Cowboy Bebop is often considered one of the greatest anime of all time. I’ve considered watching it for a long time, but I never really got around to it until recently. And now that I’ve finally watched it, I regret not watching the show sooner, not only because it was a good series, but also because I think that if it had been one of the first anime that I watched I would’ve liked it a lot more.
Story:
The story takes place all over the universe in the year 2071. Cowboy Bebop’s story revolves around four main characters, Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, and Edward. They are all bounty hunters aboard Jet’s ship the Bebop. My main issue with the series as a whole is how the story is told. It’s told in a way that makes every episode seem like a small stand-alone story. The series was too episodic, and there were very few episodes that actually felt connected to each other. That being said, my favorite episodes were the ones that focused on the backgrounds of the characters, even though an overall plot really didn’t connect all of them. I just wished that Cowboy Bebop had a more focused narrative.
Animation:
I’d heard nothing but good things about the animation in Cowboy Bebop; but, since it came out in 1998, I wasn’t sure how much I would like it. I’m glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the animation. There were times where I thought, “Wow, this was made in 1998?” But there were other times where I thought, “Yeah, this was made in 1998.” Overall, the animation is solid throughout the entire series.
Sound:
The sound in Cowboy Bebop is one of the best parts of this series. The whole sound track has a soulful and jazzy vibe. The only issue I have with the sound is that the only songs that you hear multiple times are the songs of the opening and ending. This isn’t really a bad thing. The opening and ending are both really good, but there are just so many good songs you hear throughout the series that I wish that they would’ve used more often. Most of the songs are episode specific, so the music definitely fits the overall themes and tones of the episode, but you’ll probably never hear those songs again throughout the entire series.
Characters:
The characters are the most interesting part of this series. They all and have totally different personalities, and reasons for becoming bounty hunters. All of them have a mysterious past, which they are either not willing to talk about or just don’t remember. As I said earlier, my favorite episodes in the series are the ones that focus on the backgrounds of the characters. This is partially because these episodes feel the most connected in terms of an overarching narrative, and also partially because I found those episodes the most entertaining. Spike’s background episodes in particular had the some of, if not, the best action scenes in the entire series. There are also several supporting and side characters in the series, but you usually won’t see them in more than one episode. This is fine because during that one episode that they are in their entire story or reason for being there is explained pretty well.
Enjoyment:
Like I said earlier, I think that if this had been one of the first anime that I’d ever watched I would’ve liked this series a lot more than I do. Don’t get me wrong, Cowboy Bebop is an entertaining series, but it has a very episodic format that took away some of the enjoyment for me.
Verdict & Breakdown:
Story: 3.4/5
Animation: 3.5/5
Sound: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Enjoyment: 3.5/5
Verdict: 3.7/5
Even though I don’t think this series is a masterpiece, Cowboy Bebop is a classic anime that is definitely worth checking out.
Favorite Episodes: Ballad of Fallen Angels, Hard Luck Woman, and The Real Folk Blues Parts 1-2.
