Cowboy Bebop

I think its quite saddening that I don't have anything better to do than writing a review. On christmas! However, this really needs to be done at some point, and while other people are eating cookies, I'll do this one: Cowboy Bebop Review Mk II. New and improved, rated by my new guidelines!

First of all, yes, I still dislike Cowboy Bebop, and even without rereading it I still remember the opening phrase from my first review. I'll refrain from it this time though, because at some point I stopped caring about whether I like that particular anime or not, I just want to give a ... fair rating.

Story is for me defined by its Main Plot, the setting used, as well as the execution of the storyline.
First, for the main plot. The most episodes are without any relevance to the main plot. They neither help to develop the cast, nor do they illustrate the setting. They are filler. Nothing more, and nothing less. And to be perfectly honest, I don't think its a viable option to spam filler after filler without even explaining what the anime is about. When I first watched this anime I lost interest after a mere 3 episodes and dropped it (For reference, by now I watched this anime like 3 times only for review reasons). But without filler episodes, what is actually left? A story which couldn't be more cliche. A story of two former friends, who fell in love with the same woman.
Revenge, bloodlust... The usual stuff.
As for the setting: To be honest, I don't have the most experience with science fiction, but I feel like this is one of the worst tries. The Ring travel system doesn't make sense in the slightest, nor do the spaceships. The first thing that comes to mind is Spikes space ship, the SWORDFISH II wouldn't be able to even navigate in space. Much less in the atmosphere. Well, crash and burn, Spike. I guess.
Execution: I think I already mentioned that Fillers before the story isn't exactly the best way to hook the audience. As for the main story, I already said that it's a rather cliched one (everything beyond that would be spoiler). Well, you get the picture.
So overall: We have a B-Movie storyline, sprinkled with fillers (1/3), a logically flawed setting (1/3), and a rather bad execution which never hooked me up (1/3). Overall 4/10 for the story.

Next is the Artwork, which not just considers the Artworks for the characters, but also the background, as well as the fluency of animation (especially during battlescenes).
To be blunt, compared to other anime of that time Cowboy Bebops artworks aren't anything bad. They do their job just fine without being groundbreaking or breathtaking.
The backgrounds on the other hand are rather often undetailed, and I can even recall scenes in which parts of the screen were whited out (without being flashbacks). This leaves the animation, which is as always in Watanabes works, quite flashy, but only style and no substance. The choreography is pretty bad.
Summing it up: The character artworks are up to par (2/3), while the backgrounds and animation are quite lackluster (1/3 for both). Overall 5/10 for art.

For the sound I rate the voiceover (japanese dub only), as well as the OST/BGM, and the OP/ED. So, lets kick it off with the Voices. I don't really like the japanese cast, which, in my opinion, fail to express any feelings their characters might have. Without the video and subs I couldn't imagine whether the characters are sad, happy or whatever. Overall a pretty bad performance. The english cast on the other hand was pretty damn good, and I have to give credit to them, this is one of the best dubs I know. As for the OST I wondered why I couldn't remember even a single track. After rewatching an episode I knew: Because there is next to none OST most of the time. The few OSTs presented are more to underline the plot, but on their own don't really pack a punch. Lastly, the OP/ED Themes. I don't really like Blues to begin with, but I don't really feel like the theme fits Action-headhunter stuff too well. It felt more like some detective story or the like, at least to me. As for the ending 'The Real Folk Blues' fits way better and brings closure to each episode.
Final scores for sound: Bad japanese cast which produces no feelings (1/3), next to nonexistant OST with forgettable tracks (1/3), and a mediocre OP, but okay ED (1/3).
Sums up at 4/10 for sound.

