Samurai Champloo Episode 22: Cosmic Collisions and Mushrooms

In my very first episode on my YouTube channel “Anime History” I touched on the history behind my

favorite filler episode in Samurai Champloo, Baseball Blues. However, the filler episode “Cosmic

Collisions” that preceded it contains supernatural elements that many fans frankly went “WTF” when

watching it. It’s strange to see such supernatural and cosmic elements added into a Samurai Champloo

filler. The show is constantly over-the-top and crazy but really zombies and a meteor hitting their exact

location? This is definitely on a different level compared to the other episodes. Each of the elements in

this episode contains clues to explaining where this episode is located and what’s really going on

between the trio and the zombies. This is Anime Theory.

Where does Episode 22: “Cosmic Collisions” take place?

The first question we need to answer is where the heck does this episode take place? This map contains

a general overview of where most samurai champloo episodes take place.

I say “most” because there is a noticeable gap between episodes 19-22 between these two points. To

narrow it down we need only pay attention to the dialogue in the episode. Shige mentions the treasure

is located on Kyushu which is the southern area of Japan. From this point on we have to do some

research.

Samurai Champloo is set within Japan’s Tokugawa era. This map provides a retrospective look at the

roads during the day. Episode 18 places us in Hiroshima. From this point, the most effective path follows

the western route to the southern tip of the Nagato area. The western path provides the most direct

path to Kyushu. The sea separation between Nagato and Buzen is not very large and would allow for

cheaper, and faster, travel between these two pieces of land.

Mugen, Jin and Fuu are in an approximate northern location within Kyushu. However, Kyushu is large

and we need to narrow this down. Let’s go back to the map. Let’s say they take this path and follow it

and end up right here. Why do I suggest they went off the path?

The dedication Shige had to his cause was the pursuit of a large treasure of gold. If I overlay a geologic

map of gold deposits in the Kyushu area, it highlights two areas of major gold deposits. The deposit in

the south is the larger of the two and would potentially allow for a greater chance of gold mines in the

area.

However, Mugen, Jin and Fuu would not travel all the way to the south of Kyushu just come back up

where the next episode is located. Therefore, we need to examine this northern area with the largest

amount of individual gold deposits. If we superimpose our retrospective roadmap, and a geographic

topology map we can place the gang in the mountains near a large gold vein and in a relatively

reasonable distance to the location in the next episode.

Cosmic, Supernatural and Real: Do they add up?

The episode is filled with experiences that do not add up to an obvious reality.

1. There are Zombies.

2. Shige is a necromancer.

3. A meteor hits their EXACT location. (The possibility of this occurring is an enormous 1 in

250,000)1

4. They don’t question why the man has a detached arm with no blood coming out when they first

get in the mine.

5. They apparently can survive, what seems like more than a week, only on wasabi and still be

fighting able.

6. They are able to speak in mutually intelligible Japanese with Shige and the miners.

And most importantly…

1 Mann, Adam. "Odds of Death by Asteroid? Lower Than Plane Crash, Higher Than Lightning | WIRED."

Wired.com. February 13, 2013. Accessed April 1, 2015. http://www.wired.com/2013/02/asteroid-odds/.

7. They die at the end.

Among all the craziness of Samurai Champloo, supernatural elements like Zombies or Necromancy

really stand out. How could a meteor hit their exact location at the end of the episode? Why does

neither Mugen, Jin or Fuu question the armless man they first meet? How can they survive only on

wasabi for what has to be at the very least a week? Also how can Mugen, Jin and Fuu speak with

Shige and his men. The divide in years between them is at least 500 years. Languages evolve over

time, the written part will keep essential elements but the spoken elements change. Especially with

Shige in isolation, Japanese would have evolved in its own course completely different from the

normal dialects of Tokugawa Japan. The non-observation of linguistic differences contributes to

facts that do not add up. The most important discrepancy of all is the fact they die at the end. The

meteor seemingly hits them…so…how do live on? All of these suggest that Mugen and Jin are not

acting in reality.

Of Mines and Mushrooms: Death Theory?

A theory to explaining these discrepancies comes from the fact that they all might be dead. Mugen, Jin

may have died from eating the mushrooms and Fuu died from the mine shaft fall.

