Cowboy Bebop any good?

[digitalmaster287]

I'm all for action animes, but I read somewhere that Cowboy Bebop did not really have much of a plot or any epic fights and it was just an episodic show and I really dislike those, so I was just wondering if it is good or just a different bad guy every episode until the end.

[KholdStare]

I had the same feeling too and that's why I only watched Cowboy Bebop recently, since I've been putting it back for a long time. I mean, what's so fun about people flying around collecting bounties? The plots are episodic, yes, but the character and theme development is really why this anime is so good. Even though they basically go on a different "mission" every episode, a part of that episode contributes to tying everything together in the end, and yes I consider several fights of the anime epic, at least two. This isn't just an "action" anime but rather a multi-genre anime that is so unique that it, for me, cannot be classified under any specific genre. It's just special in its own way, and has an incredible plot.

There is a recurrent bad guy, but there are also many "bounties" that they will try to claim every episode. In short it has many plots and subplots, and it is worth your time I guarantee it. In fact, it's on my top ten list immediately right after I watched it.

[wingdarkness]

Originally Posted by digitalmaster287

I'm all for action animes, but I read somewhere that Cowboy Bebop did not really have much of a plot or any epic fights and it was just an episodic show and I really dislike those, so I was just wondering if it is good or just a different bad guy every episode until the end.

This show is about style, culture-clashing and futuristic concepts, all soundtracked to jazz...The word "Bebop" in essence means freestyle and like freestyle jazz this series fails at just following the sheet music...The series is much deeper than the eps itself and many fail to realize this because they are used to a certain mode of how anime-episodes progress...Like Samurai Champloo aswell, Cowboy bebop is about the journey , not necessarily the final boss....It's smart, makes compelling arguments on society, and most importantly it's genre-breaking...It stands in it's own category and the point of the series was to achieve this, so if the fact that it's episodic is gonna turn you away IMHO you're gonna miss out...

This series is one of my alltime favs and there's loads of action, just not in the form of one vs. one battles all the time...Just check it out for yourself...

[Slayerx]

Y'know, i don't think i have ever met a person who had soemthing bad to say about Cowboy beebop. Its been awhile since the last time i watched cowboy beebop but it definatly is one of my favorite series; and i'm generally more the type to like the long epic storylines. It is episodic, but they are each very good episodes. Great characters, great action, the occasional light bit of humor, it's all well and good. Not to mention the more dramatic episodes, particually the ones that involve a characters history are even better.

[Echoes]

Just watch it, I can't imagine you'd end up hating it, very few do. It's excellently animated, written and designed, the music is breathtaking and the plot, though pretty episodic, does actually go somewhere.

Been on my favorite list since I first saw it, and I can't imagine I'll be removing it anytime soon.

[Zioniu]

I think i'm probably one of the only people who disliked this show. Couldn't really stand it to be honest, i watched it all the way through to the end because i dislike giving a critique with out at least having followed through. I can honestly say.. i wish i had put off seeing it forever.

Something about it didn't really grab me. The episodic nature of the show, with no real run on plot, save the last few episodes, it kind of made it feel like there was no purpose to the first 20 episodes of the show. Save the few scraps of Spikes past you learn through out, which are pretty cliche (and who knows maybe the cliche WAS created by Cowboy bebop.. but it doesnt make it any less boring to watch now in 2007 when it's overdone). The fight scenes were all mediocre from what i can remember, and people who claim that the "characterization" is a key point of cowboy bebop.. well let's just say I kind of disagree.

There is very little important interaction between the lead and the characters in his surroundings. Though i think some people like to make belief and talk themselves into believing that Spike and Faye had some crap going on... or some just say it was one sided, but either way.. none of it's true. It's left so hollow and pretentious that it was a total turn off.

Anyways, the best suggestion you can get is, watch 5 episodes, if you don't like it, don't watch it, if you do, then do. Everyone has different tastes. I personally just didn't find the show very appealing.

One thing i did like, like many people will point out, is the music used through out the series, much like Samurai Champloo (which contrary to bebop, i really really liked) it has a very nice musical score.

Peace

[Odobenus]

Cowboy Bebop is still one of the best anime I have ever seen.

The story really picks up near the end and although I kinda wish they went a little more in depth with it but it is one of the few anime I have seen that I actually liked the ending. Even the episodes that didn't really have anything to do with the main plot were very entertaining and fun to watch.

I'd recommend this anime to anyone!

[BrokenWingz]

If I were to say my opinion of Cowboy Bebop, it would be " it's one of those shows that gives off the feeling that it's very good after most if not every episode." Or to compare it to a movie, if you just watched a very good movie it'd give you the impression, yes I didn't waste my money / time.

[Trail]

I don't get what you mean with the cliche things. I for myself, consider Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo quite anti-cliche, in fact. The more i watch stuff and then I think about those two, the more they stand out. There are moments that i'll never forget.

It's not like there is something i can specifically point out, but the whole atmosphere and style is unique. And my writing sucks, so it's not gonna sound impressive if i bother to type scenes down.

