Cowboy Bebop is a series that needs little introduction. It hit the world with a bang a little less than ten years ago and made its mark as one of the landmark titles of the twenty-first century.

Taking place in the year 2071, the series follows a group of four bounty hunters (and one dog) as they make their way through space in search of the next big hit. Spike Spiegel is a former member of the Red Dragon crime syndicate. Laid-back and reckless, he places little value on his own life as he believes he already died when he faked his death to get out of the syndicate with his syndicate sweetheart (who did not show up to leave with him). Jet Black was once a cop of the Inter-Solar System Police. He lost one of his arms during his years as a cop and now sports a cybernetic one. The owner of Bebop, he is the one that has to take care of the rest of his crewmates. Faye Valentine is a woman with no recollection of her past. She is extremely attractive (and knows it) and a compulsive gambler. However, within her tough exterior lies a lost child who frantically wants to find out more about her past. Edward is the ‘oddball’ of the crew. She (yes, she) regularly shows symptoms of ADHD, but she is also the extremely talented computer hacker of the ship and is therefore anything but dead weight. Finally, Ein is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. A dog. However, he is far from a normal Welsh Corgi; his brain has been genetically enhanced in a lab, making him an abnormally intelligent canine who is capable of doing things such as using the internet and answering the telephone (despite not being able to speak in human tongue).

Cowboy Bebop is mostly episodic in nature. The majority of the episodes stand alone from the others as they usually revolve around one specific bounty and the measures they take to capture it (which they usually fail at). However, this is hardly a drawback since Cowboy Bebop is very character-driven. Each of these episodes reveal new things about the characters and gives the audience deeper insight in the world of Bebop. There are also very story-oriented episodes that are scattered throughout the series. You will see as Spike’s past catches up to him as he faces the Red Dragon syndicate once again. Jet will meet former partners and former lovers as well as come back to the cause of how he lost his arm. More of Faye’s past will be revealed, and Ed will meet her father.

Despite its almost ten years of age, Cowboy Bebop still has technical qualities that rival even today’s best series. From watching Spike unleash his martial arts techniques to watching a fast-paced gunfight, each action is done with waterlike fluidity. The repeated use of previous frames (if any) is virtually nonexistent in this anime. This is one series that they took very good care of.

Of course, who can talk about Cowboy Bebop while ignoring one of its most famous aspects: the music? For an anime, Bebop deviates from the typical J-pop music and instead throws in a lot of Western genres: jazz, blues, funk. And what a good choice they made! Yoko Kanno is the genius behind the music of Bebop, and she absolutely delivers. Bebop would simply not be the same series if they decided to insert J-pop music in there. From the adrenaline-pumping opening song, “Tank!,” to the slower, more mellow ending song, “The Real Folk Blues,” Kanno proves to the world that she is a master at her art.

Cowboy Bebop is a timeless series that I will be watching over and over again. Without question, this is my favorite anime series of all-time. I can’t say if it will be yours, but I encourage you to try it. I’m sure you will at least come back for more.

See you space cowboy

Tags: Anime Review, cowboy bebop, japanese animation

Category: Series Reviews