First of all, can the Matsutake mushroom kill? Mushrooms are classified by Kingdom, Division, Class,

Order, Family, Genus and Species and the Matsutake Mushroom, Tricholoma matsutake, is classified as

Kingdom: Fungi

Division: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Agaricales

Family: Tricholomataceae

Genus: Tricholoma

None of these classifications have any poisonous or hallucinogenic properties. In fact, this mushroom is

quite rare and expensive even to this day. If the Matsutake Mushroom is not to cause for the strange

elements in this show there has to be another explanation. When Fuu discovers she is surrounded by

zombies, she entertains the thought that she may have misidentified the mushrooms Mugen and Jin ate

in the mountains. Mugen and Jin ate the supposed Matsutake. If we go back to our scientific

classifications, the Genus Amanita is responsible for approximately 95% of all mushroom poisoning

fatalities. The most infamous in this Genus is the Amanita phalloides, better known as the Death Cap (it

is also a usable offensive plant in Plants vs. Zombies). Of the 95% of fatalities from mushroom poisoning,

the Death Cap is responsible for an astounding 50% of the total. However, most modern instances of

mushroom poisoning are not fatal.2 The fatal genus Amanita, and its infamous Death Cap, does not

resemble any of the mushrooms shown in the episode. In reality, Mushroom poisoning usually only

involves gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea or vomiting.

With Mugen, Jin and Fuu dead, the exclusive eating of wasabi, undeterred ability to converse, and lack

of questioning of the lack of blood are justified. Shige is a necromancer and contains a level of control

over the miners. If he resurrected Mugen, Jin and Fuu then of course he would have no problem

conversing with them. Wasabi becomes no problem eating and not questioning the lack of blood until

lack are realities coming from his ability to manipulate his subjects. Even the meteor can be explained as

Mugen, Jin and Fuu, being zombies, could have potentially survived through the ordeal because they are

already dead.

The problem with this theory comes from the fact that Shige does not have complete control over his

zombies as they attempt to kill him in the end. Also, Shige states that he does not have any blood left in

his body and the zombie miners do not feel pain. If we are to extend those zombified elements to

Mugen, Jin and Fuu then they too must not have any blood or feel pain. However, in the later episodes

we clearly see the blood and psychological toll blades deal to them. The chance of living through a

meteor strike depicted is very low and would need both Shige and the trio to survive to continue the

story. There has to be a better way to explain the discrepancies in the episode.

Of Mines and Mushrooms: “Magic Mushroom” Theory?

The more popular theory to explain this episode is to say Mugen, Jin and Fuu are hallucinating. Easy to

say and sweep the episode under the rug but what real evidence is there to substantiate this claim? The

Genus Psilocybe holds the majority of hallucinogenic mushrooms. Popularly called “Magic Mushrooms,”

these mushrooms may contain substances such as psilocybin, psilocin, baeocystin or norbaeocystin.

These cause a wide range of hallucinogenic experiences. The most potent “magic mushroom” is

2 Gussow L (November 2000). "The optimal management of mushroom poisoning remains

undetermined". West. J. Med. 173 (5): 317–8.doi:10.1136/ewjm.173.5.317. PMC 1071150.PMID 11069865.

considered to be the Psilocybe cyanescens.34 Containing significant levels of psilocybin, psilocin AND

baeocystin, it has even resulted in death, although that is not the norm.5 This mushroom, however, is

probably not the one Mugen and Jin ate because its morphology is significantly different compared to

the Matsutake. The more similar in appearance to the Matsutake is the Psilocybe argentipes, commonly

referred to as Hikageshibiretake in Japanese. The Hikageshibiretake grows near the Cryptomeria

japonica, commonly called the Japanese cedar. The Japanese cedar grows in mountains and hills in

southern Japan.6 This tree has a high potential of being in the mountains that Mugen, Jin and Fuu were

walking through and, by extension, theHikageshibiretake. This mushroom contains psilocybin and

psilocin, it is a potent “magic mushroom.” In “Magic Mushrooms around the World,” Jochen Gartz

recalls his observations of people consuming the Hikageshibiretake. He stated that after eating seven

mushrooms the subject “laid down and experienced visual hallucinations, which caused him to panic

and to run a distance of 1200ft…”7 Another subject after eating five mushroom saw “his

