Cowboy Bebop Review
No matter how many years have passed or how many anime have been released, there are always timeless Anime Classics. These legendary series are immortal in fans’ hearts, and the flames show no sign of dying out. Cowboy Bebop is a perfect example of such a series; having earned a special place in every viewer’s heart, it won’t allow any blasphemy against the series even now in 2021.
Cowboy Bebop is a science fiction anime that is its own source material. Studio Sunrise animated the television series. Honorable mentions to Director Shinichiro Watanabe, Screenwriter Keiko Nobumoto, character designer Toshihiro Kawamoto, mechanical designer Kimitoshi Yamane, and music composer Yoko Kanno.
Together, this unique production team created a twenty-six-episode series. TV Tokyo first aired it from April 3rd, 1998, to June 26th, 1998, then satellite channel WOWOW ran the complete series from October 23rd, 1998, to April 24th, 1999. Bandai Visual produced it. Bandai Entertainment held the early North American license, which was later picked up by Funimation and is now held by Crunchyroll. Falling under the genres of Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, and Space, it has also been heavily influenced by science fiction, westerns, and noir films. The most recurring themes that the series focuses on are adult existential boredom, loneliness, and the difficulty of escaping one’s troubled past.
Two manga series later spun out of the show: Cowboy Bebop and Shooting Star Bebop: Cowboy Bebop. Shooting Star even started serializing before the TV premiere, but it was still built off Sunrise’s original work, not the other way around. A theatrical side story, Tengoku no Tobira (Cowboy Bebop: The Movie), followed in 2001, and a short picture drama, Ein no Natsuyasumi, showed up as extra footage. The truncated TV Tokyo run was closed out by a recap special titled Cowboy Bebop: Yose Atsume Blues (Session XX: Mish-Mash Blues). That clip show is not the series finale; the real ending is The Real Folk Blues.
The initial run was messy, to say the least, where many episodes were left unaired. TV Tokyo parked it in a 6:00 p.m. slot, and the graphic violence did not fly there, so only a handful of episodes made it to air. But despite the violent nature of the series, satellite channel WOWOW took up the task of airing the entire uncensored series.
Though not as successful in its original run as it was in the long run, especially in Japan, Protagonist Spike Spiegel won the Best Male Character title. Megumi Hayashibara-san won the Best Voice Actor title for her role as Faye Valentine, the series' lead female, at the 1999 and 2000 Anime Grand Prix.
Despite its rocky start in Japan, the series was a massive hit in the United States. Adult Swim aired it for the first time in 2001, and owing to its success, it has aired multiple times since. The heavy Western culture influence was well received worldwide, especially amongst Americans.
This iconic series had the honor of serving as a “gateway drug” to adult anime in these countries. Many such people would get into anime starting from Cowboy Bebop and then consequently move on to other adult anime titles after tasting the great potential masterfully displayed in this series.
The series is set in 2071, a futuristic universe where humanity has finally managed to colonize many other planets and moons of the Solar System. As such, they have left Mother Earth behind, which has been rendered uninhabitable. A system as big as this needs its law and order; thus, the Inter Solar System Police maintain peace in the galaxy. The Outlaw Bounty Hunters, “Cowboys.”, aid the “ISSP.” The anime Cowboy Bebop centers around a crew of hunters who pilot the Bebop.
Initially, the crew is just two Cowboys aboard the Bebop, a ragtag team of Spike Spiegel and Jet Black who live their lives chasing down bounties and collecting their rewards. But their everyday routine takes a major turn when they eventually run into more of its future members on their travels. Terribly off course from the usual, the crew encounters thrilling adventures continuously, and slowly yet surely, each member’s dark and mysterious pasts get unraveled.
The series boasts high-density action, which is a delight to watch even today. The seriousness of the series is mellowed out and well balanced by its light comedy. A space western classic to date, and a true homage to all it derives from, Cowboy Bebop delivers on all its featured genres.
