The Weeknd has spoken on the importance of anime series Samurai Champloo and how it impacted the creation of his music.
On Thursday (April 9), it was announced that the "Blinding Lights" hitmaker would be making an appearance at this year's Crunchyroll Anime Awards, which is set to take place on May 23 in Tokyo, Japan.
The singer (real name Abel Tesfaye) will be on hand to present "the night's most prestigious award," Anime of the Year.
Discussing his early interactions with anime, The Weeknd said in a statement: "When I was first introduced to anime, I was a child. Sailor Moon was one of my first crushes, Goku my first imaginary sparring partner, and 'One More Time' by Daft Punk was a song and music video I couldn’t get out of my head."
But it wasn't until he discovered Samurai Champloo, the 26-episode Manglobe series that follows the exploits of tea waitress Fuu, vagrant outlaw Mugen, and ronin Jin, that anime would change his life forever.
"It wasn’t until my teenage years that one specific anime changed me forever and became part of the fabric of my early career: Samurai Champloo by Shinichiro Watanabe," he explained. "It was the first time I experienced two of my favorite mediums — anime and hip-hop — blending so seamlessly that it completely reshaped the way I watched film and listened to music."
The series — or more specifically the music of Watanabe and Nujabes, which is featured in it — was also responsible for inspiring the creation of his game-changing debut mixtape, House of Balloons.
"That influence stayed with me all the way through the creation of House of Balloons, where I wrote 'The Morning,' 'Glass Table Girls,' and 'Loft Music' over Nujabes' instrumentals," he recalled. "Without Watanabe and Nujabes, House of Balloons simply wouldn’t exist. So it’s safe to say I wouldn’t be here without anime."
House of Balloons is widely celebrated as one of music's best debut projects and has been praised by many of today's artists. In 2017, Drake called it one of his "top five albums of all time."
Fans can cast their votes for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards via the Crunchyroll Anime Awards Official Website and MyAnimeList up until 11:59 PM PT on Wednesday (April 15).
