Anime Review: Cowboy Bebop (English dubbed version)

Commonly called the "film noir of anime", Cowboy Bebop takes the noir genre and tosses it in a space setting to sink or swim on its own. Luckily, it does the latter. The year is 2071, and after a particularly disastrous test of a new transportation system, humanity ends up focusing outward towards the stars. They terraform and colonize new planets, leaving Earth a mere shadow of what it once was. Along with the expansion of the human race comes a number of brave spirits willing to round up the nastiest criminals for a price.

Enter Spike and Jet, two such bounty hunters (known as "Cowboys") that pilot a ship named the Bebop between worlds, trying (and failing miserably) to catch wanted criminals. Before long they're joined by a young woman named Fay, a gambler with one too many debts that keep her on the run, and a gender-confused child simply named "Ed" who happens to be a whiz at computers. Throw in a genetically enhanced dog named Einstein and you have the main cast of the series.

Cowboy Bebop manages to do what is becoming harder to achieve every year: take a concept that's been done to death, and turn it into something entirely new. The series itself is rather dark and depressing with a tinge of melancholy, but there's enough humor sprinkled throughout the show (not to mention a few select episodes that seem entirely devoted to it) that keep it from falling into a well of self-pity. It contains episodes that could easily stand alone, apart from the main plot, but as you get closer to the end it quickly winds into a riveting, action-packed story that ends with a bang (watch the series and you'll know what I mean.)

Although the series itself is set in outer space, one of the oddest parts about it that perhaps adds to its appeal is the fact that space isn't even emphasized. The only time it's really mentioned in the show is when a spaceship needs repairing. Aside from that, the importance is largely character-based to the point you hardly notice the thematic setting anymore. It seems more like an action/western/anti-hero bad-boy series than a futuristic sci-fi. If you're hoping for something with more of a Gundam feel to it, you'll be disappointed, but if you can appreciate a sci-fi series that doesn't draw attention to the fact it's a sci-fi series, this is right up your alley.

The characters themselves are quite entertaining, staying true-to-life and realistic throughout the story. None of them really undergo any sort of change, leaving them as somewhat static characters, but that's part of their charm. It's because of, not despite, Spike's personality that leads him to make the decisions he does, and that makes the audience identify well with him.

The animation is also something to behold. Keeping a down-to-earth tone on all of the scenes lends to its credibility, and nothing seems wild, flashy or out of place in a world (well, universe) that's trying to keep itself together after a global disaster. The music is one of the highlights of the show; the catchy and soulful "Real Folk Blues" has become one of the more famous songs in the anime genre. The entire score seems like a perfect fit for the dark, ironic nature of the series.

Cowboy Bebop is not for kids, period. Teenagers and above will enjoy the oddly appealing simplicity of the story and the well-detailed characters. This series is one of the most famous anime shows out there at the moment, and for a very good reason: it's one of the best.