So I decided to go for reviewing 4 Seinen anime in a row, and I've had this in my drafts for a quite while now. But I KNOW I will get flack and lose credibility for this review. The Knockin' on Heaven's Door movie will be a separate review. Fanboys, prepare your tantrums.
Story:
Before watching this anime, my expectations for Cowboy Bebop were astronomically high, pun somewhat intended. Having known this cult classic's reputation, I was sorely disappointed to find out Cowboy Bebop is an episodic series, something that was conveniently left out in every review I had come across (I don't really like episodic shows). I was expecting this epic space opera tale filled with drama and complex characters, which Bebop only fully delivered the latter. A lot of this anime's story goes something like, "There's a new bounty on a criminal!" "Let's catch him/her!" Stuff goes wrong, fights ensue, then things look up, the problem is (somewhat) solved, and in the end, the crew gets (almost) nothing. Episodes that do not involve trying to catch a criminal usually involve the antics of one of the crew members, something which the writers must have had a lot of fun coming up with. Occasionally, some other stuff is sprinkled in, mostly involving someone/thing from one of the crew's past. This is where the main theme of the show comes in, as every crew member gets at least 1 episode dealing with their past and how they handle it. This method of storytelling left much to desired from me, because for every great and very enjoyable episode, there was one that made me feel very annoyed and facepalm a lot. And there were only about 10 "plot" episodes in the whole series. However, the anime did keep me interested by ending the episodes in a way that most people wouldn't expect. This was probably the most interesting part of the show. The narrative of Cowboy Bebop does not ever do the "info dump" many sci-fi series are guilty of. Because of this, the writing may seem "masterful" but for me, a few times I spent the first few minutes of an episode wondering just what was going on. Once again, maybe I just wasn't "mature enough" for this anime. Cowboy Bebop makes the unique genres of Space Western and Neo-Noir work together exceedingly well, which is probably what contributed to this anime's popularity. As for the ending, I don't think I could have written a better ending to this anime. It's just one of those where it lightly hangs in the air, waiting for its full effect to sink in. It felt like everything was tied up in the story, but not in the "fast-forward" way others shows end.
The Score:
Averaging the 8 numerical values for the categories listed above, I give Cowboy Bebop a 7.8/10 and my teal flag (Come at me, fanboys!) Because of the episodic nature of this story, I don't think it's ideal to marathon this all at once, unless you like that sort of thing.
Story: 7.0 Characters: 8.2
Art: 8.5 Animation: 8.8
Voice: 8.8 Music: 9.3
Execution: 7.6 My Enjoyment: 4.2 (Yeah...that low)
For similar anime, (not going to be mainstream here) I suggest an anime that's 25 years older than Bebop, Lupin III, another episodic show about a rag-tag team (this time of criminals, haha) and one of the inspirations of Cowboy Bebop. If you liked the westernized, jazzy style of Cowboy Bebop, I suggest Baccano, a rip-roaring ride with lots of action and equally memorable characters.
NEXT REVIEW: Fruits Basket (claps hands in glee)
Cheers,
~Selena
Last Updated: 12 September 2014
Originally Published: 5 September 2014
Before watching this anime, my expectations for Cowboy Bebop were astronomically high, pun somewhat intended. Having known this cult classic's reputation, I was sorely disappointed to find out Cowboy Bebop is an episodic series, something that was conveniently left out in every review I had come across (I don't really like episodic shows). I was expecting this epic space opera tale filled with drama and complex characters, which Bebop only fully delivered the latter. A lot of this anime's story goes something like, "There's a new bounty on a criminal!" "Let's catch him/her!" Stuff goes wrong, fights ensue, then things look up, the problem is (somewhat) solved, and in the end, the crew gets (almost) nothing. Episodes that do not involve trying to catch a criminal usually involve the antics of one of the crew members, something which the writers must have had a lot of fun coming up with. Occasionally, some other stuff is sprinkled in, mostly involving someone/thing from one of the crew's past. This is where the main theme of the show comes in, as every crew member gets at least 1 episode dealing with their past and how they handle it. This method of storytelling left much to desired from me, because for every great and very enjoyable episode, there was one that made me feel very annoyed and facepalm a lot. And there were only about 10 "plot" episodes in the whole series. However, the anime did keep me interested by ending the episodes in a way that most people wouldn't expect. This was probably the most interesting part of the show. The narrative of Cowboy Bebop does not ever do the "info dump" many sci-fi series are guilty of. Because of this, the writing may seem "masterful" but for me, a few times I spent the first few minutes of an episode wondering just what was going on. Once again, maybe I just wasn't "mature enough" for this anime. Cowboy Bebop makes the unique genres of Space Western and Neo-Noir work together exceedingly well, which is probably what contributed to this anime's popularity. As for the ending, I don't think I could have written a better ending to this anime. It's just one of those where it lightly hangs in the air, waiting for its full effect to sink in. It felt like everything was tied up in the story, but not in the "fast-forward" way others shows end.
