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Cowboy Bebop is an anime tv series directed by Shinichiro Watanabe and released in 1998. The series is made up of only one season consisting of 26 episodes. This neo noir space western follows the dysfunctional crew of bounty hunters aboard the Bebop. These being Spike Spiegel, Faye Valentine, Jet Black, Radical Edward, and Ein the Corgi. The show follows their many misadventures across the galaxy as they struggle to make ends meet and survive the hazards of their day to day lives. I had heard about Cowboy Bebop in passing for years but knew virtually nothing about it aside from the name itself. I discovered it had been added to Netflix while browsing recently, and I decided to check it out. I was hooked within the first 46 seconds of the first episode, and the series didn’t let me go until the very end. I loved Cowboy Bebop, and it has quickly become one of my all time favorite shows.
The overall story and structure of Cowboy Bebop is one I particularly like. The show is very episodic and has very little real plot at all. In fact, only 5 episodes out of the show’s 26 actually focus on the plot. The story mainly focuses on the conflict between Spike and the series’ main antagonist Vicious. The other 21 episodes are almost entirely standalone adventures. While certain plot threads do carry over from episode to episode, each one largely exists on its own. Not a lot changes in the grand scheme of things; they very much are just adventures that the crew go on. With the end of each episode seeing the setting return to the status quo. While some people may be turned off by the lack of a focused narrative I think Bebop excels without the heavy presence of one. It does so because each episode is fun and memorable. For a show with 21 episodic sessions you wouldn't be wrong to assume that many of these episodes would be boring, repetitive, or just unnecessary. In other words, “filler”. That’s certainly the case in most episodic adventure series. Even some of my favorites such as The Mandalorian and Star Wars: The Clone Wars fall victim to bad or just forgettable episodes. Cowboy Bebop completely bucks this trend. Every single episode in this series is memorable, fun, or impactful in some way. I honestly do not think this show has a single bad episode. There are obviously some that are better than others, and they aren’t all masterpieces, but I would be lying if I said any of these episodes were bad. At no point was I wishing an episode would hurry up and end because I was bored or not enjoying myself.
The world of Cowboy Bebop is one of the richest, most detailed, and most lovingly crafted ones I have seen in any media. This futuristic dystopian galaxy is full of life and personality. From the shattered and nearly barren Earth, to the advanced cities of Mars, each location is full of beautiful world building. The concept of a distant future where humanity has scattered across the stars is full of creative potential, and the show fully capitalizes on it. Despite this being a more advanced society, humanity is contained to fractured pockets of civilization across several planets with no one governing body. This creates a sense of lawlessness, and is part of why the show’s setting is often described as a futuristic wild west. The aesthetics and look of the setting actually have many similarities to the one seen in the Blade Runner films. However, the world of Cowboy Bebop has an entirely different personality and tone. It’s one that is filled with much more levity and is much more animated. However, these bright and colorful settings clash with the darker, more down to earth parts of the world. That being the ordinary people inhabiting it. While many of these characters are larger than life, they still deal with realistic issues. Such as loss, debt, and their sense of identity. Cowboy Bebop manages to perfectly craft a fun and creative world that still resembles our own under its vibrant exterior. It’s this setting along with the simple premise of the show that make these episodes work. Despite most of the episodes following a relatively similar formula, each encounter is different and memorable. The diverse set of characters, the incredible setting, the crazy fun scenarios, the dynamics between the main cast, and their own struggles keep the show, and these episodes, engaging and entertaining at all times.
The show perfectly balances its tone which flawlessly integrates crazy action, comedy, and even silliness with heavy, mature, and emotional subject matter. While episodes can contain both levity and seriousness the shift or inclusion of both never feels disjointed. Many of the episodes themselves are simply fun action adventures with not much to say under the surface. The audience just gets to enjoy watching these characters and whatever they might be doing. Other episodes can be very dark and existential, with deep mature themes. Both of these types of episodes and tones fit into the show perfectly. This is a real world similar to our own, and the characters' relatable issues help to enforce that. Their lives are filled with ups and downs, excitement and boredom, much like our own. This allows for us to enjoy the fun of a crazy dogfight in space, but we also get to sit in silence with the characters as they drift in space smoking a cigarette. Bebop is not afraid to be very slow and rely on its atmosphere and aesthetic. It’s clear that the crew of the Bebop has a mostly mundane life, with the episodes showing the moments of excitement for them. If there are no bounties for them to go after they don’t have much to do but sit around. The show isn’t afraid to just let these characters do nothing and let an episode breathe. Because of the incredible atmosphere and the characters themselves the show is never boring in these moments. This is also aided by the phenomenal score. The tone works because of the setting, characters, and score. And as a result this consistent tone works to improve each episode and it’s story.
