This show is so odd

Very unique anime, thats for sure.
Im really not a fan of most anime - or japanese culture for that matter - which makes a double-decker surprise that Id rate this pretty high in terms of animated things worth watching. Setting, cool. Characters, compelling. Story, awesome fading into somewhat bland. The first ~10 episodes will have you hooked.

... Uuuunfortunately, its rather short - though that seems to be the standard with the anime Ive encountered and at least partially enjoyed. If im thinking clearly (no gaurantee) Trigun, Bebop, Outlaw Star... all ended in around 26 episodes. And all had kinda meh endings, if I do say so myself. And I do. Full Metal Alchemist went like double the standard, but then (instead of actually finishing their story) they made a (pretty badass) movie that left the characters in time-space limbo and started a manga adaptation (big bummer, since I cant stand the manga ;_;).

Where Sam. Champloo kinda blew it for me is the ending. Literally, the whole series I found enjoyable, right up to that ending.
I just didnt like it - I felt like a storyline had ended and another season should be starting up. It certainly didnt feel worthy of a series ender - not only was it rather anti-climactic, but it really seemed unnecessary to me. There was more story there, and it just felt to me like they were too damn lazy to put it together and instead chose to force an ending - which really didnt make a whole ton of sense at the time : considering they just murdered several high-ranking GOVERNMENT assassins, you would think the 15y/o girl might want to stick around her body guards ? The big-bad assassin (the one Jin kills) is supposed to kill the Sunflower Samurai's family too ... so, isnt she just kind of a sitting duck now if the Gov sends another (group of) assassin(s)?
Not that the other two, on their own, will likely do much better. FFS, one of the last things Jin says is that those two are the ONLY FRIENDS HES EVER HAD! why then, for no apparent reason, are the three of them so keen to just wander off alone? For some stupid 'their journeys continue' crap?
Dude in charge has said theres no plans for a sequel (though in typical douche fashion, says he wont rule it out), which just makes the ending all the more of a kick to the nards.

And whats with anime and ending right at a pivotal moment? Trigun did this, and I am to-this-day pissed that we dont get to witness the PURE EPIC WIN that would be a single conversation between Millie and Knives. I already mentioned the dimensional-shift = we-dont-have-to-write-an-ending that Full Metal Alch pulled; but that show was so whacked out, I honestly wouldnt have been surprised if at the end they just said 'The world got alchemized in a big bang... Oh, look, dinosaurs! Rawr!'.
Listen, I realize you CAN end your telling of a story before the story itself is really finished... but why WOULD you? To leave fans wondering? Wtf kind of fun is wondering? For that matter, wtf kind of storyteller are you? "Its so youll use your imagination!" F%$* THAT! D:< I havent spent several hours watching characters that you painstakingly drew, enacting a story that youve concocted, only for the end result to be you telling me 'Now YOU decide what happens.... IN YOUR MIND!XD'. If I want to make up a story, Ill make up my own characters and setting - not try to fanfic yours to hell and back in a meager attempt to gain some closure. Quit expecting your fans to finish you jobs for you.


Oh, and Samurai Champloo is like, I dunno, my third favorite anime series. Right behind Bebop and Trigun.
Maybe the second.
Hell, it may be the best, depending on the day. Watch it, if you havent already.
Break-dancing swordsman... Nuff said.