posted on wordpress 5/31/2014

Cowboy Bebop (1998)

(edited for clarity)

I remember the first time I saw Cowboy Bebop on Adult Swim. That definitely shaped the way that I enjoy any type of media, I think. Ever since then, I have been searching for something like Bebop. Of course there is Samurai Champloo which is in another league and sort of like comparing apples and oranges. Champloo is also incredibly well done that I cannot discount that as another favorite. Both are Shinichirō Watanabe’s work and legacy.

Watanabe’s use of music in his shows is such an important component to these stories that these screencaps cannot encapsulate.

In Bebop, American culture and jazz music is the foundation of the series. The opening sequence is a great montage set to TANK!. An American man says:

I think it’s time we blow this scene, get everybody and the stuff together.
Ok. 3, 2, 1, let’s jam!

And obviously western themes are incorporated into the series; Cowboy is in the title after all. Cowboys are known as lonely. Alone. A one man team.

I want to point out that there are so many ways to approach anime and manga. Personally I believe that Watanabe and the Sunrise production team as well as Studio Ghibli nail it. There’s such cultural depth to all these works. In the west, unless you’re a weaboo, it’s hard to full understand the political and cultural context of famous works. I am speaking from my perspective.

Our titular Cowboy, Spike, finds a makeshift family in his partner since the beginning of the series. He forms relationships with Jet, an ex inter-solar police officer, then Faye, his original foe turned semi partner, then Edward, a genius but juvenile hacker with no family, and her dog Ein. Bebop is known as an existentialist anime but its presentation is lively. Isolation and detachment are themes that I love watching and exploring but, as opposed to Neon Genesis Evangelion, an incredibly famous and almost uncontested body of work, it is less “cerebral” and “internal” and more lifelike and natural.

I strive and struggle to make connections in my life but I love seeing how other people view connections and how they get them to play out especially within lives that aren’t great for harboring love and friendships.

These characters live in a universe (literally in the universe) that does not encourage love and friendships. It’s dystopic and barren. Within this universe, the views on connections, family, love etc change. These isolated characters feel a need to stay isolated but they need each other for survival. It’s interesting to see their relationships evolve and the sense of need of a group. Similarly, in Samural Champloo, the ending presents a beauty in these existential questions; though the protagonists live ostensibly lonely lives we still get the feeling that they will see each other again and will somehow always be connected.

I love Bebop because of the music, the violence, the idea of always waiting for people, but it is also incredibly intriguing, fun, and interesting. The storylines–outside of Spike’s manpain which is one part of the series I cannot stand–generally differ but as with most animes there is a more singular theme towards the end where things are connected.

Bebop isn’t a happy anime nor is it sad. I wouldn’t even call it bleak. It left such an impression on me when I was younger that I feel like I can never let it go. But every time I rewatch it I realize it’s not because it’s been with me for such a long time that I’m holding on to it so well.

TANK! is a very well-known song and Bebop is a very popular and groundbreaking anime. When I hear the opening chords of TANK! with that beautiful bass (I think….), the man’s voice, and the eventual big band sound I get excited. The ending chords are absolutely beautiful, there’s a saxophone arc that hooks into your brain. Love it.

(I was originally going to do a new anime but I don’t have the attention span for that. I’m still trying to get through the movies on my HD and I have to make a new list of movies as well because I lost some. I’m working on so many things in my IRL to get my life together so hopefully soon I can keep up and do things the way I want to and have energy for stuff. Oh also I’m wavering between the sub and dub for this. The dub is pretty good but I’ve never watched it on sub. But my attention span…)

i know that i can be happy on mars