Cowboy Bebop

Giovanni

Critic's Log: Earthdate - March 12, 2012. Review #1: Cowboy Bebop. It is the year 2071 and Mars has become the central hub of human civilization ever since a hyperspace experiment on the moon failed and made Earth uninhabitable. The entire Solar System has been accessible thanks to reliable hyperspace gates and crime syndicates have exerted their power and influence over the government and the ISSP (Inter-Solar System-Police). As a result, The ISSP has put in a bounty system similar to The Old West has been included to deal with fugitives, terrorists and other criminals. The bounty hunters are usually called "Cowboys". Bounty hunters Spike Spiegel and Jet Black are flying around space and trying to catch their bounty. That is the premise of Cowboy Bebop. This is where I start to get technical, Cowboy Bebop does not have much of a main storyline (except for episodes like Ballad of Fallen Angels, the Two-part episode Jupiter Jazz and the two part finale The Real Folk Blues), and those 5 episodes are what you could call "plot" episodes, while the remaining 21 are standalone episodes. With that said, those episodes are not even considered filler. Some of the ideas in these standalone really stand out impressively. Here are some examples: Sympathy for the Devil, Waltz for Venus, Ganymede Elegy, etc., etc... If there is a blinding aspect, it is the animation. For 1998, the animation was pretty good back then and still looks good today. Some episodes have some cool animation effects as well. Sunrise is the animation studio behind Cowboy Bebop and that might not be saying much, however there is one apparent note about this show, apparently Cowboy Bebop's success led to 3 staff members from Sunrise that co-founded the studio that we know today as Studio Bones. In other words, animes like RahXephon, Wolf's Rain, Eureka Seven, Darker than BLACK, Soul Eater, and both Fullmetal Alchemist animes were apparently made possible due to Bebop's success. The action scenes are well animated, and the visuals are even breathtaking at times. If there are any anime purists out there that have not seen Cowboy Bebop yet, consider this recommendation an exception, the English dub is very good and hardly flawed. Steven Jay Blum gives Spike a good badass tone to his character, Wendee Lee sounds both sexy and sensitive as Faye, Beau Billingslea has a cool father-like tone as Jet, and Melissa Fahn is charmingly silly as Edward. The dub can be considered better than the original Japanese version of the show, and I have known some purists that mention that Cowboy Bebop's dub was very good. I personally love the dub, it was spot-on and all the voices matched. So, what do I think of the subtitled version? Answer: I find it Underrated compared to the dub. The voice cast of the subtitled version had some well-known voice actors such as Kouichi Yamadera, Megumi Hayashibara, Unsho Ishizuka, and even Norio Wakamoto is in the subbed version. There is nothing wrong with the subtitled version; it may be a bit overshadowed by the dubbed Version If there is an aspect that struck all the chords right is the soundtrack which is by Yoko Kanno. Some people consider Bebop's soundtrack to be her best. There is one fact about the soundtrack is that Kanno-san formed a band known as The Seatbelts which includes over 70 musicians which resided in Japan, New York, and Paris. I consider it impressive. If you try listening to the soundtrack without the show, it may feel like you're listening to an album rather than a soundtrack. The soundtrack really made a permanent impression on me. My personal favorite moment that involved the soundtrack was the two songs used in the cathedral scene, which were Rain and Green Bird. Hell, the opening theme kicks so much ass, and The Real Folk Blues is a good closing theme. The soundtrack is... How would Ash Williams put it? What really makes the show impressive is that some scenes have music playing and not have much dialogue in it. This is somewhat of a symbolic example that silence can indeed be golden. This is Kanno-san’s most famous and critically acclaimed soundtrack. Otakus mostly rejoice when Kanno –san is involved in musical compositions ever since she finished her work on Cowboy Bebop. She is mostly a fan favorite in the anime fan base when it comes to the music department and that should come as no surprise. She’s that popular and talented. I do appreciate the work she has done up to this very day. The characters are also great. Spike is shown as a rogue badass with a past catching up to him. Jet appears to be a cool guy who happens to be the Captain of the Bebop. Faye is a con-woman and an interesting character even though she is kind of rude. Ein is adorable, and Edward is a silly random character that has a positive outlook in life. I think she was an awesome character for comic relief in the show. Some minor characters were also interesting. There is a common theme that runs through all of the characters and that is the pasts of these characters. It's definitely an overused trope but I think the past is something we all quite can't forget which doesn't make this trope clichéd, it's just a common one that is almost always effective. Cowboy Bebop claims to be a genre unto itself. I am not sure how to give a clear analogy on that, but it has interesting themes that are unique to the show. There are some homages and send ups to famous movies in this show. This is a show that knew how to treat adults and people who like movies, music, Science Fiction, Western and so forth. Shinichiro Watanabe really nailed the direction of this anime because he always liked to mix up different opposing styles to make something completely new and unordinary. Cowboy Bebop has elements of Western, Space Opera, Film Noir, Martial Arts, and Jazz music. All these elements blended extremely well and this was a very unique anime at the time and I can understand why this anime was so revolutionary at the time. Since the popularity of Cowboy Bebop soared past through the stars, is it even fair to say that this show is overrated? It is considered an influential anime and I see why, a lot of people have universally praised the hell out of this show. The stories, animation, characters, music, and style are blended in so well that it almost makes it hard to see animes of this caliber. If there is a drawback, I could say that this show could have gone a bit longer, and on a personal note, Boogie Woogie Feng Shui was the only episode I did not like too much. If you like it, that's fine. If you stick to the series long enough, I guarantee you'll like the ending. There are a lot of people that see the ending as one of the most fitting endings to an anime and it really ends with a bang. I'm dead serious, if you haven't seen this series then do yourself a favor and watch the damn show, it will not disappoint you unless you are extremely picky. Cowboy Bebop is available by Bandai Entertainment, and even though Bandai Entertainment no longer licenses anime, they mentioned that they will keep their current catalog, so apparently there's nothing to worry about this anime being out of print in the US (I hope). The manga adaptation Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star written by Hajime Yatate and illustrated by Cain Kuga and another manga adaptation of Cowboy Bebop also written by Hajime Yatate and illustrated by Yutaka Nanten were available by Tokyopop and It is possible that those two manga adaptations are out of print. Cowboy Bebop the Movie is available by Sony Pictures and I will review it next. *Update since 2014: It is now available by Funimation With that said, Cowboy Bebop is a smash hit jam-session that has become a genre unto itself; it has thrills, action, humor, and most of all fun. It is a hard one not to like. However, Not only anime fans like this show, some people that don't watch anime much or even anime-haters admit this show is exceptional and they even liked the show. This show has an American influence and it appeals to viewers that like anime, sci-fi, action flicks, and westerns. At the time I am posting this, this anime is still airing on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block since 2001. The constant re-runs and the fan base have turned this anime to a cult classic (metaphorically speaking, it has a devoted fan base... nothing to do with religious cults or something like that; it's a play on words). It may not be everyone's cup of tea but it is definitely worth trying. It's an anime I sometimes quote as well as some others. Some will say that this is the greatest anime ever made, but that may be stretching it too much, but I will agree in calling it a revolutionary anime and a fun anime at that. it is truly a gem. I give Cowboy Bebop a 10 out of 10 (It is a MASTERPIECE!) Feel free to comment below and until then... Stay gold, Bang!

ToeBeans

##~~~__Cowboy Bebop Review__~~~ I know it first aired back in 1998, but I just finished watching Cowboy Bebop recently. I'm not going to lie, I consistently was seeing it on lists of the best anime of all time, and I was really doubtful going in, but now that I've watched it I know why Cowboy Bebop is so highly acclaimed. It's just good. It's so good. If someone asked me what my favorite anime ever was I wouldn't hesitate to say Cowboy Bebop. If you haven't seen it you should. If you have seen it you should watch it again, without a doubt it is a wonderful anime. If you haven't viewed the pleasure that is Cowboy Bebop it is set in the year 2071 and follows the lives of bounty hunters traveling on their spaceship, the Bebop. There is definitely overarching stories and themes, but generally you don't need to remember what the previous episode was about to understand the one you're on. Similar to something like a TV crime drama, most episodes feature a criminal that this bounty hunter crew is going after, although the show is so much more than that. Cowboy Bebop contains these overarching themes of things like loneliness and one's relationship with the past. The characters have subtle and realistic relationships with each other and themselves, everyone has an involved backstory and you just automatically fall in love with all of them. We all have main characters that we dislike, you'll love all of the main four characters in Cowboy Bebop. Can I just talk about the music for a second? For some anime I skip the opening theme sometimes, even if I like it. When you're binge watching an anime sometimes you just get tired of hearing the same opening song over and over. That never happened to me with Cowboy Bebop. What a great opening sequence, and what a great way to start off every episode. And then, the jazzy, funky, occasionally bluesy music featured in mostly every episode. Ahhhhhhh. I loved every piece of music that was played in this show, it fit so perfectly with the story. Also the art. Cowboy Bebop is without a doubt an old anime, and when I watched the first episode and saw Spike's hair for the first time, I will say that I was put off. By the third episode I was over it, I loved the art style, so if you are picky about things like that like I sometimes am, don't worry about it, the sheer greatness of Cowboy Bebop will overcome any doubts you have about the art style. The anime is somewhat of a comedy, but it did make me cry. Beware episodes 24 and 26, they were extremely sad for me. (Although like, everything makes me cry and get emotional.) And I would recommend watching the last three episodes in one fell swoop, as with many anime. I'd just like to reiterate that you will not be disappointed with Cowboy Bebop, it doesn't matter if you think that you don't like action anime or jazz music, or older anime art styles. Cowboy Bebop is for everyone and I guarantee you will enjoy it. See you space cowboy...