Characters should preferably have some catchy initial designs, good relations with their surroundings, and a good development. which is why I rate characters in there 3 categories.
Initial designs: I don't think that Cowboy Bebop reinvented the wheel with their characters, but they fulfill their purpose. Jet as that cop who left the police to deliver justice on his own, the more or less sexy girl, and the easygoing main lead.
Unfortunately I never felt like they had any relations with each other. None of their interactions with each other, but also with the surroundings felt real to me, because basically they had no counterparts they could greatly argue with.
As for the development, quite honestly, I don't think that any of the characters had great development. Thinking bad I can't recall much of a development to begin with. The Spike from Episode 26 will act like the Spike from Episode 1. Or 4. Or which episode you want to choose.
Same goes for most other characters, with only Faye being the exception.
So overall the characters are rather disappointing, especially since they started with promising designs (2/3). But their Interaction was nonexistent (0/3), and the development was poor (1/3).
Overall 4/10 for the cast of Cowboy Bebop.

Enjoyment. Well, thats something everyone should decide for themselves. For me at least its a 1/10. Why? Because I answered these questions honestly:
How much did I like the seen episodes (0-3)?
How much do I want to see the story continue (0-3)?
Would I recommend it to someone? (0=no, 1=yes)
Would I watch it again, just for fun? (0=no, 1=once, 2=muiltiple times)
Quite honestly, for me the obvious answer is No, no, and No! And No!

Overall: Well 3,6 is pretty... bad. I don't like it, but if you do... Feel free to do so, thats called taste.
Tl;dr: Forgettable story with lot of flaws and filler, acceptable artworks, rather weak OST and voiceovers, and a weak character development.

I'm always open for feedback, thanks in advance!

To start with, I want to point out that I don't understand the glory this anime gets. I watched it because of the "No way!! You didn't watch Cowboy Bebop?!". This can surely ruin one's experience with a show. So please, when recommending an anime, don't hype over it so much, that raises the expectation of the watcher and he might get into this mentality where he is just trying to point out anything he dislikes. At least this is what's happening here with me.

While I watch this anime, I feel like "And?". Where is the story going? Most episodes feel like they aren't contributing ... to anything. The characters are very well introduced, we get a good background of their life. Yes, I didn't complete watching it, but I believe that if the plot doesn't seem to be going anywhere after watching half the anime's episodes, then it's not worth my time. It felt like I'm watching fillers.

It's one of those three:
1. It's very slow paced and everything becomes clear in the last episode/s.
2. It has an open ending.
3. Both 1 and 2, very slow paced and has an open ending.

I always had this thought just before starting the next episode "Maybe we'll get to understand something in this episode". Some people said "Maybe you're not a fan of the classics.", I still don't know what "the classics" mean, and I doubt that will change my opinion..

DISCLAIMER: This isn't a professional review. It's MY review.

First of all, let it be known that Cowboy Bebop is an episodic anime. This changes the whole scope of the piece, as it's goal is completely different from those of more traditional ways of storytelling. And so, it shall be interpreted and criticized as such.

To put it briefly, if you heard of Cowboy Bebop as a classic, a masterpiece, and as such you are expecting a coherent plot with well-written characters - you're in for a wave of disappointment.

As with most stories told in an episodic fashion, depth and complexity are often compromised, as the main scope of the show is to ... provide individual episodes with their own complete stories. But, when done right, these separate encounters can really add to the whole, creating a strong story and interesting characters, while still delivering short stories with their own charm. This is NOT true for Cowboy Bebop.

