User reviews

Cowboy Bebop is the best anime ever. I'm 21, don't tend to be fanboyish, and have seen plenty of others. And it's the best anime ever.

What other anime features a mix of the best choreographed/energetic/ kick-ass fighting scenes - hand-to-hand, hong-kong gun fights and air-space battle?

An unbelievable mix of comic, tragic, violent and fairy tale style episodes...

An incredible sound track - Yoko Kanno is a genius that can do memorable and emotional jazz, blues, classical, fantasy-style, j-pop and even heavy metal. I wouldn't even consider buying the soundtrack to any other anime.

It quite literally oozes "cool" - characters (Spike is probably the coolest - not awsomest, but stylishly coolest) music, action and narrative.

Hell, it's the only show that has both a "cute animal" character and a "cute annoying kid" character that I don't wish a horrible death upon. And if that doesn't convince you, then nothing will.

I used to generally dislike anime due to it's distinct character design which I am not fond of.

Still, I've tried watching series like JoJo, but it just wasn't my jam.

Cowboy Bebop however, despite the classic character style, is just waaaay to good - the music, the aesthetic, the animation, the story, everything is just too amusing not to watch it.

Give it a try!

Animation and anime I have loved for as long as I can remember, and Cowboy Bebop is one of the greatest examples of anime at its best. Everything about this show is exemplary. The animation is just wonderful, right from the detailed character designs, beautiful and haunting colours and the ethereal backgrounds to the coupling of the dazzling action and some of the most jaw-dropping futuristic spectacle in animation or otherwise known to man. The music stays in your mind for a long time and not in an irritating sense, always fits with the drama and shows complexity in mood and orchestration even with its very jazzy feel. Cowboy Bebop also displays some really fine writing, it is poignant and intense yet also humorous and thoughtful, and balanced without any qualms at all. The storytelling shows evidence of great ideas thoroughly and entertainingly explored with little too dark or too light-hearted, there is an ideal combination of both. The characters are interesting and not revolved around clichés, these characters especially Spike are well-developed and any person watching the show would relate to them. The voice work is very dynamic. In conclusion, an outstanding show in every aspect, don't miss it. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Cowboy Bebop is a truly post-modern show. Not in the tired "Scream" sense of self-awareness, but in its willingness to mix genres and blur boundaries. At the most basic level it's a Space Western. But Bebop is not content to be merely that, so there are added dashes of film noir, gothic horror, creature-feature, black comedy, screwball comedy, spy action, crime, romance, tragedy, action, philosophy, science, spirituality, fatalism, optimism, buddy-buddy stories, slapstick humour, parody-- just about every type of tale under the sun appears in some shape or form during Bebop's run. It's a show where each episode really is different from the last. Were it not for the recurring characters, it would be hard to believe that the brightly-coloured blaxploitation parody "Mushroom Samba" could possibly come from the same series as the bleakly violent "Real Folk Blues".

The world that the series inhabits is distinctly post-modern, too; space ships fly through hyperspace gates, but once on the ground their pilots fight with twentieth-century handguns. Scenic bays would look for all the world like they were taken from modern-day Japan were they not dwarfed by Jupiter, the enormous gas giant looming in the sky like some enormous benevolent god.

And the music - tribal drums and chants give way to electronic pulses that give way to jazz sax and trumpets that give way to rock guitars that give way to blues harmonicas... composer Yoko Kanno faultlessly turns her hand to an eclectc selection of genres and instruments, ably backed up by her band, "Seatbelts".

All of which sounds terribly impressive, but why on Earth should you watch it? Because, buddy, it's one of the finest television shows ever made.

I have to admit I'm not a big anime fan. Most anime that makes it over here seems to be either about schoolgirls with supernatural powers who battle evil, or adolescent boys who - for some convoluted reason - wind up having to pilot big giant robots. And whilst I'm assured that shows such as Escaflowne (schoolgirls and magic) and Evangelion (boys and robots) are actually rather good, they completely fail to get my blood pumping.

