Back in High School, I was VERY interested in “Kinnikuman” when I had first found out about the series’ MERCHANDISE making its way to the U.S., but NOT the ACTUAL SERIES, ITSELF…! But regardless, when I told my friends about it, they recommended me the show: Cowboy Bebop, and after both that AND seeing Anime Abandon’s episode review on the series, I knew THIS had to be the FIRST Anime I (Fully) watched…!
The very first scene of the first episode sets the mood RIGHT-off-the-bat with a stranger in an Alley while it rains… As he walks through, he just remembers about something that happened in his past (And also some foreboding FORESHADOWING as well) as he simply drops a bouquet of flowers.... -AND THEN THE OPENING COMES RIGHT IN AND COMPLETELY SHIFTS THE ATMOSPHERE INTO A “180” WITH NO FORGIVENESS (FREAKING AWESOME)!!!
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The opening begins with a voice (Presumably the Main Character) simply saying: I think it’s time we blow this thing, get everybody in this stuff together. Okay, 3-2-1 LET’S JAM! The music and effects mix a “Heist-Story” with 70’s AMERICAN “Groove”-Style of the Time-Period as (slightly) Sci-Fi looking weaponry is shown off to show the type of world that the Show and Characters all live in, as well as show-off the Main Characters in “Shadow-Silhouette” in the Foreground! All done without ANY lyrics or vocals, just ENTIRELY instrumentals!
After the opening, the rest of the first episode ACTUALLY plays just like a standard Japanese “Manga-to-Anime” Adaptation…! Just a “One-Shot” story of the Main two Characters: Spike Speigel and Jet Black simply doing their job of hunting down a criminal before he can escape them. COMPLETE STORY…!
Meanwhile, the SECOND episode starts introducing some new, and Main-Stay, elements into the series:
1. Being their new (Initial) Bounty:
Ein: The Corgi, a dog that the Main two begrudgingly take-in after realizing that it’d be better to KEEP him, against just letting a Trustworthy Resource take control of him. Also, he comes into play much more frequently when the LAST member of the crew arrives.
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2. With the appearance of the 3 Old Geezers, whom of which do nothing but berate and complain at each other. They are only used in the stories SPARINGLY, whenever there is an intensive action scene and it could use a bit of levity with the Main “Target” or they crew chasing each other down throughout the environments, or the adventure is serious and the just appear elsewhere JUST to crack a joke at each other.
Meanwhile smoothly transitioning right into “Episode 3” is the introduction of the “Fem. Fatal” of the series: Faye Valentine. While not the “Fan-Service” female of the Crew, she DOES know how to use her “Feminine Wiles” to manipulate man for her own personal intentions.
PLUS WE DO (Much like the REST of the crew) see more of her past, just as much as we do all the REST of the Crew about their own troubled or “Lost” pasts.
After a few episodes of building-up the team’s “Dynamic”, we finally get the introduction to own LAST member:
Ed, the Genius Cybernetic/Cyber-Space Hacker (Though still the YOUNGEST member, BY FAR) of the crew! And once SHE (yes, “She”) arrives, Ein’s role on the crew is officially greatened, with him being the “Moral-Compass” for all of Ed’s Schemes and Doings.
After she joins up everyone seems to find own place on the Bebop Crew, all seeming to pair-up each others' personalities whether in comparison or contrast with each other.
The Crew is then completed!
Over the rest of the (STILL MUCH MORE THAN HALF) series, we delve deeper and deeper into each of the Characters’ pasts and how it affected them into becoming the people that they are TODAY. Much if not MAINLY with the main two rivals: Spike and Vicious, over how the Main Antagonist of the series KILLED Spike's Girlfriend: Julia…!With almost everyone in the "Stand-Alone" episode having the Crew deal with a different situation and the people involved or paying them (Or the Crew just simply watching the T.V. show: Big Shot Bounties, for the opportunity for a job they can do with) to SOLVE the situation. The crew ALSO gets to discover and know more and more about their clients', enemies', and bystanders': Mentalities, Psychologies, and Philosophies involved to be better equipped to track-down and deal with their situations at hand.Also appropriately, with the main "Theme" of the story's Tone being that of: "Jazz" and "Western" to create a fitting atmospheric mix of their Space/Bounty-Hunting Setting, each episode has it's own "Thematic Music" to accompany the adventure that they Crew is currently on to engage the viewers even more-so.About halfway through the series, we are introduced to another character that was close to the Main "Villain" Vicious: Gren, who used to even know Vicious from a battle and attempted to live and pass-through after so. And while Spike is in a constant Man-Hunt for Vicious i a BATTLE that they both fought vengeance for his past Lover. Faye, meanwhile, also meets and discovers GREN'S own Philosophy and how those of his relate to those of Spike and Vicious's. Along with Faye accidentally discovering a secret about Gren, himself. Although, by the end of the specific adventure, Faye does plea and reason with Spike to return to his normal Bounty-Hunting life with his original Organization finding AND keeping him from killing Vicious as of THAT POINT.With Spike trying to leave his former Organization behind and Vicious put on the Organization’s job to track down and KILL him! Also, with them both knowing and follow the personal Philosophy of them both knowing that only EACH OTHER can TRULY finally END each other’s lives and that whichever one kills the OTHER first will be the one to TRULY be free from their Organization’s hold...! In fact, the VERY LAST EPISODE entirely deals with the Main Character Spike’s actions in infiltrating and KILLING the Organization, himself…!
All while the "Ending Theme" of the series: Real Folk Blues, plays in the Background to show the DETERMINATION and SALVATION of Spike’s “Final” Mission, now!Extra Notes:
The Voice-Acting is SO SUPERB (ESPECIALLY for its Main Character) that it is FAMOUSLY on-par with Anime like "Dragon Ball Z" that even its own NATIVE JAPANESE audience actually PREFER THE ENGLISH VOICE-ACTORS (JUST LIKE WITH "DRAGON BALL Z"!) for the series over their OWN NATIVE ones!
Final words to say:
Spike Spegiel:
Bang.
“See you, Space Cowboy."