A main, overarching plot is almost entirely missing. What we do have are maybe 4 episodes worth, all of them being poorly written and shallow - REALLY shallow. It's difficult to truly criticize it without giving out spoilers, but it's just bad. A villain that we don't understand, much less care about, paper thin in every single possible way, made to look "edgy and badass". Kids will love it. Shallow foreshadowing of events of the past, that turn out to be the most generic and uninteresting of stories. Main characters that are more like stylish mannequins rather than actual human beings. All tied to a bunch of inconsistencies and forced storytelling. The "laid-back" atmosphere is done the wrong way, often ignoring and ridicularizing certain plot points, and then later on bringing them back to become relevant plot points that drive the story. A good example is the fact that their ship is constantly getting shot, over and over, and nothing happens. Later on, they trade a few shots with a little group of thugs and "Oh my god, look at the ship, it's all destroyed! Now I need to get it fix and turn this into the driving point of this entire episode". That's just a random example really, what I'm trying to say is that these things happen all the time. It's fine when it's supposed to drive other laid-back episodes, but when this goes into the main plot-line, it's a huge problem. The show tries really hard to make it's characters look "cool", like a 14 year old would try to describe what a "badass" character would be. Spike himself can be described in 3 sentances: "smokes cigarettes", "is troublesome" and "wears big shoes". There's literally nothing else that adds to the character, no more depth than that. Oh, wait, I almost forgot! He has fluffy hair. The anime won't go on for 2 minutes without someone having to light up a cigarette. "Oh, there are people shooting me? Wait a sec, lemme light up my cigg" is what Spike boils down to. He may look stylish and unique - but he's still shallow and forced. I'm not saying these are bad things or that they comprimise the show - just that it's a ridiculously failed attempt to give depth to shallow characters - resorting to forced style. And this is why Bebop is a failure when judged as a whole - it's incoherent, cheap, and, above all, shallow. Cigarettes and jazz won't fix a bad show.

Besides all that, we obviously need to talk about the main thing when it comes to episodic storytelling - the short stories themselves. This is most likely what will determine if you like the show or not, given that the main thing these shows try to acomplish is delivering meaningful episodes that can be watched and enjoyed individually. This is why the previous paragraph doesn't excuse Bebop from being good - it could have been good as a whole, but it doesn't really need to. It's an episodic anime, so we shall judge the short stories as well, as they can and should be the selling point here. This is where it may get a bit subjective - even though I believe in objectivity when reviewing things, when we are talking about humor and attachment, it can get a bit complicated. So, instead, I'll just give my personal opinion - it's atrocious. The comedy wasn't funny, the exagerated facial expressions all the time aren't really my thing. The short stories were meaningless, generic and formulaic. It's Stardust Crusaders S1 levels of bad (don't mind me, I love JoJo regardless). There wasn't a single positive thing that I can say about them, I just didn't enjoy them at all. Actually, I did like one of them - Cowboy Funk. But the rest, argh. My philosophy is that a bad piece doesn't come from the negatives - it comes from the lack of positives. And, really, I just don't see why anyone would ever like these short stories.

With that being said, I still didn't give Bebop a 1, did I? Look, it's a 4. There are two reasons for that. First, the anime is unique and atmospheric. Second, the last three episodes were really well executed (well executed, still poorly written, mind you). If the last three episodes weren't as good as they were, in fact, I'd be glad to give Bebop a 2. Everything was handled in a mature way, the ending is just the way I love endings, there's some emotional build up and resolution, and it's all stylish - really stylish. Don't get me wrong though - those episodes are a resolution on top of bad writing from 23 other episodes, and have to carry the weight of shallowness (how paradoxically poetic, wow!) of all it's characters. In other words, it doesn't fix the show in any way, but gives me the feeling it could have been great had the show been given more depth. Also, all the style in the world won't cover it's negatives and lack of positives. But hey, it did get the show from a 2 to a 4.

I kinda get why someone would like Bebop. If you like the short stories, maybe cause you have a fetish for space cowboys, maybe cause you find it hilarious somehow, maybe cause style is higher in your priority list. Whatever the reason is, if you like the short stories, I can see someone liking the whole. I mean, as I mentioned, it's an episodic series, so having enjoyable short stories is enough to make it enjoyable. That may lead to further attachment to the characters (undeserved attachment that is, cause this doesn't excuse the fact they're shallow, mind you), which may lead to a some overlooking of the show's flaws, which may lead to a biased 10/10 review on MAL. Are you wondering if you'll enjoy Bebop? Just watch a random episode, out of context, and see if you enjoy it. Cause you won't get much more than that. If you like it and look forward to rewatching that through 25 other episodes - go ahead and give Bebop a try, you'll like it. If you find it uninsteresting and lacking, you'll hate Bebop for sure. But, hey, it's a classic - you have no choice here. You have to watch it.

