Samurai Champloo: Beatbox Bandits (Evil Spirits of Mountain and Stream) Rewatch

April 12, 2015 6:55 AM - Season 1, Episode 9

The episode is a flashback from a tough checkpoint agent who never let anyone sneak through, on his last day of work. Mugen, Jin, and Fuu need to cross a border so they purchase travel passes since they don't have any. When their passes turn out to be fake, the trio are sentenced to death by the head of the checkpoint, a sadistic man who has family connections that keep him from being disciplined for his brutal actions. However, the guards offer Mugen a chance to save his friends. If he can deliver an object through a forest full of bandits and return before sunset, Jin and Fuu will be spared. Mugen runs afoul of the bandits, who have big plans for a revolution.

Links for viewing: login-reqested and age-restricted, subbed in English on YouTube; age-restricted, subbed and dubbed in English on Hulu; fansubbed without restrictions on YouTube, with some introductory translation notes.

There are a few anachronisms in this episode (jogging for health is a fairly recent thing, hippie and revolutionary language most commonly associated with the 1960s and 70s, examples of "Japlish," and a bit on the long history of medicinal use of marijuana use in the east) and more detailed episode information from a fansubber, if you want to really understand all the details seen and heard.

posted by filthy light thief (2 comments total)

I just coincidentally watched through this show on netflix without realizing you were doing a rewatch here until now, thanks for the posts which are helping me fill in some gaps. Most of the random anachronistic filler episodes I didn't like as much as the plot arc episodes, but this particular one I did like for some reason. I'm not exactly sure why, though.

Also, is the drug really supposed to be marijuana? The effects didn't seem ... realistic (but maybe it is just a stand in for generic psychedelic drug).
posted by advil at 11:18 AM on April 12, 2015

The effects didn't seem ... realistic

the scene is great though. Reminds me a bit of Mind Game.
posted by juv3nal at 1:41 PM on April 12, 2015