Review: Cowboy Bebop

Cowboy Bebop

From the old to new, this name keeps on popping up. A classic amongst classics and the frequent visitor amongst many anime discussions and top anime lists, the name just keeps on following you.

Released on 1998, written by Keiko Nobumoto, this series is arguably Shinichiro Watanabe's greatest work. Referred to as the "gateway to understanding the medium of anime as a whole" by the American media organizations such as the Onion, it has won several academic awards such as the Seiun Award in 2000.

Plot(9/10)
Although it takes place in the distant future, 2022, it is not the typical "future" that you see in your typical anime. It isn't the post apocalyptic wasteland or the skyscraper lit megatrapolis, it's a mix of old and new, which gives birth to a world of some-what realism and fantasy. The series seems to reflect the history of American Culture. Both the plot, animation, and music references the "Wild West", the Jazz era and the mid 1900s, and the rise of the Counter Culture which began in the 1960s/70s. Don't expect lasers or blasters, expect actual guns with bullets; don't expect aliens or monsters, expect an abundance of cross culture and ethnicity. The story revolves around a crew of bounty hunters and their adventures across the solar system. The adventure revolves around the past, the motif and epitome of the piece. Each character has a complication with this theme, whether it's learning from it, searching for it, or just plain can't remember it. But in the end what it comes to is: Spike's past that's about to chase him down.
Music (9.5/10)
Yoko Kanno pretty much summarizes what I need to say. Fantastic music composed by the master herself and musicianship by the recording artists that took part in this godly creation. The music is focused on Jazz (post bop) and early Rock. The Jazz portion of the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack is full of huge names such as: Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, Steve Wilson, Gary Bartz, James Carter, Mark Soskin, Nicholas Payton, etc. Makes you wonder what kind of connections or how the hell they got all of these members.
I would have given this a perfect mark, but I don't believe in 10/10s.

Spoiler:

Animation/Direction
The animation might/will seem average at first, but it will develop into a masterpiece of it's era/age. Character appearance and overall anime design are unique, Cowboy Bebop style, and you won't see it any where else. Even if you haven't seen the series you will be able to easily distinguish what is Cowboy Bebop and what is not. There are no cheap short-cuts (stills, re-runs, animation sequences, etc), everything is natural and raw artistry. Definitely watch in 720p at least.
One thing that could turn off someone was the episodic nature of the series. Most of the episodes don't have cliff hangers as you would expect from a typical anime, instead most episodes have some sort of conclusion to the plot twist they introduced. This might put some at unease; for those who might be a little more impatient, it might feel as if the development is too slow. None-the-less do not scrap! After several episodes you will realize the artistry and the collage that the episodes produce. The series does focus more on the individual plots, and the construction/revelation of the overall story line in each episode is small/slow.

Last Remark...
It's simple when it comes down to it: a hero, his past that follows, and the future which he follows. Haven't seen enough of that? But what makes it different from your typical anime is the pure artistry with which it's done. 26 episodes of perfection. Enough to give you satisfaction. Enough to have you crave more.
Final Ratings:

Spoiler:

wow kai, this review looks amazing

kais all time fav after all. im too lazy for any of my own =_=