TL;DR: No amount of cigarettes and jazz can fix a bad show.

Painfully Overrated:

Cowboy bebop has a lot of charm, likeable characters with interesting personalities, very nice visuals, a cool world that is a refreshing spin on the sci-fi genre and some fun moments here and there. However 'personality' isn't enough to keep me invested in a show.

I need a real storyline with an overarching plot, character development and stakes. Unfortunately Cowboy Bebop doesn't seem to offer that, instead it follows the slice of life saturday morning cartoon structure where each episode feels disjointed and most of the episodes are essentially sidequests that don't relate to any main plot aka filler.

I quite enjoyed the first ... handful of episodes but I found myself getting really bored and would only recommend this show to those that are just looking to switch their brain off and watch something in the morning while eating their breakfast before school.

You've got be in a certain time at a certain place to appreciate Cowboy Bepop. It's sense of cultural mismatch doesn't excuse it's lack of identity. It pushes style over substance because there is no substance. It's constant homage to everything and anything muddies whatever originality it has.

But at the same time, cowboys in space sounds cool right? Freeform jazz is cool too. Martial arts are cool. Are these the reasons the anime became so famous? Or is it because the 90s meant it had to be viewed on television at whatever time the channels chose to air Japanese cartoons, meaning that the sense of ... disconnect was covered up by genuine disconnection? Is it because it was the only good looking anime that could be watched - in English - without cringing?

Perhaps it's my fault I didn't like Cowboy Bepop. Maybe it's because I chose to marathon it, going 3-4 episodes a day? Maybe it's because it's old? Maybe I'm simply not the target audience? During the duration I gave Cowboy Bebop, I was constantly trying to puzzle together why I didn't like it. Maybe it'll get better, I figured.

The thing is that any logical conclusion I could think of didn't make sense. Other 90s anime include some of my all time favourites like Neon Genesis, Revolutionary Girl Utena and Serial Experiments Lain, so it's definitely not my lack of tolerance towards it's age. I've marathoned tons of shows, and if anything, that tends to make me enjoy them more. I love sci-fi.

When I finally came to my senses, I finally rejected the idea that Cowboy Bepop is good. I accepted my own opinion, piercing through the thick armour of everybody else's, fuelled by rampant nostalgia and shielded by being overly sympathetic to the show's age.

With most (x)-of-the-week shows, you figure out quite quickly whether you'll like them or not based on 1 or 2 episodes. I liked Bepop at first, I loved it's sense of style, with a Blade-Runner-like noir universe and fun jazz. But every episode had exactly the same format, with no connections between episode - no hook to make me care. The 20 minute runtime of the show meant that they nose-dived into introducing whoever they chase, they chase them and then they get paid. The action sequences were so drawn out that there wasn't any time for fickle character development or an underlying plot.

Every single list discussing the best characters in anime includes one or two of these characters. After 16 or so mundane episodes, I just couldn't figure this one out. They're bland. Their interactions are cold and sterile with little chemistry. A sense of family was forced upon you, but it only served to remind how stereotypical and cliche Jet's caring side is. Faye's design makes her nothing more than sci-fi modified fanservice, and her character has very little going on inside. Ed is annoying.

And then we come to Spike, who serves as the show's hero. He's a generic Marty Stu, who's too cool to care about.

Cowboy Bepop amazes me, it really does. The aura of perfection is has, built solely on fond memories of small TVs and awkward schedules, is impressive. But if you take it out of context, the facade falls down. Cowboy Bepop is weekly trash and nothing more.