Enter Bebop. Ultra cool Spike, grumpy strategist Jet, trigger-happy Faye, nutball Ed and intelligent dog Ein are as far away from the usual brats and bots anime as you can possibly get. Their motivation, too, is far from the usual anime fare. These guys aren't bounty hunters because they want to fight crime and keep the peace - all they want is a wad of cash, and bounty hunting seems like the best place to make big money fast. Although they will do the right thing when pressed, they rarely forget their true motivation - and if they do, their perpetual lack of food will soon remind them. Life isn't easy, and when you're a bounty hunter it's even harder.

Not that the crew of the spaceship Bebop are one-note characters. As the series progresses, our initial assumptions about the characters are overturned. At first Spike appears to be the cliched laid-back slacker (who just happens to be a mean jeet-kun-do fighter), but we then learn of his fall from the criminal underworld and of a loss that killed him emotionally. Jet's the obvious gruff authority figure, until we realise that he actually cares for the crew of the Bebop as if they were his kids (and seems to have dabbled in pot and psychadelic drugs when he was a teenager). Faye's the usual feisty stand-offish female lead but only because her amazingly tragic past makes her push away friends for fear that she'll become attached to them. Ed's just some nutty kid until we meet her crazy father and realise that it could well be her deprived childhood that sent her over the edge. And Ein? Well sometimes it's hard being a super intelligent Welsh Corgi on a ship where nobody appreciates you, you know?

But not every episode is deathly serious - the character development is mixed in perfectly with humour (both light and dark), fistfights, shoot-outs, car chases, aerial fights, space battles and some of the lushest animation you'll see in an animated TV series. And all of this spread over only 26 episodes.

Yes, many people espouse the old "leave 'em wanting more" line, but so few of them actually do it; Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the perfect example of a series that spends three or four years being top-notch TV then freefalls due to apparent apathy from both the cast and writers. Bebop avoids this by wrapping every dangling plot thread up in just one season of television. And after the final jaw-dropping episode it's quite clear that the series is most definitely over.

Never before or since have I seen a series of such astonishing variety, intelligence and style. Ten out of ten.

Let me start by saying, i registered today to write my comment on Cowboy Bebop.

I finished the series for the second time yesterday, and it made an even bigger impression on me this time.

Simply put, this is the best series ever created in my opinion, regardless of anime, live action, or whatever. The story is exceptional work, the characters are as alive and deep as it ever gets. It is (forgive me for using this word again, but there is no other expression)exceptionally well drawn, even for an anime. The soundtrack (oh the music)has been a part of my collection for a long time now. It is just fantastic, i cannot imagine anything else, that would fit the world of Cowboy Bebop better, than the kick-ass jazz, blues, medley that dominates this brilliant list.

All in all, nobody should miss this stuff. Im sure there are and will be dislikers, but nothing is perfect, and thats the way it should be. Me, i cried at the end, sitting on my couch completely blown away.

SEE YOU, SPACE COWBOY, SOMEWHERE, SOMEDAY! I'm gonna carry that weight...

Cowboy bebop is a masterpiece, it is certainly a series ahead of its time, it revolutionized the way the industry viewed anime, offering us a new and unique formula, this anime has a phenomenal story, with many science fiction elements, that the sometimes it's half Western and half Noir, which generates a unique aesthetic for the work as a whole, the cinematographic direction of the series that changes a lot according to some episodes, we give different experiences and sensations to each episode, making the rhythm very good to watch, it manages to be a series of suspense, action, humor and even horror, because of this element, another high technical point of the series is its animation, all action sequences, both hand-to-hand fights and spaceship fights , are incredibly well done, the production of the anime was top notch in practically every episode they delivered a very lively action sequence, and now I'm going to talk about the main course, their soundtrack, which in my opinion, is the mother best of all animes, i have countless songs from the series in my playlist, it's just wonderful, all compositions that involve jazz, blues, folk and etc are very good and give the series an unparalleled peculiarity, the dramatic and deep story that surrounds Very realistic and heavy messages also please me a lot, the way the characters' past is told, it's very nice, the last act of the series left me trembling, it was something insane, the whole sad message about running away from the past, overcoming and start over, it's worked in a very realistic and interesting way, which leaves us impacted until the end of the work, the western references are also very fun, especially those involving songs, when I discovered the reference to MPB, I was very happy, since it is something characteristic of my country, I miss this complex universe and now I'm carrying this weight, see you space Cowboy!

