A thought on Samuraipunk (from someone who worked on a game called Katanapunk that ended up vaporware): I think it very much does exist. "Blade of the Immortal" definitely has that vibe in places. "Samurai Champloo" as well, at least in my opinion. Give me more of that.
Something to keep in mind is that the -punk aspect is usually some sort of subversion, a movement against the status quo. OG punk was a reactionary movement against overblown progressive rock and consumer culture (there's a reason why punks shopped at thrift stores and wore clothes held together with tape and safety pins). There should be some sort of counter culture aesthetic to really make it work. -punk moves against the mainstream, against the status quo.
I think that's something that's been lost a bit with -punk being used as an suffix for all sorts of things that, well, aren't. I think creators also need to look at the cost of what happens when you move against the mainstream. Operating without a net carries its own risks.
Love the mashup of samuraipunk and feel combining different genres offers some of the most original fantasy and sci-fi worlds.
I've done something similar with my horror western world that has been partially inspired by Japanese mythology called Tales Of The Frontier.
It features regular short stories and world-building that might interest you.
https://talesofthefrontier.substack.com/
A thought on Samuraipunk (from someone who worked on a game called Katanapunk that ended up vaporware): I think it very much does exist. "Blade of the Immortal" definitely has that vibe in places. "Samurai Champloo" as well, at least in my opinion. Give me more of that.
Something to keep in mind is that the -punk aspect is usually some sort of subversion, a movement against the status quo. OG punk was a reactionary movement against overblown progressive rock and consumer culture (there's a reason why punks shopped at thrift stores and wore clothes held together with tape and safety pins). There should be some sort of counter culture aesthetic to really make it work. -punk moves against the mainstream, against the status quo.
I think that's something that's been lost a bit with -punk being used as an suffix for all sorts of things that, well, aren't. I think creators also need to look at the cost of what happens when you move against the mainstream. Operating without a net carries its own risks.
I see a lot of potential in samuraipunk as a genre. The aesthetic alone is very powerful but there is more than only that.
The creatures of asian myths made real as mutated humans or mechanical monsters.
The stories of ronin and shinobi, now given modern/futuristic tools.
And the dynamic between a samurai and their lord enhanced by the dynamic between man and maschine, especially when man becomes more like a maschine.
I will be sure to put this genre to memory, cause this is one idea I don't want to forget.