I gonna be honest with you and I watched all the episodes and it was so unengaging. It must have been one of the best anime of its time but it totally failed to impress me.

All of the characters (except Jet and Faye) are dull and lifeless especially the stereotypical bounty hunter and gangster spike spiegel. He is a wasted character who tries to be compared to Bruce Lee and Lupin the third and Steve Blum's voice acting makes him sound like a creepy pedophile.

Enough the animation and music pull's me in it still make's itself a overrated example of corny neo noir ... and western shows that go really bad over time. Even though I like to respect your opinions, this critic is going full swing on how truly awful this anime is.

So in my final verdict I give it a 0 out of 5 for being less than mediocre and more tightened up with a hell load cat shit. For all those professional critics and strong fans who it's perfect we'll it's not and nothing is not my own and and not your opinions too. They call it the greatest anime well I call it when you just get of the toilet after having a horrible stomach ache.

When someone ask for recommendation, Cowboy Bebop is often in the list. A classic, loved by many.
Still, many of these classics did not really stand well to the test of time and this show is among them.

When i finally got around to try cowboy bebop, boredom and disapointment were what i experienced.
It's an average show (or even under average), by today standards. The plot in particular is not well written, it's all over the place due to the way the story is constructed. Several important characters lack exposure and seem flat and i couldn't find in me to care about them at all.
i powered throught ... 2/3 of the story before finally calling it quit. I wasn't having a good time. At all.
The look of the show and the music are still good, some fights are still decent but i really can't see why it's still recommended to new fans.
There's value if you're curious about anime history or can enjoy good music (which honestly slaps) but if you're there for an anime worth your hours of free time, look elsewhere.

---------------------------------------SPOILER FREE

I usually dont write reviews because if the show is good i just enjoy it and if the show is bad i just ignore it... but its been long since a show ending was so stupid that made me angry..

CB in general is a story with no real meaning behind it more than show the adventures of the most incompetent ream i've seen since Team Rocket, they fail on almost every job making every episode a repetition that make you facepalm over and over and over again.

Sometimes they throw some flashback about characters but that's it, they dont really go deeper than that, until ... you reach episode 25 and suddenly the story matters and they rush it so bad that the amount of story wholes they leave behind is so big that make me regret starting to watch this show in the first place and i dont wanna even start to talk about how the story ending developed.

I really entered this show with positive hopes and ended up disappointed in a way i didnt think possible. I can now say i really REALLY dont understand what people like about this, it really doesnt deserve the 8 it has, not even a 5 and if im really realistic not even a 4.

i really wanted to like this show and even when i was half way through and i wanted to drop it because of how unentertaining it is, i didnt because i really thought i was gonna finish and at least say "you know what, after all, it is not a bad show" but i cant, i really cant.

Dont watch this show, not even because you wanna say "yeah i watched it", is not even worth that.

"Masterpiece", "Classic", "thoughtful",...
these are all thing i heard about this anime but it really turned out to be just an over-hyped garbage, i have never been so disappointed, it really had the potential to be a masterpiece

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS

There are so many things wrong in this anime from story telling perspective and character development perspective

The biggest mistake is that this anime is an episodic anime, it really shouldn't have been that way
the reason being there is no overall plot, in the irrelevant episodes nothing adds to the story
let me make it more clear
...
In the anime "Violet Evergarden" the overall plot is learning about human emotion and in the last episode Violet is finally able to feel emotion so the anime being episodic makes sense, or
in the anime "Monster" it's about finding the root of evil so all those experiences the protagonist goes through will impact The decision the hero has to take so it's okay for it to be episodic

But in Cowboy bebop there is no overall plot, the last episode had nothing to do with the previous episodes, and the big problem is the confrontation between vicious and spike, it could have been 10000 times better, we know nothing about the villain, all we know is that spike was in a war with him a long time ago and we learn that with 2 second flashback that he has!
this is so awful, the villain is literally apparent through the entire series for about 5 minute!
who the hell is he? why Faye was so scared of him? why everyone keep saying he is colder than ice? we NEVER see anything from him to believe he is the cruelest of them all

