Cowboy Bebop - modest review by a modest man

[Heath_Hindman]

http://www.soulriders.org/index.php?module=viewreview&id=157

I posted this on the site like a week ago, but didn't know I was supposed to make a topic about it until a few days after.  heh, anyway, there you go.  Yeah, I know it's an old anime, but so is the review  :lol:

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Edit by Dracos- For safety in case the update smashes the original.

Bebop Rocks Hard
Cowboy Bebop (Series)
by Heath_Hindman

The year is 2071. Much has changed since our time.
Earth is no longer the only place where humans dwell and the popularity
of the car has been surpassed by that of small spacecraft. But despite
these and other major changes, humanity has remained as cutthroat and confused
as ever. Enter the Bounty Hunters. The occupation of professional
bounty hunting has become as common as prostitution (and often looked upon
with similar respect). And that's just how you'll meet our main characters...

Spike is a drifter teamed up with a retired cop named Jet. They cruise
the galaxy on their ship, The Bebop, searching for criminals worth big
bounties. Using tips gained from both personal sources, as well as
a Space-TV program strictly dedicated to providing bounty hunters with
current info, the Bebop crew tracks crook after crook into fast-paced action scenes that are best described as "sweet." Other characters, namely Faye and Edward are soon introduced to the core cast and also come as welcome additions. The group is varied and makes for a great show.

The series wastes absolutely no time at all getting to the point. The very first episode, "Asteroid Blues," introduces you to Spike, Jet, a touch of Bebop's history, and one of the many bounty heads in no time at all, and still leaves room to fit in exciting fight scenes and an incredible ending--what an accomplishment!

But Cowboy Bebop doesn't slow down after that. Sometimes a series will start out on a high note, but later episodes end up leaving little or no impact on the viewer. Rest assured, C.B. does not set you up for disappointment such as that. This is one anime series that will keep you wanting more right up till the very end. And, without spoiling anything...what an incredible ending it is.

Both voice casts are of good quality. If you're watching in Japanese and using subs, you'll be treated to well-translated ones; if you're using the English voices, even better, because this series has some of the best English voice acting I've seen. Plus, with music by Yoko Kanno and The Seatbelts, there's pretty much nothing that will offend your ears during Cowboy Bebop.

With nice animation, heart-stopping action, perfect directional juxtaposition, smooth translation, an intriguing plot, and a concept all its own, Cowboy Bebop is sure to please hardcore anime fans and newbies alike. You don't just win the "Best New Anime of the Year (1998) Award" in Japan by being crappy.

-Heath Hindman, Editor in Chief, RPGLand.com

[Dracos]

Nice review.  I think this has gone unreviewed here so far because anyone admitting they haven't watched it would be beaten to death with CB soundtracks.

The ending, I vary from day to day on whether it needed to end that way.  Either way, it did end most excellently, though I think it peaked at "Call Me, Call Me..."

Dracos

[thepanda]

Good review.

I thought Jet had the better story arcs, though.

[Edward]

Thanks for the review.  An excellent series with a good ending.  (Sadly, 90% of CB fanfics try to pretend the ending never happened.)

Though I wouldn't call it an old anime.  Then again, I've been watching anime for a while.

[Heath_Hindman]

Thanks for the review.  An excellent series with a good ending.  (Sadly, 90% of CB fanfics try to pretend the ending never happened.)

Though I wouldn't call it an old anime.  Then again, I've been watching anime for a while.

I guess I used the term "old" because I'm used to working for sites that emphasize reviews of stuff that came within the last year, if not the last MONTH.  Heh.

[Dracos]

You young whipppersnappers and your one week turnarounds~ =P

Dracos
Private jokes are fun.

[DB]

% [Dracos wrote:
The ending, I vary from day to day on whether it needed to end that way.  Either way, it did end most excellently, though I think it peaked at "Call Me, Call Me..."

The first time I saw the ending I was a bit down about it. Then I thought about it and my mood shifted slightly.

Then I rewatched the series.

Yeah, it did have to end that way. Actually,when I realized it did, and why it had to, I wrote a fic which played on the idea. Actually after watching it through the second time I think I appreciate some of the subtlties that were the theme through a number of the episodes, which I missed due to the surface action (which was great too). So I would rate this as having a high rewatch value as well.  Overall I'd give it a 10 out of 10 (though some individual episodes were weak)

And the movie is !#$ too.

[Dracos]

I remember that fic.  it was pretty good.

Dracos