted against its setting, with a central theme being the portrayal and acceptance of death.

Director [[Shinichirō Watanabe]] began planning for the series in 1999, creating the characters and premise during his work on ''[[Cowboy Bebop: The Movie]]'' and ''[[The Animatrix]]'', and began pre-production in 2002. The staff included character designer and animation director [[Kazuto Nakazawa]] and writers Shinji Obara and [[Yukihiko Tsutsumi]] of Office Crescendo. The music was composed by hip hop artists Shinji "Tsutchie" Tsuchida of [[Shakkazombie]], [[Fat Jon]], [[Nujabes]] and [[Force of Nature (duo)|Force of Nature]]. The production was unstructured, with the scenario going through multiple revisions, and Watanabe bringing in multiple guest creators to ensure a high animation quality. Reception of the series has been positive, with praise focusing on its animation and music, and proved a commercial success in the West.