There is also a problem with character development and characters themselves, who in the world thought making a retarded kid whose legs and hands move randomly a main character, is a good idea? i can not stand that fucking kid, the most annoying character i've ever seen, i hope she suffers in that desert
the next badly written character is Julia; the girl, the woman spike couldn't stop thinking about, the angelic demon, the demonic angel, surely we get to know about her personalit... don't waste your breath she only appears for about 5 minute

and i hate the opening song, it's probably the worst op i have ever listened to

In overall 20 minute of this anime is good and that 20 minute is good only because of the soundtrack!
just watch episode 5 and 26, those are the only good episodes

** Minor spoilers alert **



Story (2/10) | This was the thing that, other than friends recommending me to watch this, made me start watching Cowboy Bebop: bounty hunting in space. I really love the idea, it is different and really creative, but unluckily it was poorly executed.

The first episode is really good. It starts off great and there's lots of action. Then I moved on to the second episode and again, I was impressed. Then I moved to the third one and I started getting bored. Why? Because I had just seen the same thing three episodes in a row, just with different animation. We ... don't get an introduction to the story, just 1 hour of Spike "working" (I put it in quotes since when he goes bounty hunting he fails miserably really often).

I'm not asking that at episode three I should know every single detail about the plot, but I want to at least know what the characters are trying to achieve, I want a reason to care about them. I'm no professional critic, but I'd say that this is really poor writing since, until episode 20, all we get from Cowboy Bebop, excluding a few decent/really good episodes, is filler.

As a result of all this filler, the story has a really slow pacing. We get a few details about the actual plot of the show about 5 episodes in and nothing else until the last episodes, which is a thing that is unjustifiable for a show that has a mean rating of 8.78 and holds the 26th place in the "Top Anime" section.

There are a few exceptions, though. Faye's backstory episodes were really good and they are my favorite ones (which is why I rated the story a 2/10 and not 1/10). The last episodes are well written, but unfortunately they feel quite rushed as 6 episodes are simply not enough to develop the entire story.

Characters (3/10) | The cast of this show revolves around four characters: Spike, Jet, Faye and Ed.

I'll start by saying that I think they have some chemistry, they make for a slightly above average cast when you put them together, but when you look at them individually they are plain, one dimensional characters.

I'll start by talking about Spike. I don't get why he receives this much love from fans of Cowboy Bebop. Is it because he smokes? Is it because he says "cool" (edgy would be more appropriate to be honest) stuff all the time? Is it because he has a cool design? Is it because he is considered the most "philosophical" character of the show? I don't know. A show is not philosophical because the main character says stuff with a relaxed but intimidating voice while smoking a cigarette. Just no. The only things that we know about him is that he was involved with the mafia, that he fell in love with his brother's girlfriend and that he's stupidly good at fighting, and it makes no sense. I'm okay if the main character is really strong, but not as strong as he is. Don’t get me wrong, there are shows that manage to create an awesome show even if the main character is overpowered, but what Cowboy Bebop wants you to do is empathize with the characters. Do you empathize with Spike? Are you some kind of god-like martial arts fighter? I’m pretty sure that the correct answer for both questions is “No”.
He can't be killed, just lightly injured, he can get out of dangerous situations with ease and a really laid back attitude, almost as if his life wasn't on the line.

Then comes Jet. He is the "mommy" of the group. When Spike makes a mess, he is always there to clean up after him and save his ass. He is an okay character. Even though he might seem really rude he's a gentle giant, and deep down he is really kind and cares for his friends. Plus his backstory episode was really detailed. Faye, on the other hand, is a bitch. Despite being my favorite character (mainly because of her backstory episodes which were just amazing), she is completely unnecessary. All she does is bounty hunting with Spike and Jet, then steal what they earned together and leave for a few days/weeks, then come back and repeat. She doesn't serve any real purpose development of the story. She doesn't have any particular abilities and could have been left out in my opinion. All Jet and Spike do with her, they could do without.