TheRealKyuubey

-Contains some spoilers The year is 2071. Humanity has long since expanded into space, with civilization taking hold in various ways on a large selection of the different rocky bodies throughout the solar system. Luckily, we were already in the middle of this process when a hyperspace gateway near the Earth exploded, leaving the planet in ruins and virtually uninhabitable. It’s been fifty years since then, but we can still feel the effect of the disaster. Our colonies range from big, busy cities to smaller, less affluent townships that you’d swear were taken right out of the old west. Interspace travel means nothing to most folk, who were born and raised and eventually expired on the same planet, hell, maybe even in the same town. Sure, those who chose the life of a transportation or delivery pilot may see a couple of different planets, and those rich enough to travel may have seen a few different sunrises, but if you’ve been everywhere, seen every shade of civilization, felt the grass and dirt of multiple planets beneath your feet, then you’re either a criminal… Or a Bounty Hunter. Yeah, it turns out that with so much ground to cover, the central government can’t be bothered to uphold the law in every society, nor to keep up with wanted criminals who could be hiding out on any number of worlds. Thus, we’ve seen the rise of the registered bounty hunters, people who’ve taken on the job of tracking down and apprehending those with a high enough price on their head and delivering them to the authorities. It’s a job that offers you freedom, excitement, and the right to be your own boss, provided you’re successful enough to keep food on the table. Basically, it’s a job that appeals to those who would otherwise probably be outlaws themselves, real rough-and-tumble characters who just don’t fit into normal society. This description couldn’t possibly fit anybody more than the crew of the Bebop, a moderately sized vessel owned by a retired detective, that houses an ex-gangster, a femme fatale with a gambling problem, a psychotic child prodigy, oh, and also a dog. They may sound like a crew of rejects and shady characters, but with these cowboys on your tail, you might not even live to see prison. img660(http://wallpoper.com/images/00/26/52/46/cowboy-bebop_00265246.jpg) Cowboy Bebop was produced by Studio Sunrise, a company that’s been churning out anime since the seventies, and is still just as prolific today, with some of their more recent hits including Code Geass, Love Live, and the entire Gundam catalog. Bebop was one of their last projects in the nineties, but there are a few other notable benchmarks it holds. First of all, Bebop was the last project that several people working for the company would make before they parted ways, and formed their own studio, the incredibly popular and well-respected Studio Bones. I’m assuming this split was an amicable one, because they were able to collaborate with their former parent company to make the Cowboy Bebop movie only a few years later. So yeah, the legendary production company that began in the 2ooo’s and is able to brag about producing both versions of Fullmetal Alchemist, Soul Eater, Ouran High School host Club and Space Dandy, to name a few, and it’s greatest precursor was Bebop. And the other benchmark? Cowboy Bebop was one of the final anime to be animated using hand-drawn cells rather than digital drawings. You would think this would be an indication of lacking visual quality, as the last efforts of one style before another takes over are usually somewhat pathetic… Just look at disco… But Cowboy Bebop is a glaring exception to that rule. Not only is it one of the best looking anime of the nineties, it holds up today as one of the best looking anime of all time. Yeah, when compared to offerings from today’s market, Bebop definitely has a very retro feel to it, but since the series was originally designed to be retro, that just makes the aesthetic all the more timeless. The animation is unbelievably fluid, with action scenes that never have to break frames to look impressive, and space battles epic enough to warrant a comparison to early Star Wars. Even when the action does slow down, and the camera does linger on a shot, the artwork is beautiful enough… And the cinematography is smart enough… That you’ll never complain about what you’re seeing. The character designs are diverse, but human enough that everyone you meet… Aside from perhaps Ed and a certain balloon-like villain… Looks like someone that could easily be translated into real life, at least in terms of anatomy and facial structure. Their outfits are set to color palettes and styles that match their personalities while still remaining pleasing to the eye, and the backgrounds throughout are highly detailed. Episodes that take place in a western background are bright and welcoming, despite being broken down, dirty and weathered with time. Episodes with a more noir feel will take place in a tighter and darker environment, more shadowy and dangerous. Outer space is portrayed as expansive and empty, even when it’s filled with stars and debris. The use of color saturation and shading easily sells the tone and genre of any episode, and if you’re watching the newly released blu-ray version of the series, all of the show’s beauty is cranked up to eleven. And it’s not just the art style that enhances Bebop’s visual quality. I feel like the best way to describe the music in this series would be to inform you that the musical composer of the series, Yoko Kanno, was also the inspiration for the personality and mannerisms of the character Ed, so try to imagine the kind of musical score that a film noir space western would have if it came from a wild, free-spirited genius with no respect for convention. Translation, it’s spectacular, possibly one of the best anime scores in the history of the medium. The score leans heavily towards jazz and the blues, and while the instruments that Kanno’s band The Seatbelts has available are diverse, there’s an intense focus on trombones and saxophones, which in my opinion aren’t used enough in anime. It fits perfectly in Cowboy Bebop, as the aesthetic demands a funky sounding soundtrack, but the stuff they didn’t do themselves… And thus the music that breaks from the series style… Are just as good. There’s a Steve Conte song called “Call me call me,” in one of the last episodes, that actually makes me cry, both in and out of context. The most famous musical number from this series is probably Green Bird by Gabriela Robin, which is actually a false name for Yoko Kanno herself, which beautifully accompanies what little glimpses at Spike’s backstory we’re actually allowed to see. A certain western sounding tune named Go Go Cactus Man is also noteworthy for heralding the appearance of a literal cowboy, and amusingly enough, Spike himself reacts to this tune when it’s played. Outside of the score, the sound design is also smartly used, with smaller unreleased musical pieces hyping up the tension and suspense of episodes like Toys in the Attic, but all of that pales in comparison to the show’s opening and ending themes. Both are iconic in their own right, with Tank serving as the funky, undeniably catchy pump-up for some space-faring adventures, and the closing theme The Real Folk Blues serving as the power anthem that feels just right as the send-off to each episode, whether it was funny, serious or downright tragic. The English dub, as I’ve said before, has become something of a measuring stick, to which all other anime dubs must compare themselves to. That’s not to say I think it’s the best dub of all time… There are still three that I think have surpassed it… But there are plenty of fans and critics who will make that claim, and it’s completely understandable why. The dub was directed by Mary Elizabeth Mcglynn, one of the most respected names in the dubbing industry, and for good reason. She also played several small roles in the cast, including the mysterious Julia and one of the more memorable villains, environmental extremist Twinkle Maria Murdock. Her adaptive script is accurate and on-point, despite slight changes to appeal to a western audiences, and I have to point this out, there are very rare occurrences where an actor will slip up and fail to match the character’s lip flaps. This barely ever happens, however, so it’s forgivable enough. In terms of acting, all four of the main characters have become the most iconic roles of their respective actors. Steve Blum has been considered a legend in the industry thanks to his turn as Spike Spiegel, a laid back and lethargic louse who cares for nothing other than his next paycheck, except for those rare moments that he’s made to care, either due to a resurgence of his past life or due to a fleeting chance at bringing some genuine good into the world. Beau Billingslea is a highly successful man in both his personal and professional lives, and he’s also one of the only well-known black voice actors in the anime dubbing industry, thanks in no small part to his performance of Jet Black, a former detective and the cool, mature voice of reason of the Bebop crew. Wendee Lee is a bit of a hit-or-miss actor for me, as the quality of her work seems to fluctuate from project to project, but she’s at her absolute best as Faye Valentine, a character who can be confident and duplicitous one minute but then vulnerable and emotionally raw the next. Then you have Melissa Fahn, who somehow managed to bring more insanity to the character of Ed than even the original seiyuu Aoi Tada. Her crazy ramblings also include random tangents in Japanese, which she fires off smoothly. Together, the four of them form a bizarre sort of chemistry that never quite feels like a proper family unit… They feel more like coworkers, tolerating each other and accepting each others’ eccentricities as they strive towards a common goal. That common goal, mind you, is the money to survive, something essential and vital, but also entirely impersonal. There’s no bonding between these characters, no intricate relationships, no changing each other’s paths and arcs… The characters let their guards down and show vulnerabilities, but almost never around each other, and the English cast is just as good at portraying this as the Japanese cast. Add to this the hilarious contributions by James Penrod as the raucous Cowboy Andy and Lia Sargent and Paul St. Pete as the Big Shot TV hosts Punch and Judy, I do highly recommend this dub over it’s original sub. I’ve always said, when defining what is and isn’t anime, that there really isn’t any set of qualities that can be taken into account consistently. No matter what rule you try to follow, there will always be outrageous exceptions made. The only philosophy that really makes sense is “Anime is made in Japan.” But for the people who actually try to draw a dividing line between anime and cartoons, there are a few arguments I keep hearing about. The first is that there’s an anime style. Big heads, giant tumorous eyes, small noses, exaggerated expressions… And another popular one is that anime is non-episodic, and tells a continuous story through plot progression and cohesive arcs. People will use these arguments as an excuse to call shows like Avatar and RWBY anime, and if you bring up shows like Shin-chan and Panty and Stocking, they’ll argue that those aren’t real anime, and were designed to be more like cartoons. But then you bring up Cowboy Bebop, a show that doesn’t waste it’s time with stereotypical anime expressions, doesn’t follow any alleged anime style, and for the most part, is episodic and full of filler. It’s heavily adult in it’s presentation, despite the fact that it doesn’t contain any gratuitous content… No giant boobs, no multi-episode fight scenes, no nudity or fanservice outside of a transexual dude and Faye occasionally sunbathing… No beach scenes, no hot springs episodes… Cowboy Bebop isn’t like any other anime, even the ones that have tried to copy it in the 20 years since it’s release. The idea of there being an anime style is quite frankly bullshit, as that’s a seriously reductive viewpoint on the medium, but aren’t the best anime the ones with engaging stories and involved plots? This isn’t even close to the case with Cowboy Bebop, a show that did horribly during it’s initial release in Japan, so why is it considered one of the best anime of all time? Why is it still a mainstay on American TV over a decade later? Well, there’s actually some backstory on that. When Bebop was initially released, the studio that played it got skittish about how adult it’s content was, and wound up airing it out of order, with several episodes left out entirely. This didn’t exactly build confidence with the audience, who weren’t even allowed to see the two best episodes, Ballad of Fallen Angels and Sympathy for the Devil. Keep in mind, this occurred in a country where that piece of shit Shadow Star was able to air on a Children’s Network. It was later run in it’s entirety on a less popular network named WOWOW, but the trouble it’s first network gave it provided a special kind of challenge for the series when it came to picking up steam. Heh, kinda reminds me of another series I know that got a lot of shit from it’s network, and was aired out of nowhere and treated unfairly by people who didn’t know how to handle it… In fact, you know what? Back up a bit. This show has a lot more in common with Firefly than just it’s initial problems, and I think I can use the comparison to explain why both shows are so immensely popular despite having a short run and a disastrous debut. There are plenty of similarities between Cowboy Bebop and Firefly, and considering the few things that the latter stole DIRECTLY from Outlaw Star, it wasn’t very likely a coincidence. Both shows feature an old, beaten down spaceship that acts as a surrogate home for a crew of misfits, surviving day to day on whatever jobs they can take in order to keep food on the table and fuel in the tank. The focus is on character more than plot, and most of the cast has extensive backstories that translate to other lives they’ve left behind, but are still haunted by. In both shows, Earth got used up, and humanity colonized the solar system, with no real aliens out there, and the territory is populated with an anachronistic array of settlements that the crew travels to and does business with. Firefly wound up being popular to this day for the same reason that Cowboy Bebop didn’t get popular until it reached the states… Because it’s a story that was designed to appeal to an American audience. Japanese society has always been deeply rooted in tradition and conformity. It’s true that a lot of it’s art has made valiant efforts to challenge the norm, from Kill La Kill’s blatant attack on said values, and Ikuhara’s work taking every opportunity to question the patriarchy, but for an anime to be about individuals who don’t fit into society making a life for themselves without any attachments outside of their own personal interests, with no real beliefs or values outside of their need to survive, and for this to come out way back in 1997, I find it more surprising that the series EVENTUALLY became big over there. But more to the point, Cowboy Bebop was, perhaps inadvertently, designed to be successful in America, so by ripping it off, Firefly became so popular that over fifteen years later, it has it’s own line of Lootcrate merch. And yet, despite the many similarities, Cowboy Bebop is still superior to Firefly in every conceivable way, and it’s able to be so without having to try nearly as hard as Firefly did. First off, as much as I love it, Firefly was never that great at drama. Yeah there was danger, and characters would die, but actual emotional conflict? It would pop up in small doses, but never in any engaging way. It also, like MANY series both here and in Japan, used dangling plot threads to keep you watching. There were mysteries to be solved, romantic interests to be resolved, conspiracies to unravel… When shows do this, it can be great, but it still feels like there’s a carrot dangling in front of your face, daring you to run towards it. It goes perhaps without saying that Cowboy Bebop had none of these issues. It never needs to try to grab your attention… You don’t need to worry about what’s going to happen later on in the story, because everything that’s happening is perfectly interesting on it’s own. You don’t just want to see the characters prevail, and overcome each obstacle, preserving the status quo, you want to see them overcome themselves and break the stasis they’ve surrounded themselves with in order to find whatever it is they’ve been missing. Cowboy Bebop is about four outcasts with nowhere to go, nowhere to call home, and pasts that they can no longer return to. In a sense, they’ve given up anything they once held dear in order to just survive day to day, putting their loved ones, morals and dreams aside because even if there is something for them to go back to, which isn’t always the case, doing so would carry unimaginable consequences, so you wind up having no idea whether you want them to find closure or just move forward. Anybody who’s held a job in order to pay the bills can immediately relate to this, and yet the fact that the crew of the Bebop have taken on even more uncertainty and risk by working a job that lets them hold onto a little bit of freedom by being their own bosses still makes them so easy to idolize. You get episodes of backstory for the entire main cast save for Ed, and these episodes are by far the best of the bunch because of everything they teach us about their past lives and how they wound up in this life, and then you’ll get the one-off episodes that are somehow just as awesome on their own, with so many imaginative and complex ideas that fit perfectly into the Bebop universe. All of these episodes, in their own way, explore the dichotomy of life, death, and the purpose that each serves. img660(http://wallpapercave.com/wp/HYBYbn5.jpg) Cowboy Bebop was originally available from Bandai, both in individual cases and in a much more attractive Remix collection set, which was my copy of the series for years until Funimation bought the rights, and released it on Gorram Blu-Ray. I don’t care how much your physical copies of this series mean to you, you need to buy it on Blu-Ray. It’s a lot cheaper than the Amazon Exclusive version, although that one DOES come with a whole slew of bonus goodies. The movie, Knocking on Heaven’s door, is also available pretty cheap at most locations, and it’s also really great. The manga adaptations are also easily available stateside, although you’re best bet is to look online. Cowboy Bebop is not just an example of how anime can break it’s own rules and still be great, nor is it just an example of how good an anime from the nineties could look. It is also, and perhaps most importantly, an example of how a character driven story doesn’t need to have a plot, especially if it’s written in such a way that the characters ARE the plot. They’re all so likeable and so interesting that there are literally no boring moments throughout the series, because everything that happens involves them or is related to them in some way. I’ve heard some people complain about the crew not landing very many bounties, but I honestly think that’s the whole point. The ship is symbolic of the status quo that so many other shows rely on. As long as they stay there, sheltered from their old lives, they can never succeed, nor can they fail. They can never really live, nor can they die. They can only tread water, surviving. That might sound comfortable for some, but for Spike Spiegel, and ultimately for the philosophy of the series, it’s better to die young than to survive without living. This work, which has become a genre unto itself, is known as Cowboy Bebop, and I give it a 10/10.

InitialDork

Nineteen years ago, during the year 1998, a Space Western anime was released by the name of Cowboy Bebop, an anime that would go on to become one of the finest pieces of animation ever made. Adapted and completely redesigned from its manga counterpart, with direction by Shinichirō Watanabe, this 26-episode long, seinen neo-noir anime series would continue to astound fans of the medium for decades to come. The episodes for the show tend to be very episodic in nature, usually in two-parts, with stunning fluidity from one space romp to the next. Even though most of the episodes are unrelated, there’s never a disjointed feeling of randomness, or having any kinds of fillers simply to bulk out the serial. It all fits wonderfully. Everything just belongs, nothing more and nothing less. When we do have story-specific arcs, they are laced with emotional intensity and the complexities that go with having a past you’re not so fond of. There’s so much grey in between the black and white that each character is portrayed to be multidimensional and so much more than a pretty face, or an intellectual genius. The chemistry between all of the members of Bebop is one of my absolute favourite elements. They are flawed as fuck human beings, with quirks that cause a lot of grating disagreements and vexing (for them, not the audience) interactions. Nonetheless, they all have a key component in common that holds them together like a dysfunctional family. No matter how many times they try to walk away, eventually they find themselves back home. This is realistic. It’s believable. It’s something to connect with. Some will have a much more intimate relation to it than others. It’s comforting. As I mentioned earlier, the animation, regardless of being almost 20 years old, still holds up really damn well. The power is in the details, literally. There are so many details that went into establishing the environments within the series that the best way to describe it is breath-taking. Whether the setting is the interior (or even exterior) of a ship, space itself, planets with crumbling or bustling cities, the characters themselves and the expressions that they make—it’s all extremely astounding. These little soft lines and harsh curves with unique shades of red, blue, and orange all create the mood and tone for which makes Bebop a bonafide neo-noir experience. Even with all of these awesome traits, none of it really means anything if you can’t look beyond the animation and the cast to see just how far ahead of its time Cowboy Bebop truly was. It’s 1998 and gender roles are getting less defined. This show broke gender moulds back then, and it continues to do so in the modern age. You have women, beautiful women and average women and women from all walks of life in regards to race, ethnicity, etc., who are never judged for being just that. They are portrayed as very strong, independent ass-kickers. It didn’t matter if they were criminals, heroes, or in between somewhere. The women in the show are some of the most intelligent people, and it’s never questioned or treated like it’s some kind of phenomenon. Good examples of badass ladies include Faye Valentine, Julia, and a very special bartender who’s a good friend of Spike’s (name’s not given to avoid spoilers). One of our main characters, Edward, is a teenage girl, but it’s rarely brought up. Hell, her name is Edward. People don’t really care if she’s a she. Ed is a genius and eccentric as all fuck, and quite androgynous. Her brilliance is what makes her a compelling character. Yes, some people do gander at her gender, but it’s more of a passing curiosity. Her ability to do what she does is never doubted or questioned because of her being a girl. Most of the doubt stems from her sensationally unique persona and young age. We have another character in one of the episodes that’s a hermaphrodite. While it’s a bit uncommon, it never becomes the focal point of who he is or what he does. He’s just another person in the galaxy who’s got his own burden to bear. So, yeah, gender roles and our ridiculous pre-conceived notions of what gender means doesn’t mean shit in this anime. I fucking love it. A more common motif in the series is the belief that you are always a master of your own choices and leader of your own fate. Life is something to do with what you will, which is clearly exhibited by the decisions taken by our motley crew of criminal hunters, especially as their pasts begin to surface and reveal itself. Allowing yourself to be held back by some predetermined ideals that you may not even believe in isn’t living. The idea of having “obligations” and that there’s always an inherent “right” and “wrong,” is utterly false in the grand scheme of things and don’t account for jack shit if you’re going to be miserable in the end. This motif is beautifully complimented and further ingrained by the music… Something else that gives the series loads and loads of depth is… the music. I’m sure that anyone reading this review that’s already had a chance to watch this anime was probably wondering when I’d bring this up. Well, here it comes. Hold on to your butts, my friends. Yoko Kanno is quite possibly one of the most brilliant composers of the modern age. Her work has made appearances in many anime serials across the board from Wolf’s Rain to Terror in Resonance and a few others; each one a magnificent and stellar feat of musical capacities. Yet, I don’t think she can ever really top what she’s accomplished with Cowboy Bebop. The Seatbelts is the fictitious Japanese space jazz band led by Kanno. The name derives from how the performers wear seatbelts to be safe as they participate in some serious hard-core jam sessions. This band, put together by Kanno, is responsible for all of the music in Cowboy Bebop. The styles of music utilised is enthrallingly diverse and ranges from straight big band jazz to blues, acoustic ballads, hard rock, and country to funk and electronic. Hip-hop and experimental compositional elements also make their appearances. Aside from sounding extraordinary, the music in and of itself speaks volumes of what the show is about. If you look at most, if not all, of these genres, they began during periods of history where a voice of rebellion needed to rise. It was a means for people to expel their frustrations at life and all of the bullshit that they had to endure. Blues is a very depressing genre, originally created to voice the hardships that came from slavery and oppression. Jazz became a significant boom during the 1920s when war was looming and young folks were forced to fight or choose a side; when a passionate desire for independence was boiling to its peak. This included the rise of women’s empowerment and freedom of choice. Every genre used to create the tunes began as a fight against being oppressed and having severely limited rights, if you had any to begin with. The music was about growing up and facing your fears and your monsters, to make life what you wanted of it. These genres were all born out of necessity to have something powerful and positive to believe in; a way to share the pain so you could stop it from continuing onwards. As I mentioned earlier, this theme is apparent in all four members of our cast—Faye Valentine, Jet Black, Spike Spiegel, and even Edward. They all had something they were fighting for and some strong personal beliefs that drove them to become the people that they became; changes that needed to be made so they could be the stronger, better versions of their old selves. Cowboy Bebop has so much more to it than the few things I’ve mentioned in this insanely long ass review. To be blunt, I wish I could talk about all of them because that’s how much I loved this series. I’m so passionate about it and what it means and what it stands for. But if I chat about everything, then you guys may not want to pick it up (if you haven’t already). I know that hype can have a negative effect on me; look at how long it took me to pick up the series. While I do regret not picking it up sooner, I’m supremely satisfied with the fact that I waited so long. The world is a terribly different place now than it was in 1998. Not only was I just a child, there honestly wasn’t much that I could’ve related to the show back then as there is now, at least for me as an individual watcher. Maturity aside, I feel like the messages that are shared so passionately and so brilliantly in this anime are far more superior and relevant in 2017 than they would’ve been in 1998. But the fact that is was made 20 years ago, just goes to show you how far ahead of its time it truly was, which further intensifies my love for the science-fiction genre, no matter the medium. In conclusion, I want to make one thing very clear: Cowboy Bebop is what it is, is as powerful and as remarkable as it is, because everything fits together so nicely. If you remove even one small facet of the show, it would’ve fallen completely apart. The music, any one of the characters (including minor ones), the animation, the motifs—anything at all and it wouldn’t be a work of art. It’s complex and intricate because every single piece makes it so; they’ve all got their place. Lose a single one and you’ve got nothing but a mediocre space western. Details are what create a masterpiece, especially when they’re subtle and natural. 10 cigarettes outta 10!

