Cowboy Bebop Episode 26 Discussion

What did you think of this episode?

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Nov 24, 2023 1:58 PM

#601

chensek1

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Nov 2022

You're gonna carry that weight.

Dec 1, 2023 4:07 PM

#602

Tikii10

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Jan 2021

NICE LAST EPISODE

Dec 5, 2023 7:45 AM

#603

UncleWinkleDink

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Feb 2023

It's a great anime. The melancholic tone that it commits to throughout most of its episodes, the dynamics between each of the characters, and the hard-hitting emotional moments that ring out for each character as the past torments them in some way. It's beautiful.

But, it's also incredibly overrated. While these moments are great, since the show plays like a loosely connected series of individual episodes certain episodes are downright mediocre or straight up bad. Take for example the alien episode. We don't gain anything from it, the characters aren't understood any more, it has no effect on the narrative, and besides that I personally didn't find it entertaining since it's beat for beat an homage to Ridley Scott's Alien. The mushroom episode is a less offensive example, it adds to the varied emotional palette of the show and allows the writers to embrace some of the wackiness, but again, it doesn't do much for the characters, which are kind of core to the experience.

I'm not saying every episode needs to advance some grand plot - that's not what Cowboy BeBop wants for itself, but remove the episodes which seem like wacky filler and replace them with scenarios that play well individually AND in the greater context of the series. Perhaps the characters bond more over specific events and it plays an important part of their bond, so skipping any episode would be like reading between the lines of a classic novel. Episodes like the one with Andy are a prime example of this. It's a great, entertaining episode, which great character work on Spike, and the relationship between Spike and Faye. It speaks to the unspoken attraction between the two and leans into the love/hate dynamic they have. I just wish more episodes *mattered* in the grand scheme of things - if the episode doesn't service the characters or evolve them whatsoever, and doesn't service the plot (which is definitely the lesser of the two problems, but, still) then what I'm watching feels like filler. I think the show would be better with a tighter episode structure and more focussed writing.

Also, even some of the better episodes have underwhelming sub-plots. Take for example Faye's Beta Tape episode, where Spike and Jet are travelling all over to locate a Beta Player and Faye is... betting on horses. The episode is mostly really good, but when you're not watching that visceral, entertaining stuff about the tape and Faye's past, it can feel a little uninteresting. A sub-plot with Faye doing something that resembles her old self to convey that despite the memory loss, she hasn't really changed, or, more in line with the show's tone, a plot where she's doing something that demonstrates her feeling of being lost through some meaningful interactions with new characters or something of the sort. It just makes the episode feel a bit flatter that it needs to be; there could easily be more to it, more actual *writing* to really drive home the emotional moment at the end.

Don't get me wrong - it's a great show. I love the way things end up, the conclusion for each of the characters. I love the moments that are core to the characters and their development and with a bit of tightening up on the writing front and less redundant episodes, it would be one of my favourites. Still great nonetheless. 8/10

Dec 6, 2023 5:21 AM

#604

fit_whale

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Jul 2022

i think it could have been better if we got more of spikes lore and if we gat like a 1 min of the crew in the end

Dec 10, 2023 8:56 AM

#605

ForgotEyeWasHere

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Feb 2023

270

This was a somewhat disappointing finale. The final fight between Spike and Vicious had potential, but the battle was way too short and felt rushed through. Finding out Spike hates cats isn't too surprising, but it does make me like him even less. It was quite predictable that both Spike and Julia were going to die. However, the raid on the syndicate building was entertaining, even if it was short, and the few visuals in the Spike vs Vicious fight were good too.

Dec 10, 2023 9:06 AM

#606

Kolalad

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Dec 2023

Reply to ForgotEyeWasHere

@ForgotEyeWasHere

The fight of Spike and Vicious was never meant to be the focus of the final episode. It seems you missed the point of the show.

KolaladDec 10, 2023 9:12 AM

Dec 23, 2023 4:10 AM

#607

Abeke

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Jul 2022

Man I actually cried at this during this second viewing. Jet and Spike's last laugh as well as Faye not wanting Spike to leave was so sad. I really appreciate this anime more now

Dec 23, 2023 7:28 AM

#608

cucuklumakarna

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May 2020

suba subarashiiiiiiiiiiii

Dec 28, 2023 1:52 PM

#609

turbothunda

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May 2023

Very profound ending. It is not your cliche happy ending where everyone lives happily ever after, which I do appreciate. In a way, I think it is still a happy ending for Spike as he is reunited with Julia in death and he does not have to carry any burdens anymore.