I usually don't write reviews, but I'm watching the show for the 15th time and I think it deserves it.

What makes this anime great is a combination of many little things that may not be outstanding by themselves alone.

The story is alright, is located in space, in the future and after the earth is no longer populated, and tell you about the adventures of a group of space bountyhounter. As the story goes on, you discover the history of each character and what made them be as they are.

This is the first positive thing, I love the characters, their personalities and their histories.

The second little thing that makes it great is the animation. The show is from 1998 and this kind of animation is almost lost. On the one hand, I love old animation; on the other, I find this extremely nostalgic.

The last thing I love is the musicalization. The whole show is accompanied by an amazing Jazz. The romantic parts, the action parts, the suspense parts, they come all with the right music.

There are some episodes where the main story doesn't advance at all but I enjoy them anyway due to all this I'm telling you.

Hope this review encourages you to what it, if you haven't.

I'm not a fan of episodic anime series unless they're either one season long or a slice of life series. Why? Because they have a tendency to get boring, or repetitive. But all rules and preferences have exceptions. And Cowboy Bebop is that exception.

story~9.5

We start our episodic space journey in an environment that is futuristic yet in many ways primitive. Due to the inability of the police to handle all criminals in such a large area bounty hunting is encouraged through media. Our four main characters that are bound together by greed, revenge, and desire.

Little to no background information is given about any of the characters from the beginning. Each character has a past that is hidden throughout many episodes. Slowly, the audience learns of the sins and tragedies that quietly haunt those aboard the spaceship of Bebop.

art~10

Despite being over a decade and a half the animations in cowboy bebop are amazing in providing the dangerous rugged environment of this criminal filled space.

Sunrise, who generally do an excellent job on animation, really pushed the boat out with this series. when compared with other shows that were released around the same time (Outlaw Star for example), it can clearly be seen that the art, animation and character design in Cowboy Bebop is something special. The animation during the numerous action sequences is especially impressive and the character movements are free-flowing and naturalistic.

The outdated animations contribute greatly to the classy western style of the anime. Everything from the smoke of cigarettes to guns blazing are portrayed brilliantly. The choreography of martial arts and space flight is done in a fluid and smooth fashion. The characters look great and production never seems to drop for a single moment.

sound~9.5 First off, the music. All music is performed by The Seatbelts and they are outstandingly good.

I wholeheartedly believe that it is safe to say that regardless of your ideas about Cowboy Bebop, everyone can agree that the music in this anime is absolutely amazing. So amazing that without the music I believe that Cowboy Bebop would never have achieved the success it has had to this day. Never have I come across another example such as Cowboy Bebop where the music is such an integral part of the show. From the Blues to the unmatched soul of harmonica solos, the music in Cowboy Bebop does its job 110%. To say that the the music is fitting would be an understatement. Cowboy Bebop's music boosts the atmosphere and situation of every scene to its highest potential and provides a convincing atmosphere like no other.

The dub of Cowboy Bebop is the arguably the most highly praised dub ever produced in the anime industry and also my favorite. Watanabe Shinichiro even stated that he believed the English dub surpasses the Japanese dub, a feat that is notoriously rare. Every character's voice is portrayed brilliantly with every word filled with real human emotion. The English voice acting is truly a one of a kind in a world of horribly ear wrenching dubs.

The Opening and the Ending of Cowboy Bebop are probably one of the most popular Opening and Ending Themes of all time.

The OP(opening) ("Tank!" by The Seatbelts) is a jazzy explosion of adrenaline. Listening to it is a joy and pumps the viewer's eagerness to watch the episode. It keeps you on your feet and is in many ways the most famous trademark of the Cowboy Bebop series.

The ED (ending) for most of the show ("The Real Folk Blues" by The Seatbelts feat. Mai Yamane) is equally as amazing but instead of pumping the viewer's eagerness the ED in turn helps the viewer digest what was just displayed on the screen.