GGShang

If I were to describe what it's like to watch Cowboy Bebop, I think I'd say that it's like becoming a part of a pre-existing friend group, starting a new job or going to a new school. Everyone there already knows each other, their history, what they like, different quirks and all that kind of stuff, but you have to begin learning them by yourself. No one is going to take time to explain their past outright, so it's up to you to pick up on cues and listen in on conversations. This might be something new for you, but to everyone else it's just another day at the job. We join the Bebop crew in just another one of their many adventures, not at the beginning or end of anything. It's in 'just another day' that we join in, and it's in 'just another day' that Faye and Ed come into the mix as well. Now, the fact that the two other main characters are introduced this way is really important to the story, because they, especially Faye, represent what the audience is like as they come into the story as well. She doesn't know anything about Spike and Jet, similar to us. A decent chunk of history is told because Faye wants to know more about the two people she's going to end up traveling with. And on that note, the way that each episode fall into place within the whole series builds upon the way that we get to know our characters too. You never know if the next episode is going to be just another adventure, a part of a character's arc or a part of a character's history. And that's not to say that the bounty hunting parts are not filled with small details that build upon a character either. Just like with real people, sometimes you talk just to have fun and sometimes you get to know a lot more about their past, who they are or hopes for the future. Some episodes are funny and lighthearted, some are dark and depressing, but all of that is to be expected of life. In the beginning you want to know about the character's past so much, but for some of them you won't get to know it until the very end. People become ready to share when they feel like it, and this show holds onto some of its secrets for as long as it sees fit too. And so after looking at what it's like to join and be a part of the crew, it's finally time to talk about what it's like leaving. I think it's really described best when we look at Ed, who comes to have fun and leaves to find something more important. At first I was expecting her to come back much like Faye did, and so I was understandably sad when she didn't, but I think the story makes more sense with her gone. There's always going to be times when we have to go, to leave our friends and loved ones for one reason or another. Sometimes we get to go back and sometimes we don't. We only played a small part in their lives as a whole, but that doesn't mean that they didn't matter to us nor that we didn't matter to them. Every episodic character is changed by the crew in ways both big and small, and you could say that we the audience have been too. To sum up my thoughts on Cowboy Bebop, it feels like I got to meet new friends for the first time. Though it was only for a short time, I got to learn about who they were, what they enjoy and the struggles that they face. I don't know everything about them, but what I do know I can appreciate. Not ever secret is ever revealed, and they don't need to be. To know the characters like a book is to take away from knowing them as a person. And so, as the curtains close on the story, the lives of Spike, Jet, Faye and Ed go on, and so does mine, changed by the people we've gotten to meet and the things we've experienced. Now throughout this whole thing I haven't even mentioned the art, music, dub or realistically designed characters that also play a huge part in why I enjoy Cowboy Bebop, but other people can definitely explain that much better than I can. I'd highly suggest this anime if you're looking for something different to enjoy.

Melon

Few shows have gripped me from the first episode like _Cowboy Bebop_. From the outset, the show hits the ground running. The story weaves its way into your heart, as it takes you up into its whirlwind of smooth, clean-cut fight scenes, and vivacious chases. The jazz music provides a cool sidecar to its motorbike of madness. However, this does not last forever. Everything slows as you reach the final scenes of the first episode. You start to feel the weight of the characters’ actions, motives, and the history behind them. It shows to you how every action in this world has consequences. And that time affects every character, thus, changing who they are, and who they will be. _This is Cowboy Bebop._ _Cowboy Bebop_ even after 22 years, is still regarded as one of the best anime of all time. Apart from the elegant animation, fantastic soundtrack, and fast pacing, one of the reasons for its love is its characters. They are what makes the show whole, it may be easy to read their outlying personality, but they all contain little surprises of unexpected character. This is possible because the show leaves them room to breathe. We never get ‘caught up to speed’ with their entire life stories, and they are allowed to develop for reasons we may not entirely understand. This allows for a little mystery behind the characters' motives, which I find makes the story even more engaging. Nevertheless, most episodes do not further the main plot. These episodes have a self-contained narrative, creating a ‘miniature arc’ within each episode. This supplements the pacing of the show, as the sub-plots develop quickly, and resolve satisfyingly. Furthermore, these episodes contain the most fluid combat, witty dialogue, and an atmosphere of a good time. However, the episodes where the main narrative is touched upon are great in their own right. I say this because it is not something I expected. Due to the episodic fashion in which the show is structured, it would be difficult to carry an overarching plot from episode to episode. But here, it just works, nothing ever feels out of place, and the story is spliced seamlessly between bounties. Sometimes you can tell what a show is going to be like from its music choice; this rings true for _Cowboy Bebop_. It is composed by the brilliant Yoko Kanno and performed by the Seatbelts, which was brought together by Kanno herself. Jazz is what makes up the essence of the show. Its fast and loose attitude plays well into the tone of the show. When a fight breaks out, the music punches in with some hearty jazz improvisation alluding brilliantly to the organized chaos of the scene. I was surprised to notice that most tracks that make up the soundtrack are only ever used once. It goes to show the care and affection that Kanno put into this project. When it comes to voice acting, there is a reason that some consider the dub to be superior to the original Japanese. It is phenomenal. I was entranced no matter who was speaking. Each voice was utterly unique, while the voice actors brought their feel, quirks, and personality to each character. The animation smoothly dictates the flow of action, every punch, and kick carries tremendous weight. Even in less intense scenes, the animation does not stumble. All the walking, talking, sliding, and jumping follows a naturalistic pattern unique to each character. Additionally, the art is wonderful. Not only does it look clean, but each location is filled with detail while not overcrowding the composition of the scene. Ultimately, _Cowboy Bebop_ does everything right. When I sat down to watch an episode, it was because I wanted to see that world again. It always felt fresh in its own right. I can see that the director, Shinichirō Watanabe, was just allowed to let loose. In the end, he undoubtedly did not hold back. This is a show I can truly call a masterpiece. ___ Alterations Emotional Score: 96/100 +2 to Edward, an unexpected compadre in this beautiful world. -2 to Vicious, did he add anything? I think not.

unimportantuser

Cowboy Bebop is a legendary anime series made by the legendary studio Sunrise. Cowboy Bebop is often hailed as a masterpiece by the vast majority of people, and I’m no exception. Yeah, I’d usually save the personal side for the end of the “review” but I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, I believe Cowboy Bebop to be a masterpiece. It’s one of the few times I watch something & I have absolutely nothing negative to say about it. So instead of writing a review in the way I usually would, I’m going to do something a little different. I’m instead going to give my top 5 reasons as to what makes Cowboy Bebop just work. Without further ado, lets go. Reason number 1 Bebop works, the way in which it does the episodic format. Episodic formats are incredibly difficult to get right. The episodic format often suffers from lacking character development, & a formulaic, repetitive nature. Cowboy Bebop has neither of these. Cowboy Bebop’s episodes are largely different from each other. Even though they use the structure of the bebop crew going after a bounty, the setting, scenarios, sequences, etc. Are all different from one another. Going back to the line of “lacking character development”. This is something a lot of episodic shows have, which isn’t always a bad thing provided the series in question gives us characters with enough depth & interesting attributes attached to them, but it can be underwhelming to not see somebody grow. Cowboy Bebop hits the perfect sweet spot of giving us characters with interesting attributes, yet still developing them at the same time. These characters subtly grow as the series goes along, & it’s heavily appreciated. Reason number 2 Bebop works, Art, Animation, & Attention to detail. So I’m cheating a little bit & doing a 3-for-1 here, but they all tie into one another. Cowboy Bebop has phenomenal artwork that looks like it hasn’t aged a day (aside from the CGI). There’s incredible attention to even the tiniest of details that most viewers wouldn’t even notice that’s how much the team cared about this anime. The animation is also incredibly stellar, there’s a few times where they cheap out a little bit, but 99% of the time Bebop is consistently well animated, even the shots with little movement in them have that attention to the tiniest details that I mentioned earlier. The character art is also spectacular, the choice of colors used for the crew of the Bebop allow them to stand-out & look good in just about any setting. Reason number 3 Bebop works, the cast of characters, main & side. I’m not going to mention every single character in this segment of the review, but I’ll say it right now, Bebop has a phenomenal cast of side characters. Each & every one of them has something to offer, are interesting characters in their own right, have motivations for what they’re doing & why they’re doing it, if I could sum up the side characters of this show in one word, “Memorable” would be my word of choice. But if the main characters aren’t very interesting, then it means nothing. Thankfully, Bebop has a cast of individual & interesting characters. Much like the side characters, Spike, Jet, Faye, & Ed are all given their own backstories, character traits, & personality. Spike is the laid-back one who would rather sit back on the Bebop until something exciting happens. Jet is somewhat of a father figure amongst the crew, keeping everybody in check. Faye is the feminine badass who’s always on the look-out for any money-making opportunity that may come her way. Ed is the comic-relief of the group who’s a computer hacker & teenage genius. What makes these characters just work are not only the dynamics between all of them that the show creates, but the fact that everybody has something to contribute to the show. Reason number 4 Bebop works, the audio department. This is perhaps one of the most important parts to what makes Bebop work, not just its soundtrack, but the voice acting on both sides. I’ll start out with the music, Bebop makes use of Jazz, Blues, & Bluegrass for its OST. The music itself is not just great on its own, but the show is made around the music. Before anything else, the music for Bebop was created, for god sake “Bebop” which is a form of Jazz is in the title of the anime’s name, music was very important to the series. Yoko Kanno is a name I hope all of you are familiar with, because she’s the one you have to thank for creating this incredibly dynamic soundtrack. Now onto the voice acting, the voice acting on both sides are phenomenal. The thing with Bebop, it has a much more realistic & grounded nature to its overall tone than most other anime do, despite the fact that Bebop takes place in the future & the characters live in space. So the style of voice acting they would want for this series would be something that sounds natural, almost as if the voice actors were the characters themselves, & Bebop absolutely nailed it. The character dialogue sounds incredibly natural, & you can just tell that the actors were getting into their roles. There’s incredible nuance on both sides. Again, as if the characters themselves are in the studio recording their own lines Reason number 5 Bebop works, the way it portrays the reality of its world & handles tone. I’d have to say, my absolute favorite thing about Cowboy Bebop above all else is how it portrays the realities of its world. The characters don’t always win, sometimes they win big, but a lot of the times they don’t, sometimes they half win, half lose. Above all else though, the characters just move on from it, they never dwell on their misfortunes, & neither does the show itself. Life goes on in the Bebop world, & so do the characters along with it, I can’t state enough how much I love this aspect of Bebop. Another appreciative part of Bebop is how it balances both darkness, & light-heartedness. There are more comedic scenes, & more dark, serious, & somber scenes where character development & world building is usually going on. What makes this work though, is that Bebop not only knows when to use these, but it knows not to go overboard with them. Cowboy Bebop never becomes so laughably dark that you can’t take it seriously, nor does its comedy become overbearing enough to the point where it becomes annoying. So again, just more examples of how balanced Bebop is as a show. Final Thoughts/Overall I probably haven’t said enough great things in this review, but if I said every single little thing about what makes this anime work so well, we’d be here all day, & I don’t want to make you guys read a college essay about why some guy on the internet loves Cowboy Bebop so much. I said it at the beginning of the review, but I’ll say it again. Cowboy Bebop is one of the few times I watch a show, & I have absolutely nothing negative to say about it, I don’t even think I could nit-pick something about this series that’s how quality Bebop is. With everything said, Cowboy Bebop is going to receive a deserving 10/10, it’s not my favorite anime, but I’ll be damned if it’s not the most quality anime I’ve ever seen.

Limitless

__Introduction:__ Let me start by saying that there’s a lot to like about Cowboy Bebop. The animation and designs are sublime, the soundtrack is fantastic, the action is great, and when all three come together the show can occasionally become a jaw-dropping audiovisual masterpiece, especially in the 5th episode. However, I feel like I am the only person in the world who doesn't LOVE this series. To me, it was a slow-paced, episodic mess that felt like a chore to watch sometimes. It isn’t trash, but it definitely isn’t the masterpiece people claim it is either. ____ __Plot:__ The episodes that contributed to the main plot of the series were few and far between. It felt like I was watching fillers most of the time which would have been fine if the fillers were actually interesting, but unfortunately, most of them aren’t. However, there were a few episodes that really drew me in, only to be shattered by disappointment when the next episode focused on something entirely unrelated. It felt like a slap in the face after being mesmerized by something cool. The character backstories were so lackluster. If they had used all those filler episodes to fill in some of the blanks about the pasts of each of the main characters, it might have become a great series. Instead, we got a bits and pieces of information here and there and that was pretty much it. I wanted to know more about Jet during his police force days, or about the things Faye remembered when she regained her memories, or how Ed managed to survive by herself for so long before meeting the Bebop crew. Instead, we got tons of throwaway episodes about Spike getting his ship repaired, Ed playing chess, and the crew getting high off of space mushrooms, which held no relevance to the main story-line whatsoever. The biggest example of filler would have to be the Toys in the Attic episode. Some blob monster goes around making the entire crew sick and it is up to Spike to stop it. Most of the crew spent the entire episode unconscious and Spike spent most of it shooting at the creature, so you can’t even excuse it as simple character development. It was nothing but an utter waste of my time. It's because of this that the quality of the episodes vary dramatically. For an episodic show that only has about five episodes that build an overall story, that's saying a lot. You have some of the best and worst episodes of the series coming out back to back, and that really threw me off. ____ __Characters:__ Like I said before, character depth definitely isn’t one of this show’s strengths, due to the lack of time the writers spent trying to actually develop them and flesh out their backstories. They were boring, so I never ended up feeling any sort of attachment to any member of the cast. img800(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Y4rAW-Wu468/maxresdefault.jpg) Spike and Jet are the only remotely decent characters, but that really isn’t saying much in all honesty. They’re both badass bounty hunters with seemingly tragic backstories, but the show didn’t spend nearly enough time revisiting their past lives. Instead, the show focused more on their jobs in present day and that’s a huge shame in my opinion. img800(https://boundingintocomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020.06.07-06.43-boundingintocomics-5edd353af2986.png) Faye exhibits many of the worst characteristics that can be written about a female character. She's bossy, greedy, obsessed with her looks, and is only a hindrance to the group for most of the show. She constantly needs to be rescued or tracked down, and now that I think about it, I don’t think she ever did anything useful in the entirety of the show. She mostly served as a fan-service character for the audience to drool over and nothing more. img800(https://cdn-ak.f.st-hatena.com/images/fotolife/m/mclean_chance/20170304/20170304123039.jpg) Edward did nothing but annoy me for the entire show. She was an utterly pointless character that hardly receives any development beyond her introductory episode. She merely existed to provide some more wholesome humor to Cowboy Bebop, but it had the exact opposite effect on me. Not to mention, I still don’t know why anybody would name their daughter Edward in the first place. img800(https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnqvua6RF21qbugp3o1_540.jpg) The main villain Vicious is especially bad. He has zero personality aside from his desire for more power, and even though the show goes a bit into his backstory, it never establishes his motivation and reasoning for his behavior in present day. At the end of the show, Vicious is little more than an evil guy in a black coat with enough fighting skill to make Spike struggle to land a bullet in him, aside from the obvious fact that Vicious becomes a representation of the syndicate Spike ran away from. As a result, the five episodes that involve him never left me feeling all that amazed, as the show intends them to be. ____ __Conclusion:__ All in all, the show is still pretty good. Although the writing is clearly lacking most of the time, the animation, music, and voice acting are phenomenal for the entire series. It’s not the best anime has to offer by any means, but I could definitely see this being a solid gateway show for people new to the medium.