If nothing else, Cowboy Bebop has the episode with the fridge. Enough said? :P

[psycho bolt]

It was a quite unique anime back in the day. I still rewatch it once in awhile, cuz of its old school animation. If you had watched it long ago, you would call this an classic. Now days, the younger generations of anime watchers don't find it any interesting since there are newer better animes. But there was a time when it was the best.

[KholdStare]

Originally Posted by psycho bolt

It was a quite unique anime back in the day. I still rewatch it once in awhile, cuz of its old school animation. If you had watched it long ago, you would call this an classic. Now days, the younger generation of anime don't find it any interesting since there are newer animes.

I still quite disagree. I consider myself one of the younger generation because even though I've watched anime for a very long time, I've "put off" Cowboy Bebop and watched it very recently and still found it very enjoyable and indeed a classic. True that some of the newer anime did have more impact than Cowboy Bebop, but that doesn't change the fact that I enjoyed Cowboy Bebop more than most of the anime I've watched, even the newer ones.

[mana.]

Just watch it.

Originally I really didn't like to to be honest.

Exactly for the reasons you listed, it seemd there was very little plot and just an episodic show.

Plus, space bounty hunters-what the hell?!

And what Zioniu says about Spike- it's pretty true, though if you rationalize it, it makes sense since he's a lone wolf, devil may care, type of character deal.

And the animation is old school style- no extras, just straight plain animation.

I still don't like the animation of it honestly.

Despite all of this I have to say:

Dude, watch it, to the end, and it will blow you away. I don't know how or why, but it does. Leaves you with a big bang! heh

[wingdarkness]

Are you kidding me, the animation?? Please people go and watch a DVD episode of Pierre La Fou, or Mushroom Samba, or Honky-Tonk Women, or etc, etc, etc....I'll lend you my DVD collection...

Go watch Cowboy Bebop Knocking on Heavens Door in x264 and see if your eyeballs don't fall out from the sheer artistic precision...Cowboy Bebop is hand-drawn animation at it's finest...Diss the story, or the episodic nature, but the animation?? I'm flabbergasted... "Just straight plain animation" ?? Wipe the dust off those TV's will yah? Bebop still visually OWNS most if not all of the 170 mbs files on your hard-drive...

[mana.]

wingofdarkness,

I did not diss the animation. I said it that in my opinion it was plain straight animation, there's no frills to it, and that I personally didn't like the style

I didn't in anyway say it was bad, just that I personally don't like it.

There is a big difference between those two opinions so no need to get your blood pressure skyrocketing.

And the movie has better animation yes. But the poster was asking about the series, not the movie.

[wingdarkness]

^I'm curious what series' out right now do you think totally OWN Cowboy Bebop in animation? Please enlighten me...Animation is one of the keystone high points of this series...By "old style" are you just citing hand drawn as opposed to the CG cell renderings of many animes today? I guess I don't understand the terminology of "plain straight animation" when Bebop's animation is a cut above so many other animes IMO...I mean what this series lacks in linear story-telling it makes up stylistically (which was the show's goal)...

The movie most definitely has bigger production scenes and better consistency (What you would expect of a theatrical production over a TV series) but overall it's very close to the source material in the anime...The characters and the vessels especially...

[mana.]

er correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't Bebop have CG? just not as much as animes today, nor done the exactly the same way, but isn't it present?

Anyway. I don't like the color scheme of it. It has a lot of dead coloring in it. The backgrounds are detailed, but again, a lot of times the color choices are pretty dull, dark, colors.

I don't like how the characters faces are drawn either- this one bugged me a lot. It's just a personal thing but they look so blank to me even when they're showing emotion especially Spike's-drove me crazy. Even the dogs face was annoying to look at because it had the same blank quality.

Those are the only things I can nitpick blatantly, but honestly to me, the animation in Cowboy Bebop just isn't appealing, technically it's all drawn very well, but it's like, that it's. There's not really anything wow about it to me.

Like Vampire Hunter D:Bloodlust only came out two years later but the animation in that pretty must blew me away.

Anyway to answer your particular question Samurai Champloo owns in terms of animation style over any other anime I've ever seen so far-CG rendered or not.

Oh wait, I forgot about Neon Genesis Evangelion, it came out even before Cowboy Bebop, but I think it's up to par, if not better, than Bebop's animation.

And I'm talking about the anime not the movie, I can't argue against the movie, because as you state, theatrical products always have better animation then the series,

[wingdarkness]

Originally Posted by mana.

er correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't Bebop have CG? just not as much as animes today, nor done the exactly the same way, but isn't it present?

Mos def, it's just not as prevelant as most series today, and alot of it is interchangable...Some episodes Spike's ride is mostly hand-drawn other times it's CG rendered...Depends on if he's in the space-gate or in the atmosphere (or close-ups as opposed to wide-shots)...

Anyway to answer your particular question Samurai Champloo owns in terms of animation style over any other anime I've ever seen so far-CG rendered or not.

