Samurai Champloo Soundtrack: Samurai Champloo is a 2004 Japanese adventure anime television series created and directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, the director best known for Cowboy Bebop. The series was produced by animation studio Manglobe, and it was Manglobe’s first television project since the studio was founded in 2002 by former Sunrise staff. A companion two-volume manga adaptation was later written and illustrated by Masaru Gotsubo.
Who composed the Samurai Champloo Soundtrack?
The music for the Samurai Champloo was composed by Tsutchie, Fat Jon, Nujabes, and Force of Nature. The soundtrack was originally released across four CD albums between 2004 and 2005.
Samurai Champloo Soundtrack List
Samurai Champloo’s album Named Departure was released on June 23, 2004. The songs of this series were composed and produced by Nujabes and Fat Jon, and the opening theme song by Shing02 was “BattleCry,” and Minmi’s ending theme was “Shiki no Uta.”
Here is a complete list of Samurai Champloo Soundtracks. You can listen to them on Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, Apple Music, SoundCloud, and other various platforms.
Album: Departure
- “Battlecry” Nujabes (3:22)
- “The Space Between Two World” (4:42)
- “Aruarian Dance” (4:10)
- “Kujaku” (7:02)
- “Mystline” (4:50)
- “1st. Samurai” (3:13)
- “Ole” (3:28)
- “624 Part 2” (3:46)
- “Genome” (3:37)
- “No Way Back” (3:21)
- “Funkin” (3:37)
- “Stay” (3:44)
- “Chambers” (3:45)
- “Ask” (3:22)
- “How You Feel” (4:29)
- “624 Part 1” (2:44)
- “Shiki no Uta” (5:00)
Album: Masta
Samurai Champloo’s album Named Masta was released on June 23, 2004. The music was composed and produced by Tsutchie and Force of Nature. Music lovers can enjoy these songs on various platforms, Like Spotify and Apple Music.
- “vagrancy” (3:08)
- “mist” (3:44)
- “judgement on” (3:03)
- “loading zone” (4:29)
- “paranoid” (3:21)
- “silver children” (3:56)
- “the long way of drums” (2:24)
- “sneak chamber” (3:15)
- “new dimension” (3:15)
- “raw material” (4:52)
- “dry” (4:20)
- “breezin'” (4:20)
- “tubed (drum please!!!)” (4:31)
- “pretending to…” (4:32)
- “seventy-three (I ask)” (4:48)
- “I sighed” (3:44)
- “sincerely” (4:48)
- “number nine (back in TYO)” (3:27)
- “YOU” (4:57)
Album: Impression
Samurai Champloo’s album Named Impression was released on September 22, 2004. The soundtracks of this album were composed and produced by Fat Jon, Nujabes, and Force of Nature.
- “Just Forget” (3:55)
- “Nightshift” Force of Nature (4:44)
- “Hiji Suru STYLE” (feat. Suiken & S-Word) (3:43)
- “The Stroll” (2:56)
- “Death Wish” (2:54)
- “Set It Off” (2:44)
- “The Million Way of Drum” (2:48)
- “A Space in Air in Space in Air (Interlude)” (1:13)
- “Sanctuary Ship” (4:17)
- “Haiku (Interlude)” (1:15)
- “Tsurugi no Mai” (3:26)
- “Dead Season” (1:27)
- “Decade (Interlude)” (1:50)
- “World Without Words” (6:14)
- “Kodama (Interlude)” (1:07)
- “Silver Morning” (3:37)
- “Bracelet” (3:43)
- “In Position” (3:53)
- “Night Out” Fat Jon (2:14)
- “Not Quite Seleah” (2:02)
- “Labyrinth Statistic” (2:05)
- “Here and There” (3:17)
- “Who’s Theme” (4:57)
Album: Playlist
Samurai Champloo’s album Named Playlist was released on September 22, 2004. The soundtracks of this album were composed and produced by Tsutchie.
- “Thank You” (4:15)
- “Yet? Why Not?” (3:46)
- “Strike Back” (4:13)
- “Let Me Know What U Think” (5:04)
- “Mists” (4:10)
- “Flip” (2:46)
- “Absolute” (5:20)
- “Adapt Myself” (4:58)
- “Tuned” (2:48)
- “No Icon” (3:09)
- “Stretch Out” (4:00)
- “Process” (4:41)
- “Reflective” (4:31)
- “Deeper Than Words” (4:58)
- “2 Messages” (5:23)
- “The Updater” (3:57)
- “Offers” (3:35)
- “Fly” (3:53)
You can listen to the Samurai Champloo Soundtracks on YouTube, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and Spotify. (External Link: Samurai Champloo Soundtrack)
Quick Facts
| Title | Samurai Champloo |
| Type | Japanese anime television series (26 episodes) |
| Original Run | May 20, 2004 – March 19, 2005 (Fuji TV, Japan) |
| Creator / Director | Shinichirō Watanabe |
| Studio | Manglobe |
| Soundtrack Composers | Tsutchie, Fat Jon, Nujabes, Force of Nature |
| Soundtrack Albums | Departure, Masta (June 23, 2004); Impression, Playlist (September 22, 2004) |
| Genre | Hip hop / anime soundtrack |
| Where to Watch | Crunchyroll, Hulu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created and directed Samurai Champloo?
Samurai Champloo was created and directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, who also directed Cowboy Bebop. The series was produced by the animation studio Manglobe and was that studio’s first television project after its founding in 2002.
Who composed the Samurai Champloo soundtrack?
The music was composed collaboratively by four hip-hop artists and producers: Shinji “Tsutchie” Tsuchida of Shakkazombie, American producer Fat Jon, DJ and producer Nujabes, and the duo Force of Nature (KZA and DJ Kent). Director Watanabe chose to blend hip hop with the show’s Edo-period setting instead of using a single composer.
Did Masaru Gotsubo write Samurai Champloo?
No. Masaru Gotsubo did not write the anime television series – that credit belongs to creator and director Shinichirō Watanabe. Gotsubo wrote and illustrated a two-volume manga adaptation of Samurai Champloo that was published after the anime aired.
How many Samurai Champloo soundtrack albums are there?
Four official CD albums were released in Japan by Victor Entertainment: Departure and Masta (both released June 23, 2004) and Impression and Playlist (both released September 22, 2004). All four have since been reissued on vinyl.
Where can I watch Samurai Champloo today?
Samurai Champloo is available to stream with an English dub and subtitles on Crunchyroll and Hulu. It can also be purchased digitally on Amazon Video, Apple TV, and Fandango At Home.
Related reading: Explore more anime soundtracks, browse the Hulu streaming guide, or check the full streaming hub for where to watch.