Aniosophy

img700(https://i.imgur.com/n50kz7v.jpg) - Ok so based off the results of the poll from last week I finally decided to sit down and watch the entirety of __Cowboy Bebop__ for the first time in one sitting as my 500th anime “completed”, and honestly guys, let’s just get this out of the way,__ I didn’t really like the show to be completely honest.__ 😉 The reason is honestly mostly a personal thing which is that I personally do not like shows that do this sort of anthologize approach to the episodes, where each episode doesn’t necessarily have to be watched in the order they are presented in. I mean there are of course these sorts of (I guess you can call them) “Story Cap Episode” that indicate a certain place on the timeline, but the vast majority of episodes can be watched in whatever order you see fit, as long as they’re in the same “time bracket”. In this way, Cowboy Bebop has a lot of similarities with shows like Kio’s Journey, Samurai Champloo, and Michiko & Hatchin, which are other shows that took this approach to storytelling where all the episodes don’t tell a “specific story”. Instead, they focus more on the journey with our main characters, rather than on a specific plotline, and just like those shows I didn’t really like Cowboy Bebop for that exact reason. For me, this type of storytelling doesn’t really facilitate any building of investment in what the characters do in the story. Like sure the main characters in Cowboy Bebop are interesting enough characters on their own, but I didn’t actually get invested in any of their storylines. The fact that __(minor Attack on Titan spoiler here)__ I felt more torn up when Aaron’s mom dies in the first episode of AOT, then I did when Spike dies on the last episode of this anime, shows me that I didn’t really give any shits about his story at all. Which is why I have absolutely no problem spoiling his ending casually like that, because really this show isn't about the ending, you knowing that he dies at the end doesn't change all the other stuff that happens, it doesn't change the journey that you go on with these characters, and that is because the only way for you to actually spoil this show, is it for me to tell you about every single one of the journey these characters go on, which at that point you probably should just watch the show. img500(https://media.giphy.com/media/J6Wn5Cg9oKcso/giphy.gif) - I also don’t understand what is the message this show if trying to say is, like at first, I thought it was “your past does not define you, unless you let it, so keep moving forward” since this was evident in Jet’s and Faye’s stories, since after they understand and came to terms with their past they are now ready to move forward. But then they end with spike living in the past not moving forward. Additionally, they really try to push home the fact that Spike needs to get over his past, but they don’t spend any time developing the central figure in his past (Vicious and Julia), which just makes his storyline even more hollow for me as the audience, since I don’t understand any of his back story. But other than this stuff, I actually did like a lot of the elements within the show, like the aesthetic of the world and certain individual characters in the story, with me ironically carrying the most about the characters that had the least amount of screen time like Ed and Ein (the dog), Because I was actually more torn up when they left the crew, then when Spike died, because I was actually invested in their stories and I understood where they were coming from. In fact, you know now that I’m starting to think about it, my real main issue with the show is Spike Spiegel as the main character since I felt much more invested in literally every other member of the crew’s story then Spike’s. But other than him, the way that they portrayed a vivid intergalactic human society was interesting to me, because they never really explained any details before they became relevant to the story. Everything just came up organically depending on the focus of each episode which to me made the world feel more alive while watching the show. Also, I just have to mention the amazing soundtrack this show has, because every single moment in this show has the perfect background track to complement what is going on in each scene. It really just blows my mind, not only the variety of tracks, but the implementation of the tracks when watching this story unfold👏👏👏 img500(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yJWD-cfm1qs/VrgsFgLPr8I/AAAAAAAADQ8/UdG_979fkIU/s1600/tumblr_inline_nrz92qB3Ne1rajw0g_500.gif) - So there you guys go, in the end, I would personally rate Cowboy Bebop an 80/100 because it wasn’t a bad show by any means, it just wasn’t the masterpiece to me that it is to so many others. So what do you guys think of Cowboy Bebop let me know in the comments, and thank you for reading this far into the review I appreciate it😊 img500(https://media3.giphy.com/media/cVPcABKys8dHy/giphy.gif)

Terajima

Great details, music, rhythm, some creativity, but it is not something general but specific moments. Among its virtues that slow pace and silence / sound design, like one of those anime for midnight. The first ten chapters are not at the level of many of the following (like 11, 13, 18, 20, 23-25 ​​which are my favorites); If they had served to introduce plots, the characters, the general tone or whatever, well, ok, but it's not the case, wasted time in which it seems that the style of the second part of the series is being calibrated. A little forced, pretentious, too referential, something like the __Tarantino__ of anime, it seems all very original and unique but mainly it is a work inspired by others with a greater creative genius than itself like it happens with __Pulp Fiction__. Like a mix of many films from Hong Kong action cinema, spaghetti western, french nouvelle vague (especially Godard who must be Watanabe's idol with those games of rhythm, montage, typography). Cowboy Bebop in many moments is pure Hong Kong cinema, but if these films have something it is that they label themselves or pretend to be an entertainment (and many become much more than that from that perspective), not to be a before and after, or to be the one who discovered fire with that thing that appears in the opening about Cowboy Bebop being a genre in its own, the work that will be used as a reference of this style, blahblah. img750(https://i.postimg.cc/4NjYbSSv/cb1.jpg) I'm not talking about the fact that nothing has to remind other things, but about that in Cowboy Bebop you don't find the best version of the things it shows / tries. For example, there are 800 things similar to __Berserk__, but Berserk is probably the best at that, I don't care if they say such thing remembers Berserk, yeah ok, but is it as good as Berserk? (Let's put __Macbeth__ aside). Many of the things that Cowboy Bebop looks like are better than Cowboy Bebop, chapter 11 compared to __Alien__, Godard's movies, certain Hong Kong movies or Italian Westerns are a better version of that style than this anime. You watch a movie like I don't know __My heart is that eternal rose__ and it shoots right in the forehead of the last two chapters of Cowboy Bebop, music, shootings, flowers, emotional love stories of the past, etc. And this is a good example of what I say, Cowboy Bebop usually it's not that it is an exact copy of anything, it's not that I can quote you such or such thing that it is exactly that, but the style, the mood, what it does, that's where it has a lot of comparable things. It's an anime with the usual codes of cinema, the type of rhythm, transitions, montage, narrative. The other anime I'm watching right now is __Jojo's Bizarre Adventure__ who also refers to many other things but in an honest, humble way and without pretending to be the father of everything (and it is of many and will be, just like CB), but if Cowboy Bebop was a person it would be quite an arrogant guy, like me in this review, and that's what could be said of both, maybe I can be right in what I say here but I am behaving like a conceited smartass, the same with Cowboy Bebop, it's very good but it's too full of itself, brilliant at times, but don't say and act as you are, because for that you need to be really brilliant almost everytime and you are not. Imagine each volume of Berserk with the motto: the best manga ever made, #1 everywhere, just search for it you will see, past and present of the medium, Miura the mastermind #FACTS. It would be like relax Miura, what about your fairys and bullshit? You are putting yourself to a harsher test than what you deserve with so many virtues you have shown. img750(https://i.postimg.cc/h45vcYcF/cb2.jpg)

pamganda

i don’t like space, and i don’t like cowboys, so why the fuck would i like space cowboys? that was my mindset going into this. as i binged through it, i didn’t think it was bad, but i didn’t think it was as amazing as everyone was saying it was either. i just saw it as a good time waster. i’d started it already, so i thought i might as well finish it. i've since come to know that it's the type of show that creeps up on you. and it sticks with you. only by episode 23 did i realize that i had already gotten attached to all the characters. and by the time that it ended, random scenes from different episodes were still stuck playing in my head. that's some genius work if i've ever seen one. and now i understand what everyone’s been saying :) >i am no longer here. but i'm here today, and i'll always be cheering for you right here. faye's message to her future self, though i think it also applies to everyone in the show. what they had was a bond so special, ~!but it was just that. bonds don't always have to last. and the people you bond with, you can't always keep. pretty sad, but i thought that the show ended perfectly. whether or not spike lived, whether or not jet and faye stayed together, and whether or not ed and ein ever crossed paths with the others again are all questions that bother me to this day, but the beauty of cowboy bebop is that it shows that it's alright even if i don't get the answers to these. the open ending is the only ending that makes sense.!~ they were what each other needed at their loneliest, at their most confused, and at their most lost. and they're also cowboys who aren't supposed to care about others, who are supposed to move onto mission after mission. ~!and so it only made sense that they would leave when the voids in them have been filled. or at least when they have found someone or something that can finally fill it. though i'd be lying if i said it didn't break my heart to see jet shout that dinner was ready, only for him to come out to an empty living room.!~ evidently, the character building and development are what stand out the most in this show, but the action sequences, the visuals; everything was great as well. there's just something about old animation and character designs that hit so nostalgically. its simplicity gives more room for viewers to focus more on substance. the philosophies. what's actually happening. as for storybuilding, i don't think it was anything groundbreaking. i do think as it progressed episode after episode, the standalone stories got more interesting. i especially like the one about the religious cult. i thought it was very black mirror-y. the overarching story of spike though – arguably _the_ main character – wasn't anything that i haven't seen before. it was just alright. but overall, there's definitely tons of reasons as to why this show is still in so many people's top ten lists almost 22 years after it ended. i almost didn't give this a chance, but i'm glad i did, and i think everyone needs to do so too! ~~also i don’t understand how jet is so underrated????~~

vnhl

The show truly helps me to remember exemplary homicide secret films where a smooth analyst continues to end up in abnormal circumstances with ravishing yet conniving women and a portion of the moth savage lawbreakers at any point seen. img200(https://i.ibb.co/71Rnnc8/cowboy-bebop-soundtrack-milan-records-vinyl.jpg) img290(https://i.ibb.co/KDStS4H/cowboy-bebop-gren-e1605809777387.jpg) The made world is totally incredible, there is so much going on and there is a great deal of spotlight on easily overlooked details that simply make everything very vivacious. The craftsmanship style, character plan and the various points used to recount the narratives truly gives an incredible vibe to the show, the pacing of the narrating makes this entire experience a serious show-stopper. Furthermore, remember the music, it's totally astounding. img450(https://i.ibb.co/9qxhcLX/cowboy-bebop-blogroll-1571441148911.jpg) Also, I genuinely don't have a clue where regardless these characters that are going around in the show. Each and every one of them is assembled with such a lot of thought, when they're all together you see some extraordinary communications that truly make this show stand apart from other anime shows. The team really focuses on one another however they likewise deceive each other whenever there is a chance for it. Everything about the show is eccentric and it's totally incredible. One second you're in a smooth vehicle pursue with firearms being terminated as though you're watching a crazy activity film, trailed by a scene that gives recognition to Aliens and the scene after that you could be watching and scene about a developed ladies attempting to recall her past. The show keeps changing things up, the change is pace is totally astonishing and it's dazzling to perceive how this made world can in a real sense transform a basic item into an astounding story. #Some quotes. “The past is the past and the future is the future. A man is a man and a woman is a woman. The present is the present. I am who I am and you are who you are. That’s all there is to it. Does it really matter? Or do we just think it does?” – Cowboy Bebop “Survival of the fittest is the law of nature. We deceive or we are deceived. Thus, we flourish or perish. Nothing good ever happened to me when I trusted others. That is the lesson.” – Cowboy Bebop “They often say that humans can’t live alone. But you can live pretty long by yourself. Instead of feeling alone in a group, it’s better to be alone in your solitude.” – “You know the first rule in combat? shoot them before they shoot you.” – I don't have the foggiest idea what else to say, everyone needs to watch this.