Character~10

Cowboy Bebop has one of the most memorable casts of any show I have ever watched. They are eccentric, unique, strong willed, and powerfully convincing. We have Spike Spiegel who is a male bounty hunter in his late twenties that is trying to escape an inescapable past.

Jet black, The father like figure of the spaceship Bebop who has been stricken by unjust tragedies.

Faye Valentine, the strong female character who is kept in the dark about her own life.

And then we have Edward, the teenage female hacker with a background as confusing as herself.

the characters of Cowboy Bebop are outstanding. Their strengths overcome their flaws when united as a whole. Beautifully drawn and creative, Watanabe Shinichiro has invented a golden cast.

Overall/Enjoyment~ 10/10

This anime is a classic and i strongly recommend this to anyone who is looking for something extra.

Perhaps what can best summarize Cowboy Bebop is one big free style jam session. In Cowboy Bebop, film noir, gangster flick, slapstick, martial arts, thriller, western, horror, screwball comedy, all see at least one episode with heavy influence from said genre. Primarily the biggest of these influences would be film noir and screwball comedy with a dose of action. This may sound like a mess, but it means that Cowboy Bebop gives us something different and wonderful each episode. Of course, this is just part of the show, the music is another element that MUST be talked about. Again, a jam session, the music cherry picks the best of music styles, bringing unique sounds to each episode, all supervised by the eminent composer Yoko Kanno(this was the first Television soundtrack I bought.) What can I say but, WOW. You don't know how good it is until you listen to it on its own. Visually the show has a great flair, terrific animation, and excellent directing that sometimes is evocative of old film noir. They smoke cigarettes, femme fatales, witty banter, tragic tales, a look reminiscent of 1940's America, almost every episode has a gun being fired... how could I not mention film noir?? !!

Wait! I haven't even written about the concept yet. It's 2071, Earth is a wasteland after an accident with the moon, and humanity has moved to such places as Venus, Mars, Io, Ganymede, and the asteroids. Despite this, humanity still goes through the same struggles we do today, gangs, drug use, terrorism, wars, and economic woes. Spike Spiegel is a bounty hunter with a dark past, who uses his martial arts and marksmanship to bring in bounty heads. Together with the pilot and owner of their ship the Bebop, (former police officer)Jet Black, they travel around the solar system in search of the next bounty. Eventually they are joined by the super smart pooch Ein, femme fatale Faye Valentine, and hacker wiz kid Edward.

I personally prefer the English Dub of Cowboy Bebop, but whatever floats your boat. Great animation, Superb soundtrack, good writing, fantastic direction, but most importantly, style! Not your Saturday morning cartoon fare(this aired at midnight in Japan,) Cowboy Bebop is an anime for adults, and well recommended for animation or film noir lovers.

Cowboy Bebop is a series that should need no introduction to anime fans. However, for anyone unfamiliar with the show, it's basically about space bounty hunters set to an old time jazz music soundtrack with plenty of classy old time stories and dark morals along the way. If you like action, space, jazz, or comedy, you may like Cowboy Bebop. If you like old time bounty hunter, private eye, or detective movies, you'll probably like Cowboy Bebop. If you like dark stories with twists that really make you feel for the characters, you'll like Cowboy Bebop. This is one series you don't have to be an anime fan to appreciate, but you have to be willing to give it a fair chance.

A single episode of Cowboy Bebop packs more punch than a bruce willis movie. If you're not a fan of the show by the end of episode one alone, you probably won't be. The characters are as real as any old time bounty hunter / detective movie, and every bit as interesting. The sci-fi space twist doesn't take away from the show in the slightest, it adds much. A good way of thinking about the show is Lupin the 3rd mixed with Outlaw Star, with more depth. With episode titles like Asteroid Blues, Honky Tonk Woman, Waltz for Venus, and Jupiter Jazz, the space, class, and jazz heavy style is quite apparent from the beginning. This isn't just some theme slapped on top of an anime, rather a critical part of the show.

