indept series summary

Samurai Champloo contains many marks of Watanabe's distinct style, which he first realized in Cowboy Bebop. Both anime share a foremost theme: there's no running from the past. There are episodes dedicated to the characters wrapping up earlier history, history that puts their lives at risk.

In the two-part "Misguided Miscreants" (a.k.a. "Dark Night's Road"), Mugen encounters his old gang and becomes involved in a love triangle that quickly turns into a backstabbing contest that results in much bloodshed.

In a number of episodes ("The Art of the Altercation"; "Lullabies of the Lost"), Jin is pursued by students of his former dojo who wish to exact revenge for the death of their master. Jin is reluctant to kill these pursuers.

In the final three-episode arc, "Evanescent Encounter" (a.k.a. "Circle of Transmigration"), both men face their toughest battles, as reprisal for past misdeeds.

Jin is challenged by a master swordsman, named Kagetoki Kariya, who has unfinished business with Jin relating to the death of Jin's master. It is revealed to us that Kariya attempted to gain control of Jin's dojo and to train its adepts for the purpose of assassination. Jin opposes this and Jin's master is ordered to kill him. Jin manages to survive the attempt on his life, killing his master in the process.

Mugen is confronted by three brothers whom he scarred, crippled and drove insane during his days of piracy.

Fuu finally meets the Sunflower Samurai, named Seizou Kasumi, who is actually her father. We find out that the government tailed her in order to find this man, who was once the leader of a Christian rebellion. Kasumi, already terminally ill, is slain by Kariya.

Kariya then attempts to kill Fuu. Jin, who was thought to be dead, appears suddenly to finish the duel with Kariya. In order to defeat him, Jin utilizes the last technique his master taught him: to allow oneself to be stabbed in order to create an opening in an opponent's defense.

Afterwards, Mugen and Jin (both severely wounded) attempt to settle their score, but fail to do so as their swords break upon hitting one another. Both pass out. Afterwards, they decide they've lost the will to kill each other. They actually find out that they are very much alike and form a bond of sorts.

At the very end, the three part at a fork in the road. Fuu reveals that the coin she flipped in the first episode was actually heads. The three then part ways and go to live out their lives.