Editing Samurai Champloo (section)

== Setting and themes ==
Series director [[Shinichirō Watanabe]] defined the central theme of ''Samurai Champloo'' as the portrayal and acceptance around death, themes he had previously explored in his [[science fiction]] series ''[[Macross Plus]]'' (1994) and ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]'' (1998).{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=43-47}} Another theme outlined in the series pitch was individuality and finding one's unique identity.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=2-3}} The series is set in [[Edo period]] Japan, roughly sixty years after the end of the [[Sengoku period]].<ref name="NewtypeOctober"/> While a historical time period, the anime does not focus on historical detail beyond minor inclusions and references, mainly using contemporary-style dialogue and behavior.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=43-47}}{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=66-69}} A conscious inclusion was emphasising cultural acceptance and tolerance of minorities including the indigenous [[Ainu people]], foreigners, [[LGBT]] people, and [[Christians]]; the historical Edo period was a time when Japan was highly structured, conformist and isolationist.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=43-47}}<ref name="NYTwatanabe"/> Due to its Edo setting and incorporation of samurai culture and honor codes, Watanabe was worried the anime would be seen as nationalistic in tone, prompting its focus on minorities and tolerance.<ref name="CBinterview"/> Watanabe put in as much as he could manage of these themes and subjects, challenging earlier limitations imposed by a lack of historical information from the time and Japanese television codes restricting the portrayal of Japanese minorities in the period.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=43-47}}

The main cultural influence on the anime is the music and associated subculture of [[hip hop]].<ref name="TexanInterview"/> Watanabe had been a fan of hip hop music from his high school years, citing his first exposure as "[[The Message (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five song)|The Message]]" by [[Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five]]. He compared the samurai culture to hip hop through a similar philosophy of self-identity.<ref name="WatanabeMP3"/> The use of hip hop also reinforced the series' focus on its minority and counter-cultural cast, creating a cultural reference by using one with the other.<ref name="MechaDai"/> Alongside his liking of hip hop, Watanabe attributed a large amount of the series' inspiration in the works of actor [[Shintaro Katsu]], particularly his historical dramas. The narrative approach of the finished series was inspired by Katsu's notorious habit of directing projects without a set story structure.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=43-47}} The word "''Champloo''" in the title was derived from the Okinawan term {{Transliteration|ja|[[chanpurū]]}}, with Watanabe comparing the blending of elements in the anime with the meaning of chanpurū.<ref name="MacrossInterview"/> The food depicted in the show was originally accurate to the Edo period, but eventually expanded to include anachronistic dishes such as [[okonomiyaki]].{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=43-47}}

The plot is structured like a [[road movie]], with little connection between stories until the final three-part arc, contrasting against the serial structure of its contemporaries.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=66-69}} Watanabe particularly cited the movies about the blind samurai [[Zatoichi]] as an inspiration for this style. Other influences on the series included ''[[Enter the Dragon]]'' and ''[[Dirty Harry]]''. One episode was based around the Chinese concept of [[Qi]].<ref name="SpookInfo"/> During early planning, the series' tone was far more serious, but after the first four episodes had been written, the staff were worried about the tone becoming bleak, prompting a greater focus on comedy.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=43-47}} Several episodes incorporate references, homages, and parodies of popular media.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=48-49}} The Japanese episode titles use [[Yojijukugo|four-character idioms]] referencing the theme of that episode's story. They drew from multiple sources, including Japanese and Western sayings (the first episode's title, "Shippu Doto", is a Japanese rendering of the German saying "[[Sturm und Drang]]"), philosophical concepts ("Inga Oho" references a proverb about the workings of [[karma]]), and pieces of classic media (the episode title "Anya Koro" references [[Naoya Shiga]]'s [[A Dark Night's Passing|novel of the same name]]). The English episode titles were created by translator Ryan Morris. Morris did not directly translate the Japanese titles, instead using alliteration to preserve the rhythm and meaning.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=78}}

=== Characters ===
The series follows the exploits of the three leads−Fuu, Mugen, and Jin−when they are drawn together by circumstance and end up traveling together to find the sunflower samurai.<ref name="NewtypeJuly2005"/><ref name="CBinterview"/> The main cast was created by Watanabe,<ref name="NewtypeJuly2005"/> who wanted a cast of heroes who were silly, immature, and dangerous, with "a touch of insanity".{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=43-47}} He described Mugen and Jin as unconventional people not bound by the rules of the period.<ref name="BRinterview"/> The characters were designed by [[Kazuto Nakazawa]], who had worked as both an artist and director on multiple projects including ''[[Ashita no Nadja]]'' and the anime segments of ''[[Kill Bill: Volume 1]]''.<ref name="Nakazawa"/> The early character drafts were more to Nakazawa's tastes than the wishes of the production team, resulting in numerous redrafts based on requests.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=61-63}} The voice recording included sessions with all three leads together, which caused occasional tensions due to their different work backgrounds.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=72}}{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=70}}

