Benefit
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2002
- Messages
- 5,193
Cowboy Bebop is a space western set in 2071. Travel within the solar system has become commonplace via the use of a network of hyperspace gateways... but not without a few setbacks. A gate disaster in the early part of the 21st century destroyed the Moon and rendered Earth an inhospitable place; much of civilization spread to offworld colonies. One of the more appealing elements of the series is that this background information is never explicitly stated and fleshed out for you; the viewer is immersed in the world and left to piece together the past on their own.
The story focuses on the crew of the spaceship Bebop, a group of loveable and flawed bounty hunters who hop around the solar system chasing bounty heads. You've got the brooding and dangerous anti-hero Spike Spiegel; ass-kicking ex-cop Jet who has certain fatherly tendencies; femme fatale Faye Valentine; androgenous teen hacker Ed; and a super-smart dog who doesn't feature prominently enough. They spend 26 episodes chasing after bounty hunters but only rarely ever claiming the bounty. Each character has a mysterious past which is gradually revealed during the course of the series.
I enjoyed this show very much, but thought the movie was better. The series obviously gives more insight into the characters and their world... but the movie was better. There were only a few episodes that really wowed me. Just my opinion. There are heavy influences from science fiction classics like Star Trek, Blade Runner and Alien; the Lupin III series also bleeds through a lot. Very good voice acting, even for minor parts. You'll end up caring about the characters. The last scene in Episode 26 is beautiful, as are the last couple scenes in Episode 1.
The best part of this series is the soundtrack. Many sequences are set and timed to jazz and blues and the titles of the episodes are derived from musical styles or iconic songs. The soundtrack really elevates this series. All things considered, it's very good but I'm not gushing over it.
The story focuses on the crew of the spaceship Bebop, a group of loveable and flawed bounty hunters who hop around the solar system chasing bounty heads. You've got the brooding and dangerous anti-hero Spike Spiegel; ass-kicking ex-cop Jet who has certain fatherly tendencies; femme fatale Faye Valentine; androgenous teen hacker Ed; and a super-smart dog who doesn't feature prominently enough. They spend 26 episodes chasing after bounty hunters but only rarely ever claiming the bounty. Each character has a mysterious past which is gradually revealed during the course of the series.
I enjoyed this show very much, but thought the movie was better. The series obviously gives more insight into the characters and their world... but the movie was better. There were only a few episodes that really wowed me. Just my opinion. There are heavy influences from science fiction classics like Star Trek, Blade Runner and Alien; the Lupin III series also bleeds through a lot. Very good voice acting, even for minor parts. You'll end up caring about the characters. The last scene in Episode 26 is beautiful, as are the last couple scenes in Episode 1.
The best part of this series is the soundtrack. Many sequences are set and timed to jazz and blues and the titles of the episodes are derived from musical styles or iconic songs. The soundtrack really elevates this series. All things considered, it's very good but I'm not gushing over it.
