This is without a doubt a classic anime. I am pretty sure that this is the favorite anime of a lot of my western friends. Cowboy Bebop had a huge role in carrying anime to the west. This was one of the first mainstream animes in the west, and even today it holds up really well. Sunrise has always had some of the best anime in its repertoire and this is no exception.
So welcome back to another edition of our anime recommendation series! This week we are talking about Cowboy Bebop. A truly classic anime, and worth a revisit any chance you get. So well, let’s get started right away. I don’t think I need to introduce this anime but, well let’s start away anyway.
Introduction
Cowboy Bebop is an original anime by Sunrise. Yes, one of the best animes ever made is an original, go figure. Then again, Sunrise has always had really good originals but, that’s beside the point. The anime is 26 episodes long and is made by Sunrise of course. It came out and aired all the way back in spring 1998. That’s almost 25 years ago.
Also no, don’t watch the Netflix live-action adaptation. It is trash, they censored the crap out of this masterpiece.
Cowboy Bebop is a pretty intense anime. It is something you need time to digest. I know it looks like a space cowboy adventure on the surface but, it is so much deeper than that. I had some pacing issues with the anime when I originally watched it but upon rewatches, I am beginning to see that the pacing is deliberate. Well, let’s talk about that in detail.
Plot
Cowboy Bebop is set in the year 2071. It for the most part follows the life of a space bounty hunter crew. The central themes of the anime are loneliness and the inability to escape one’s past. Of course, the 2nd one comes into play a lot of times. It is not just a simple adventure with our favorite characters, it is so much more than that.
As I said earlier, you need some time to properly digest this anime. Cowboy Bebop does a great job of exploring the past of all the main characters and how it defines who they are today. So as I was staying earlier, the pacing is made intentionally slower at some moments. This really drives the tension of these situations. There are a lot of things I realized while re-watching this series for the 3rd time.
Characters
I really can’t do justice to Cowboy Bebop characters in this short segment. Spike is one of the best-written MCs, he is a cultural icon at this point. Man, even Keanu Reeves loves him. His background is extremely well drawn out and his character development is great. On the other hand, we have Faye whose background is ambiguous on purpose, and man, her backstory is pretty insane and unexpected. There are so many other good characters in here too.
Animations and Soundtracks
The animations for the time were top-notch. Of course, Cowboy Bebop is nearly 25 years old at this point so it does feel a bit dated. But, the good art style really does make up a lot for the animations of the time. Like yes, it does look old but it doesn’t look 25 years old if you catch my drift. And of course, the soundtracks are awesome, we all know the classic opening theme of the anime.
Why should you watch Cowboy Bebop?
Quick pointers on why you should check out this anime.
- Rather short
- Great plot
- High re-watch value
- Great art style
- Great characters
Conclusion
Well, that is it for now. Let me know what you guys think in the comments. I know almost everyone loves Cowboy Bebop but still. How has the anime aged for you? With that said though, I will take my leave here. I have to write one more article for the week. So well, see ya soon!!