Characters:
I do give praise to the characters in Cowboy Bebop, as every one of them is unique and not lazily written. They all have their deep motivations for why they do what they do, and it's usually isn't a cliche reason. The best part about this is as you see more about the characters, it becomes more interesting to watch their dynamic, them growing and reacting to their surroundings, because everyone is so non-cliche. Every member of the Bebop crew is very likable and has a fleshed-out personality, with Spike being effortlessly smooth and cool, Jet being a (reluctant) voice of reason, Faye being the strong female lead with no romantic feelings for Spike (shocker), and Ed being ridiculously enigmatic and childish, but never annoying. Even Ein had his moments of being very necessary to what was going on throughout this anime. It's because everyone aboard the Bebop is so different from one another, this rag-tag team feeling did push the story into many great moments and episodes. They highlight each other's flaws, but also make each other stronger, despite all their bickering. Secondary characters are usually in only one episode each, because this is an episodic series. Characters siding with our protagonists usually change by the end of an episode, and the "bad guys" were all unique, mostly memorable, and fun to watch get chased down by the Bebop crew. The real bad guys, Vicious and the Red Dragon syndicate, made interesting antagonists, despite their roots in western movie cliches. They were threatening, but not enough that it becomes the focus of the show. All the character designs were both unique and creative, which brings me to my next point...
Art:
I really do have to tip my hat (if I was wearing one right now) to the art style of this anime. It's very 90's, while having its own unique style. Yes, it very much looks like anime, but the style is also westernized, blending the two in a beautiful harmony. The one thing that Cowboy Bebop really left an impression on me is that the art (actually, most of this anime) is undeniably stylish and unique. I really loved how all the sci-fi elements looked gritty and realistic, while the aspects closer to present-day were incredibly detailed, almost as if the animators took real buildings and setting and transformed them into anime. The art perfectly blends the western and sci-fi elements in a way I would have thought would never have worked.
I do give praise to the characters in Cowboy Bebop, as every one of them is unique and not lazily written. They all have their deep motivations for why they do what they do, and it's usually isn't a cliche reason. The best part about this is as you see more about the characters, it becomes more interesting to watch their dynamic, them growing and reacting to their surroundings, because everyone is so non-cliche. Every member of the Bebop crew is very likable and has a fleshed-out personality, with Spike being effortlessly smooth and cool, Jet being a (reluctant) voice of reason, Faye being the strong female lead with no romantic feelings for Spike (shocker), and Ed being ridiculously enigmatic and childish, but never annoying. Even Ein had his moments of being very necessary to what was going on throughout this anime. It's because everyone aboard the Bebop is so different from one another, this rag-tag team feeling did push the story into many great moments and episodes. They highlight each other's flaws, but also make each other stronger, despite all their bickering. Secondary characters are usually in only one episode each, because this is an episodic series. Characters siding with our protagonists usually change by the end of an episode, and the "bad guys" were all unique, mostly memorable, and fun to watch get chased down by the Bebop crew. The real bad guys, Vicious and the Red Dragon syndicate, made interesting antagonists, despite their roots in western movie cliches. They were threatening, but not enough that it becomes the focus of the show. All the character designs were both unique and creative, which brings me to my next point...
Art:
I really do have to tip my hat (if I was wearing one right now) to the art style of this anime. It's very 90's, while having its own unique style. Yes, it very much looks like anime, but the style is also westernized, blending the two in a beautiful harmony. The one thing that Cowboy Bebop really left an impression on me is that the art (actually, most of this anime) is undeniably stylish and unique. I really loved how all the sci-fi elements looked gritty and realistic, while the aspects closer to present-day were incredibly detailed, almost as if the animators took real buildings and setting and transformed them into anime. The art perfectly blends the western and sci-fi elements in a way I would have thought would never have worked.
Animation:
Cowboy Bebop is one of the last anime series to be made entirely by traditional cel animation, drawing each and every single frame by hand. But for it's time, the animation is incredibly fluid and consistent throughout the entire series, something which was a problem for other shows using the same animation method (cough Evangelion cough). Heck, I'd even say the animation quality of Cowboy Bebop is equal to, if not greater than some of the stuff that's being made today, 16 years later. All the action is as effortless as Spike's fighting style, and the animators took great care in making sure everything in this anime looked realistic, somewhat gritty, and absolutely amazing. Only very few clips of recycled animation were used, and the only ones I can think of are when the Bebop flies through hyperspace and those yellow gates. Clearly Cowboy Bebop had a large budget, and it was used to its full potential by not skimping on animation.
