But, before I dive in, I want to talk about something interesting that has come up in my conversations with other people since starting this show. There are some interesting stigmas surrounding both the genre of anime animated television shows and the influence that Eastern culture has had on Western culture and vice versa. I have told many people how much I have been enjoying Cowboy Bebop and their reactions have been of a varying degree. All of the following are 100% barely paraphrases responses I have heard from people I know concerning Cowboy Bebop:
"It sounds cool, but... Anime?"
"Cowboy Bebop is a decent show but it is too Americanized to be a true anime."
"Why aren't you watching Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones or something American?"
"I just can't get into that Japanese stuff, but if they make an American remake I'd watch it."
"Wait? The main character is a guy? Isn't anime all naked girls and stuff?"
I guess I never realized the walls that stood in between Western and Eastern culture that would make people so hesitant to take a chance on anime. I really have no reason to judge because it wasn't until recently I was able to drop my proclivities and give anime a chance, and I have found the entire genre to be something that everyone should at least look into. I think that most people make the mistake in thinking that anime itself is a single and particular type of genre when, in reality, it is just a specific art style, like CG or rotoscoping. Anime televisions and movies are composed of a diverse amount genres, just like their American counterparts. Sure, most of them consist of a lot of similar elements, such as sci-fi themes, scantily clad women, and overly dramatic plot lines. But thinking that these elements define the anime genre as a whole is like saying that all American shows consist of explosions and gory murder. Just because the most popular shows in America share similar elements doesn't mean they all are the same. The same goes on across the Pacific. Cowboy Bebop for example, does not have an overly-accentuated sexuality nor does it feel particularly foreign in any way. By having its setting in the future and far removed from the planet of Earth, the show removes a lot of the traditionally Japanese elements in favor of more universal themes and emotions. This is the same reason that Firefly had the appeal that it did and still does.
That being said, Cowboy Bebop is a Japanese show and it is very much grounded in Eastern culture. The anime art style is much different than most American animation styles, focusing more of ambience and atmosphere than fluid motion and synchronicity. The structure of the show (the premise, the characters, the themes, the plotlines, etc.) are all based on Eastern conventions and archetypes. The shows has an emphasis on the more "mystic" elements of life such as luck, fate, and the future. There is literally a scene in the second episode where the antagonist consults a random old man on the side of the road who claims to be able to tell him his future. In the middle of a chase scene. Because, you know, everyone does that. Especially hardened criminals being chased by bounty hunters. Right? All of these element, as well as things like overly stereotyped Western characters, can be offputting to American viewers.
However, none of this should keep you, dear reader, from at least trying to watch Cowboy Bebop. Both films and television shows in America have been embracing Eastern culture for years. Take Quentin Tarantino for example. Beyond the Kill Bill franchise, which is basically a love letter to samurai and kung-fu movies, Tarantino's signature non-linear storytelling, satirical snark, and sudden explosive gore are all traditional traits of Eastern cinema that have been slowly incorporated into American film and television. It's pretty much everywhere now, from the twisting and unpredictable nature of Christopher Nolan's films to the beautifully atmospheric bent to films like the Life of Pi and Skyfall. In reality, no one should really have a problem swallowing any adverse elements that Cowboy Bebop has to present. The time of Karate Kid is over, ladies and gents, and incorporating Eastern elements in American entertainment is no longer a novelty. And the same goes our friends in Japan too. Animes and Eastern movies are getting progressively more American as well, with a higher attention to the details of action sequences and implementation of the "True American Hero" stereotype character. Cowboy Bebop, and its American counterpart Firefly, are arguably the very definition of a combination of the East and the West into one fantastic package. So, what I guess I'm trying to say is... Check it out y'all!
Ok, stepping down from the soapbox because it's time to talk about the show! And because I suck at transitions... Ok, three, two, one, let's jam!
Ok, we all psyched now?
Overall, I think the last five episodes that I have watched really have bumped up the quality of Cowboy Bebop and have expanded the premise and the characters in all the right ways. Let's hit these one by one.
