DVD Collectors Online
DVD Reviews => The "Marathon" reviews => Topic started by: Critter on November 27, 2010, 06:51:09 AM
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Cowboy Bebop
(http://i56.tinypic.com/1ox8wy.jpg)
*So this is to be my first anime series that I will review episode by episode. While I have seen some of the show before (some episodes more than once) I have never actually sat down and watched all 26 episodes in order so I'm quite looking forward to this.
Plot: In the year 2071, the Solar System is linked by a network of hyperspace gateways. Police lose their grasp on crime and a bounty hunting system has been implemented. On an old fishing starship called the "Bebop," a cool as Zen man of mystery, a macho former hard-boiled cop, a brash and fickle woman with a large debt, a whimsical whiz kid hacker and an unsuspecting Welsh Corgi band together to hunt bounty heads for a meager living. Unfortunately, they are some of the unluckiest people in the star system. These are the stories of the adventurous (and misadventurous) lives of four struggling people and a dog.
Original Air Date: 1998
Total Episodes: 26
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1. Asteroid Blues
Plot: Fellow bounty hunters Spike Spiegel and Jet Black head to the New Tijuana asteroid colony to track down a bounty-head who is trying to sell off a stolen cache of a dangerous combat drug called Red Eye.
My Thoughts: I have seen episodes of this show before, and everytime I watch it, including rewatching this pilot episode the first thing that always jumps into my mind is wow, this show is really similar to Firefly. Of course I don't know if Whedon had ever even seen this particular anime before, but watching it almost gives the impression that he set out to make a live-action version of Bebop and thus Firefly was born. The similarities are just way too numerous and precise, if the two shows are completely unrelated then it just must have been some hell of a coincidence. Bebop came first in 1998, with Firefly following at around 2003. Not that the similarities put me off either show as I do love them both, but it still never ceases to amaze me.
That being said this was an excellent way to start of a great anime. Instead of introducing the whole cast in one go this show starts by letting the audience get to know the main two protagonists, with the other leads gradually joining the crew in following episodes. I think this is a good way to get started with a show as you are not bombarded with too much information straight away. The art and voice acting is top notch, and I was actually watching this one in English as the last time I watched episodes of this show I watched it in Japanese. I am happy to say that this is one of the few anime films or shows that actually has a good English dubbing, and a very good one at that. The world created in this series is a vast sprawling complex of planets and galaxies not unlike many other sci-fi shows today. The world in this show however is brought to life with an elaborate score of Jazz music, not your usual sci-fi soundtrack which is possibly the shows greatest link to Firefly. Often great space flights will be shown with no other music than that of the tune of a single classical guitar, which really brings the show to life and gives it a unique feeling.
Rating: 5/5
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I've never seen this.. Though if it is like Firefly...now I'm intrigued.
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You should check it out Marie. I think any fans of Firefly would be able to appreciate this show. Even those who don't usually like anime.
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2. Stray Dog Strut
Plot: Spike and Jet's next hunt takes them to Mars, where their target, a professional thief, has stolen a very valuable, genetically engineered "data dog" from a corporate research facility.
My Thoughts: This is a really fun episode that feels quite different to the pilot. Here we have the third member of Bebop join the crew... a member who happens to be a super intelligent corgi. This episode has a lot of laughs in it, quite unlike the pilot which got quite dark and the newest edition is absolutely adorable. The animation of the dog is just spot on, and while it doesn't speak and hardly even makes any animal sounds you can always tell what it is thinking and you know that this intelligent pooch is thinking quite a lot. This episode is also the first one where we are introduced to 'Big Shot' which is the TV show for Bounty Hunters were our protagonists get all their information on current targets. It's interesting as at the start of Big Shots they address "all 300,000" bounty hunters of the universe which really sheds light on just how much chaos the future holds. This is evident in the fact that the police can no longer control the levels of crime amongst the planets and need any assistance they can get.
