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Samurai Champloo 4July 2, 2004Title: Hellhounds for Hire (Part 2) In town, the Nagatomi crime syndicate is causing a ruckus.
Fuu gets called in to arbitrate the problem peaceably . . .
But Mugen chooses to wipe out the syndicate by force.
The End * * * RATING: B It's really hard to pigeonhole this series into a particular nitch -- last week, Champloo seemed merely like a graphical tour-de-force with a second-rate storyline, but now, it seems that the whole 'style' mantra is superceded in favor of a deliciously rich plot, complete with discussions on honor, courage, and duty. While it's hard to judge the underlying theme, it's even *harder* to pigeonhole our two main protagonists, Mugen and Jin. Although Mugen definitely gives off the image of a cold-hearted mercenary, his actions contradict his brusque demeanor -- for instance, he actually returns back to the town in order to search for Fuu. Similarly, while Jin seems like a fairly cool-headed individual, it's clear that he really can lay down the smack when he's angry. In any case, I thought this episode was superb. To be sure, almost all of the characters introduced in the last episode died spectacular deaths (i.e. Nagatomi boss was backstabbed, Nagatomi right-hand-man died in a duel, all three thousand Nagatomi minions died in a rampage, Kawara boss commited suicide, etc.), but this was balanced by the hilarious portrayal of Fuu as a yakuza gambling dealer ("Both sides ready? You're all ready, right?") To be honest, I have no idea where this ride is going to take us, but right now, it's just easier to sit back and enjoy the ride. Let's get some more of this! * * * disagree? read 4 comments! * * * Related Reviews
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