Arikarikita

~~~ Spoiler Free! #Genre and Summary Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi. Cowboy Bebop stands the test of time as one of the greatest masterpieces in entertainment and anime history! The story follows lallygagging bounty hunters [Spike](https://anilist.co/character/1/Spike-Spiegel) and [Jet](https://anilist.co/character/3/Jet-Black) and they travel the galaxy to make some coin and simply enjoy life. Throughout their travels the meet the infamous [Faye Valentine](https://anilist.co/character/2/Faye-Valentine), and [Ed](https://anilist.co/character/16/Edward-Wong-Hau-Pepelu-Tivrusky-IV), charismatic characters in their own right as the group go about their daily lives traversing the galaxy. And don't forget our bestest boy [Ein](https://anilist.co/character/4/Ein), one of the greatest anime pets ever to grace the screen! I personally would also like to add in the Comedy, and Thriller genre to the mix, as the show integrates them so incredibly well! img350(https://filmcombatsyndicate.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/tumblr_mj7sh6o78K1r1mvheo1_500.gif) #What I loved about the series Everything! The series is one of the absolute best to ever be created. The first thing I'll talk about is the format. The early going is a simple episodic format where you get to know the characters and their backgrounds. Its such a fun time getting swept along with the journey that our cast experiences that you cant help but smile when watching! As the show itself gets deeper, we meet our infamous storylines that begin to develop. And let me say boy oh boy is it a GOOD STORY! I obviously will not be going into detail regarding it, but I will say that the show houses one of my favorite villains in all of anime who I shall leave unnamed. img300(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/44/e1/25/44e125f5a040abfd01ab548e257c3aec.gif) The characters are one of the best aspects of the show! First off, Spike is one of the greatest characters ever in my humble opinion, and for good reason. As you get deeper and deeper into his story, you really get a sense of what he stands for and what his beliefs are. His motivations become clear and you really get to connect with a character on a depth you thought wasn't possible in only 26 episodes! Plus his character was modeled after The legend himself, BRUCE LEE!! What't not to love! The dude was a cool cat at all times, and I instantly found a guy who I could get behind as a role model! Funny enough, he was part of the reason why I took up Krav Maga, and was eventually going to transition to Jeet Kune Do. Plus who doesn't love a dude who can kick ass in style with his Blue leisure suit (also featured in my Best Anime Drip series). img350(https://media1.tenor.com/images/7cfeed2537fbd83905a0347957ea06f8/tenor.gif?itemid=15651413) Jet, Faye, and Ed are no less impressive. Each one has a storied past that brings this random crew together. Honestly it was one fo the coolest things for me, as I got to see such a diverse cast of individuals work tougher, live together, and experience life together. Ultimately that's one of the best draws to the series for me! It was the experiences that they all shared, and how their journeys brought them together! Faye is something else, I mean my god she is drop dead gorgeous! I'll admit that I had a thing for her as a young child, so no surprise she absolutely takes the claim as the __PRIME WAIFU CANDIDATE__ of the series! But she is also one of the best rounded characters in the series. Her past is incredible by anyone's standards, and considering just how well she's doing for herself shows you that she means business! Jet is the wise level headed guy in the group. With a storied past of his own, he's the perfect running mate that Spike could've asked for! It's the perfect combo of two bros cruising the galaxy looking to get their hands dirty! And Ed was a such an awesome addition to the cast. I absolutely loved Ed's character. A child genius with a troubled past, makes for great characterization opportunities not to mention flawless comedic timing! The growth and progression shown by all the characters in the show just goes to show you that sometimes you can really do a lot with a little, especially given the show's prowess for 26 episodes. img250(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/dc/88/2a/dc882a50c003e38b3144d391f1320712.gif) img250(https://media.tenor.com/images/b7b9950103ceec630de229754b800f58/tenor.gif) img250(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/67/dc/b7/67dcb7ef02603e319830f4560c374002.gif) It was a trip that I never expected would bring me this much joy, pain, and resolve! The story is something to behold, and honestly I applaud the author for creating such a wonderful show! The art style was the old school flair but it was done masterfully. I loved the integration of the dark and light tones as well as the black and white to really highlight impactful moments! The animation was as clean and composed as you will ever see for any show, especially given it was 1998 when it debuted. Standing the test of time, it still looks as gorgeous as the day I first saw it! I have so many wonderful memories of it. One of the absolute best parts of the show was the quality and originality of its musical score! The OST is one of the greatest single pieces of work any entertainment format has seen. The tracks are varied, funky, emotional, thrilling, groovy, and whatever other adjectives you could use to describe them! They're so iconic in my mind, that I can to this day, recall many of the scenes that they are used in simply by hearing the first 5 seconds of one! And of course who can forget one of the single greatest anime openings in the history of anime, "Tank". Not only is it an amazing song, but it managed to be so mainstream that it was used as an olympic skater's song for a skating competition, like how cool is that, that an anime like Bebop was able to have this kind of reach! And the ending song, "The Real Folk Blues" is equally as iconic. The vocals, and accompaniment is fantastic and creates its own vibe. Cowboy Bebop gets top tier marks for their integration of blues and jazz pieces and it was impressive to see the western influence on an eastern piece of art. It set the tone for some of the greatest anime soundtracks to come in the future, such as Champloo's OST by Nujabes! The music was simply wonderful, and the OST did a phenomenal job by creating a cinematic anime experience that was unlike anything the world has ever seen! Here is Kevin Reynold's performance using the song "Tank". youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ4dpXSa9aA) And lastly, I want to highlight the fact that Bebop has one of the most unique and unexpected endings you will see. I can honestly say this, as I fully believe supporting the creators vision (Looking at you Isayama haters!) and I think they ended it wonderfully for how the story was meant to be conveyed! Oh and the comedic timing of our favorite bounty hunter hosts [Punch](https://anilist.co/character/6693/Punch) and [Judy](https://anilist.co/character/6694/Judy) were some of my favorite moments in episodes! img300(https://i.imgur.com/m5Vou4I.gif) The story teaches us that everyone has a past they either look back on or run from. But that doesn't define who you are, and it's important to continue to live as best as you can no matter what life throws at you! Cowboy Bebop changed my life, and I am forever grateful for all of the memories from one of the greatest shows ever. img350(https://media1.tenor.com/images/97a326a87c7d285d6bda06bd4109e2d5/tenor.gif?itemid=15527904) #What I would have liked to have seen Simply put, there is nothing I would change. The show is perfect the way it is, but I yearned for more, so I was glad a movie ended up coming out a few years later, to allow me to revisit my favorite crew! #Recommendations The DUB is the correct way to watch Bebop in my personal opinion, as [Steve Blum](https://anilist.co/staff/95012/Steven-Blum) is Spike Spiegel personified. Having heard both sub and dub I can say this with 100% certainly, the dub is the choice watching method! Oh and do yourself a favor and buy the Blu-ray of the series! Pop a bag of popcorn, sit back, relax, and enjoy one of the greatest anime journeys you will ever experience! This is one of those choice few shows I wish I could go back and watch for the first time. img(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/eb/f2/0a/ebf20ab209bf60e1acb49e2d55ba6498.gif) ~~~

paradigm

#~~~ _Where Everyone and Nobody Intersect_~~~ You find yourself at a zebra crossing, waiting for the light to turn green so that you can continue to your destination. You're surrounded by all sorts of people with all sorts of social, cultural, and religious backgrounds. Frankly, none of that matters, as you are all connected by fact that you are waiting for the green light in order to advance. In front of you there are 2 men that seem to argue about whether or not the penalty from last night's game should have been given. You get distracted by a group of kids to your left discussing about what card is best against fire type in that game that suddenly got real popular. You try to ignore the music blasting from someone's headphones since you have heard that song a billion times now, so you shift your gaze back to those arguing men, one of whom seems to have given up arguing any further, and you look between the small space that separates them. On the other side of the crossing, you see another crowd of people waiting for the same thing as you. You remember your teacher talking about some old guy's poem, but before you could remember the details, you notice the persons in front of you have started crossing the road. It's green light. Suddenly, you find yourself in the middle of a human wave that's marching towards an equally tremendous wave. Your eyes make contact with a person who you think looks cute, as they too reciprocate the gaze, but you quickly readjust your vision. A woman on a bicycle passes you, headed to the direction from where you came from. As you make your final steps, you reach the other side of the crossing, and are ready to continue to your destination, while completely forgetting each and every single individual that took part in meeting of those two waves, just as none of those individuals will probably remember you for more than three minutes. You take out your phone to check the time and you notice that you'll arrive at your destination with extra time to spare, so you let your mind wonder a bit until a thought comes to you: "What is _Cowboy Bebop_?" ___ There are a plethora of reasons for which you can love _Cowboy Bebop_. The fluid animation that intertwines with the refined art style in order to give the show a more real undertone. The brilliant OST by Yoko Kanno that breaths life into the action on the screen. The lovable cast of characters that will stick in your memory thanks to each and every single one's unique, but easy to recognzie designs. The absolute stellar work of the English voice actors who perfectly captured the characters with their perfectly delivered lines. There also are a couple of reasons for which you could hate _Cowboy Bebop_. Perhaps the episodic nature of the anime is not your cup of tea, or it makes you think that nothing of importance happens, thus leading you to believe that they were mostly filler episodes, especially since the characters never quite sit down and discuss what they've gone through. But that would miss the point of the series as a whole and of its' episodic structure. The show uses this structure in order to snapshot moments in our characters' lives, without suggesting how much time has passed between those events, as it could be days, weeks, or even months between the events of each episode. But think about it this way: can you really remember every single day of your life, down to the tinniest of details? I know that I sometimes forget important days, or things that I have done. Furthermore, in a dystopian future where our characters are constantly fighting their pasts, how would it help them if they were to remember any of the journeys they've been through, especially when most of them are tragic. Wouldn't it be better to have some footing in the present, and focus on yourself in that regard? The other part of the show that can be annoying to sit through is Edward herself. I won't lie, I, too, disliked Ed, as she was merely an annoying comic-relief. But that was me missing the importance of her character to the story. In a world where everyone tries to distract themselves from their struggles, Ed comes in as a beam of hope, as her idiosyncratic way of carrying herself relieves the adult characters of the show, as they connect to their inner child that always views the world with rose-tinted glasses.The jarring contrasts between the tragically violent fates of _Cowboy Bebop_, and Ed's annoying actions fits perfectly in a world that is so brimming with all sorts of noises and colours. You need a jarring contrast in order to realise that life is not always that terrible. ___ #~~~ _Ok... 3, 2, 1. Let's Jam!_~~~ Cowboy Bebop is a story about people always running away from their past, but never truly escaping it. In order to cope, they fill their minds with distractions, so as to not completely go insane. Faye loves her gambling, Ed is a super hacker, Jet tends to his bonsai trees, and Spike… Spike tries to fill the hole in his chest by eating. They do so because they all have been through so many tragic, terrifying, or hopeless situations that if they were to pay attention to other such situations, they would completely lose it. They try and forget about all the nonsense that they come across in their journey, and instead focus on their own lives, because it comes a point in time that they will get tired of helping another old lady being held hostage. Tired of witnessing love ending in tragedy. Tired of the past. Theft, gun violence, assassinations, corporate pawns, bio-terrorism, space-warping, coups, cults, money laundering, surviving psychotic killers, going to the restroom in the middle of a robbery. All these, and more, come together to form a symphony of noises which reverb throughout the deep silence of space. Whether it's running after a dog on the loose, engaging in high-speed chases, or wrecking havoc in a bar, _Cowboy Bebop_ offers little to no silence in its runtime. The always loud, never stopping noises that the characters stumble across serve to mimic the always-in-motion life that we, the viewers, live every single day. To further illustrate this, think about the scene where a group of people is watching a knock-off version of _Tom and Jerry_ as Spike walks on seemingly uninterested in their viewing experience. The show explores all faucets of life, plays every sound that can be played, and by doing so, it brims with life that goes past any world-building or characterisation that the authors could have written. Everyone runs away from their past in Cowboy Bebop, as it begins with a couple wanting to leave their current planet and hope for a better future on another planet. As Spike tries to catch them, their spacecraft gets shot to pieces by police, and their dream of a brighter future ends abruptly. So, when Spike returns to the Bebop, all he’s met with are bell peppers and beef, something to plug the hole, something to take his mind away from it all, because ignorance is bliss. Towards the end of the series, there is this very haunting scene that makes me tear up whenever I see how helpless Spike and Jets’ actions are. It’s right after Faye and Ed left the Bebop, and in order to cope with the loneliness, they go back to eating, as they always have. But this time, it doesn’t seem to work. As they gulp down egg, after egg, after egg, in a desperate attempt to take their minds from the lifeless ship, their desperate eating frenzy seems to be a futile struggle to preserve the girls's existence with them. They grew attached, even though they didn’t intend to, so now, the reality of the situation is a hard egg to swallow. I would say that the story taking place in space is not just because it is cool, but instead it serves to act as an ontological device that speaks to the character's feelings of meaninglessness. After the Earth became a harsh world to live in, _Cowboy Bebop's_ humans set out to colonize and settle out on other planets or moons. As such, space, "the final frontier", no longer consists an obstacle for humanity which is able to start anew on other planets. For example, the couple that wanted to escape the current planet, and head to a new one, where they could start from zero in the vastness of space. Yet, their journey gets cut short as they get shot and killed by the police ships. You can escape to anywhere you want in the vastness of space, yet, in a contradicting fashion, at the same time it still feels that you have no real place to go. The characters are left to aimlessly roam the infinity of space, driven by something that feels right to them, and which more often than not leaves them incapable of reaching their destination. A brother dying as he cares for his blind sister. A frightened kid who forms a fake cult where the members' soul would merge with the internet, all so that he wouldn't be lonely as he wastes his remaining days unable to wake up, in a hospital bed. An assassination attempt that seeks to silence a potential information leak to the public, and many, many other rollercoaster of events. Everyone tries to go about their lives as best they can, but they never succeed, as their plans get thrown in disarray by the same life that they try to make sense of. By that, I mean that _Cowboy Bebop_ doesn't have a definitive answer to question of life. No choice is correct, yet no choice is inherently wrong, the overall message being that you just have to go along with things in life as they come. You may struggle all you want to map out each and every single detail, but there will always be something to mess them up. And that someone is life itself. Therefore, the best thing you could do is to approach life with a stoic, yet open-minded view. Or, as Spike puts it: "Whatever happens, happens." ___ # ~~~ __ The Deaths__ of _Cowboy Bebop_~~~ ___ ~~~_Die Welt ist fort~~~ ~~~Ich muss dich tragen_~~~ ~~~Paul Celan, _Grosse, Glühende Wölbun_~~~ ___ As the two human waves clash, and everyone passes by everyone else, you share a fraction of a second of intimacy with all the members of that wave. You, as well as the others, were there, on that specific day, forming the watery clash. A universal event where every single member took part and experienced it in their own individual manner, which connects you to others, and others to you, even though you don't know and probably will never know any of those members of the wave. When one life ends, there will always be someone to mourn it, and most importantly, there will always be someone to carry the memory of that life, to acknowledge their existence. The same rule applies to _Cowboy Bebop_ as Spike dies and the show ends. You went on adventures with him for 26 episodes, so you've grown attached to his snarky comments, martial arts prowess, gun skills, and cool aura, so when it's finally time to say goodbye, you can't help but dread that final gunshot. His death marks the end of his journey in the anime, and yet, simultaneously, his life lives on through each and every single one of us who have watched the anime. We learn about his story, we get hints about his past, things he likes, things he hates, but we never fully get an insight in to his life. In Kantian terminology, we get shown the _phenomenon_, the thing that we can see, but we never get to experience the _noumenon_ of the idea of "Spike Spiegel", or of "_Cowboy Bebop_". We get glimpses of his existence, and glimpses of every other character's life, but we never get to understand them. By the end of it all, we are left to carry the memory of everything that happened in these 26 episodes, the memory of each and every single individual we have come across in this journey, the memory of life itself, from the most mundane sides of it, to the most violent, destructive, or lovely aspects of it. ___ _Cowboy Bebop_ was a bet. A bet that Shinichiro Watanabe made with me, in 1998, almost 23 years before I would even watch the show. Watanabe created a universe full of all sorts of noises, colours, and emotions, and then he let it sit there like a time capsule, waiting for someone - at some time - to open it. The bet consisted of me waiting for the green light at the zebra crossing, where I'm a part of that wave, and thinking about _Cowboy Bebop_ as I head to my destination. I'm not sure that he won, but when I crossed that street, surrounded by all sorts of noises,I felt that he was right about one thing: ~~~img444(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/79/a2/5a/79a25a69493d41a2248439e39bec2490.jpg)~~~

fastlane956

Hoo boy, I guess it's time to talk about Cowboy Bebop. I'm actually surprised at how late I was in watching this anime, considering how this is considered as "the anime that even anime haters love". But well, I finally watched this show. __And what an experience it was. __ So, the first time I watched this show, I was just getting back into anime after a gap of 2 years. Bebop was among one of the more popular options for anime that newcomers could watch (and for good reason, but I'll get to that later). So I checked it out, gave it 3 episodes, and I didn't think it was all that great. So I put it on hold indefinitely, until a few days earlier. Recently, I saw a post about Netflix adapting Cowboy Bebop as a live action TV show, so I thought to myself, "Why not check out the anime before the live action comes out?". Then I came back to the show, and made a small change in the way I was watching it, and personally, I felt that the change made me view the anime completely differently, and enjoy it a whole lot more. __For me, the mistake I made was watching this show in the original Japanese version with subtitles.__ Now, for almost every single anime I watch, I watch them in sub since I feel like that's the way it was pretty much intended to be watched. I thought that out of the anime I watched, I only preferred one dubbed show to it's subbed alternative, and that was Naruto Part 1. However, after asking around, I decided it would be best to watch Bebop in dubbed, and I had an absolute blast while watching it. I apologise if this tangent was boring, and I'm going to get into the review now. __As usual, I'll be talking about Plot, Characters, and the Art & Animation, and then rate the series overall at the end of the review. (10 is S tier, 9 is A tier, 8 and 7 is B tier, 6 5 4 are C tier, 3 2 1 are D tier). Sorry if I'm not the most eloquent in this review, again, I'm just doing this for fun so don't expect it to be this incredible analysis.__ Also, remember ___10/10 does not mean perfect, it just means "S tier"___ # ~~~__PLOT:__~~~ Cowboy Bebop is about a group of bounty hunters uhhhh.... well..... hunting people with bounties on their heads, basically. It feels like a western story and I think that it handles the plot wonderfully. Even with it having the action scenes and the overarching plot, I would very much argue that Bebop is a slice-of-life anime. The show is mostly episodic, with an overarching plot related to the main character Spike Spiegel. This show is considered as the anime that even anime haters love, and I understand why. Like I stated before, it really feels like an American TV show, but with a unique "anime" touch (I really don't know how to explain this to be honest) and so I think that most people who watch shows like that would at least derive some form of enjoyment from Bebop. One thing I find very interesting, from what I've read, about Shinichiro Watanabe's works, is how they are all inspired by different music genres. Cowboy Bebop is inspired by jazz, and I think this fact is enhanced by the incredible soundtrack that this anime boasts. __Personally, I really enjoyed the overarching narrative, and I surprisingly liked the slice of life episodes more due to how well done they were and also because the characters really shined in those episodes.__ # ~~~__CHARACTERS:__ ~~~ Cowboy Bebop is a show which is VERY character driven, so I'd say don't expect to love the show if you don't like, at the very least, one character. Thankfully, I don't think anyone needs to worry about that, as I think that the main cast is really great. The characters are fun to watch, you get attached to them, and it's also really great to see their progression. I feel like the show has a theme of "letting go of the past", and I think that it executes upon that theme beautifully with it's main cast, especially Spike, Jet and Faye. Spike Spiegel is honestly, just an incredibly cool character and one of my favorites in anime and manga in general. He is an amazing protagonist and always makes whichever moment he's on screen enjoyable. Jet and Faye Valentine are also really great characters and their dynamics with each other and with Spike is really well done in my opinion. Ein is a great companion creature to throw in there, and Edward, although I hated her at first, is now a character I'd consider decent. I do, however, have a complaint. I don't think the characters other than the main cast are necessarily remarkable. I felt like Vicious was a very one-dimensional antagonist, and I didn't get attached to Julia either. However, in my opinion, this does not take away from the incredibly strong main cast. __Overall, I think that the cast is, by far, the strongest aspect of Bebop.__ # ~~~__ART & ANIMATION:__~~~ Cowboy Bebop is an anime from 1998, and it holds up INCREDIBLY WELL artistically. The artstyle of this anime is incredible, and it can be taken as a perfect representation of the "90's anime" aesthetic. The animation is also really well done, with incredibly fluid motion in almost every scene, and well choreographed fight scenes. Bebop has a world which I would describe as "retro futuristic", and by that i mean that although it takes place in the future, it looks very retro. I also have to mention that the OST of this anime is FANTASTIC. Yoko Kanno has done an incredible job at creating a medley of jazz that you can enjoy even when you are not watching the anime, and it enhances the anime as it is well-known that Cowboy Bebop is inspired by jazz. __Overall, I think that the artstyle, animation and OST of Cowboy Bebop hold up incredibly well and are surprisingly better than that of most anime today.__ Now, before getting into my final thoughts, I'd just like to tell you guys what I think is the ideal way of consuming the series. Obviously, everyone can have different opinions on what is the best way to consume it, but this is just what I think it, so just take it with a pinch of salt. __I think that Cowboy Bebop is best experienced in the English dub.__ In my opinion, the subbed version doesn't bring out the characters as well as the dub does. The show feels very Western and the dub helps a lot in enhancing that feeling. The voice actors do an incredible job as the characters, especially Steve Blum as Spike Spiegel, and most of the iconic phrases in the show are also taken straight from the English dub. IN CONCLUSION: Cowboy Bebop is one of the most influential series of all time, and it is very obvious why. The show has an absolutely phenomenal main cast, an incredibly atmospheric world enhanced by the aesthetic, an interesting overarching plot, and very well done animation even by today's standards. I have very few complaints regarding this anime. ~~~__Overall score: 9/10 (A tier)__~~~ Although I personally don't see the series as a masterpiece, I would very much understand why people percieve it as one, and I don't think I have anything else to say about this anime. ~~~__And until the next review, see you space cowboys....__~~~~~~~~~

unwrittenZephyr

_Cowboy Bebop_, released in 1998, is one of those pieces of media that's always intimidated me, I have to admit. The level of critical acclaim it has made my head spin with curiosity and doubts. I got out of anime for about four years, mostly during my time in high school. After getting back into television shows in general, Cowboy Bebop appeared on my Netflix page. I had my doubts about it, as I might with anything that's held on such a pedestal, but I decided to dive in regardless. Now, what was I met with? I found myself watching one of the most incredible pieces of media I have ever had the pleasure to have seen. And it's strange to say that, because the show itself is so--the best phrase would be "low-key." The action, outside of an occasional star-ship battle, can be pretty subdued. Gun fights, fisticuffs inspired by the likes of Bruce Lee, the show knows how to contain itself. That doesn't mean these fights can't be awe-inspiring of course. The animation, specifically on the main character Spike Spiegel, is some of the best of it's age. And I want to focus in on the 90s era of anime; specifically something it is rather infamous for. Now, _Bebop_ was on the tail end of this era of anime, but it has been a long running joke that anime of this time period were known to pad their run time to better fill time slots on TV. This wasn't the case for every single anime of the 90s, but it's a thought that many of my friends share when it comes to why they do not like anime that's on the older side. It can be a bit of a slog, even I for the life of me can't stand the original run of _Dragon Ball Z_ (which is the most infamous case of this kind of padding.) And one could argue that _Cowboy Bebop_ suffers from the same issues, as many of my previously mentioned friends have told me. But with _Bebop_, I feel like it takes advantage of what could be a hindrance. If I were to praise anything about _Cowboy Bebop_, it'd be the show's atmosphere. Since the anime can be low-key as I said earlier, it takes it's time to really flesh out it's world. World building is important to any sci-fi or fantasy show, but I particularly love how lived in _Bebop_'s solar system feels. It reminds me of the original _Star Wars_ trilogy, where all of this high tech stuff feels worn out. It fits with the show's western aesthetic, and to bring around my point from earlier, it want's the viewer to appreciate it. What some may see as padding, I see as quiet, deliberate moments. The show takes it's time, it never tries to rush itself. It wants you to sit in it's world, stew in it. This brilliantly reinforces the show's main central theme; moving on from the past. The show's characters are iconic. You know it, I know it, end of story. When I watched the show I was expecting some cool action with some nice atmosphere. I got that with some added jazz, but I was also given these characters that I recognized but didn't fully know. I won't go into full detail, but this show did get me rather emotional at points. Because of the slow pace, you will get attached to these characters. You will watch them be stuck in their situations, floating through the vast expanse of space in their ship the Bebop. Their struggle of finding closure and moving on, no matter the emotional repercussions, is inspiring and incredibly relatable. _Cowboy Bebop_ is about the invisible weights that people carry, and how that can freeze them in time. The show is a surprising tear-jerker, one that has impacted me on a level that was deeper than I would expect. My main complaint is that Jet, one of the main characters, his arcs felt a little less impactful than the rest of the cast. His episodes were still good and interesting, but I would be lying if I said they were on the same level as Faye's or Spike's. Also, how the camera ogles Faye at certain times made me roll my eyes. She's an excellent character and it disappointed me to see her be presented like that. There's also other minor things that didn't bother me personally nor did I feel ultimately hinder the show, but mileage may vary. And how could I not compliment the music? It's the bow that ties everything together. The opening theme "Tank!" is fantastic, and the show never ceases that momentum. It perfectly balances being atmospheric with being delightfully playful and bombastic. Truly a master work, and definitely one of the reasons that the show works so well. Full props to Yoko Kanno and her band the Seatbelts, you guys are brilliant. So here I am, with a perfect score. _Cowboy Bebop_ has left an imprint on me that I was surprised to find. It's a show that's so masterfully put together that when it ends you feel empty, knowing that there's nothing left. It's like finishing a good book, that bittersweet mixture of happiness, satisfaction, and sadness. It's a masterpiece, something that will remain in my mind for many years to come. _See you space cowboy..._

animebeginner731

Cowboy Bebop is a show that I heard so many good things about in general before watching it. No matter where I went online, this show was mentioned frequently by anime websites and fans. The praise for Cowboy Bebop is warranted when it comes to opening theme, the creativity/originality of the show, and the animation. The main issues I had is I didn't have an emotional connections to the characters and the pacing of the episodes was hit or miss for me, but I still think this show is a excellent beginner anime show for anyone to try. The first thing I want to mention are the positives for the show. I generally believe that the positives really help this become the beloved anime most people treasure dearly. The opening theme is iconic. I found it so catchy. Also, the opening theme does set the tone of the show really well. If anyone dislike the opening theme, I would be shocked regardless if they weren't the biggest fan of show at all. Another topic I have bring up is that the creativity and originality of the show is so good. I generally appreciate the blend of inspirations that show comes up with. Whenever I had watch an episode, I honestly was wondering what hidden easter eggs or references will pop up. Having a wide array of influences that seem endless makes the experience worth while and it helps with the originality and creativity this show has in spades. Finally, the animation is wonderful to look at and I do appreciate the foreshadowing the animation will provide throughout the show. The details of the animation do pay off big time and I admit there are certain animated sequence I won't forget at all. Despite all the positives I had, the pacing of certain episodes and the fact I feet no emotional connection to the characters made me felt frustrated since I really wanted to rate the show higher. Whenever I was watching the beginning portion of the show, there were times where I wanted to stop watching the show. Normally, this doesn't happen to me. Also, I sincerely enjoy watching anime episodic shows like Trigun and Mushishi, but the pacing and trying to settle into atmosphere of the worldbuilding took so much more effort for me than usual, despite being a watcher who don't binge watch show that often. The last thing I want to mention is my detachment of the characters. I understand that is the most controversial thing I say in this review because the majority loves these characters and main antagonist to death. The main reason why I feel this way is because the writing of the show usually skips giving out all the information of the character's past in detail by showing the bounty hunters catching the criminals more frequently. I get that there mentioning the most important details that are not always needed to make an impactful show, but it made it hard for me to care for the stakes when the Vicious themed episodes came to me. Maybe if there was a better balance of chasing the criminals and learning more about the character's past in my opinion, I can understand the motivate more, but I can see why people like that part of the show to. I can understand why the majority of people cared about the characters so deeply since everyone has vices they use when bored with the daily routine or regrets or wonderments about changing the past that can't erased entirely. All the themes are relatable, but I wasn't emotional attached to the characters as I wanted to and that's okay. If I cared about every characters on a show, everything in watching media for entertainment would be too easy indeed. To those who wants to see this show, I say go for it regardless if you an anime rookie or veteran. There's plenty of things that people can like about the show in general and the animation, creativity originality to show has, and the opening theme are highlights that anyone can appreciate it. I generally wish that I liked all the pacing of the show and the character development, but please try to show because there's a good chance you may enjoy the parts of this show that were frustrating to me at times.

KaijuKing13