Voice:
This is a no-brainer, but I say watch Cowboy Bebop dubbed. Part of the reason this anime is so famous here in the west is because of its amazing dub. While it actually took me a few episodes to get used to the voices, especially when a new member of the crew was introduced, the dub quickly grew on me, but did did hit a few bumps in the road here and there. Steve Blum is probably most well known for playing Spike, and the same can be said about Wendee Lee playing Faye. All the voice actors clearly had a lot of fun dubbing this, and they gave it their all and it payed off. The script is witty, the delivery for all the actors was (95% of the time) pitch-perfect, and added to the style and overall feel of the anime. The dub just feels so much more stylish, while reading subs usually just give you the raw translation. With a western prime audience in mind, Bandai made sure this dub was of the best quality, and it is one that is considered the best dubs in all of anime. Even Shinichiro Watanabe, the Japanese director, says the English dub is better.
Cowboy Bebop is one of the last anime series to be made entirely by traditional cel animation, drawing each and every single frame by hand. But for it's time, the animation is incredibly fluid and consistent throughout the entire series, something which was a problem for other shows using the same animation method (cough Evangelion cough). Heck, I'd even say the animation quality of Cowboy Bebop is equal to, if not greater than some of the stuff that's being made today, 16 years later. All the action is as effortless as Spike's fighting style, and the animators took great care in making sure everything in this anime looked realistic, somewhat gritty, and absolutely amazing. Only very few clips of recycled animation were used, and the only ones I can think of are when the Bebop flies through hyperspace and those yellow gates. Clearly Cowboy Bebop had a large budget, and it was used to its full potential by not skimping on animation.
Voice:
This is a no-brainer, but I say watch Cowboy Bebop dubbed. Part of the reason this anime is so famous here in the west is because of its amazing dub. While it actually took me a few episodes to get used to the voices, especially when a new member of the crew was introduced, the dub quickly grew on me, but did did hit a few bumps in the road here and there. Steve Blum is probably most well known for playing Spike, and the same can be said about Wendee Lee playing Faye. All the voice actors clearly had a lot of fun dubbing this, and they gave it their all and it payed off. The script is witty, the delivery for all the actors was (95% of the time) pitch-perfect, and added to the style and overall feel of the anime. The dub just feels so much more stylish, while reading subs usually just give you the raw translation. With a western prime audience in mind, Bandai made sure this dub was of the best quality, and it is one that is considered the best dubs in all of anime. Even Shinichiro Watanabe, the Japanese director, says the English dub is better.
Music:
The opening theme, "Tank!" has lent itself to be one of the most iconic anime openings of all time, being a) instrumental and b) as stylish and jazzy as the rest of the show. In case the title of this anime didn't clue you in, almost the entire soundtrack is inspired from jazz or classic western movie music. Even some of the episode names are classic American rock songs (Bohemian Rhapsody) or albums (Toys in the Attic). Yes, this does lend this anime "cool" points, but the sheer number of tracks in the OST (93!!!) means that you won't hear a lot of them very often. There are a few exceptions, like the music box theme whenever Spike's past came up. Some songs are slow, some are quick, some are sad, and some are kinda goofy. Yoko Kanno has proven that she can compose a completely amazing soundtrack, and this is one of her most famous works. The first ending theme actually wasn't that impressive, but the second ending theme, used only for the last episode, had my mouth gaping open by how it matched the tone of the show's ending perfectly. It very much reminded me of "The World of Midnight" from Black Lagoon.
Execution:
I failed to recognize while I was watching this anime that it was designed to appeal to a western audience with its episodic storytelling and not being like typical anime of the time. While most seasoned anime fans and critics regard Cowboy Bebop as a "cult classic," the two words I would use to describe this anime are stylish and westernized. I don't think Cowboy Bebop necessarily failed, I just went in with the wrong mindset and impressions of the show. In other words, Cowboy Bebop's reputation precedes itself, but not by a long shot. Sure, this anime passes style with flying colors, but it seemed to me at first to lack the meat and potatoes, aka an overarching rich story. But I am one to agree this would make a good (but not the best) first anime and a great way to get fathers or brothers into anime.