* {{nihongo|'''{{va|Mugen}}'''|ムゲン}} is a vagrant [[outlaw]] from the [[Ryukyu Islands]] who uses self-taught sword techniques. Having lived a harsh and solitary life since childhood, he has a deep mistrust and disdain of authority and lives to fight strong opponents.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=4-9}} Watanabe thought of Mugen as young and "a little stupid", putting him in stark contrast with ''Cowboy Bebop'' protagonist [[Spike Spiegel]].<ref name="NewtypeJuly2005"/> He also described Mugen as symbolizing "a rapper's ideal" of self-expression.<ref name="WatanabeMP3"/> Mugen's Ryukyuen origins formed part of Watanabe's focus on inclusivity and tolerance within the narrative.<ref name="CBinterview"/> He is voiced in Japanese by [[Kazuya Nakai]]. His performance changed little from the audition, someone on the edge who did not follow rules. His performance reportedly improved during the soundchecks, which had a more relaxed atmosphere and emphasis on timing.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=72}} In English, Mugen is voiced by [[Steve Blum]].<ref name="BtVAchamploo"/>
* {{nihongo|'''{{va|Jin}}'''|ジン}} is Mugen's antithesis, a calm and stoic [[ronin]] wandering Japan after being forced to kill his master and consequently wearing glasses to disguise himself. He is the best at sensing danger, and prone to risking his life to prove his worth.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=4-9}} He is a master of {{Transliteration|ja|mujushinken}}, a style of {{Transliteration|ja|[[kenjutsu]]}} created in the early Edo period by Harigaya Sekiun.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=4-9}}<ref name="Muju"/> Jin was created as a foil for Mugen to stop the story from becoming one-dimensional.<ref name="NewtypeJuly2005"/> A scrapped idea of Watanabe's was for Jin to be an [[anarchist]], but otherwise his personality and design changed little during production.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=66-69}} He is voiced in Japanese by [[Ginpei Sato]], at the time a stage actor who had not done voice roles previously after failing auditions for two other projects; his failed audition for ''[[Wolf's Rain]]'' prompted a staff member to recommend him to Watanabe.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=43-47}}{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=70}} He had to learn about voice acting on the job, including timing and getting into character, and during recording for later episodes got into trouble due to wanting to shift his portrayal of the character.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=70}} In English, Jin is voiced by [[Kirk Thornton]].<ref name="BtVAchamploo"/>
* {{nihongo|'''{{va|Fuu}}'''|フウ}} is the one who brings Mugen and Jin together to help her. She is a cheerful and spirited young woman and a jack-of-all-trades due to her constant changing between part-time jobs, starting the series working as a tea waitress; she has a pet flying squirrel called Momo.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=4-9}} A recurring gag is Fuu temporarily becoming fat after eating a lot.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=71}} Out of the three characters, Fuu's personality changed the least from Watanabe's original series concept, though her character design underwent major revisions to become more conventionally beautiful.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=66-69}}{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=61-63}} She is voiced in Japanese by [[Ayako Kawasumi]]. Compared to her other roles, Kawasumi was asked not to overact her effort sounds outside scenes where her character was very expressive, making her more realistic. It was the first time she did not create a separate internal character to voice Fuu, being asked to be herself as far as possible. Her favorite episode was "Stranger Searching" when the fat Fuu first appeared, as she found voicing this version a challenge.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=71}} In English, Fuu is voiced by [[Kari Wahlgren]].<ref name="BtVAchamploo"/>

In the original plan, there were three semi-regular characters that would appear through the series. They were Rekku, a Dutchman claiming to be Japanese; Koku, a traveling priest acquainted with Jin's past; and Sara, a [[kunoichi|female ninja]] who falls in love with Mugen.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=66-69}} While their roles were reduced to one-off appearances, versions of the characters survived. Rekku became the character Joji in "Stranger Searching", the priest appeared in "Lethal Lunacy", while Sara was a central character in "Elegy of Entrapment".{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=66-69}} An early antagonist is Ryujiro, the son of a corrupt government official who loses his arm to Mugen in the opening episode and later plots revenge against them.{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=12-13}} Historical figures or character homages also appear, for example painter [[Hishikawa Moronobu]]; Joji, who is a fictionalized version of [[Isaac Titsingh]]; a version of American baseball player [[Alexander Cartwright]]; and Ando Uohori, who is a direct reference to [[Andy Warhol]].{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=48-49}}{{sfn|Roman|2007|p=80-96}}<ref name="Mechademia"/>