~~~Back in High School, I was VERY interested in _“Kinnikuman”_ when I had first found out about the series’ MERCHANDISE making its way to the U.S., but NOT the ACTUAL SERIES, ITSELF…! But regardless, when I told my friends about it, they recommended me the show: Cowboy Bebop, and after both that AND seeing Anime Abandon’s episode review on the series, I knew THIS had to be the __FIRST__ Anime I (Fully) watched…! __The very first scene__ of the first episode sets the mood RIGHT-off-the-bat with a stranger in an Alley while it rains… As he walks through, he just remembers about something that happened in his past (And also some foreboding FORESHADOWING as well) as he simply drops a bouquet of flowers.... -AND THEN THE OPENING COMES RIGHT IN AND COMPLETELY SHIFTS THE ATMOSPHERE INTO A “180” WITH NO FORGIVENESS (FREAKING AWESOME)!!! youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL-D9LrFJd4) The opening begins with a voice (Presumably the Main Character) simply saying: I think it’s time we blow this thing, get everybody in this stuff together. Okay, 3-2-1 LET’S JAM! The music and effects mix a “Heist-Story” with 70’s AMERICAN “Groove”-Style of the Time-Period as (slightly) Sci-Fi looking weaponry is shown off to show the type of world that the Show and Characters all live in, as well as show-off the Main Characters in “Shadow-Silhouette” in the Foreground! All done without __ANY__ lyrics or vocals, just __ENTIRELY__ instrumentals! After the opening, the rest of the first episode ACTUALLY plays just like a standard _Japanese “Manga-to-Anime”_ Adaptation…! Just a __“One-Shot”__ story of the Main two Characters: _Spike Speigel_ and _Jet Black_ simply doing their job of hunting down a criminal before he can escape them. COMPLETE STORY…! img220(https://dotandline.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1_cYm1i-8hX8B1x_Lp6TsMuA-1210x642.png) img220(https://dotandline.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1_H7R9Prbdd1gmwsM-5nSkqQ-1210x642.jpeg) ~~~Meanwhile, the SECOND episode starts introducing some new, and Main-Stay, elements into the series: 1. Being their new (Initial) Bounty: _Ein: The Corgi_, a dog that the Main two begrudgingly take-in after realizing that it’d be better to KEEP him, against just letting a Trustworthy Resource take control of him. Also, he comes into play much more frequently when the LAST member of the crew arrives. img220(https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/33ZtZN22n-ZXlaGy6M51r58w52Y=/0x0:1280x669/920x613/filters:focal(448x136:652x340):format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65411006/cowboy_bebop_ein_corgi.0.jpg) 2. With the appearance of the 3 Old Geezers, whom of which do nothing but berate and complain at each other. They are only used in the stories SPARINGLY, whenever there is an intensive action scene and it could use a bit of levity with the Main “Target” or they crew chasing each other down throughout the environments, or the adventure is serious and the just appear elsewhere JUST to crack a joke at each other. ~~~Meanwhile smoothly transitioning right into “Episode 3” is the introduction of the “Fem. Fatal” of the series: _Faye Valentine._ While not the __“Fan-Service”__ female of the Crew, she DOES know how to use her “Feminine Wiles” to manipulate man for her own personal intentions. img220(https://mcdn.wallpapersafari.com/medium/51/24/exfpUm.png) PLUS WE DO (Much like the REST of the crew) see more of her past, just as much as we do all the REST of the Crew about their own troubled or “Lost” pasts. After a few episodes of building-up the team’s “Dynamic”, we finally get the introduction to own LAST member: _Ed, the Genius Cybernetic/Cyber-Space Hacker_ (Though still the YOUNGEST member, BY FAR) of the crew! And once SHE (yes, “She”) arrives, Ein’s role on the crew is officially greatened, with him being the “Moral-Compass” for all of Ed’s Schemes and Doings. img220(https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/11/Ed-Cowboy-Bebop-b6934be.jpg?quality=90&webp=true&resize=1200,800) img220(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2e/fb/c0/2efbc00eb6fb9c6caba786cfd6345b56.jpg) After she joins up everyone seems to find own place on the Bebop Crew, all seeming to pair-up each others' personalities whether in comparison or contrast with each other. __The Crew is then completed!__ img220(https://geekireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/cowboy-bebop-receiving-live-action-series-1280x720-1024x576.jpg)~~~ ~~~Over the rest of the (STILL MUCH MORE THAN HALF) series, we delve deeper and deeper into each of the Characters’ pasts and how it affected them into becoming the people that they are TODAY. Much if not MAINLY with the main two rivals: Spike and Vicious, over how the Main Antagonist of the series KILLED Spike's Girlfriend: Julia…!~~~ ~~~With almost everyone in the "Stand-Alone" episode having the Crew deal with a different situation and the people involved or paying them (Or the Crew just simply watching the T.V. show: Big Shot Bounties, for the opportunity for a job they can do with) to SOLVE the situation. The crew ALSO gets to discover and know more and more about their clients', enemies', and bystanders': Mentalities, Psychologies, and Philosophies involved to be better equipped to track-down and deal with their situations at hand.~~~ ~~~Also appropriately, with the main "Theme" of the story's __Tone__ being that of: "Jazz" and "Western" to create a fitting atmospheric mix of their Space/Bounty-Hunting Setting, each episode has it's own "Thematic Music" to accompany the adventure that they Crew is currently on to engage the viewers even more-so.~~~ ~~~About halfway through the series, we are introduced to another character that was close to the Main "Villain" Vicious: Gren, who used to even know Vicious from a battle and attempted to live and pass-through after so. And while Spike is in a constant Man-Hunt for Vicious i a BATTLE that they both fought vengeance for his past Lover. Faye, meanwhile, also meets and discovers GREN'S own Philosophy and how those of his relate to those of Spike and Vicious's. Along with Faye accidentally discovering a secret about Gren, himself. Although, by the end of the specific adventure, Faye does plea and reason with Spike to return to his normal Bounty-Hunting life with his original Organization finding AND keeping him from killing Vicious as of THAT POINT.~~~ ~~~With Spike trying to leave his former Organization behind and Vicious put on the Organization’s job to track down and KILL him! Also, with them both knowing and follow the personal Philosophy of them both knowing that only EACH OTHER can TRULY finally END each other’s lives and that whichever one kills the OTHER first will be the one to TRULY be free from their Organization’s hold...! In fact, the VERY LAST EPISODE entirely deals with the Main Character Spike’s actions in infiltrating and KILLING the Organization, himself…! All while the "Ending Theme" of the series: Real Folk Blues, plays in the Background to show the DETERMINATION and SALVATION of Spike’s __“Final”__ Mission, now!~~~ Extra Notes: The Voice-Acting is SO SUPERB (ESPECIALLY for its Main Character) that it is FAMOUSLY on-par with Anime like "Dragon Ball Z" that even its own NATIVE JAPANESE audience actually PREFER THE ENGLISH VOICE-ACTORS (JUST LIKE WITH "DRAGON BALL Z"!) for the series over their OWN NATIVE ones! Final words to say: >Spike Spegiel: img220(https://dotandline.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1_58uZVuKlz4bhBJF1BL9qdA-1210x642.jpeg) Bang. # “See you, Space Cowboy."

