Out of all the animes I have ever watched in my life, none has ever touched or graced the perfection that is Cowboy Bebop. For a lot of anime fans, including myself, it is probably the greatest anime of all time. It's my favorite anime of all time, but then why is that?
No, seriously, why? I ask that because the show from a critical point of view, Cowboy Bebop should not be that perfect.
For one thing, it doesn't follow an actual story. I mean look at we have here: a bunch of bounty hunters on a ship with no real goal other than to collect bounties. Are they trying to accomplish anything big? No, besides one of them is not even an actual bounty hunter but actually an androgynous little girl with excellent hacking skills. That's another thing, Faye only joins because she's a moocher and Ed joins because...(Insert Reason Here) and that's basically it. There is nothing else that these four try to accomplish in their time together.
...or so they don't think
You see here's my theory with Cowboy Bebop: The ship is a purgatory. These characters might think they have nothing in common but in reality that's not true. If anything, these characters have one huge big thing in common: They are all not at peace with their inner selves. I guess that's what the beauty of the series is. You are introduced to these characters and discover the kind of people they are and by the end you realize that they have finally discovered what has been plaguing them throughout the whole series leading to a climax that makes you want more but then again is overall a satisfying conclusion to great journey.
So in other words, while there is no real story to Cowboy Bebop, it's all the individual backstories that connect it all into one amazing tale. Maybe that's why I love Bebop a lot, and on top of this, the show gives us a presentation that is beyond unbelievable.
Cowboy Bebop's most significant trait is its ability to blend so many western genres into one. In one case, there is one episode that tributes Blaxploitation film and another that is a throwback to classic noir films, and the best part about all this that it's actually done extraordinarily well. Plus, for an anime that was released in 1998, visually it really holds up extremely well. Not only does Cowboy Bebop match its genre visually, but it also does it audio-wise. Yoko Kanno's status as one of the greatest composers in anime really shines here (in fact I believe that is the anime she is really known best for). For one thing, just like director Shinichiro Watanabe, she knows how capture the essence of a episode. For example, when the episode calls for Heavy Metal she goes all out, and so on.
Voice acting is great in Japanese, but as any anime fan would know, Cowboy Bebop was the first prime example of how American dubbing got it right. In surprising twist, not only does the English track prove the quality of dubs wrong, but it is also the one of those rare times where an anime's English track is superior to Japanese track. You have Steve Blum as Ice-Cool Spike Spiegel, Wendee Lee as the voluptuous Faye Valentine, Beau Billingslea as the gruff yet fatherly Jet Black, and Melissa Fahn as the hyper and playful Edward (which compared to Aoi Tada makes her more likable then creepy). Four talented voice actors who to this day still get praised for their portrayals. I say if there is only one way to watch Bebop then the English track is only way to go.
So with all this in mind (the surprisingly deep story, the amazing visuals, the pitch-perfect soundtrack, and the absolutely lovable characters), this still doesn't answer the question: what is the one thing that makes Cowboy Bebop, at least to me the pinnacle of anime in general. Well I think if I were to put it simply it would have to be this: It's probably the only anime that actually feels mature when compared to other animes.
Sure, Cowboy Bebop has some anime conventions going for it: Edward's presence, Faye's physical anatomy, and character's unrealistic hair colors. However, none of this is forced, if anything, it feels kind of real. This is where the show succeeds, for once I am not sickened by Faye's fan-service, again I'm not annoyed by Ed, Jet while the tough guy really has a heart of gold, nothing about this anime feels over-the-top. When it does go over-the-top (and it does), it's handled carefully and doesn't go so far that it feels out of place in the show. That's why I love Cowboy Bebop the most. Let me tell you something: You might be like me with people judging you for watching anime, with me it's hard to sit in public with my computer open with me watching an episode of I don't know High School of the Dead, however, when I'm watching Cowboy Bebop, I don’t mind who’s glancing over. If anything, I would want them to come over and watch.
My point is I wish more animes were like Cowboy Bebop. That’s not to say I think all animes are bad because they can’t replicate it, definitely not that at all. My point is rather that I wish anime creators understand what Cowboy Bebop does right in terms of catering to certain audiences. Like I said, High School of the Dead may look and be intended for adults, but then there’s the fact that the show bases itself around gratuitous amounts of gore and well…fan-service, catering to specifically the male demographic of around 16-25.
Overall, Cowboy Bebop is the highest point of animes. It truly is, at least to me, the greatest anime of all time. It does everything that it wants to do right and it makes watching the show over and over again all the more refreshing. Seriously, I can pop in any episode of this show and have the same reaction I had the first time. Shinichiro Watanabe truly has completed a masterpiece and I believe if you are among the people who haven’t watched this show, then I suggest that you go out and watch it immediately. When you’re done, don’t be afraid to share it with people. Show your friends, show your friends who don’t like anime, show your parents, show your siblings, show your English teacher, I DON’T KNOW JUST DO IT! Also, I suggest you do it now, as in buy a copy of the show now because Bandai Entertainment will soon stop distributing this work of art at least to the U.S. market. Support this show and the anime industry anyway. Believe me when I say out of all the animes you will ever watch in your life, I swear that Cowboy Bebop will be the one you will enjoy no matter what. Even if it doesn’t become your favorite anime, I swear that you will feel satisfied that you have watched it at all. Until then, See You Space Cowboy.
