Review: Cowboy Bebop
“Cowboy Bebop – the work that will become a genre in itself.”
Recently my wife and I watched Shinichirō Watanabe’s Cowboy Bebop. I convinced her to watch it after stating it was directed by the same man as Samurai Champloo, which is an anime we both loved. (No review for that one yet, it has been a while since I watched it.) So on my days off, we watched several episodes at a time until we finally finished the series.
The anime follows Spike Spiegel, a bounty hunter (called a “cowboy”) who is a former member of the Red Dragon Syndicate. As Shinichirō did with Samurai Champloo, the focus is more on the characters rather than any sort of ongoing plot. The crew aboard the Bebop consists of the owner and former ISSP Jet Black, a mysterious woman who can’t remember her past known as Faye Valentine, a data dog known as Ein, and a red-haired girl known as Ed. Each episode sees our crew either chasing the next bounty, scraping for money, or revisiting their past.
All four of our human crew members have very interesting stories in their past. Flashbacks from Spike’s Syndicate days spice up several episodes, but do not come to a meaningful point until the final two episodes. Faye has a scattered past she learns about through bits and pieces of Beta footage until her memory finally triggers and returns. Jet has several episodes concerning his past life with Alisa and his days in the ISSP, which details how he got his cybernetic arm. Ed’s past shows she was left at an orphanage, but does have a father who cares about her, though he is so absentminded he constantly forgets she is there. Ein has no past worth retelling and his identity as a data dog remains unclear, however it becomes evident he possesses advanced intellect and possibly has a mind similar to that of a computer. At one point he hacks into a security system even Ed couldn’t break through.
The anime quickly wraps up with the final two episodes with a showdown between the only real antagonist, Vicious, and Spike. Vicious is Spike’s old partner and rival in the Syndicate and makes a few appearances throughout the series. He is portrayed as a cold, calculating and, well, vicious man, high-ranking in the Syndicate. The last episode was very intense and ends the series with style.
As mentioned before, the plot is not very linear or themed, but a series of unrelated events strung together. Each episode focuses more on you getting to know the crew, introducing new characters, or learning about their past. I think this is a very different and, in some ways, refreshing way of telling a story. However, the show does not build much anticipation for the next episodes, with the exception being the final two. Don’t get me wrong, the story and the world within the anime is excellent and I loved it, but the way its told may throw some off. This is not your average anime.
Both Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo feature distinctive and unique soundtracks. The deep jazz and blues backdrop really sets off the dark and gloomy imagery used throughout the series. Not a huge fan of either genre of music myself, I truly enjoyed the theme throughout the anime and could not imagine a more suitable voice for Cowboy Bebop. After seeing the anime, I am considering buying the soundtrack just to listen to on my own time.
While this is an older anime, the style of animation is still crisp. The environs and atmosphere is dark, gritty, fitting for the world it depicts. The characters are well drawn, each with their own distinctive sense of style. Spike dresses well, but a little sloppy, fitting his personality. Jet wears clothes suited for work, while Faye barely wears anything at all, really. Ed lounges around in a tank top and shorts. The personalities play well off of each other, with Spike and Faye fighting much like siblings and Jet being the father figure who acts like he doesn’t care. Ed is always in the background and her antics truly make for some funny moments. Of all the crew, I think I like her the best.
After watching Samurai Champloo, I felt compelled to give Cowboy Bebop a shot. I had heard great things about it, but I am not really into guns and spaceships in my anime. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised and am now a staunch supporter. This will be on the top of my lists for all time. The memorable characters, seductive music, and engaging story behind each of the crew members really brings it all together. A must see, for any anime fan.