I particularly hated Ed. Not as much as Spike, but I still hated him a lot. Spike, Jet and Faye went to Earth and Ed happens to live there. After he met them, he just asked if he could join their group. First of all, he joins the cast in the middle of the show for absolutely no reason. Why is this? We don't know, I assume he just... liked them (?). Then they were like "No, fuck you", but he forced them to take him with them. What? No, that's just not how it works. This is just a forced way to introduce a new character. You may be thinking "But at least he serves a purpose, right?". Yes, he does. Too bad he is a deus ex machina. Bad situation is happening on the spaceship? Don't worry! Ed the Genius is going to do some computer stuff and everything will be okay!

Also, he screams way too much. Annoying, boring and poorly written character.

I'm not going to talk about Julie and Vicious. They get very little screen time and it'd be just a waste of time.

Ein is... cute, I guess?

Sound (10/10) | I can't judge the voice acting unfortunately, I haven't seen either the Japanese or the English dub.

Not everything was bad about the show, though. The soundtrack was absolutely amazing, and probably Yoko Kanno's best work. Jazz music with traces of blues, bop, swing, and other genres. This is really good stuff, absolutely nothing to say about the sound department. Just perfect. One of my favorite OSTs.

Art (9/10) | The art is old, but it's still solid even compared to today's standards. I really liked the retro-futuristic style that was adopted. Together with the dark color palette, it contributes to give the show this decadent look which fits really well with the sad vibe and the feeling of "being lost" the show gives off. Just like for the sound department, I have nothing to say, it's amazing.

Enjoyment (2/10) | What can I say? Apart from backstory episodes, and a couple "normal" episodes, I was bored all the time. I've never felt sleepy watching anime, but Cowboy Bebop managed to make me pass out. Unfortunately for this show, in my rating story and characters are worth way more than sound and art. The creative side of the show was amazing, the rest was a complete mess.
This show is probably the most disappointing anime I've ever watched.

Value in % of each category:
a. Story: 25%
b. Characters: 25%
c. Sound: 5%
d. Art: 10%
e. Enjoyment: 35%

Final rating (weighted): 3.35 -> 3 (rounded)

Thanks for reading! Hope you liked my review.

This show offers absolutely nothing. Just an overhyped mess of a show where the creator trying to be deep but failing miserably at it. Because nothing of substance actually happens in the show. There's no reason for me to care about any of these characters because even after watching 76 percent of the show, I don't know anything about these characters. Heck even the live action offered me a better experience.

As a Jazz fan, I am insulted by this show.

If any Bebop fans read this review, their exact words will be "That's the POINT of the show! That nothing happens!". Womp Womp you ... pretentious douchebags.

100% style, 0% story. Seriously, I never knew why the characters were doing anything, there seemed to be no overarching story and no story to speak off in the induvidual episodes. They just sort of roamed around space and did stuff impulsively without clear motivation as to why. Some concepts, world lore and character backstories was introduced but they didn't do anything with it and in the end it didn't really matter.

It didn't feel like there was some greater goal except making enough money to eat. I can already experience this in my own life so why would I want to see a depressed ... group of people do the same thing but in space?

I was bored watching this, didn't feel like there was anything to be invested in. The only thing this gets points for is the artstyle.

So I really tried to like this show. I have a couple childhood friends that love it but dont really give much of a reason why, they just swear by it so i gave it a go. Mind you, im typically into anime that illicit some kind of emotional reaction whether is laughter, crying, goosebumps from action or anger from characters making misakes.

