Samurai Champloo is a 2004 Japanese historical adventure anime television series. The 26-episode series aired from May 2004 to March 2005. The series is set in a fictionalized version of Edo period Japan, blending traditional elements with anachronistic cultural references, including hip hop. Director Shinichir? Watanabe created the characters and premise during his work on Cowboy Bebop: The Movie and The Animatrix.