Synopsis: The time is 2071 A.D. and the setting is outer space. Spike Spiegel and his partner Jet Black are bounty hunters who earn their keep by capturing people wanted by the authorities. People who have huge cash rewards hanging on their heads. From thieves to terrorists, as long as the money's good, Spike and Jet are on it. Pretty soon, the duo unwittingly pick up additional group members -- the sassy and smart-talking lady Faye Valentine, the whiz kid / hacker Ed, and the dog Ein. Together they travel through space on the spaceship Bebop, searching for bounties and links to each of their mysterious pasts.
Review: The first thing that strikes one about Cowboy Bebop is the impressive combination of sound and visuals. The intro sequence alone is snazzy, artistic, and very much in synch with the show's overall theme. But that's just the wrappings of a very cool package.
Although each episode of Cowboy Bebop is fairly self-contained, every now and then an ep with insights into a certain character's past is thrown into the mix. It's not really a continuous saga but watching the series in its entirety can be likened to completing a puzzle, especially where the characters are concerned. Spike in particular is a very charismatic main character, making it difficult not to like him. CB also has a generous helping of action -- ranging from cool martial arts type of moves to fancy gun-slinging to explosive space chases. The overall mood leans toward the lighter side, even if there is a sprinkling of darker moments at times.
The art and animation are among the very best I've seen in an anime series. The backdrops are richly depicted and the characters are superbly drawn. Computer and cel imagery are merged perfectly to create a very authentic "future" environment. Motions and movements are astoundingly smooth as silk. Everything is just so crisp and clear (especially on DVD). Most of the songs you'll hear throughout the series are in English, as performed by Japanese artists. The songs and scores have a very nostalgic retro-jazz feel, and are quite unlike the usual anime musical fare. In fact, if you just listen to the music, the thought that it's coming from an anime soundtrack would never even cross your mind. The English dubbing is fine. If you're a big fan of the ever-popular seiyuu Megumi Hayashibara (also Rei Ayanami in "Neon Genesis Evangelion") though, you may want to grab the subbed version as she plays the sexy Faye Valentine. Other prominent seiyuus like Yumi Touma (also Urd in "Oh My Goddess") and Maaya Sakamoto (also Hitomi in "The Vision of Escaflowne") also make guest appearances in some of the eps. CB's production values are very high for a TV series (like "The Vision of Escaflowne"). Not a surprise really as some of the people who worked on Escaflowne TV are responsible for CB. This series is definitely one to consider for collection.
Miscellanies: I find Cowboy Bebop quite reminiscent of an older anime series entitled "Lupin III". The main difference is that instead of hunting for people, Lupin and his gang go after stuff like priceless artifacts and other similar types of valuables.
Knockin' on Heaven's Door (Movie)
Synopsis: Following up on the successful Cowboy Bebop TV series, this movie features the same cast of characters -- Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, Edward, and Ein. While chasing a minor bounty named Lee Sampson, Faye comes across a tanker truck explosion while a man clad in black escapes into thin air. It turns out that a mysterious deadly virus was released within the explosion, affecting everyone within a three kilometer radius. The bounty on the culprit is set at 300,000,000 woolongs, which immediately puts the Bebop crew on the case. But the criminal succeeds in pulling off one act of terrorism after another, and no one seems to be able to put an end to the carnage...
Review: Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven's Door starts like the drop of a roller coaster ride, which means you will be glued to your seat breathless in anticipation all the way through the end. Like the series, this film's strength lies in its characterization; each of the Bebop crew take part in this new adventure, and in the process certain events are connected to their past(s) -- which further reveal the essence of their characters. Knockin' on Heaven's Door takes a more in-depth look at the two newcomers -- the female fatale Electra and the cold-blooded villain Vincent.
The story pacing and effects are superbly done. Things progress smoothly. Each event is very creatively transitioned, building up to the climatic conclusion. The animation is also top-notch like in the regular series. With a two-hour time frame to work with, Knockin' on Heaven's Door offers a delightful blend of action, romance, comedy, drama, and good music. While the film is set in the timeline between episodes 22 ("Cowboy Funk") and 23 ("Brain Scratch"), it can stand alone like an independent feature. I would recommend that you view at least a bit of the series in order to get a feel for the characters though, because they shine in this film.
If you have had experience with the Cowboy Bebop series, then "Knocking On Heaven's Door" will bring more of what you love about Bebop. Although criticized for being "more of the same thing" I conclude that if you have a successful formula, then by all means use it.
