Anime Review: Cowboy Bebop

 This was made for Maglomaniac, on February 28, 2014

“OK…..3, 2, 1, let’s jam!”

Every once in a while, a form of media or pop culture comes along to either set the standard of the genre it represents, change the face of the genre itself, or even break the conventions a genre sets.  Sometimes, it’s a serial television show, an animated film, a music video or song, a game show, or even a professional wrestling angle or a video game.  I never once thought that Japanese anime could be capable of such a feat.   When you have classics like Gigantor, Speed Racer, Detective Conan, The entire Dragon Ball franchise, Voltron, The Gundam Franchise and the like, you have an idea as to what type of subject matter gets covered.  It’s probably science fiction, fantasy, martial arts, or whatever.  In the grand scheme of things, the show or movies themselves are pretty much limited to their own realm of existence as an animated piece of work that doesn’t try to tap too deeply in the real.  Of course, that’s how one who hasn’t really done their homework on anime would approach it.  If you have done just a little or a good amount, you realize that anime can offer much more and has over the years.  In fact, with these genres in anime, you can see a level of depth in the content provided, covering ideas and philosophies in life, specifically Japanese culture.  Then, Shinichiro Watanabe made a 26 episode anime series that dared to be more than the standard conventional anime.  It dared to do the impossible.  It was the first and possibly only anime series that could double as a live-action serial, with captivating episodes, characters, and stories.  It makes up an eclectic mix, guaranteeing a one-of-a-kind experience.  Of course, I’m talking about Cowboy Bebop, which is quite possibly the greatest anime ever created.  Yes, better than the old, and better than the new.  I say quite possibly only because this is an argument that has been held on a number of occasions by those who are and aren’t deeper in the know.  I’m not that deep in, but I know a great series when I see one.  This is one of those series.

Here’s the breakdown of the series, as generally as I can put it.  In the distant future, the universe has become open to space colonization, with more and more humans born and living on other planets.  There are various nuances that have become part of civilization including hyperspace travel from place to place like a highway or a freeway.  One of the key nuances is bounty hunting.  Like the days of the “Wild West”, bounty hunters have stepped in to apprehend dangerous criminals that the authorities are on the lookout for.  That brings us to the crew of the Bebop, a space ship run by former police officer, Jet Black.  With a cybernetic arm and a nose for crime, he joins our main protagonist, Spike Spiegel.  Spike comes off as a lazy guy who smokes, sleeps, and complains about the lack of food to eat due to lack of funds.  However, what he hides is even more compelling, including his combat abilities, his shady past, and the people he knew and how he can’t avoid a brutal confrontation with them.  As the series progresses, three more people join the crew.  One is Faye Valentine, a card shark and bad gambler who also has a mysterious past.  She is also very hard-headed and pushy, reinforcing Spike’s feelings towards women (or so we think).  Another is a young child named Edward, who happens to be female.  Don’t let the demeanor fool you, though, as she has a knack for computers.  Lastly, we have Ein, a “data dog”.  He is much smarter than most give him credit for, knows how to communicate with others even if they don’t listen, and holds some pretty confidential info.  For 26 episodes, they hunt bounties together, and by doing so, more gets uncovered about their pasts, their ideologies, and their ability to cope as a unit, or family.  

The first thing that grabbed me about this series was the music, really.  The different musical styles used to convey the tone of the show was an excellent choice.  Primarily there is a lot of jazz on the show.  However, for every specific episode or so, they use a musical style connecting to a common theme or character in the show.  A lot of kudos and congrats goes out to Yoko Kanno for her amazing ability to compose an episode.  

The next thing that grabbed me was the general tone of the show.  The humor was clever and dry at times.  It wasn’t too serious, but when it was, it kept the tone of seriousness very well.  I never thought that Edward was a problem for the show being the silly little child that she was.  The show still holds up pretty well even when she has a minor role in some episodes.  The pace of the show was pretty decent as well. 

I wish I could say more about this show but I can’t.  One reason is because I don’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t seen it.  Another reason is because there has been much said about this series already that I haven’t even covered.  All I will be doing is regurgitating the same old stuff.  I’ll put the bottom line on it by saying this: if you ever wanted to see that one anime that stands out as a classic, this is that anime.  You won’t go home unhappy, unfulfilled, or such.  If you have this series, watch it all again.  It’s worth it.  If you have never seen it, get to watching it.  Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.  It’s the perfect balance of drama, action, and comedy.  It very well is the only anime that could be a live-action serial with little to no changes being needed.