The opening is “Tank!” performed by The Seatbelts. The three ending themes are “The Real Folk Blues” by The Seatbelts featuring Mai Yamane from episodes 1 to 12 and 14 to 24, “Space Lion” by The Seatbelts in Episode 13, and “Blue” by The Seatbelts featuring Mai Yamane in the finale episode 26. All the music will take deep root in viewers’ hearts, never to be forgotten. An orthodox mix of blues, classic rock, and jazz will keep coming back, and the wave of nostalgia it evokes leaves a yearning for the series.
The characters of Cowboy Bebop are genuinely legendary in their short but impactful run. The main character Spike Spiegel is very cavalier but also mellow and carefree. Born on Mars, he is a tall, lean, muscular, and overall handsome 27-year-old man. He is compassionate at times under certain situations, but his dark and violent past is evident throughout the series.
His character is inspired by Lupin the Third for looks and real-world Bruce Lee for his fighting style. He uses the Jeet Kune Do martial arts style (a hybrid philosophy of martial arts heavily influenced by and adapted to the personal philosophy and experiences of Bruce Lee himself).
A cybernetic eye had surgically replaced his fully functional natural right eye; eerily enough, Spike remembers no such surgery and thinks he has lost it in an accident. The show makes a point of highlighting his left natural eye, which symbolizes his gruesome past with the syndicate, which he claims “only sees the past.”
In contrast, he claims his right cybernetic eye “only sees the present,” which also gives him exceptional hand-eye coordination for piloting, martial arts, and gun handling. His ending isn’t a classic “happily ever after,” as his final fate is left untold. In 2013, the director claimed that the theory that he was merely “asleep” is the most probable explanation.
Spike’s partner is the pragmatic and boisterous Jet Black. In contrast to Spike, he is a tenacious former cop with a diverse skill set. The level of corruption he witnessed in the Police Force led him to quit and become a Bounty Hunter. He is the “big brother” of the crew who is very protective of the Bebop.
Faye Valentine, the leading lady, is an icon among female anime characters. She is rebellious and quite capable on her own in terms of fighting, piloting, and gun handling. She has an unstoppable attitude, sarcastic and presumptuous, often seen drinking, gambling, and smoking with certain violent tendencies. While she has many trust issues, her cunning mind and independence make up for them.
Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV, nicknamed “Ed,” is a computer whiz, an elite hacker prodigy from Earth who is a girl. She is free-spirited, childish, energetic, carefree, and somewhat of an airhead “teenager” hiding a dark and solemn past behind her facade.
Ein is like the series mascot of sorts, a genetically engineered Corgi, brilliant, performing feats no other dog can ever hope to do. Throughout the series, he is shown answering the telephone, steering a car, playing shogi, and even operating a gaming device.
The animation is what one would expect from an anime from 1998, but it is in no way terrible. The animation has few inconsistencies. The voice acting and sound effects are all on par, in perfect rhythm with the story’s pace. The movement is flowing and natural, especially in fight scenes. The color palette is not very vibrant, and this dramatically complements the overall feel of the series. Added to it all is the astonishing detail in backgrounds and scenery, which gives this anime a surreal sense of realism.
The storytelling features standalone episodes or “sessions,” with the characters generally connecting them. One can watch any episode and still understand what is going on due to its straightforward nature. This execution is widely considered perfect because it led to significant character development and allowed everything to connect cleanly towards the finale. 10/10 great story and characters, all of which will be remembered.
In conclusion, Cowboy Bebop is an amazingly entertaining series. The balance of comedy and seriousness is just right, and the overall level of sophistication is almost unbelievable. Each character carries so much depth and such strong individuality that it is truly saddening that the anime did not continue.
The ending left many fans hungering for more and uncertain about the fate of their favorite characters. Ultimately, it all contributes to the anime’s dark, mysterious nature. A great watch, no matter how you look at it, a classic that will be well worth your time. Thus ends this review of the timeless series Cowboy Bebop. The final verdict is that it is highly recommended!
