Let's watch! Cowboy Bebop

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Ditto. During the episode, I remember being like "huh, what?"

[Socratov]

This is probably the worst episode of the show for me. If only because I always forget it exists and I can't say what it was about without looking it up.

You know... this is one of those few episodes I can never remember myself. Heh.

Ditto. During the episode, I remember being like "huh, what?"

it wasn't that bad. I mean, it wasn't very special out of the box, but the fact that is was a decent Jet episode made it special.

[mangosta71]

Thing is, I like the other two Jet episodes. I don't really care for this one.

[AdmiralCheez]

For me, I can remember the first few scenes quite well, up until Jet meets the girl in the graveyard. After that though, I always forget what the rest is about. I like it, too, which is why it bothers me that I can't remember half of it. It's one of those smaller-scale episodes that doesn't really have to do with anything, but is still kinda fun to watch.

[DigoDragon]

I like it, too, which is why it bothers me that I can't remember half of it.

That's the thing with me. I don't think there are any episode of Bebop that I didn't like. So when I can't remember one consistently I wonder why.

[Brewdude]

Getting ready for the next episode:

A Fist full of Dollars Theme
For A Few Dollars More Theme
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Theme
The Ecstasy of Gold


And of course:

Spoiler?ish (just the music) link:

Go Go Cactus Man

Next episode puts the Cowboy in Cowboy Bebop. :)

[Eldan]

Listening to the soundtrack is a good idea in general. There's like four albums of it and a lot of the songs are only played for a very short time, so you can barely appreciate them.

[Brewdude]

Yeah, I like both versions of

Rain (Female Voice)
Rain (Male Voice)

I think the female version was the one used in episode 5. Male voice version never aired other than the OST.

And, of course, I love Green Bird. Both songs being the two comprising my favorite scenes from my favorite episode. :)

SPOILER COMPLETE SEASON OF COWBOY BEBOP MUSIC (Don't click till you have finished the whole series and the movie)
Complete Playlist for Cowboy Bebop Music

[mangosta71]

As much I like Steve Conte's work on other songs in the soundtrack (Call Me is powerful enough to move me to tears), I much prefer Mai Yamane's rendition of Rain.

[DigoDragon]

Rain (Female Voice)
Rain (Male Voice)

My wife abhorrs this song. So naturally when I set my car player to Random, the car plays this song whenever my wife is in the passenger seat.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

As much I like Steve Conte's work on other songs in the soundtrack (Call Me is powerful enough to move me to tears), I much prefer Mai Yamane's rendition of Rain.

You just had to name-drop Call Me, didn't you?

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaang what a song.

[TeChameleon]

As much as I love Call Me, Call Me, for me, the all time best Cowboy Bebop song by a long shot is Gotta Knock a Little Harder (no spoilers, just fantastic music), from the closing credits of the movie. I'd be willing to go out on a limb and call that one of the greatest bass lines ever written.

*wanders off to get lost in music*

[Socratov]

So sorry to stay silent for so long. I haven't forgotten you guys, I've just been preoccupied with moving most of my belongings from one place to another. I'll put up another review somewhere this week...

[CarpeGuitarrem]

So sorry to stay silent for so long. I haven't forgotten you guys, I've just been preoccupied with moving most of my belongings from one place to another. I'll put up another review somewhere this week...

See you, space cowboy!

[Socratov]

Episode 22: Cowboy Funk

• Oh baseline, how I missed, let me rubberneck to the beat to count the ways....
• Oh, ominous looking captain dude.
• with an evil laugh and a teddybear... That can't be good...
• Spike is up to good things...
• And nothing happens.
• spike you clever bastard!
• I'm really digging a spike centric episode. It's been a while since we had one of those...
• and despite the cool entrance the white guy is a halfwit
• Poor spike...
• Lol, Ein has a wig now...
• I like it.
• Faye, you look damn fine!
• So, to recap, we have an obsessive bomber and a half-wit bountyhunter with amnesia (or he just doesn't care about remembering). Oh and the bomber has a fixation with bears... Didn't he get enough hugs form his mother or something?
• Well done Faye, try and distract him, oh, who am I kidding, You know it's your ticket into riches and the easy life...
• So, tell me, how can a half-wit be so stupid, yet so very effective and spike and his gang so smart, yet so inept...
• You know, the horses give about equal amounts of fornications as Ein does... Seriously, check the horse's face...
• oh seriously, the bimbo and *cough* other guy *cough* show is so easygoing on the whole threat business...
• Oh, teddy, you know that's not how it's going to work. You are just the baddie of the week, while you are trying to compete with a main character and a guest star with a name... Give it up.
• You know, for 2 people who hate each other with a passion, they dance rather well...
• Nice one Faye!
• Wait a minute, are Spike and Andy racing to the top?
• Spike, did you really get dunked by that chump?
• Ah well, at least your skills in causing collateral damage hand you the victory.
• And at least teddy has had his chance to explain.
• Oh, Andy's a samurai now. How cute... yeah, a blonde samurai... very... authentic...Still more believable then a cowboy... I mean, come on... A cowboy on cowboy Bebop... Preposterous!

so, yeah, I liked this episode. It had many funny things, little quirks. I think the creators weren't that great at drawing horses. It did result in a slightly funny things... I thought the rich-boy-bored-enough-to-do-the-main-character's-jobs bit a bit cliche, but they might have been one of the earlier ones to use the trope. the question is: was it excellent? No. Was it good then? Yes. So, that's it.