GonzoLewd

~~~img1000(https://gonzonyan.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/ldz0aac.jpg)~~~ There’s nothing quite like it when you come off an anime and realize how much it has built itself as this vital piece of art that has since transcended its ever-present influence on other mediums. This particular show, named Cowboy Bebop, definitely lived up to the legacy it deserves of being the pinnacle of late ’90s anime that would influence a wide variety of anime leading up to the new millennium. Even with that being said, that’s not to say that Cowboy Bebop has its fair share of hiccups. But before I get into that, it is essential to distinguish the inevitable nature that director Shinichirō Watanabe constructed from the ground up to make Cowboy Bebop’s world vibrant and distinct. Since Cowboy Bebop has separate plot arcs within each episode, with some continuity within its main cast, the show has a great sense of exploratory mystery behind every story being told. You have the feeling of wanting to know these actual people and locations because of how incredibly different they all are. They each have their distinct look and atmosphere to them. As Watanabe is vastly known, he loves to mix different types of genres into one show to make them feel unique in his eyes. Usually, this could cause an anime to lose some main focus on what it wants to be, but Cowboy Bebop, thanks to its plot structure, paces these genres evenly to make us know its true identity. Along with mixing these genres, the sense of direction that encapsulates Cowboy Bebop as a whole transcends itself to a whole new level of creativity. The noir aspect of the show adds a lot more depth to its atmosphere, from its attention-grabbing shootout scenes to the silent moments that hook you instantaneously. There are some comedy elements to be seen in Cowboy Bebop, and the writers time it very well and give all the characters great charm to provide reliable, entertaining moments. They don’t just contain physical comedy by any stretch, but instead, the writing is very sharp and witty whether you’re watching it dubbed or subbed. ~~~img1000(https://gonzonyan.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/mv5bmwqzmdlmotatotu0my00ogm4ltg1zjutm2q1ytewmmvjzgi1xkeyxkfqcgdeqxvynjc3ote4nzk40._v1_.jpg)~~~ Memorable characters are in no shortage in Cowboy Bebop, at least within its main cast. Spike Spiegel, Faye Valentine, Jet Black, and Edward are the quintessential quartet to be studied if you want to replicate a great form of characters such as this. They are not just good because of their tremendous character growth, but the fantastic chemistry they all have whenever they are on-screen together. At first, they all act very indecently to each other. It isn’t until throughout several episodes that they genuinely try to care for one another, yet they still feel the slight edge to go on their own for better or worse. Spike is often regarded as the best character, and they aren’t entirely wrong in saying so. He has an alluring presence where he isn’t just some strong individual who can handle himself in any given situation or this average person. He has the wit and personality to be both of these personalities, and you want to root for him because of his likable persona. It would be a crime not to mention the Dubbed performance by famed voice actor Stephen Blum who manages to make Spike have a lot suave with his extraordinary voice. And for that matter, almost all of the English dubbed voice actors work to make Cowboy Bebop one of the few instances where the dubbing is just as good, if not better, than the original Japanese voice acting. Faye Valentine provides some of the funniest, sarcastic humor to Cowboy Bebop. You could easily chalk her character archetype as a way to push a female character in a predominantly male present cast to let the males have their way with her body. However, they manage to make Faye into a girl who doesn’t take any crap from anyone and has complete control over anything that she finds wrong in her mind. Then we have Edward, who is by far the most eccentric character of the show because she’s in her little world where nothing seems to make her overly pessimistic, no matter how grave a situation might be. What makes her fascinating to watch is her growth as a person while at the same time viewing her child-like charm in the same way we would have viewed Edward’s way of thinking as a child. Every time she’s on-screen, there is a good chance anything is possible in terms of comedic dialogue being thrown out, and they are all fantastic to listen to. Lastly is Jet Black, who’s the most logically, down-to-earth character in the show, other than maybe Spike in most cases. While he may be the lesser of the three leads, there is no doubt to be made that Jet has his fair share of memorable moments that grows him into an actual three-dimensional character like the rest. ~~~img1000(https://gonzonyan.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/session25.jpg)~~~ With this being said about our four main heroes, the rest of the side characters that crop up in these plot arcs are not spectacular or memorable. Even the show's main villain doesn’t leave much of an impression in being a noteworthy villain as initially anticipated. This problem could be forgiven slightly, considering they have only one episode to build them up, but that is not to say all of them are not noteworthy, with the Dr. Lobbes character being the best of the bunch. Considering that he was in one of the best episodes that weren’t the last three episodes that succeeded it. Around the time when Cowboy Bebop first aired, anime recently had begun somewhat of a transitional period where it started to incorporate very challenging, philosophical themes into its narrative. The other two that come to mind are Neon Genesis Evangelion and Serial Experiments Lain. That’s not to say anime did not have anything like this before, but Cowboy Bebop and the other shows I mentioned pushed it off the stream of consciousness into the anime community. With that said, Cowboy Bebop seems to be the one that is the most subtle way of detailing its philosophical themes involving existential concepts. This approach to integrating these themes is both a service and a disservice to the show’s credit. Although it is very admirable for Bebop to showcase its themes in a non-preachy scenario or get muddled into strange concepts that contradict each other, it subtly limits it from doing anything with most of the narrative plot arcs. You can basically watch Cowboy Bebop and have all of them fly over your head, and you would still have the same experience, but once you do notice them, there’s not a lot of meat for our brains to digest or digest comprehend. The show's finale has a significant implication of putting them all together. Still, in the long run, they don’t add up to anything other than trying to throw out whatever philosophical theme that might seem the most probable in these given situations. ~~~img1000(https://gonzonyan.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/db4dfdbfd48cd2ba95fea02d8845fffd.jpg)~~~ While that aspect wasn’t necessarily one of the show’s best highlights, the plot that carries the main narrative is relatively serviceable and brings up one of the most poignant finales I’ve ever seen in anime. When you feel the growth that all of these characters go through, you never want these characters to go away from one another because of how amazing they play off one another. Once I saw them go their separate ways for a moment, without spoiling any of the necessary details, I almost felt upset that they were even inclined to do so in the first place. Because of the amount of care given to make the personalities of these characters genuine and delightful, the contemplative nature near the finale feels very sincere. If that is writing that could not be considered significant by that fact alone, I don’t know what is. I’ve always believed that Yoko Kanno is one of the best composers to be working in anime to this day, and Cowboy Bebop reigns as the best-coordinated orchestration that she ever did. The opening itself garners some needed praise not only for its recognizable melodies and instrumentation but for how it captures the feel and tone of Cowboy Bebop as a whole. What fits Yoko’s style of instrumentation and Watanabe’s creative vision is how they both have the same way of mixing different types of music and genres that make them feel very on-point with the direction of the art style and the score that goes with it. Yoko’s fantastic blend of jazz, traditional orchestration, guitar rock, and occasional electronics create the ultimate soundtrack that would be worthy of being listened to without the need for the show’s visuals to accompany it. ~~~img1000(https://gonzonyan.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/ed07.jpg)~~~ Does Cowboy Bebop deserve the number of perfect accolades that it has gotten for the past decade or so? In most aspects, it certainly does. There is simply nothing out there that is quite like it in terms of authentic style and flair that is on-screen back then and now. It manages to perfectly pace the witty humor from the deep drama that engulfs each character and the confrontations they have to face, one way or the other. If anything, the characters are enough to warrant a watch of their unique chemistry, and the plot can be well-serviceable for anyone willing to experience it. It’s a show that literally goes off with a bang and soars ever so gently off into the blissful reaches of the heavens. This space cowboy can prove himself worthy of being called such a title in great character stories such as this. Grade: A-

KitsuneInHoodie

This anime takes its name from both the cowboys, which are bounty hunters when it comes to this series in particolar, and bebop, or bebop jazz, a particular sub-genre of jazz that formed around the year 1940 in the united states of america and which also characterizes the whole soundtrack of the anime, both inside the episodes with its OSTs and outside the episodes with the upbeat and catchy opening track. The world this anime is set into is pretty much a mix of both western and sci-fi elements, with spaceships flying all over the solar system like it’s an everyday road across the country yet planets that keep a culture and a setting typical of the nineties. The main characters of the series form a gang of bounty hunters made up of a surly man, a hothead that can’t keep calm, a woman that wants no relationships with anyone, a hacker kid which is both euphoric and restless and a really smart dog that serves no purpose to the plot other than comic relief. The anime is really good if you ask me, both for its extremely smooth animations of the characters themselves, a thing that has now-days been lost to time, and in the backgrounds, which are hand-drawn on paper. Personally, I would’ve hoped for this series to have been longer but, then again, good series are often really short when it comes to anime. I really appreciated the subtle reference to the sci-fi writer _Isaac Asimov_ in the first episode, consisting of the criminal with the same name that is shown in the episode. More often than not, this series tries to convey a philosophical message by making you think about the characters morals and, at times, even life itself, while also making the characters say some really profound phrases, almost mimicking old detective movies or western movies, just for the heck of it and to make you smile. A whole bunch of episodes that can be considered filler are more interesting than the actual narrative arcs themselves, and it’s a real bummer that the characters contained in them are not going to be used in the series itself. An example of this is ~!the episode of the immortal child, which is a mix of _Detective Conan_, _Devilman Cry Baby_ and _Blade Runner_, containing also the virtual sect leader that was born from the dream of a man attached to machines, or the episode of the creepy penguin man with a mustache, a contagious joker laugh and a fear of cats!~ I find the ending to be very good, ~!not too happy, yet not too sad, a good old bittersweet ending that made me cry red tears!~ That being said, hey there, this is my first review on here. I choose to review this anime because I find it to be a good anime that I recently saw and have lots to talk about, and which I must recommend. See you space cowboy

GreenRevue

Cowboy Bebop is great huh? DISCLAIMER: This review contains thematic spoilers and hints at the ending, so read at your own risk Firstly, I liked the individual episodes FAR more on this rewatch, including some that used to be my least favourites, but I still found the episodic sections variable in quality, though usually hovering around good to great, with some that were decent, and a few much weaker ones (in my opinion). Anyways, while the episodic sections are important (to a point) in developing the characters and their relationships and antics ahead of the game, with slow build up, the ending and how it concludes character threads is the show's peak (that and Toys in the Attic). Faye's search for a home, Jet's (I don't know to describe his character to be honest, but a similar idea around escaping the past), and Spike's inability to move into and see the future, with Ed acting as comedic relief but also an arguably essential part of the ship's dynamic and energy. Truly exceptional stuff. You could say it's showing life is about the journey through its episodic antics surrounding its found family of sorts and some individual backstories, as cliché as that theme technically is. However, while the episodic journey does bring that idea to the forefront, Cowboy Bebop's strong final destination (kind of ironically but entirely by design) is actually what solidifies its thematic messaging around enjoying life and not letting it end unaware of where your home is. The 'destination' shows the worth of the journey in Cowboy Bebop, so that hopefully you will see the worth and find your home before you reach your destination. Life is about the journey, your future and not your past; the show’s destination is a warning to remember that. Cowboy Bebop is ultimately about a found family, and also ultimately a cautionary tale, about pasts catching up to people, but also about a need to move on from your past and find a new place to belong. When this all fully comes through in its final stretch and what is likely one of the most brilliantly quotable final episodes of TV ever, it's almost untouchable. Quotes I love can be seen below: ~!>“Men always seem to think about their past before they die, as though they were frantically searching for proof that they truly lived” (from episode 25 but still) >“I have been seeing the past in one eye and the present in another” >“My… memory came back But… nothing good came out of it. There was no place I could return to… this was the only place I could go back to!” >"I'm not going there to die. I'm going to find out if I'm really alive." >“Bang” >“You’re gonna carry that weight?”!~

Calxylian

Take anything about pop culture and western media and audiences will find Cowboy Bebop. It is a series that is difficult to criticize, not because it doesn't have its flaws. However, the series has rabid fans who will continue to defend it until the world ends. It borrows automatically a defense from all kinds of legitimate criticism and is of good quality but relevant in how it influenced western cultural perceptions of anime.

However, it is not enough to revolutionize the audiovisual argument as a breakthrough. When work needs more than superficial qualities to be truly great, then, by and large, the series will provide subtle yet voluminous references and homages. The gun-fu of John Woo, film noir ala The Third Man, the setting of Blade Runner, the gangster colorful tone of Tokyo Drifter, people can call it anything.

The list is still a lot of references either from dialogue or character design. However, it directly copies the plot to the scene to the point of contradicting the series itself. When you see the series packaged in a complete but beautiful package, there is no excuse when creativity is lacking. Generating a masterpiece doesn't produce a masterpiece with Tarantino-style reference examples, it simply doesn't make up the whole of videography.

In fact, Cowboy Bebop is both substance and style, and while the audiovisual is highly regarded, it takes more than anything to become a true masterpiece. While having some of the must-watch audiovisuals for that alone, it's worth noting that the series is one of the few anime that has a level gap, especially in American audiences. In Japan itself, it has its own advantages. However, it differs in almost every different setting, it is well done in most space travel anime.

The series consists of individual stories, not a big deal but there are specific hit or miss. Non-mainstream episodes focus on each character and past characters is good. However, most of every character is practically useless. By considering how each character drives each story, the whole episode, for such one, pays tribute to many tropes. Seeing tropes presented more originally, at least, first impressions from novice viewers are a big problem when only watching the first three episodes. The exposition in such a thing becomes a part of itself but people always ignore it.

Each character prevents the episodic nature of the event in a specific part. Regardless can be a total failure, there is a question in the hole for every character. For example, Faye's past, which is still unclear to the audience, only gives rise to oddities that are unheard of. As is clear, all have rich backscreens but not a few flashbacks present.

Helping to give the series a distinctly nostalgic mood, the motivations, especially of the antagonists are also not the least bit obscure but uninteresting. After all, Cowboy Bebop is all about vibing with it. It is emphasized even more the sound quality that the series uses. It differs from other anime series mainly when it comes to the opening by Seatbelts, a band specially formed to perform music for the series.

The music is a mix of classic rock and jazz, apart from in the first place acts as an odd choice for a sci-fi series. The music works so well in the setting as it reflects the general lackadaisical demeanor that each character adopts.

Cowboy Bebop isn't just a western sci-fi anime with equal seriousness and humor. It has been regarded by many in the anime community as a classic, despite the level of sophistication in both the story and its rare characters that makes it, unlike most modern anime. By being proof that its quality is one of the foremost, it is considered by many as one of the most watched contemporary recommendations whether anime fans themselves or not.

Krynn

