When Ghost of Yotei revealed its Watanabe Mode, I immediately said I’d have to try it. It’s similar to the Kurosawa Mode in Ghost of Tsushima – which made the game black and white – and Yotei’s Miike Mode, which added more blood and close-up shots to feel like Takashi Miike’s films. While filters can’t perfectly capture the style of these famous directors, Watanabe Mode feels a bit more special.
Shinichiro Watanabe is famous for anime, not live-action films. He’s best known for *Cowboy Bebop*, a hugely popular anime that brilliantly mixes Westerns, science fiction, and jazz music. While *Cowboy Bebop* is iconic, another one of his shows, *Samurai Champloo*, doesn’t get the same recognition, even though it’s just as good.
Okay, so Samurai Champloo is just… different. It’s this awesome mix of classic samurai vibes and, back when it came out, this brand new sound of lo-fi hip-hop. Both it and Cowboy Bebop are super well-known in the anime world, but Champloo’s impact has actually gone way beyond just anime – it’s become a real cultural thing, honestly.
Jun Seba, better known as Nujabes, is considered a pioneer of lo-fi hip-hop, largely thanks to his work on the anime series *Samurai Champloo* and its theme song, “Battlecry.” The song’s atmospheric sound, memorable drumbeat, and the vocals of frequent collaborator Shing02, a versatile multilingual artist, made it surprisingly influential. *Samurai Champloo* helped connect this new style of music with fans of anime and comics. The timing was perfect, as the critically acclaimed album *Madvillainy* by MF Doom and Madlib – inspired by Dr. Doom – also came out that year. Sadly, Nujabes passed away in 2010 at just 36 years old, but his music continues to inspire many.
The music for Samurai Champloo wasn’t created by just one person. Nujabes collaborated with artists like Tsutchie from Shakkazombie, Fat Jon, and Force of Nature, connecting American hip-hop with Japan’s experimental music scene. Director Shinichiro Watanabe and the animators at Manglobe skillfully blended the music’s rhythm and energy with the action, making it feel like the characters themselves were moving to the beat.
When Sucker Punch revealed Watanabe would be in charge of a special game mode, I felt hopeful, but also a little hesitant. It didn’t guarantee the game would have the same incredible music that made *Samurai Champloo* so popular, but it meant Watanabe would at least be choosing the music to capture that same unique feel and energy.
Yotei creates a really immersive experience. Exploring the beautiful, open landscapes on horseback, with chill lo-fi music playing, is incredibly relaxing and sets the perfect mood. While one song wasn’t quite right, the music overall really enhances the game and has become a key part of how I remember it – that’s a definite win.
While the game looks great, the combat doesn’t quite live up to its potential. Ghost of Yotei’s action, though inspired by stylish games like Samurai Champloo, feels more grounded and less flashy. The parrying and movement are solid, and the combat would really shine with a faster-paced soundtrack – something along the lines of the music from Samurai Champloo would be perfect. Unfortunately, the current music, while inspired by hip-hop, doesn’t have the same memorable quality as the rest of the game’s soundtrack and feels a bit bland during fights.
What really made the anime *Samurai Champloo* special was its striking, hand-drawn animation of sword fights combined with a modern rap soundtrack. While I enjoy the chill, atmospheric music in both *Samurai Champloo* and *Ghost of Yotei* during quieter moments, the action scenes need equally great music to truly feel exciting and capture the same energy.
I still think playing Ghost of Yotei in Watanabe Mode is the best way to experience it, especially if you’re familiar with the historical background I shared. However, without all the related content, it didn’t quite feel like that mode was fully realized. It’s clear it wasn’t originally intended that way, but if Sucker Punch makes another Ghost game, I hope they fully integrate a similar mode from the start.
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2025-09-26 17:17