Rating: 4/5
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3. Honky Tonk Women
Plot: With Ein as a new companion, the crew of the Bebop cross paths with Faye Valentine, a wanted fugitive drowning in debt, who ends up being forced to act as a middle-woman for an illegal transaction at a space station casino.
My Thoughts: And here we are introduced to the fourth member of Bebop Miss Faye Valentine. While we may meet her for the first time in this episode she does not really join the "crew" until later on, which is quite a clever way to weave in a new character I think. During this episode they play her out to be just any character that could have a one episode only appearance so it is nice to see her familiar face return later on. This episode isn't high on action and most of it takes place either in or around a casino. And by Casino I mean giant floating casino spaceship. I'm not the biggest fan of gambling and I don't find casinos interesting which is probably why I found this episode slightly less entertaining than the previous two. It did have some great moments though and it's hilarious seeing how these four odd characters relate to each other in these early episodes... especially how Jet and Spike react to Faye as they still have no idea that they are going to end up being stuck with her in the near future.
Rating: 3½/5
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4. Gateway Shuffle
Plot: After gambling away all the money she obtained, Faye ends up getting her hands on a mysterious suitcase while exploring the wreckage of a derelict spaceship. Meanwhile, Spike and Jet pursue a bounty on the leader of the Space Warriors, a group of eco-terrorists armed with a terrifying biological weapon.
My Thoughts: This is another really funny episode which see's Faye once again captured and held hostage by the crew of Bebop, yet in a funny turn of events she ends up actually joining the crew herself, much to the dismay of Spike and even Ein. I liked the idea of eco-terrorists being the enemy here, they seem to be a fraction of terrorists not often explored in TV shows or films so it was interesting. I also loved the big chase scene at the end in hyperspace. The effect they used to create hyperspace was simple but I think really effective.
Rating: 4/5
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Have you seen Cowboy Bebop: The Movie? I have the DVD but never watched it so I'm wondering if it is any good.
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Hmm I have heard of a Cowboy Bebop movie. Is it called "Knockin' on Heavens Door" or something like that? I haven't seen it but I would like to track it down, maybe after I finish this marathon. You should check it out. Although I think you would benefit more from the film version if you have seen the series first.
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It's this one:
(http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/2192/cowboybebopa.jpg) (http://img98.imageshack.us/i/cowboybebopa.jpg/)
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Ah yes that's the one. Knockin on Heavens door is the translation of it's Japanese title, but I think it is just known as The Movie internationally. I hope I can find it in stores here sometime after I finish this marathon.
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If you can't, let me know and I will send you my copy.
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Aw that's very kind, but I should be able to find it here, or at least order it in through one of our major chains. Wouldn't it be expensive to send it all the way to Australia? I wouldn't know, I've never really sent things overseas before.
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5. Ballad of Fallen Angels
Plot: While pursuing the bounty on an executive of the Red Dragon Syndicate, Spike ends up confronting Vicious, an old enemy of his.
My Thoughts: This is the first episode since episode one that really gets quite dark again, and what a great episode it is. Here we start to explore Spikes past as well as how the relationships between all our protagonists are developing. It's interesting to see how Faye is actually almost similar to Spike in that they both just rush into things head on, usually with dire consequences, while Jet is always the one who has to come in at the last minute to save them. That's one of the great things about Jet, while his character appears physically to be some massive guy who would only have interest in fighting, he is actually the most level-headed and mature one of the group who is also highly intelligent, much like his dog. I read that this episode pays homage to John Woo films in the fight scenes, especially one shoot-out in particular which is held in a church. It really is a great scene that is balances out nicely with the interesting and very emotional montages of Spikes flashbacks. We only learn a little of his history but you can tell that the story is being set up so that it will be explored in greater depth in later episodes.
Rating: 5/5
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6. Sympathy for the Devil
Plot: Spike and Jet chase a dangerous enemy who, despite having the appearance of a little boy, is actually more than eighty years old.