No very major spoilers. --- ~~~Overview~~~ --- Cowboy Bebop is a mix of genres, in this case Space and Western. And more in some individual episodes. The show is Episodic, I think, or at least semi-Episodic; where the individual episodes or few episodes are stories in themselves, while building the entire main story up. An interesting note perhaps is that the anime was made before the manga. Our main cast here is Spike, our somewhat silly protagonist, [Jet](https://anilist.co/character/3/Black-Jet), who I believe to be the best character in the show, and Faye, the girl in the trio. Then we have more, like Ed, who's gender I forget, but they are an amazing addition both as a character and for the comedy. And there's a pet, a loyal doggo. Note (not a spoiler): ~! The dog is relevant, though: according to a google search on "Cowboy Bebop dog", you get: "Ein is one of the main protagonists of the anime". :D!~ One of the first things you notice, besides the genres mixing, is the music. The whole show is art, actually; the flow is artistic and paced perfectly. The music matches the scenes, and there is custom music for alot of the scenes. It's detailed music, too. Of course, though, it is not just the music, but also the art, e.g. the color schemes, angles, scenery (it's space, for some of it; the scenery is super cool), and just the general artistic beauty in portraying any kind of scene how it wants too. On that note, there are many places that are not just 'outer space' that they go to. Lush planets, junkie yards, etc etc, anything you could want! The scenes and scenery are very well detailed, just leaving you with a kind of a sense of appreciation. And again, it's not even just the scenery or planets: the plots themselves very in genre and themes, e.g. one is a 2000s' style 'virtual space' villain. Pretty much anything goes for the genre mixup. There is symbolism, lots of it, in the show. In fact the whole thing is symbolism, even through the end. --- ~~~Criticisms ?~~~ --- There are not many things in this show I can be critical of. One point is, it is not the best show in existence, as many in the fandom claim it to be. They also say that the symbolism is perfection on earth; but while there aren't any flaws in it, this isn't the only show like that. By the same author, even, there is another show which seems to have symbolism that is as good: [Samurai Champloo](https://anilist.co/anime/205/Samurai-Champloo). (I have just started watching that one at the time of this writing.) Cowboy Bebop is a solid show, though. My second complaint would be that Faye isn't as amazing as the rest of them, I personally think. She seems to be mostly just the 'Cat Burglar Rogue' archetype, and she just never appealed to me like the rest of them did. Whereas in Samurai Champloo, the girl in the trio is more likeable from the start; although to be fair, Faye is a young adult, so she might not have as much childlike-cuteness appeal, as compared to Fuu. But Faye makes up part of the show's story, and her story is just as compelling, for sure, but it's mainly given near the ending episodes. And if you like her that's great too. Some characters are just meant to be annoying (Ed), but they make up the show, and all have plenty of depth to them. Also don't uh go for the live action show. Universally seen as a bad idea. Even the original story's [creator said so](https://www.google.com/search?q=cowboy+bebop+creator+words+on+live+action&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS1032US1032&oq=cowboy+bebop+creator+words+on+live+action&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i299.9249j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8). --- ~~~Worthwhile Watch ???~~~ --- So far sounds like an average show, right? Why did I rate it pretty high, then?? If everything so far seems average??? It is the story and the characters themselves. Every scene is laced with symbolism and hints, and foreshadowing to the last episodes and the characters' pasts. Every character here has a past, and they all have to work through it, face it, or manage it in some way. Spike's past story, especially, is hinted at in episode 5, I think, which is one of the very best episodes because of that. And I mean. There's a scene with a likeable bishounen dude, a DUDE, with b*obs. At which a normal character is completely flustered at. What's not to like? And he's still just a likeable dude. And a plot-relevant character. The show's [OP](https://youtu.be/EL-D9LrFJd4) is iconic, but in my opinion the [ED](https://youtu.be/Ru_H5PiyfSA) is even better. Just my preference, though. (Id go so far as to say it's the best music in the show.) The show's conclusion is golden. That is pretty much universally agreed upon. Age appropriate show? Well, I would say not for kids. They would not really understand it, and I vaguely remember one scary episode as well. Lot's of mild gunfights and what have you, too (I mean of course— it's still a Western). But besides those it's fine. The show is actually pretty mild for adults (older teens too ofc). This is an iconic show ("See You Space Cowboy!"). Cowboy Bebop just in general is iconic, tbh, and has had influence on other things. One example of it, for those who are familiar with Cowboy Bebop's opening, is this [opening One Piece parody](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9daRRKC1bnM), which is gold, so I thought I'd share it. --- ~~~Conclusion: ~~~ --- Cowboy Bebop is both a classic and definiely worth rewatching sometime. Give this review a like if you enjoyed it, or, if you wanna watch the show now! Also: I know this review looks bad aesthetic-wise right now, so if you have advice, don't hesitate to send me a message!! ;D

sushiisawesome

Episodic series are complicated. On one hand, there's a huge degree of freedom that can go into them that you don't obtain quite as easily in semi-episodic or comparatively linear narratives, but on the other they run the risk of running dry due to a lack of variety in their narratives, uninteresting subplots or characters that remain stagnant throughout the show's run. Cowboy Bebop is interesting because in many ways it encapsulates both the best and worst things about episodic series within its runtime. The premise is simple enough and works perfectly for the kind of story Cowboy Bebop is - one about these drifting mercenaries simply doing odd jobs across the universe, with no overarching goal beyond living paycheck to paycheck. The cast are a colorful bunch and have a fair amount of fun interactions with each other, and the episodic stories vary wildly in terms of what they're about. Good enough, so what then is the issue? The episodic stories are incredibly inconsistent in terms of quality, some being excellent, others being mediocre if not outright bad. The more comedy-focused episodic stories are fine, but act as a kind of mood whiplash with the darker parts of the series - but then there's ones that are outright pretty damn bad, standouts including the infamous Feng Shui episode or the episode Edward's introduced in. This lack of consistency (to say nothing of most episodes following a certain format, more on that later) make Cowboy Bebop an incredibly difficult show to sit down and get engrossed in. That's to say nothing of how the central narrative is structured - this show is episodic in the true sense of the term and from what I can gather not even told in chronological order, which while makes sense to an extent (the entire point is that these characters are static and numb to what's happening around them) means that the central narrative and random episodic stories have a clear, thick dividing line between them, with the narrative essentially coming out of nowhere at random. There's an argument to be made about how this fits the idea of Spike trying to run away from his past, with his past finding a way to chase after him anyway - this is a weak argument that isn't helped by a certain issue in how the story is presented. You don't get to see virtually any of the side cast outside the scope of the episodic parts they're introduced in, and this includes characters who are relevant to the central narrative outside of a few quick flashbacks. This was a deliberate design choice and I heavily disagree with it because it leaves the viewer thoroughly disengaged from everything happening in the story, meaning when the main narrative does return and kick back in full force, I have no reason to care about it beyond being an observer to Spike's mistakes. Why should I care about his emotional investment to Julia, or rivalry with Vicious, when his dynamic with Jet and Faye are what I see much more of anyway? And while there can be an argument that much like them being observers to all the tragedies that happen and growing numb to it, we're placed in a position where we too are growing numb to their issues, it also makes it impossible to relate to these characters despite the themes about overcoming the past being general and easy to relate to - the distance the story uses to invoke this message is paradoxically both its strongest asset and worst enemy. The central cast are a largely static bunch in a sense - they do progress slightly over the course of whatever there is for a narrative, Jet has several episodic arcs dedicated to that in particular - but their dynamic stays as that of a pack of strangers keeping their distance from one another while awkwardly trying to get closer only to drift further. This isn't necessarily a problem in and of itself, but the way the series presents this is through the cast (and by cast I really just mean Spike and Faye) rushing headlong like headless chickens over and over again into making mistakes as other cast members (which happens to be consistently Jet) tries to stop either of them from doing so. This very quickly gets old and I refuse to digest the idea that this is repetition for the sake of emphasis because it happens so many times that the viewer is likely to get really sick of it really quickly - Faye going off gambling is one of the most unfunny gags in the history of anime and she's such an annoying character with such a thoroughly uninteresting backstory that it baffles me to the moon that people can point at her and claim she's one of the greatest female characters in anime history. That backstory is relevant to the themes of the story, but it's so emotionally uninteresting and overdone that it's shocking that it isn't shat on harder by fans and detractors of this alike. This isn't to say that there's no positives to Cowboy Bebop - hell, I'd dare say there's more positives than negatives. Spike does manage to be an engaging character from start to finish, even if there's issues I already went over in how his arc is presented. Jet's actually a character I didn't have much of an issue with - his tolerance for Faye's bullshit notwithstanding, his comradery with Spike was authentic and genuine, and several of the best moments in the series were with him and Spike bickering over how horrid the food is. Ed's actually somewhat entertaining after her debut episode - the cringe factor still occasionally comes back, but it's nowhere near as bad as some people would have you believe. And Ein, well, being a dog aside, is pretty fun. The visuals are absolutely stunning and have aged magnificently - the backgrounds are beautiful, the animation's gorgeous and the way the series does worldbuilding is actually something I find pretty underrated - there's no massive infodump on the world, just scattered pieces of exposition as the cast explore random parts of the setting, with said setting having extremely varied locations and cultures that always if nothing else showed a nice, new thing for the viewer to look at. The soundtrack is spectacular and great, there's a fuckton of neat references to Western pop culture, the action is usually absolutely gorgeous and varies from gun fights to spaceship battles to hand-to-hand combat, all of which is done insanely well. The central narrative despite all my issues with it is still decently engaging, and the ending is memorable as hell and among the most iconic in anime history for a reason. If this review comes off as harsh, it's because Cowboy Bebop is put on such a high pedestal insofar as episodic anime goes that it comes off as baffling - not even by the fanbase, but even by the series itself, which claims in random transition slides that it will be a new work that will invent a genre of its own (which by any standard is a shockingly narcisstic thing to put in there, influential and classic this show may be it certainly did not do that). There's better episodic anime out there (Natsume and Mushishi) and better cautionary tales out there (Fate/Zero and Gundam IBO) than this series, and they're not nearly as infuriating to watch at points as this is, nor do they have a strange theme about the maturity of accepting the status quo as is - which while makes sense in the context of what the series is trying to preach about humans being cogs in a machine, interesting that everyone from the environmental activists, revolutionaries and terrorists is just portrayed as though their fight is pointless and nothing can or will ever change. The political implications of such an attitude is obvious, and while the series doesn't portray such an attitude positively, it also provides no real counter to it. In a way, that's the highest I can say about a show like Cowboy Bebop - for all its talk about being revolutionary, the show is in many ways more of the same if you've seen a sizeable number of episodic shows or cautionary tales. And that's just about the biggest slight I can make against a show like Cowboy Bebop - it's decent, but nothing outstanding. Thank you for reading my review, any and all feedback would be appreciated.

Pursueth

img1000(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e8/5f/c8/e85fc897287b5f5fb1a69ce61420a18b.jpg) I can't even begin to try and put into words what Cowboy Bebop as an experience means to me. It's legitimately above almost every show I've ever seen. Every character here is so human and organic that they don't even belong to any archetypes. The show breaks every trope and flushes it down the drain like it's nothing. It's unfathomable just how unique and masterful every episode is. Every minute detail is given attention. Animation becomes a playground for merging genres. Score goes above and beyond even by film metrics. In every category Cowboy Bebop is a soaring hit. Perfection embodies itself with every set piece, frame and musical note. img1000(https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/pL2VkIcoHnyX5oLd3IIaANkzB01.jpg) In 2071, an era where interstellar travel has become as common as traffic jams in Manhattan, takes place the story of 2 legal bounty hunters, Spike Spiegel and Jet Black drifting through the lonely cosmos as they hunt bounty heads. In a series of events Spike and Jet on their journey end up with 3 more lonely characters with their own unique stories to share. This completes our ragtag group of bounty hunters that we all know and love. Jet Black, a former police officer and the owner of the Bebop ship. Spike Spiegel, the cool guy(I can’t think of a better description for him). Faye Valentine (marry me, please) is introduced as the typical femme fatale and seemingly tokenistic female character whose main purpose is to serve as fresh fanservice for the audience. Edward Wong Hau Pepelu "Ed" Tivrusky IV is the happy go lucky genius hacker kid of the show for younger audiences to connect with and Ein is the cute little genetically engineered Corgi for marketing purposes. Bebop does a great job of establishing these familiar archetypes and uses them as springboards to delve into deeper topics of chronic loneliness, inability to escape from one's past and existentialism through boredom. It also references concepts like capitalism and environmentalism. (there's a whole episode with a Unabomber inspired character) Through bounty hunting the show is given space to explore a variety of villains/antagonists. Each session there's either a new bounty to be caught (which rarely gets cashed out) or a new niche of Bebop's universe to be explored. Crime syndicates, terrorists, a deranged serial killer and even an actual American Cowboy confront Spike and co. The way Cowboy Bebop switches genres so effortlessly and executes them to near perfection always blows me away. I can never get tired of watching another Bebop session; it's just always so effortlessly phenomenal. img1000(https://media.tenor.com/YfTGxykrl30AAAAd/cowboy-bebop-anime.gif) Music, sound, animation everything is crisp, catchy and a visual treat. Bebop frequently blends film noir with westerns. What's really cool about it is how much it values little details and always adds them here and there without making it totally explicit. For example how Spike's suspicion of that old lady in "Gateway Shuffle" was conveyed by subtle expression in just one frame. Blink and you miss it. This is one of the weaker episodes in terms of writing, yet the direction was just on point. The whole hyperspace sequence was stunningly animated. It also doesn't rely on exposition to create tense scenes like most sci-fi works would. When they're told that the gates are being shut down, the consequences of being left behind are not stated until after they manage to escape by a hair's breadth. img1000(https://media.tenor.com/xv9r4lqaw7gAAAAC/cowboy-bebop-anime.gif) Most of Cowboy Bebop's episodes are light-hearted, chalk full of humour and filled with references to other works like 2001. The main cast sometimes aren’t even in the spotlight, it's the one-off characters that take centre stage. Through these characters we get a deeper understanding of The Bebop Crew. Each member of the crew gets their own “centric” sessions. img1000(https://media.tenor.com/xRIKqvnmKYYAAAAd/faye-valentine-cowboy-bebop.gif) ~~~(this has nothing to do with anything it's just a cool gif I found)~~~ In "Sympathy for the Devil", Spike definitely seems to connect with Wen's dying words, "I see..I can finally die. I feel so heavy, but...I feel so at ease now. Do you know? Do you understand? Do YOU..." To which he replies, "Like I do." Both the flashback at the start and this last interaction give us a clue about the weight Spike carries with him. Spike tries to blow on his harmonica but gets no noise out of it. In the background however, "Spokey Dokey" harmonica plays. He then throws it in the air, points his finger at it and says the iconic line "bang." Truly a spectacular resolution. "Waltz for Venus" is a perfect film noir episode that furthers Spike's characterization while offering us two wonderful characters, Roco and Stella. Roco's final moment is heart-breaking. Not only his moment of progression is stolen from him, the plant withering away perfectly compliments his arc. Desperately holding onto his inherent goodness until it shatters and withers away. Stella's exchange with Spike makes for another tragic scene. I teared up, man. Exquisite writing and phenomenal world building as well. This show is not normal. There's also a Bruce Lee reference here as well. img1000(https://ghostlightning.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/image1.png) These are just a few examples. Most of these characters are ever mentioned again, yet their impact on the show cannot be overstated. "Ganymede Elegy" is about Jet, the unsung hero of the show who confronts his past. Here we get to see Spike sympathise with Jet as he encounters his ex-lover, Alisa who left without saying goodbye, leaving just a watch and a note behind. The watch represents the relentlessness of time. It’s a profound and simple episode that by the end sees Jet happy to put the past behind him. “My Funny Valentine” details the origin of Faye and gives us a glimpse into what happened in her past. And here we find out that Faye isn’t mysterious by her own choosing, she literally doesn’t remember anything from her past. Sessions like “Speak Like a Child” and “Hard Luck Woman” sees her getting more pieces of herself and understanding of her past. Her resolution becomes that much more impactful by the end. Ein and Ed’s centric episodes are more light-hearted but they still tell us a lot about them. Ein’s intelligence and how the only person who ever understood him was Ed. Ed actually has a future to look forward to unlike the rest of the Bebop crew tied to the past. Masterclass episodes are the norm here. img1000(https://media.tenor.com/c1hRczbOyGUAAAAC/spike-burning.gif) Its episodic format allows room for bebop to experiment with its style, create tension by virtue of there being no linear storyline and increase rewatch value tremendously. It's just conceptually phenomenal. Akin to none in structure and ideas. Cowboy Bebop through every session keeps on climbing the ranks as one of the greats until it truly and finally cements itself as a cultural touchstone and one of animation's greatest milestones with the final stretch of episodes. Bebop doesn't have any "peaks" per se. Yes the best episodes of the show are the final three but Cowboy Bebop always maintains a consistent level of quality throughout the run of each and every one of its 26 episodes. This is again possible because of the episodic format and lack of focus on a central storyline. Each episode is its own self-contained story with its own unique ideas to explore with even separate genres and style. Music in this show acts as a backbone to everything on screen, instead of just an afterthought. Even at times replacing dialogue entirely as you absorb the visceral experience through the brilliant music composition alone. There's also Bebop's phenomenal worldbuilding. Wormholes, spaceships, syndicates, intersolar police, hyperspace gates, the numerous professions side characters have, bounty hunters, cowboys and the list just goes on and on. The world of bebop is dense. None of the pseudoscience makes a lick of sense yet the detail with which the world is painted creates an immersive experience. In fact, every episode is unbelievably dense. I deliberately took a month to finish this show because there’s just too much contained in every episode. A binge watch couldn’t possibly allow me to fully appreciate the extent of bebop and even now I doubt I’m any closer to uncovering the endless layers this show presents. It's such a profound work of art. img1000(https://i.gifer.com/1aTn.gif) Cowboy Bebop is ultimately a show about nothing. Specifically how in the grander scheme of things human life can seem rather meaningless and insignificant. Yet despite this we keep on living and bring purpose into our own lives in a universe that is seemingly devoid of any meaning. The idea is reflected in the structure itself. How there are long stretches of our characters just being human. Bickering, eating and travelling. No rush to do a task because the show demands it. It’s just organic. Everything in this show is organic and real. The dialogue in this show can range from playful jests to beautifully melancholic interactions. Speaking of melancholic, the last 3 episodes of bebop are bona fide masterpieces. No joke, some of the greatest tv episodes ever aired. In "Hard Luck Woman" seeing Faye curl up into a ball at her destroyed house, Ed's bye bye message, when Ein looks back at bebop almost as if contemplating if he should really leave with Ed or not and not to mention Spike and Jet just eating their feelings away as "Call me Call me" plays in the background... I felt so hollow. It's such a bittersweet moment. img1000(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFhoXKXXoAISuHs.jpg) "The Real Folk Blues" is an ever satisfying 2 parter that pulls the impossible job of ending a series like this perfectly. Every character's arc comes to a satisfying conclusion as the show signals the beginning of the end. Drawing the curtains to a classic unlike anything we have ever seen before or will ever see again. One final word to end it. One final moment to cap off an extraordinary journey of space cowboys and cowgirls. img1000(https://i.imgur.com/ZnNU5gJ.png) Watch this show if you wanna treat yourself. Don't expect the world from it, that's disgustingly low. Expect more. You won't be disappointed. And well, if you are disappointed by the end of it then... img1000(https://media.tenor.com/50ICKs2LWDQAAAAC/whatever-happens-cowboy-bebop.gif) Now it's just me, depression and a folder with 5000 screenshots of Faye.