Dec 28, 2023 9:15 PM

#610

Sushiboys

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Dec 2023

Best anime ever? Watching it in the middle of the night alone makes you feel so melancholic. Remember when it was on Adult Swim, I'd wait for it to go on after inuyasha like 2 in the morning and would always be so tired at school the day after, worth it.

Jan 8, 3:41 PM

#611

dris_og

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Jul 2023

nothing but respect for the people who made this show, they really did it justice in the end, feelstrongman, but i wouldn't have it any other way

Jan 11, 11:19 AM

#612

galdirvostet66

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Jan 2024

Great finale to a great series! Have some thoughts but won't write any spoilers here.

Jan 20, 9:11 PM

#613

hi777

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Jan 2024

256

this show was a banger W spike W shinichiro watanabe

Jan 21, 10:48 PM

#614

KaramazovXIX

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May 2023

my god this is absolute peak in everything

Jan 23, 4:24 PM

#615

Sharoka

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Aug 2023

Best anime old very good animation sound top nothncjh cool super scoll super shy suyper seruious idol de chouno domeni teteinen uhhuuuuu cghovius bergamota

Feb 9, 8:15 AM

#616

Theta7274

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Jul 2022

A masterpiece no matter how you look at it. I've never cried at any movies or tv in the past because of lots of past things, expectations cause im male, etc. but this made me cry. The episode before this also made me just so sad, I didn't want any of them to leave and I didn't want this anime to end. One of if not the best ending I've seen in any anime. (it was so good i made half my mal signature a quote from it)

“𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐅𝐚𝐲𝐞. 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧, 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.”

Feb 14, 1:07 PM

#617

CesetEmir0

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Apr 2023

gerçekçilik dışı

Mar 11, 4:06 AM

#618

_untitled

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Jun 2021

2114

Oh, well, i'll still type a full wall of text, but anticipating understandable TLDR silent reactions i can just sum up everything, after every single watch and rewatch from 2006 (yeah, if i remember correctly, i wanted to scream at the television even if there was no debate already about my total enjoyment of the series) to 2024, simply with the following picture.

come on, Nabeshin himself has told "it's up to the audience to decide if he passed away or survived". What? The absolutely wonderful Blue end credits song exists to confirm that Spike is dead? The final freeze frame? He's just faking it waiting for Faye or Jet to rescue him, right? The fading star? It can be Julia's or even Vicious', why not?

...

Even leaving this debate on a side, Anastasia's return, Julia having so little screentime before being fatally shot, Faye's return all for nothing, the final dinner between Spike and Jet between bitter laughing moments, including the dish Spike wanted to eat during episode 1, "yeah, it's a good story" "i hate that story", and final confrontation with Faye. Damn.

10/10, and this is coming from someone that has always preferred high school comedies / romances and cute girls doing cute things. This is considered a masterpiece for extremely deserved reasons, characters, music, everything is in its right place.

"Everything is clear now... life is just a dream, you know, that's neverending... i'm ascending..."

Mar 23, 4:11 AM

#619

Ajanokoyna

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Oct 2023

What an anime. What a show, what a jazz. I am stunned and will definitely watch this again.

Mar 27, 11:04 PM

#620

red-tomato

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Mar 2017

1508

Too dumb to understand the symbolisms built up throughout the series, but the impact was certainly felt during the last few episodes.

An admin's dickhead Soul banned me from MAL t('v't)

Mar 30, 7:10 AM

#621

Slimdudejim

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Jun 2023

Tears running down my face knowing we will not get a season 2. Btw amazing ending im gonna miss this series

Apr 12, 1:18 PM

#622

sailorneptunelvr

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Feb 2024

what do you mean he died.. what do you mean he didnt stay with faye and jet what do you mean theyre not a big family all together what what what no this can not be how it ends i feel so sick

Apr 17, 11:57 AM

#623

TeeDeeHeeHee

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Mar 2024

Unbelievable and unparalleled.

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