Samurai champloo a rip-off?

I watched Samurai Champloo for the first time last night. Although i have only seen the show one time, after watching it, it seemed kind of familiar. Did anyone else watching it see a close resemblance to Rurouni Kenshin? The main character seems quite a bit like kenshin, a wandering samurai. The quiet type that will do anything, including risking his own life to save or help others. Mugen, an independant fighter, bears a close resemblance to Sanosuke. A big part of the comic relief of the anime. Will help Jin if he is in need of help, but doesnt really want to. Fuu seems a lot like Kaoru. Both beautiful women, who want the main character but dont want to admit it. In both shows (from what ive seen in samurai champloo anyway) the main characters both wander in search of work, and offer their help and services to others. well, did anyone else notice this, or am i just looking to far into it?

nick

Yes, there is a superficial similarity between the story of Rurouni Kenshin and that of Samurai Champloo, but that is because both - as with most samurai tales in Japan - are firmly rooted in Japanese myth and legend of great swordsman who did just that; wander from town to town, righting all manner of wrong.

It's, in many ways, exactly similar to American westerns. You already know, going into a western, who's going to be the bad guy, the good guy, and what their motivations/pasts/ideology are going to be. But it doesn't matter because it's the adventures they get into, not that they're getting into adventures, that entertains us.