My Thoughts: This episode is just plain eerie, the "young" boy is a very creepy antagonist who is involved with this episodes creepiest scenes. A couple of scenes in particular were very well done, such as the boy finally gaining age after 80 years. While it was an interesting story I admit that it felt like not a lot really happened in this episode. It was a good episode but nothing compared to how great the last one was, although it would be hard to follow up on something like that. The pattern of our crews bad luck is starting to really show in each new episode. Every time they set out to grab the next bounty target they usually find them, yet one things leads to another and they never end up with the reward. This crew really is one of the unluckiest in the galaxy. It's also nice to see Jet and Faye working together in this one. It's seem a time has come when they have just settled with the fact that they are on the same crew and the guys have therefore stopped trying to kick her off.
Rating: 3/5
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Thanks Sophie for reminding me of these. I'll have to sort them out and (re)watch them, I think I watched the first couple of episodes then got distracted. I have the movie so will have to give that a go as well.
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Sophie, sending overseas isn't very expensive from the UK at least. £2-£3 will see a DVD reach anywhere really. I've sent stuff to Australia through Ebay before.
Your real problem is playing multi-region... :-[
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No worries Dave! You should definitely check them out again, Bebop is probably my favourite anime series.
And Jon yeah I forgot about the multi-region. I wouldn't be able to play it on my TV's although I do have programs on my computer that I think could play any region of DVD.
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Ah, yes, you should be able to do that at least.
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I have VLC player, as well as the usual Windows players. VLC can pretty much play anything can't it?
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It can, I think, though I use AnyDVD anyway in the background which covers it.
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7. Heavy Metal Queen
Plot: The crew of the Bebop chase a bounty named Decker, who is running a load of high explosives. While nursing a hangover at a diner, Spike meets a cargo hauler pilot named V.T., who hates bounty hunters, but ends up lending him a hand.
My Thoughts: This is perhaps my favourite episode so far. Everything was great here, from the comedic timing of some of the funniest lines to the pacing of the whole story in the episode. V.T is such a great character that I hope she makes a reappearance at some stage, although I have a feeling she may have been just a one-episode character. The bar-fight scene was a highlight of this episode for me, V.T taking on all those bounty hunters while Spike just sat in the bar, oblivious due to his hangover was hilarious, as was his eventual motive for joining in the fight himself. It was great seeing the whole team work together here, especially Faye who's efforts at the beginning to catch the target on her own was hilarious. It's interesting to see how her character is developing. While being portrayed as lazy and generally self-absorbed, she is starting to show signs of forming into a very well-rounded member of the team. We have already seen that she is quite adept at using weapons and is quite a good pilot. I'm looking forward to seeing how her character grows in upcoming episodes. I'm also hoping there are some more Jet-centric episodes soon as he was hardly in this one at all and it's a shame to see such an amazing character but in the back seat.
Rating: 5/5
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8. Waltz for Venus
Plot: While the crew hunts down a Venusian mobster, Spike meets Rocco Bonnaro, who is on the run from the same mobster the crew is tracking for stealing a very rare and valuable plant, which he plans to sell to pay for surgery to restore his sister's eyesight.
My Thoughts: Another amazing episode with this one! Venus is such an amazing setting and I'm starting to love how this show decides to play with gravity. It's never really mentioned, but in the background art you see just how much gravity has been changed on these colonized planets. On Venus for example there appears to be large flat floating islands in the air, with buildings on both the top facing up, and the bottom facing down. In fact all of the background art on this show has been amazing. The new characters for this episode were Rocco and his sister. Their story was truly tragic and a mark of the crazy world that is the future. With havoc and crime everywhere they really represent whole generations of young people just trying to get by on this string of planets. Once again great episode!
Rating: 5/5
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9. Jamming with Edward
Plot: The crew enlists the help of an elite computer hacker nicknamed "Radical Edward" to help them track down a bounty-head who has been vandalizing Earth's surface with hacked laser satellites. However, when they finally meet Edward face-to-face, the hacker's true identity proves to be a surprise for everybody.
