Cowboy Bebop #1

Bandai

125 minutes
English/Japanese
English Subtitles
04/04/2000

A friend of mine once said to me "Dave, what kind of cigarettes do you have on you today?". Those words have stuck with me for, oh, I'd say a good five hours. Because like everything in life it has a very profound meaning. A very profound meaning to those who don't mind sucking down a good cancer stick every once in awhile. I brought this up because if there's one thing that defines badasses it's Cowboy Bebop. If there's TWO things that defines badasses it's Cowboy Bebop and smoking. Fortunately, that's a raucous amount of both of these things in the aforementioned show. Everyone knows smoking makes you look cool. So as I sit here at my desk typing this up, with my laptop open in front of me for dual computer action, my foot perched on the top of my mini-fridge, listening to what I consider an eclectic mix of 80s, J-Pop, and Techno, I wish for just one thing. The inhalation of toxins and the style that can be given only by cigarettes. Those little 'cancer helpers' portioned out twenty to a pack.

Listen close. Have you ever seen a woman that's -so- good looking that you can honestly rationalize following her on her errands for the day on the off chance that she'll drop a grocery bag so you can pick it up for her?

Cowboy Bebop is like that, except you end up having breakfast in bed with the woman. If you catch my drift that is.
It's just THAT good.

It's better than any anime you've ever seen. It's better than any sex you've ever had. It's the first animated show you'll ever see where you won't feel even somewhat ashamed that you're watching a glorified children's show. Because it's not a children's show. And it's not not a children's show in the way that things like Kite are. It's a show for adults in the sense that it explores mature themes, it's complex, and most importantly... it doesn't go for the cheap thrills. The gunfights are stylistic and not overly bloody, and don't keep your pants off hoping to catch a barrage of nipples or anything.
The show opens up with a music box tune and a soundless scene of our main protagonist, Spike, being shot and getting some shooting it. It's a very dark scene, almost devoid of colors except for some very prominent red.

You're not given much of a break after that, as you're thrust right into the opening credits with a very convincing and cool "Tank!" playing in the background. The opening, as far as I can tell, is intended to be some sort of mix between the naked James Bond girls and a 70's Original Gangsta style. Needless to say, it pretty much kicks ass. You have people running, people smoking, and silhouetted dancers.
Then it just gets better, Spike and Jet are two partners, bounty hunters in a world where interstellar travel has made it easy for anyone to be a criminal and get away with it. There are something like 300,000 bounty hunters in the galaxy, that's a whole lotta cowboys.

The two mains are amazingly similar to characters from Lupin III. Spike is impetuous, young, lanky, though, yet goofy a la Lupin. Jet has a similar hairstyle and attitude to Jigen, Lupin's older, wiser compatriot. See where I'm going with this?
It's breakneck entertainment. Buckle your seatbelts, we're in for an awesome ride. That kinda thing. Spike and Jet go up against a psycho drug addict, a giant dog-napper, eco-terrorists, and a lady with an attitude and one HUGE debt.
And if that weren't enough, they give you FIVE episodes on this disc. I'm absolutely sure this was just a ploy to get us Ballad of Fallen Angels (Episode 5) and not give the viewing public anything after it for another two months. The fifth, and last, episode on this is like a work of art. It does a perfect job of dropping you into a Cowboy Bebop addiction then making you suffer through withdrawal cold sweats for sixty days.

If you don't like Cowboy Bebop by the fifth episode you're either deaf and blind, or just plain retarded. I'm sorry, that's just how it is. With some of the best animation, coolest characters, and best dub ever. John Billingslea fans (as if there were any others!) will be pleased at his remarkable performance as the coolest man ever, Jet.
If ever anything was worth the price of admission, its Cowboy Bebop. If you haven't heard any of the buzz by now you're probably not an anime fan. If you've seen it and don't like it then I guess that's okay, but don't expect to be coming to any of my ripping parties. It's just as if some Japanese person in some big office said "Let's make an anime normal people will actually like for once. We've been catering to horny teenagers, pedophiles, and little girls for long enough."
It's like they made Cowboy Bebop just for me.