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While the classic series often tops conversations about the top anime of all time, its spiritual sibling, Samurai Champloo, warrants similar praise. The influence of this period masterpiece still resonates today, most recently in Sony's flagship Ghost franchise.

A Deeper Homage

This latest Ghost of Yotei, the successor to the 2020 PlayStation 5 title, enriches its tribute to Japanese period dramas with the inclusion of Kurosawa Mode. This setting offers black-and-white visuals, textured effects, and vintage audio. Additional modes include Takashi Miike Mode, which focuses the view and heightens violence and filth; and the anime-inspired mode, featuring a lo-fi hip-hop score crafted under the anime director’s vision.

For those intrigued about the second one, Watanabe is the visionary responsible for the jazz-soaked the space opera and the hip-hop-driven the Edo-era adventure, among other notable anime.

The Blend of Eras

Watanabe’s 2004 series Samurai Champloo merges Edo-period Japan with hip-hop culture and modern sensibilities. It chronicles the improbable team of the wild swordsman, a untamed and erratic fighter; the calm ronin, a reserved and formal ronin; and the brave waitress, a courageous waitress who hires them on her journey to find “the mysterious sunflower samurai.”

While the audio landscape is primarily his creation, much of Champloo’s music was shaped by Japanese hip-hop producer the late artist, who passed away in 2010 at the young age of 36. Nujabes earns his flowers alongside Watanabe when it comes to the sound the anime is known for and honors in Ghost of Yotei.

Artistic Blending

Much of what made the series shine on the Adult Swim lineup was its perfect fusion of urban music and Asian culture. That fusion has been a staple in the music scene since Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993, which itself stems from an entire generation maturing on action cinema starring Bruce Lee and Sonny Chiba.

For many, the programming block and the anime served as an introduction to chill beats, with musicians like the beatmaker, Shing02, and Flying Lotus, the latter of whom went on to create music for the Netflix anime Yasuke.

Artistic Narration

Artistic and meaningful, Champloo’s intro sequence introduces the leads through kindred animals in the background — Mugen struts like a chicken, while the disciplined one moves with the composed, fluid style of a colorful fish. Although Champloo’s protagonists are the star of the series, its supporting cast are where the true heart of the anime can be found.

There’s thief Shinsuke, who has a lonely story of survival in one chapter, and another character named the guard, whose exchanges with the wild swordsman affect him so deeply that Yamane ends up in his writings years later. In the specific installment, “Gamblers and Gallantry,” Jin falls in love with a wedded lady trafficked named the female character and helps her escape from a establishment.

A Unified Narrative

At the outset, the full season appears to tell a episodic adventure of the trio’s journey to finding the Sunflower Samurai, but as the series progresses, happenings from past chapters begin to weave together to form a single, cohesive narrative. Every experience our heroes face along the way has an effect on both the characters and the broader story.

Period Influences

The series also incorporates feudal Japanese events (the same time period as Yotei), seen through Watanabe’s creative revisions. Incidents like the historical uprising and places such as the mountain outpost (which Yamane protects) are integrated into the story.

At the start, traditional painter the historical figure shows up and momentarily focuses on Fuu as his subject. After she turns him down, his work later ends up with the hands of the Dutch artist, who, in Champloo’s alternate timeline, is influenced to create his iconic floral artworks.

Lasting Influence

All of these elements tie directly into the anime's soundtrack, giving this warrior tale the kind of distinct identity that other productions have long sought to achieve. Shows like the urban samurai series (featuring Wu-Tang’s RZA), Tokyo Tribe, and the Netflix original all tried to mirror its fusion of music and visuals, but with mixed results.

Ghost of Yotei has the potential to pick up where the classic anime concluded, triggering a renewed interest of inspiration much like the anime once did. If you’re playing the game, it’s recommended exploring the series, because without it, there’d be no “the special setting,” no wave of hip-hop-infused anime, and no continuing impact of the producer, from which the influence stems.