Reviews

Cowboy Bebop. Cowboy Bebop. Cowboy Bebop. If there was any anime that I heard such raving reviews about more than Cowboy Bebop, I don't know what it is. People were telling me right and left that Bebop was the best anime ever. So, I finally had to check it out. I did. And my final opinion: it was really good. It is pretty easy, though, for me to write my likes and dislikes about the show. First, dislikes, I'll just get it over with. The episodic nature of the show. I have never really been a fan of episodic shows, sure they add great character development to the show, but I have a sense of longing, waiting for something, like the story, that never comes, or doesn't satisfy me. Though now that I understand the show much more, especially the themes of longing and alienation, it is fitting that a show sort of holds the viewer to the same expectations as the characters. Something that has made me love the show even more.

Now, here comes what I liked about the show. The characters and the music. If I loved anything about Cowboy Bebop, it was the music. The intro song, Tank!, does exactly what I think an intro should do: get the viewer excited to watch each episode, which it did and more. The outro, on the other hand, The Real Folk Blues, does exactly the opposite. It is filled with a sense of melancholy and longing, which was also perfect. After a couple episodes I felt the loneliness of many of the characters and the outro perfectly captured my emotions. I was so impressed by the music that I looked up who was in charge of it, Yoko Kanno, and I just wanted to give her all the praise in the world. The last time I heard a soundtrack so amazing was after Silent Hill 2. It was that great.

The characters also make Cowboy Bebop what it is. Spike, Jet, Faye and Edward (you too, Ein!) were a joy to adventure with. They each had drastically different personalities, something I love, and had their own interesting stories to tell. Learning their back stories was like a punch in the gut and made me fall for each character even more.

All and all, Cowboy Bebop is a show that deserves all the praise it gets. I don't hold onto this show maybe the same way that others do, but I admire and respect its craft. I'm sure after more time has passed and I rewatch it a couple more times, I will love it as much as some others do but until then ... See You Space Cowboy.