2004 was truly a banner year for anime. While classic and beloved series like Naruto , One Piece , and Bleach continued their dizzying ascent, new series such as Paranoia Agent and Monster were pushing the medium forward in new and interesting ways.

21 years after the fact, however, one 2004 anime stands above the rest for its subversive take on Japan's most famous and iconic genre of story. While tales of noble samurai might be popular, Samurai Champloo takes a wrecking ball to the entire concept.

Samurai Champloo Deconstructs The Entire Concept Of Samurai Stories

Mugen, Fuu, and Jin striking poses in Samurai Champloo key art.

While some of the best samurai anime portray the fighters as honor-bound warriors who follow very specific ethical frameworks, Samurai Champl

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