Why is this like number 1 for best anime on numerous sites? Did I miss something here? It was ok in my books and could say slightly disappointing. I'm usually in agreement with everyone 99.9% of the time but this is the 0.1 that had failed me. The more reviews I read of this the more annoyed and angry I get because it's not as astonishing and masterful as you guys and girls make it out to be 🤷‍♂️ wtf is going on! Seriously?? Please help me

I've watch whole series but didn't found any good wow moments although the characters were really interesting but story was not that impressive each character's back story was poorly developed.

sorry maybe not for my type

Cowboy Bebop is a series that should need no introduction to anime fans. However, for anyone unfamiliar with the show, it's basically about space bounty hunters set to an old time jazz music soundtrack with plenty of classy old time stories and dark morals along the way. If you like action, space, jazz, or comedy, you may like Cowboy Bebop. If you like old time bounty hunter, private eye, or detective movies, you'll probably like Cowboy Bebop. If you like dark stories with twists that really make you feel for the characters, you'll like Cowboy Bebop. This is one series you don't have to be an anime fan to appreciate, but you have to be willing to give it a fair chance.

A single episode of Cowboy Bebop packs more punch than several entire anime series I know of. If you're not a fan of the show by the end of episode one alone, you probably won't be. The characters are as real as any old time bounty hunter / detective movie, and every bit as interesting. The sci-fi space twist doesn't take away from the show in the slightest, it adds much. A good way of thinking about the show is Lupin the 3rd mixed with Outlaw Star, with more depth. With episode titles like Asteroid Blues, Honky Tonk Woman, Waltz for Venus, and Jupiter Jazz, the space, class, and jazz heavy style is quite apparent from the beginning. This isn't just some theme slapped on top of an anime, rather a critical part of the show.

The characters are well rounded and all very interesting. Unlike a lot of anime, there is no annoying character you wish they would have left out. Each character is given equal importance, though the show centers on the bounty hunter Spike.

Spike describes himself as an "old fashioned cowboy." He spends a lot of the series searching for someone he once knew, I'll avoid details so I don't spoil anything. He could be a master thief if he so choose, his dexterity and fighting skills are nearly unmatched. With a good 'whatever' attitude, he's great fun to watch.

Jet is more of an old time detective. He's the owner of the ship "Bebop", and best friend of Spike. He does his fair share in bounty hunting like Spike, mostly gathering information and providing backup to Spike.

Faye is pretty much the anime embodiment of the women from detective movies. A fiercely materialistic woman, she does whatever it takes to get what she wants. She's not against stealing from anyone or using anyone to get it, then leaving them cold. An incredible bounty hunter in her own right, she joins the team without invitation or welcome. Much hilarious bickering and bounty thefts come between Faye and Spike from the outset.

Ed is a hacker genius girl who joins the group after a promise from Faye to get information. They try to leave her dry after they get what they need. but Ed's hacking skills make that impossible. She's often comic relief, and may be insane. Who can tell? In any case, when hacking or computer skills are needed, Ed is there. When not needed, she's. still there, being a hilarious pain in the neck. She's often with Ein, a seemingly ordinary mutt that gets picked up along the way with a few not so hidden talents.

In any case, Cowboy Bebop is a series anyone should watch. It has some language, a lot of violence, and some dark stories, but nothing that any kid these days hasn't seen a hundred times over. Even if you're not a bounty hunter or jazz fan, give this series a shot. Don't be surprised if you start to take a liking to jazz music or Yoko Kanno's amazing music. Congrats to Cartoon Network for bringing over the incredible dub, but check out the sub if possible. Enjoy. I refuse to end this rant with that catchy ending of each episode. Sorry. ^_^

• Rirath_com

An eclectic group of bounty hunters pursue criminals in a desolate future. This is the gold standard of anime as the characters draw you in as if they were real. Each story is beautifully woven and the animation is superb, with a plot that makes you think about life. Even if you are not a fan of anime watch this show as I am sure it will convert you.

I was excited to start this series, especially after hearing everyone rave about it. When I started it, I wasn't super impressed, but I was intrigued. So, I kept watching, thinking: okay, it'll get better, it HAS to get better. I continued to have that thought in my mind until the show was over.