Miscellanies: This movie is not out in America yet, Columbia Tri-Star has picked up the rights for its release though.
Episode 01: Asteroid Blues Bounty hunters Spike Spiegel and Jet Black are introduced in their finest as they go after a man selling a drug called "red-eye."
Episode 02: Stray Dog Strut While following a bounty head by the name of Hakim, Spike and Jet run into a lab mutt who joins their crew with the name Ein.
Episode 03: Honky Tonk Women A woman named Faye Valentine does her best to evade the law with her huge debt, but can she escape Jet and Spike? Episode 04: Gateway Shuffle Definitely the biggest bounty head yet, Twinkle Maria Murdock and her sons threaten the government with a virus that could turn the human race into apes.
Episode 05: Ballad of Fallen Angels A mysterious man named Vicious leaves a path of death in his tracks, luring out his one and only rival, Spike Spiegel himself.
Episode 06: Sympathy for the Devil An accident long ago gives immortality to a young boy whose intentions go sour.
Episode 07: Heavy Metal Queen Following a bounty leads the team of Spike, Jet, and Faye to a space civilization, where a woman named VT easily stands out.
Episode 08: Waltz for Venus After catching their bounty early on, Spike decides to spend a short vacation on Venus, but finds more than he bargained for.
Episode 09: Jamming with Edward Spike and the gang come up next to empty on a mysterious bounty head, a criminal hacker named Edward.
Episode 10: Ganymede Elegy Jet’s past confronts him when he finds himself chasing a bounty head whose girlfriend is his ex.
Episode 11: Toys in the Attic Danger turns up close to home as passengers on the Bebop start coming down with a strange sickness from deadly bites.
Episode 12: Jupiter Jazz (Part 1) Spike goes after even the tiniest lead to find his girlfriend, which leads him to a small, cold planet crawling with the Red Dragon clan.
Episode 13: Jupiter Jazz (Part 2) The search goes on to find Julia, and now Vicious, so that Spike can know whether he is really alive. Faye is off on her own with a strange man - or is he a woman?
Episode 14: Bohemian Rhapsody The Bebop gang capture close to 20 bounty heads, but aren’t giving a dime without the mastermind as well, a genius nicknamed Chessmaster Hex.
Episode 15: My Funny Valentine Faye’s past is revealed, from what she can remember, when she recognizes someone whom she loved in Ein’s thin eyebrows.
Episode 16: Black Dog Serenade An old partner in the ISSP is reunited with Jet when a ship carrying death-row inmates is taken over by the prisoners, but is danger closer than he thinks?
Episode 17: Mushroom Samba Spike, Jet, Faye, and Ed are placed into survival circumstances when their ship crashes in a desert wasteland, and are forced to explore and find food, particularly some that isn’t poisoned.
Episode 18: Speak Like a Child A video tape sent by a teenaged Faye to herself 10 years from then finds its way to the Bebop ship, but no one has any equipment to play it.
Episode 19: Wild Horses Spike meets up with an old friend, one who gave him his Starfish, but the reunion is cut short when bounty heads with deadly technology go on the loose.
Episode 20: Pierrot Le Fou Possibly the most sci-fi of the episodes, a man with the mind of a young child roams the town armed with mysterious powers and a taste for blood.
Episode 21: Boogie-Woogie Feng-Shui A very old friend of Jet’s writes him a letter with a favor in mind, but he finds that the man had been reported dead. Could the man’s gypsy daughter help Jet discover the truth?
Episode 22: Cowboy Funk Spike’s comedic mirror version of himself interferes with an easy bounty, and almost gets them both killed with his high ego and lack of common sense.
Episode 23: Brain Scratch A child’s virtual reality toy is revealed to be more than it appears, as a particular game seeks to hypnotize people and sometimes kill them.
Episode 24: Hard Luck Woman Faye’s memory of her past comes back, forcing her to pursue it, and Ed is reunited with her old uncaring, yet very strong father.
Episode 25: The Real Folk Blues (Part 1) Spike successfully tracks Julia and leaves the Bebop, regardless of the fact that Faye has returned, to see if he is really alive.
Episode 26: The Real Folk Blues (Part 2) Julia and Spike are finally reunited, but without effectively evading the Red Dragon clan. The final fight between Spike and Vicious follows, while Jet and Faye wait helplessly at the Bebop.