The opening theme, "Tank!" has lent itself to be one of the most iconic anime openings of all time, being a) instrumental and b) as stylish and jazzy as the rest of the show. In case the title of this anime didn't clue you in, almost the entire soundtrack is inspired from jazz or classic western movie music. Even some of the episode names are classic American rock songs (Bohemian Rhapsody) or albums (Toys in the Attic). Yes, this does lend this anime "cool" points, but the sheer number of tracks in the OST (93!!!) means that you won't hear a lot of them very often. There are a few exceptions, like the music box theme whenever Spike's past came up. Some songs are slow, some are quick, some are sad, and some are kinda goofy. Yoko Kanno has proven that she can compose a completely amazing soundtrack, and this is one of her most famous works. The first ending theme actually wasn't that impressive, but the second ending theme, used only for the last episode, had my mouth gaping open by how it matched the tone of the show's ending perfectly. It very much reminded me of "The World of Midnight" from Black Lagoon.
Execution:
I failed to recognize while I was watching this anime that it was designed to appeal to a western audience with its episodic storytelling and not being like typical anime of the time. While most seasoned anime fans and critics regard Cowboy Bebop as a "cult classic," the two words I would use to describe this anime are stylish and westernized. I don't think Cowboy Bebop necessarily failed, I just went in with the wrong mindset and impressions of the show. In other words, Cowboy Bebop's reputation precedes itself, but not by a long shot. Sure, this anime passes style with flying colors, but it seemed to me at first to lack the meat and potatoes, aka an overarching rich story. But I am one to agree this would make a good (but not the best) first anime and a great way to get fathers or brothers into anime.
My Enjoyment:
Because I went into this anime with such high expectations, my enjoyment was hindered very much so. As I clicked on the next episode, I kept telling myself, "Okay, this is it. We're actually going to see some overarching plot or an entertaining episode." only to be disappointed 25 minuted later. I'm a bit hesitant to call this anime "overrated," but again, I just think my problem was that I went into this show with the wrong mindset. Sure, there were plenty of entertaining episodes, but there were more that had disappointed or just made me feel weird (not in the good way). The creativity involved for the more slice-of-life episodes is remarkable, but I can't help but feel a sort of grudge against this anime for "letting me down." Sure, I could go back and watch this series again (with the proper mindset) but I think my enjoyment of this series was ruined from the moment I caught wind of this anime's extreme reputation. Cowboy Bebop is the kind of anime to just pick up an episode or two, kick back, and relax. Enjoy the memorable characters, creative episodes, vast soundtrack, and the excellent dub. But don't watch it because "You're not a real anime fan if you haven't seen Cowboy Bebop hurrr hurrr." That is NEVER a good reason to watch an anime, and if anyone says something like that to you, tell them to shut up.
Because I went into this anime with such high expectations, my enjoyment was hindered very much so. As I clicked on the next episode, I kept telling myself, "Okay, this is it. We're actually going to see some overarching plot or an entertaining episode." only to be disappointed 25 minuted later. I'm a bit hesitant to call this anime "overrated," but again, I just think my problem was that I went into this show with the wrong mindset. Sure, there were plenty of entertaining episodes, but there were more that had disappointed or just made me feel weird (not in the good way). The creativity involved for the more slice-of-life episodes is remarkable, but I can't help but feel a sort of grudge against this anime for "letting me down." Sure, I could go back and watch this series again (with the proper mindset) but I think my enjoyment of this series was ruined from the moment I caught wind of this anime's extreme reputation. Cowboy Bebop is the kind of anime to just pick up an episode or two, kick back, and relax. Enjoy the memorable characters, creative episodes, vast soundtrack, and the excellent dub. But don't watch it because "You're not a real anime fan if you haven't seen Cowboy Bebop hurrr hurrr." That is NEVER a good reason to watch an anime, and if anyone says something like that to you, tell them to shut up.
The Score:
Story: 7.0 Characters: 8.2
Art: 8.5 Animation: 8.8
Voice: 8.8 Music: 9.3
Execution: 7.6 My Enjoyment: 4.2 (Yeah...that low)
For similar anime, (not going to be mainstream here) I suggest an anime that's 25 years older than Bebop, Lupin III, another episodic show about a rag-tag team (this time of criminals, haha) and one of the inspirations of Cowboy Bebop. If you liked the westernized, jazzy style of Cowboy Bebop, I suggest Baccano, a rip-roaring ride with lots of action and equally memorable characters.
NEXT REVIEW: Fruits Basket (claps hands in glee)
Cheers,
~Selena
Last Updated: 12 September 2014
Originally Published: 5 September 2014
I think I heard somewhere that you should've watched it in media res style, starting with episode 5, Ballad of Fallen Angels, then start from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteAlso, here's this awesome thing.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPbBhvv6GI8