extremities…slightly paralyzed. This paralysis persisted for another three hours. During this time, the

subject…was depressed and he experienced hallucinations, such as colorful lights flooding down from

the sky.”8 Other sources tell that peoples who ate these mushrooms had feelings of euphoria, panic or

anxiety.9 Mugen and Jin ate far more than these observed people did. The hallucinogenic effects of

these mushrooms would have a compounded effect. After Mugen and Jin devoured the

Hikageshibiretake in the area, Fuu did indeed fall into an abandoned mine shaft. The mine the episode

set in is real, but their experiences are not. After following Fuu down the mine shaft the

Hikageshibiretake kicked in. Their bodies became paralyzed for hours, if not days, and the conversations

they had with the real miners were interpreted in the way the episode depicted. The meteor falling at

the end is similar to the “colorful lights flooding down from the sky” in a much stronger effect. The

Hikageshibiretake also does not have any long-lasting effects so their continuance to play a baseball

game in the next episode makes complete sense. They did not meet Shige, see zombies, work in a mine

or have a meteor fall on them. The reality of most of the episode is a hallucinogenic trip.

Cosmic Collisions: The Tri-Narrative

I have argued for the “Magic Mushroom” Theory but another question still lingers. Whose hallucination

is the episode depicting? If the episode were an intersection between the perceived realities of both

Mugen and Jin, there would not be a smooth flow to the episode as it is. The episode is depicting one

3 Arora, David (1986). Mushrooms demystified : a comprehensive guide to the fleshy fungi (2nd ed.).

Berkeley: Ten Speed Press. pp. 371–372. ISBN 978-0-89815-169-5. 4 Paul Stamets (2000). Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms). Ten Speed Press. p. 329.ISBN 978-1-58008-175-7. 5 Duffy, Thomas. "Toxic Fungi of Western North America". Myokoweb. Retrieved 31 August 2011. 6 "Cryptomeria Japonica Japanese Cedar, Sugi PFAF Plant Database." Cryptomeria Japonica Japanese

Cedar, Sugi PFAF Plant Database. Accessed April 1, 2015. http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cryptomeria japonica.

7 Gartz, Jochen, and Claudia Taake. Magic Mushrooms around the World: A Scientific Journey across Cultures and Time : The Case for Challenging Research and Value Systems. Los Angeles, CA: LIS Publications, 1996. 46.

8 Ibid. 9 Musha M, Ishii A, Tanaka F, Kusano G. (1986). "Poisoning by Hallucinogenic mushroom Hikageshibiretake

(Psilocybe argentipes K. Yokoyama) indigenous to Japan" (PDF). The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine 148 (1): 73–78. doi:10.1620/tjem.148.73.PMID 3705065.

perceived reality and, by that extension, the episode has three different narratives it could have

followed. Those being Mugen, Jin or Fuu’s perspective. What are the facts to deduce whose reality this

episode is depicting?

1. Shige and the Miners reference Yoritomo, Kamakura and the Genji.

2. Jin finds out the secret to the genealogy.

3. Shige is depicted with a biwa.

If this episode followed Mugen’s perpective, the chance that he would hallucinate about Genji or

yoritomo is very low. Mugen’s lack of education probably means he would not have even known about

those things. By contrast, Jin was trained, disciplined and educated. Samurai in the Tokugawa Era were

mainly political figures and had time to educate themselves on, among other things, Japanese history.

Jin allows his smarts to bring down Shige in comparison to seeing Mugen’s rash action work out the

situation as other episodes depict him doing. Shige telling stories with his biwa also reflect a cultured

aspect. The biwa was as a narrative device in telling the stories of Genji. The attribution of the biwa to

Shige further points toward Jin’s perceived reality.

Conclusion

The discrepancies within the episode constantly suggest that something weird is going on. The facts do

not add up to a cohesive continuing story as the other episodes of the story due. The collection of

discrepancies can be explained by understanding the hallucinogenic effects of the Hikageshibiretake.

Compounded effects of the mushroom could explain the weird and surreal story presented to us. Jin’s

perspective is shown because of a cultural refinement needed to reference Japanese cultural works that

Mugen would not know. The episode is simply a psychedelic trip by Jin.

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