"Sympathy for the Devil" strikes me as a clear example of the biggest gripe I have against Cowboy Bebop in general, which would be the miniscule length of the episodes. The plot of this episode, involving an immortal crime boss and a magic bullet, is very interesting and has a lot of potential. However, the story is strangled by the half hour limit and forces itself to rush to an unsatisfying conclusion. Just when it was getting super interesting too. Sigh. However, the artwork, as usual, is a marvel, especially an impressive looking explosion towards the end of the episode. And, while we do get to see the crew of the Bebop work sort of like a dysfunctional team, the lack of character development makes this episode feel like an empty waste of potential.
"Heavy Metal Queen" actually surprised me in some very good ways. I find it very impressive that the writers of Cowboy Bebop took a chance in focusing an episode on a non-recurring character and even more impressive that the results were so fantastic. V.T., a space truck driver and titular "heavy metal queen," is a deeply engaging and provocative character with her anti-bounty hunter stance playing delightfully off of Spike's off-the-cuff attitude. It kinda makes me wish V.T. was a crew member on the Bebop instead of Faye. I really haven't quite warmed up to her yet, but I still have a lot of Cowboy Bebop to do so. The translation of trucker culture to the sci-fi setting was also an episode highlight, striking a perfect balance between homage and innovation. The plot of the story, involving a scrawny bounty with a ship full of explosives, was merely a vehicle to get V.T. involved in the proceedings, but we do get to see the Bebop crew working as a semi-cohesive unit, which was nice.
"Waltz for Venus" is an interesting example in expanding the world of Cowboy Bebop. Taking place in the future when other planets in our solar system are populated by humans, the show makes passing references to the unique cultures of these planets, but this episode is one of the first times that the culture of another planet plays an important role in the plot. I'll try not to spoil too much but Venus' atmosphere of peace and tranquility counteracts the manic and crazed action of the episode. The plot, revolving around a gangster and his blind sister, is actually quite humorous, with Spike playing sensi for the young gangster and teaching the art of fighting. However, I was slightly soured by the tragic turn the episode takes at the end not only because the episode length does not justify such a twist but also because it feels like we were tricked into liking a character for no good reason. It was more depressing than cathartic. Still, the background art was super and served as a nice backdrop for the action.
"Jamming with Edward" might be my favorite episode of Cowboy Bebop so far. It introduces both the final member of the Bebop in the eccentric and childlike hacker Ed and also gives a little backstory of what happened to Earth in this version of the future. Earth, while still being fairly technologically advanced, has become sort of a backwater planet and more like the dusty frontiers that we would imagine being part of the westerns that inspired Cowboy Bebop in the first place. What is even more interesting is that the episode has a little commentary on the materialism and violence of our culture as, in the Cowboy Bebop future, all the population of Earth has been forced to live underground due to global wars and excessive use of satellites. The introduction of Ed feels completely natural and much of the episode is dedicated to showing and expanding her character, which is more than they have ever given Faye. Ed is clearly supposed to be the "super cute" element of the show due to her youth and quirky personality and the cuteness can get to be a little jarring at points. However, Ed's intelligence and childlike wonder give a great balance to the cynical and sometimes melodramatic attitudes of the rest of the Bebop crew. The episode manages to pull off two parallel storylines, one involving the Bebop crew trying to find a criminal guilty of graffiti on a planetary level and the other involving Ed discovering the identity of the criminal. The technique is impressive for the short episode length and makes the episode all the more enjoyable. The quality of the artwork is also at an all time high with an intriguing cyberpunk bent when describing how Ed sees life and a breathtaking spaceship flying sequence to boot.
"Ganymede Elegy" brings the long awaited Jet-centered episode with fantastic result. On top of revealing much about Jet's past as a cop on the planet Ganymede, this episode is also noteworthy for how refreshing of a take it is on the typical "Casablanca" formula. The story starts out with Jet reconnecting with a long lost love and finding out that she is in trouble, but the writers let the story reveal more about Jet's loyalty to Spike and about the man that he is rather than having it suck him up in a stereotypical lost lover role. I honestly have much more respect for Jet after seeing this. Like in the way that I have respect for other actually people in reality. The episode makes that much of an impact, especially in that unflinchingly tense ending scene. This is another episode that shows that Cowboy Bebop can work wonders within its half hour time limit. It almost reminds me of Community in the way it manages to cover so much surface in so little time. I have a feeling that this is Cowboy Bebop finally reaching its long awaited potential and that it will only get better from here.
So that all for now guys! As usual, thanks for reading and stay tuned for more Cowboy Bebop!
See you space cowboy...