The characters are one of the main aspects that make the whole show come together. Without them it simply wouldn’t work. These characters are fully realized people that we learn more about as the show goes on, as they reveal more of their pasts and personalities. The audience spends so much time with each character that they are fleshed out to an incredible extent. This creates a strong bond between them and the audience. Each one is likeable and relatable in their own way. They’re also very different from one another. They have different beliefs, personalities, attitudes, pasts, etc. It creates entertaining and realistic conflicts that are completely believable. It also allows the characters to form complex bonds with one another that are also very realistic. Not only are the characters relatable, they're incredibly fun to watch. They’re larger than life with tons of charisma and big personalities. Each one is iconic due to their signature look, identity, and the performances behind them. The incredible characters are helped greatly by superb voice acting. I watched the english dub of the show, and the performances by Steve Blum, Wendee Lee, Beau Billingslea, and Melissa Fahn are all perfect. They bring the characters to life and make them stand out even more. Their writing and voice acting mixed with the excellent character design creates an iconic, loveable, and entertaining cast of characters.
The animation is also top tier, and is some of the best 2D animation I’ve seen. There is some 3D animation mixed in but for the most part it is entirely 2D. The art style is incredible; the detail present in each character, object, and background is outstanding. The animation itself is incredibly smooth and at no point looks cheap or rushed. I kept waiting to find a “budget episode” somewhere in the 26 but I never did. Each episode is dripping with artistic personality, detail, and flair. The animation and art style go hand in hand to create something iconic and gorgeous to look at. The cinematography is also excellent. The breathtaking animation is made even better somehow by the great shots and framing of each scene. It keeps the show fresh and engaging by never presenting anything that I would consider boring or standard. One aspect of the animation I really love is how much detail is put into the simplest parts of each character. Like the way they carry themselves, sit, or lay down. Small details like this help to add to the overall experience, and show the love and care put into the show. This detailed and unique world is perfectly painted by the animation. It brings this universe to life and creates the iconic and artistic settings throughout the series. The animation also creates great action scenes that are well shot and choreographed. Action is unbelievably smooth and always looks satisfying and cool. Cowboy Bebop has some of the most consistently great animation I’ve ever seen, and certainly for a tv show.
Then there’s the score. The score of Cowboy Bebop is one of the best scores I’ve ever heard, and it’s one of the most praised aspects of the show. There’s no denying that without Yoko Kanno’s unbelievable score, this show wouldn’t be what it is. The score implements mostly jazz, with some western music, and the occasional licensed song. The score elevates each and every single moment of the show. The score works with the animation to fully establish the amazing atmosphere and vibe of the show. The music manages to perfectly compliment crazy fun action, and quiet, reflective, emotional scenes. The score is a core piece to Cowboy Bebop that makes it what it is. It helps it to transcend any particular genre and turn into something unique and completely unlike anything else.
Cowboy Bebop tells an incredibly emotional journey that often remains hidden under the surface. The many fun, light hearted episodes allow us to become attached to these characters, and have fun right alongside them. So when the show decides to get darker and focus on its more mature themes and concepts it hits so much harder. Spike, Jet, and Faye are world weary tragic characters, and their story is one filled with tragedy and heartbreak. When the plot kicks in it hits hard. It’s short but ultimately very sweet, and it can be surprisingly simple in terms of the events that occur. But thematically it’s very intricate. I didn’t even realize how attached I was to this world and these characters until the show began to wrap up. The episodic nature of each episode punctuated with the message, “see you space cowboy...” adds this sense of continuation to the show. Like it will always be there, with everything mostly returning to normal at the end of the day. So when the story begins to reach its end and the status quo is permanently changed it’s incredibly emotional. I wasn’t ready for the show to end, and I wasn’t ready to see the stories of these characters end. The finale of Cowboy Bebop is one of the most emotional ones I’ve seen in any show. This show is both heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. Cowboy Bebop is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and it hit me way harder than I thought it would. In my opinion Cowboy Bebop is a masterpiece.
Objective Score:
10/10
Personal Score:
10/10
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