by Sam Colton
Video
I use C2C’s Down the Road to explore Samurai Champloo, the classic anime. I examine the recurring theme of itinerant work and the hero’s journey. Please note that the video does not have any additional audio track other than the song.
This video is composed of short scenes and clips from the tv series Samurai Champloo, set to C2C’s Down the Road and carefully arranged and cut to bring out the themes of the song and synchronize visually with the music. The images move quickly, often flashing between each other or recurring, based on the literary principle of repetition with a difference to create meaning.
The images center on two of the main characters of the show: two ronin who make unlikely companions, united in a quest to help the third protagonist, a young woman in search of her father (the show is set in feudal Japan). It follows their journey as they travel across Japan, having various misadventures that usually involve some amount of fighting.