There are some good episodes, specifically the one's about Spike's past, but those are only like 4 episodes. I think this show would've been great if it was mainly about that.

Throughout the show, I found myself bored. It makes me really sad how short this show felt. Most people absolutely love it, and that's great for them! I wish that I could love it the same way others do. But, personally this was a huge letdown.

I've heard Cowboy Bebop called "the greatest anime of all time" by the generation before me about every time it's mentioned. I do believe it's great and recommend it to everyone interested in anime, however that title needs to be altered a bit so people will understand what they're getting into. While all hyped up by nostalgic memories of now-adults, Bebop isn't the best anime out there any more (not that I know what is). It is, however, what shaped the best animes to date, what with its outstanding dub and animation style. And although I knew how revolutionary it was while watching it, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed. I absolutely loved the episodes revolving around the story, but there are only 5 of them, the rest of the episodes being filler. Well, I shouldn't say filler ... More like really good stand alone episodes with just enough dialogue to remind you they tie in together some how or another. Bebop's well written, but not "The Best" anymore. I think we should now be calling it "The Greatest Anime of ITS Time" or "The Anime that Shaped all Others".

Anime as its best. Complex themes developed through the correct pacing, comedy and action mix. There is no episode laid to waste, no story that doesn't have an impact on the development of at least one of the main characters. Even on the most lighthearted episodes, there is always a faint hint of the heart-crushing story arc beneath the laughs.

The future depicted here is dirty, dusty, and feels real. The soundtrack has some of the best jazz tracks ever written for a series. Even the full length movie is a must watch. If you want to get your feet wet in the world of anime, there is no better sci-fi/pulp fiction take than Cowboy Bebop.

This show is great in main character writing, faithful to the creative genres of sci-fi, crime, western, and noir. Each character has a memorable personality and origin story that fits the series' main story theme of forgetting the past, stay in the present, and move forward to the future.

I've watched some episodes of this 1998 Japanese anime TV series on Netflix (UK and Ireland).

I thought I never heard anything about it before in my entire life. By the way I watched the series for the first time in February 2023.

Anyway this series is brilliant and I love it.

The animation looks beautiful and colourful as well.

The voice acting is pretty good.

My favourite characters are Spike, Jet, Faye, Radical Edward and Ein. Radical Edward herself looks really cute. I think I have a crush on Radical Edward.

It's probably one of the best Japanese anime TV series I have watched.

I always love the anime especially the fantasy and science fiction ones.

If you are a fan of the anime, you'll definitely love this.

A masterpiece that is worth the attention of any avid sci-fi fan. I watched it in college, and 20 years later, it not only still holds up, but reveals new levels of depth. In this day and age, where binge watching is the norm, the seemingly random, episodic nature of the show might, at first, be off-putting. But all is not as it seems: heavy symbolism, recurrent themes, and a piecemeal plot are woven thick through haphazard vignettes, tying the series together neatly by it's end. If you haven't finished Cowboy Bebop, you haven't really watched it. P. S. Despite the general consensus that the dub is good, the original, Japanese voice actors are better and certain subtleties are lost in the dub's translation. Subs recommended. Give it your patience; it's worth the weight.

Animation and anime I have loved for as long as I can remember, and Cowboy Bebop is one of the greatest examples of anime at its best. Everything about this show is exemplary. The animation is just wonderful, right from the detailed character designs, beautiful and haunting colours and the ethereal backgrounds to the coupling of the dazzling action and some of the most jaw-dropping futuristic spectacle in animation or otherwise known to man. The music stays in your mind for a long time and not in an irritating sense, always fits with the drama and shows complexity in mood and orchestration even with its very jazzy feel. Cowboy Bebop also displays some really fine writing, it is poignant and intense yet also humorous and thoughtful, and balanced without any qualms at all. The storytelling shows evidence of great ideas thoroughly and entertainingly explored with little too dark or too light-hearted, there is an ideal combination of both. The characters are interesting and not revolved around clichés, these characters especially Spike are well-developed and any person watching the show would relate to them. The voice work is very dynamic. In conclusion, an outstanding show in every aspect.