My Thoughts: Yay we finally have Ed join the crew! This episode works perfectly to introduce the final member of the Bebop crew. Ed is a real contrast to the rest of the Bebop gang as she really is a free spirit. Her interactions with an abandoned satellites CPU were fantastic and really emphasize her caring nature, as she didn't want the CPU to be left behind. Also, this episode is really interesting as it's the first one I believe where we actually see Planet Earth and the mess it has become. Not many humans still live on Earth, and the ones that do are portrayed as eccentric and living amongst the ruins. The visuals of Earth are either barren and dead or similar to a third world country.
Rating: 4/5
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10. Ganymede Elegy
Plot: Jet is even more taciturn than usual as the Bebop lands on Ganymede, his last post before leaving the ISSP and the home of his ex-girlfriend, Alisa, whom he has never quite left behind. Meanwhile, Spike pursues bounty Rhint Celonias, who just happens to be Alisa's new boyfriend.
My Thoughts: We finally have a good episode based around Jet which is something I have been looking forward to a lot. I did enjoy this episode and I love how the show is slowly but surely exploring the past of each of the main characters and how they ended up where they are. It's interesting to learn that Jet used to be a cop, and even more interesting to learn why he left his home planet to become a bounty hunter. There wasn't too much action in this episode, mainly just one chase scene involving a boat and a space ship which was handled well but quite brief. This type of episode doesn't really need a lot of action though, it's really all about the development of characters. There were a few hilarious interactions with Faye and Ed in this one, it's funny to see how the crew have just accepted the fact that they are stuck with Ed, despite not being too happy about it at the start.
Rating: 4/5
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11. Toys in the Attic
Plot: A strange blob-like creature with a poisonous bite infiltrates the Bebop and incapacitates Jet, Faye and Ein. With half the crew out of action, it's up to Spike and Ed to destroy the creature and find out where it came from.
My Thoughts: This is quite a strange episode compared to all the others so far. They obviously tried to go for a different angle here, and while this episode did have some pretty funny moments it didn't have quite the lasting impression of some of the previous ones. I also found myself slightly confused with the ending, which is something that hasn't happened with this show yet. I think I got the general idea of what was going on, but it was just so odd that I wasn't 100% on the whole situation. Not a bad episode, but not exactly a great one either, although I do commend them for trying a different style with this episode to shake things up a bit.
Rating: 3/5
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12. Jupiter Jazz (Part 1)
Plot: Faye cleans out the crew's safe and leaves the Bebop for Callisto, one of Jupiter's moons. While Jet chases after her, Spike decides to follow up on some clues about the location of his ex-girlfriend Julia, which leads him to another confrontation with Vicious.
My Thoughts: This was a really well done episode, and the use of jazz music was more prominent here than in many of the previous ones so that was a nice touch. This episode really broke down Fayes character as we explored both her strengths and weaknesses. The idea of her leaving the crew out of fear of abandonment is interesting, and not something I would have expected of her character. Also, this episode may have the most intriguing side character yet, a person by the name of Mr Saxophone who seems to be both male and female. While many people tend to say that in anime, girls look like boys and boys look like girls, it's very rare that they have actual hermaphrodite characters so this is pretty unique.
Rating: 5/5
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13. Jupiter Jazz (Part 2)
Plot: Faye is helped by Gren, a man who holds a grudge against Vicious. After explaining his story to Faye, he chases after Vicious, and when he and Spike end up reaching him at the same time, a three-way battle takes place.
My Thoughts: This is another great episode and a perfect ending to this two-part story. Gren really was a great character, and it was interesting seeing Vicious again as he is panning out to be the shows main antagonist. It really was touching to see all of the crew come back together. This episode actually marks the halfway mark in the series so I think that's why they wanted to make this one go out with a bang and feel a bit different, as was shown with the ending credits which have been different to the rest of them so far. Also, this episode had my favourite song of all the Cowboy Bebop soundtracks in it. I have listened to it on my iPod so many times that I was very pleased to hear it in the actual show.
Rating: 5/5