Well I'd say Champloo can be argued as slightly better...Although the lack of futuristic flying machines kinda makes it uneven when Bebop shines in that department animated-wise...It also doesn't hurt that Champloo was created by the EXACT SAME GUY, so S. Watanabe simply upgraded his style to some degree with the upgrade in overall technology...But again that's not really alot of shows (This and NGE)...Was kinda asking about shows more recent, like last couple of years...

Oh wait, I forgot about Neon Genesis Evangelion, it came out even before Cowboy Bebop, but I think it's up to par, if not better, than Bebop's animation

Gotta disagree here...NGE defintaley rocks for the time frame, and it's backgrounds are extremely detailed, but character design, character movement (Spike fighting Bruce Lee style, Pierre La Fou in the amusement park, Spike vs. the Real Cowboy, vs. Red-eye bounty etc.) aren't even comparable with the fluidity and surrealness of Bebop...Honestly I find the animation in NGE not as good as the stylistic elements of the animation (i.e. the expressionism)...EVA units barely move with any smoothness, it's how the action is presented style-wise that makes those scenes kick a$$...

Anyways agree to disagree, but Cowboy bebop has some of the best animation ever for my money...Additionally the throw-back older style'd drawings as you like to put it gives the animation that great contrast of old and new (which is what Watnabe said himself was his goal)...

[KholdStare]

Originally Posted by wingdarkness

^I'm curious what series' out right now do you think totally OWN Cowboy Bebop in animation? Please enlighten me...Animation is one of the keystone high points of this series...By "old style" are you just citing hand drawn as opposed to the CG cell renderings of many animes today? I guess I don't understand the terminology of "plain straight animation" when Bebop's animation is a cut above so many other animes IMO...I mean what this series lacks in linear story-telling it makes up stylistically (which was the show's goal)...

The movie most definitely has bigger production scenes and better consistency (What you would expect of a theatrical production over a TV series) but overall it's very close to the source material in the anime...The characters and the vessels especially...

I think it's not about the quality of animation but rather the style of animation. Cowboy Bebop has an oldschool style of art, so the portrayal of characters might not look "cute and moe" as the present style. This doesn't mean anything about the animation, but more like the preference of how the characters are drawn.

[wingdarkness]

Cowboy Bebop has an oldschool style of art

Exactly...and many old school art styles make for great animation (Hunter x Hunter, Yu Yu Hakusho, Golgo 13, SLAM DUNK, Outlaw Star, Golden Boy, so on and so forth)...I actually like older styled stuff when I can get my hands on it, but Bebop incorporates that on an even higher level than any of the titles I've mentioned...

I think it's not about the quality of animation but rather the style of animation

And many of today's styled anime rely heavily on CG, some great some bland as hell because it's just compu-renderings with no discernable differences or natural imperfections like you get with mostly hand-drawn stuff...

[mana.]

Well I'd say Champloo can be argued as slightly better...Although the lack of futuristic flying machines kinda makes it uneven when Bebop shines in that department animated-wise...

LOL, yes well, since Champloo lacks furistic machines of course Behop is going to shine in that department compared to it. That's like saying water lacks flavor, so juice shines over it in that department. hehe excuse my teasing.

It also doesn't hurt that Champloo was created by the EXACT SAME GUY, so S. Watanabe simply upgraded his style to some degree with the upgrade in overall technology...But again that's not really alot of shows (This and NGE)...Was kinda asking about shows more recent, like last couple of years...

You asked and I gave an answer. doesn't matter it's the same guy in my opinion. I'm not sure what you mean by recent though, doesn't 2004 qualify?or 2007-2006 only? Or do you mean recent as in recent for that time? If not I also said in case you missed it Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000), though yes it's not a series no series , but it was released only two years after. ANd I still think NGE rocked it. yes personal opinions I know

Gotta disagree here...NGE defintaley rocks for the time frame, and it's backgrounds are extremely detailed, but character design, character movement (Spike fighting Bruce Lee style, Pierre La Fou in the amusement park, Spike vs. the Real Cowboy, vs. Red-eye bounty etc.) aren't even comparable with the fluidity and surrealness of Bebop...Honestly I find the animation in NGE not as good as the stylistic elements of the animation (i.e. the expressionism)...EVA units barely move with any smoothness, it's how the action is presented style-wise that makes those scenes kick a$$...

You're kinda confusing me with your last sentence. Doesn't how good any action anime is usually bank on the fact of how the action is presented style-wise? Sorry, I'm being slow >.< and I thought the movements fit the fact they were robots.

Anyways agree to disagree, but Cowboy bebop has some of the best animation ever for my money...Additionally the throw-back older style'd drawings as you like to put it gives the animation that great contrast of old and new (which is what Watnabe said himself was his goal)...

Yes this is true. Though I have to tell you I also pretty much hate handdrawn anime style-which is most likely why I'm not fond of Bebop's- like Sailor Moon, Ranma, Trigun, as well but it doesn't stop my from loving the those series.

Edit: oh oh, and sorry to the person who started this thread. Admittedly we're getting off topic!