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Random thoughts about why I love Cowboy Bebop. Massive spoilers obviously. (seriously, if you haven't watched Bebop, stop reading)

~ The story summed up in one sentence: A brief moment of time when a group of disparate misfits collided and lived together on a spacecraft hunting bounties across the solar system before parting ways.

Things I love:

~ The soundtrack, obviously.

~ How the first episode sets up exactly what kind of story this is. It encapsulates elements of every prominent genre in under 30 minutes, from action, western to comedy, and ends on a bittersweet tragic note foreshadowing Spike's own character arc, mirrored almost identically to the two bounties he is chasing in this episode.

~ I love how Faye doesn't join the crew immediately. What you normally get in TV shows, animated or live action, is an introduction to all the main characters in the first episode, but we don't get that with Faye and Ed. In fact, much like Watanabe's Samurai Champloo, Faye is resistant to sticking around, ultimately forced to by circumstance, until by the end of the show she has grown comfortable with the group.

~ I love how Ed doesn't even show up until episode 9. By this point, viewers watching for the first time are wondering who else might stick around in later episodes, or who might depart. It keeps things dynamic, being unpredictable like this. Again, very unconventional, considering the golden rule of TV writing is to show your hand in the first episode. You usually establish all the characters, the main antagonist, the 'precinct', i.e - script jargon for 'home base', in this case the Bebop ship, and the dominant themes, as well as ending the pilot episode with an unresolved question to ensure viewers tune in next week. Bebop defies most of the screenwriter's handbook of writing for TV. The first episode is just another day in the life of Spike and Jet, with a neat beginning, middle and end.

~ Every well-written story has many themes, but one dominant theme, which is usually articulated explicitly at some point in the story. In Cowboy Bebop I believe the dominant theme is camaraderie, and is articulated in the Jupiter Jazz arc of the story. This two episode arc is a crisis point for the Bebop crew as they're threatening to split up and scatter into different directions. Meanwhile we meet a character called Gren who we learn idolised antagonist Vicious as a comrade. Vicious does not believe in such a concept at all, and we learn he betrayed Gren. We also see Vicious' own subordinate die a pointless death for him. This is in stark contrast to the Bebop crew who by the end are reformed, as Jet allows Spike back on board the ship even though he returned empty-handed.

~ Something I strongly believe in: there is no such thing as an 'episodic' anime. There are only two types of story: a plot-driven story, and a character-driven story. I.e - a plot that drives the characters forward, or characters that drive a plot forward. Cowboy Bebop, for example, is a character driven story. Each episode illuminates the characters. If you're getting impatient waiting for a 'plot' to pick up in a character driven story, or think an 'episodic' anime is flawed because it 'has no story', then you're going to be left frustrated by your inability to understand the kind of story you're watching.

~ I love how there's no warp drive in this universe, just space gates. It allows tension and humour as the starving Bebop crew have no choice but to drift towards a planet with no food or fuel to aid them. Also: no aliens, which is what you'd usually expect with a story this epic in scope. (well, there WAS one alien...)

~ I love how there's no romance on the ship. Online I see a lot of fans wondering whether Faye had a thing for Spike and whether they'd have hooked up. My thought is: no way. There was never any attraction between the pair the entire show, because in fact the crew of the Bebop became a family. Spike and Faye interacted with one another like brother and sister. Jet was the father/mother figure to them all. Spike only had one woman in his life, and when she was taken from him he had nothing left to live for. Faye is emotional during the last episode because she knows she is losing her only family in this universe.

~ I also see a lot of theories about whether Spike lived or died. I've even seen rumour of quotes by Watanabe himself who doubted Spike's death. Sigh, come on people. Putting aside what a monumental copout it would be if Spike somehow shows up alive in a sequel, listen to the lyrics of the song during the end credits. The last thing we see is a star going out. I mean COME ON PEOPLE. Just let it go.

~ Also online: a lot of theories as to what happened to the characters afterwards. My take: there's no way Faye and Jet would keep bounty-hunting forever, it's not a lifestyle you can stick with for a lengthy period of time. I also don't see them working together for long either. When Spike left, the fellowship was broken.

I can imagine Jet or Faye running a bar on some planet somewhere though. Maybe Faye runs a bar, and Jet is a PI doing low-key gigs like stalking cheating wives, etc. I can imagine them crossing paths every few years, reminiscing over drinks about a guy they once knew.

I would love to see more stories set in that universe, but those characters' stories have been told. Leave them alone Watanabe, you only run the risk of ruining them. That longing that fans feel, that aching bittersweet yearning for more Bebop is painful, but it's by design, it means the story worked.

~ I love the movie too, it's so good. Incredible animation, arguably features the best fist fight in anime. Such a great choice to set it during the main show's timeline. Also a good idea to give Spike his most challenging antagonist, because honestly he didn't have many challenges in the show itself, other than Vicious and Ed's dad, oh and Mad Pierrot.