This anime did not get much of a reaction at all. I might have chuckled a couple times at the most. Theres little to no background music, the action is short lived and not very nice to look at, its on angel beats ... levels of boredom. If it show doesnt turn up the intensity or give you something to look forward to or build up tension in the first 6 to 12 episodes then why keep coming back.

Its a space western basically the mandalorian without the comedy, the beautiful action sequences, or the aesthetic. I was falling asleep through almost each episode. And its a shame because usually old but gold anime like this have something very redeeming about it whether its the action sequences, the drama, or the comedy, and unfortunately it doesnt compare to anything modern. The underlying plot doesnt reveal itself im sure till over 12 episodes in which for something with one season is a crime!

Coming from someone who watched this show recently I can say that this show was more than mildly disappointing. With all the hype I expected something interesting. The plot, I don't know what the overarching goal is so, I can't make a comment. Spike is just awful I hate Spike to the umpteenth degree Spike has no value other than that he's the main character, its the exact same with all the other characters, except for the dog. I didn't enjoy this show but, you might if you like Sc-Fi with no actual brain and just jargon to explain events.

*Next Episode Preview*
"An anime that was delivered to the bebop with no return address. Because we wanted to view the tape, things took a turn for the unexpected. Well actually it doesn't go anywhere, at first glance the story is pointless, the action is on a small scale and the ending is forced but then again what conclusions will you draw from it?" - Jet Black

Next episode: I don't give a shit because there is nothing to look forward to in this anime, the story; I kid you not, actually made me fall asleep TWICE. A total shitfest of forgettable side characters and unintriguing world-building ... completely carried by its OST & iconic opening theme song. The characters were so underdeveloped and lacking in substance that I didn't cry or feel anything when any of them died, Vicious is also just a one-dimensional villain who is bad for the sake of being bad. Oh-but the "vibes" and "aesthetic" and "it's a classic" please look in the mirror...

The fact that I even got through this entire slogfest is a miracle, I usually get swayed by public opinion alot, like if an anime gets really high ratings and I watch it, I would give it a rating higher than I thought it was. But Cowboy Bebop was such a let down, I just can't lie about my feelings. So yes, it is banal and it is overrated.

EDIT: While this review is very surface-level, given I wrote it back when I first got into in the medium, I still feel relatively the same today.

Don't understand the hype. Except the music and style it was super boring.
The ''deep meanings' and ''symbolism'' don't hit if that is ALL there is. Each episode felt like filler with maybe 1 good scene.
Julia is insufferable. Her final scene has zero impact. You can't honestly tell me you care this much about such an empty character that you get no exposure to. Even if it impacts Spike, as a viewer, it doesn't hit. Her presence was more annoying than anything else.
Spike was a an amazing character until they decided to strip all the good stuff off of him and literally make ... him into an air-head who is completely useless and suddenly seems to have lost all his brain-cells.
Ed is just...there. Only actually active in like 2 episodes and then get's a terrible resolution. It literally made no sense. Why would Ed leave with someone who clearly doesn't care if they are even there?
Fay was cool until you realized that she follows the same formula every.single.time.
Justice for Ain. He deserves his own show. Had more charisma and character than any of the other 4.
Vicious is just an empty villain in his peak emo phase.
I understand that for it's time it was a masterpiece but the plot is not cutting it. Sorry.
It had so much potential to be amazing, but it wasn't. You have those amazing characters and beautiful animation with great music and yet it STILL ended up feeling like staring at wall-paint dry.

Imagine this show but with the soundtrack replaced with a compilation of Hannah Montana's B-side tracks and you'll realize this show is all style and no substance. The soundtrack carries it a bit but the plotline itself is incomprehensible. The characters are shallow and all seem to hate each other yet the show wants you to care about them and their relationships. It reminds me of those Family Guy episodes where the characters blabber a bunch of vitriol at each other and then MacFarlane has them smile as if to say 'it's all good, I still love you' and expects the audience to buy into ... it. A truly dogwater show that didn't deserve the work of Yoko Kanno.