It probably needs to be said that I'm not well-versed in anime and that it's not usually my bag. But COWBOY BEBOP has the kind of reputation that even a greenhorn like me can't ignore. Sitting through the series (short as it is) proved an interesting watch, but only that. I have no idea what I was expecting and the hype probably did me in. I see the similarities to FIREFLY (they're often compared), but this wasn't nearly as watchable.

But I'm not blind and can see that this is a well-made series. It's got great visuals (man, those establishing shots are something), great bluesy atmosphere, and attention to real firearms. The American voice cast seemed like good matches for their characters and I like that the Bebop crew just sorta fell in, no contrived reasons. And let me also just say that the music on this series was phenomenal, and enough for me to sell out the soundtrack. This show really had the knack for sneaking up behind you with a character's backstory. A session will proceed at its customary leisurely pace and then *bam!*, you just learned something major. The pacing did throw me off; here you have characters who are fluent in gunplay and piloting spaceships, and most of the time they're sitting back and talking. It was odd. The ending was also rather rushed for the same reason.

I suspect a rewatch further down the road will change my mind on this. I certainly haven't given up as things like this tend to bug me. I'm the last guy to throw around "overrated", and that certainly doesn't apply here. But I do want to see what others do in this show.

7/10

Cowboy Bebop is one of the most acclaimed anime out there, especially since it was an early introduction for many fans. Its been running on Adult Swim for a freaking decade! By the time I was watching Saturday night anime, it was only on late. The two episodes I did watch didn't impress me.

Now that I'm older and wiser, I thought I could appreciate it more. Perhaps those two episodes were flukes. But alas, this series just isn't for me. There is some fun action, and the animation is among the best. I love the detailed, realistic sci-fi machinery, settings, and backgrounds. They pulled me halfway through the series before I quit.

But the character and plot of Cowboy Bebop are pretty shallow. The episodes are individual vignettes, so strong writing and characters are needed to hold them up. Instead, we have two-dimensional good guys hunting down one-dimensional bad guys. Our main cast barely develops, even with a few memories pulled up. They're fun, but they get boring after a dozen episodes. As for the side-characters, half of the them are stereotypical thugs, and most of the rest did not have enough time, depth, or personality to connect with me. Plot-wise, I almost always thought "It was alright" instead of "Wow, that was amazing!"

When I first started, I was pretty pumped up. Then I was mildly interested. Then I relegated it to background noise. I have never given an anime more of a chance. I can see why people love it, but I don't see how its well-written. Even at its best, I only thought it was okay. But apparently, that isn't enough, considering even respectful, 5/10 reviews are getting a barrage of downvotes. If sci-fi action + jazz is enough for you, then its fine. But I wouldn't even place it on the Top 100.

Cowboy Bebop should need no introduction; it's more than a uniquely defining series on several levels. Shinichi Watanabe crafted this mostly episodic anime with a beautiful plot arc that doesn't detract a bit from any moment in the series.

Following the misadventures of a crew of unlikely bounty hunters through the future solar system, Bebop liberally dabbles in jazz, both the music and the attitude. The lead character, Spike Spiegel, is as much an antihero in the anime tradition as he would be in a Hemingway novel- witty and gutsy, with a twist of nihlistic worldview. Along with Spike, each part of the ensemble main cast do more than enough to stand out on their own, with perfectly human qualities. Jet Black, the gruff pilot, is truly epitomized in the episode "Ganymede Elegy," where he confronts an old flame. Ed and Ein, the genius teenage hacker and her supersmart Corgi dog, throw the limits of standard comic relief out the window. And who could forget Faye Valentine, the eat-your-heart-out sprite of a woman with pizazz, flair, and a penchant for gambling.

If you're not a fan of anime because of its tendency to be far-fetched and downright weird at times, Bebop is the right starter series for you. A melodrama, a jazzy jam session, and a sci-fi detective thriller all wrapped into a tight, upbeat package. Superb.