8/10

Now on to the movie!

[DigoDragon]

Andy was certainly something... his big fight with Spike at the end was fun.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

This is the point where I really should rewatch the series, because I've only seen it once. I remember this episode being the one where they drew parallels between Spike and Andy. At the time, I couldn't see it, but in hindsight, now that I think about Spike's character as revealed...

[Socratov]

Andy was certainly something... his big fight with Spike at the end was fun.

yeah it was, too bad Naruto spoiled the whole fighting-your-rival-trope. But it was done very well...

This is the point where I really should rewatch the series, because I've only seen it once. I remember this episode being the one where they drew parallels between Spike and Andy. At the time, I couldn't see it, but in hindsight, now that I think about Spike's character as revealed...

Yet it has, though it did so by highlighting the differences.Oh, and you could say there is finally a cowboy on the Bebop So if anything, the title finally makes sense. I hope Spike keeps the hat.

[mangosta71]

yeah it was, too bad Naruto spoiled the whole fighting-your-rival-trope. But it was done very well...

To be fair, I'm pretty sure Cowboy Bebop predates Naruto. (Edit: A quick wikipedia search confirms that Cowboy Bebop completed its run in 1998; the first issue of Naruto came out in 1999.)

Yet it has, though it did so by highlighting the differences.Oh, and you could say there is finally a cowboy on the Bebop So if anything, the title finally makes sense. I hope Spike keeps the hat.

In the slang of the CB universe, "cowboy" means "bounty hunter". In that context, the title has always made sense.

[Socratov]

To be fair, I'm pretty sure Cowboy Bebop predates Naruto. (Edit: A quick wikipedia search confirms that Cowboy Bebop completed its run in 1998; the first issue of Naruto came out in 1999.)

most certainly, and I know this. That doesn't make me have seen CB before I have seen/read any Naruto stuff retroactively. It's all about the usage of the trope. Fair? No. Honest? Yes.

In the slang of the CB universe, "cowboy" means "bounty hunter". In that context, the title has always made sense.

Makes sense, but now it makes even more sense

[Brewdude]

The movie is solid. I saw it before I saw the rest of the series and it made late night adult swim mandatory viewing for me. Can't wait for the reaction.

[Socratov]

Intermezzo! Cowboy Bebop: The Movie!

You really didn't think I'd let this chance slip away, did you?

• So, no opening baseline?
• Well, until then I'll tell you what I had for dinner: pancakes with Grolsch Kanon instead of milk. De-[intercourse]-licious!
• so, robbery happening, Spike and jet on the case... This can only go so wrong...
• That's one baddie down
• That's number 2
• 3...
• Aaaaaaand FOUR! (imagine a CL4P-TP voice)
• Lol, 4 did not get caught
• No wait, there is four. Damn, Spike really can shoot, can't he?
• Needs to work on his style though... I mean, if you enrage old ladies you know you're bad at it.
• No! Bad introsong! Where is my baseline! I need my baseline *twitches*! I mean, sure, the Soul is nice and all, but I NEED MY FREAKING JAZZY SWINGING BASELINE! RAAAAAAAAH!
• Sure, they could have jazzed it up a little, but still, that genius baseline is a staple of Cowboy Bebop...
• Shougi, huh ('ou' is the 'o' with a dash)
• So, Spike and Jet caught a bounty of a quarter mil. o retries. that's rather good of them... Very unexpected...
• Ehm... Has Edward turned manager? Would explain the sudden effectiveness of the foursome in catching bad guys...
• Oh, and Yeah, I did see Ein helping Jet in Shougi. But that was hardly unexpected now was it?
• Faye, that was indeed not the pint sized criminal. Lemme check: badass longcoat, mysterious, rugged handsome, and a predilection for explosions, (usually something that goes along with a lot of planning). Yup, this hits all the spots of the Bebop-crew-list-of-weaknesses.
• Ahhh... Wel at least the hunger part of the equation still exists...
• Or at least the limited variety of food...
• 300.000.000 woolongs. can't pass those up...
• "It's a doing-research-among-the-people-in-the-city-montage!!! Let's singa along to a coutry tune! Please, Yoko, what have you done with the jazz? THE JAZZ!
• Good to see the 3 old geezers back again...
• Sadly they don't want to help a bit...
• Also, can somebody please explain to me why seedy back alley markets are always arabic-themed bazaars? You'd say russian paramilitary would fit a lot better, wouldn't it?
• So... We have the genie in the bean now? I don't know what that guy has been smoking, but Imma need that stuff. Got plans you see...
• well, I'd be on edge as well if I has someone play on a system with 8-bit sounds all day while I would be driving.. Shooting htat guard was not only convenient, but a welcome distraction as well... Damn, I hate that hackerboy already...
• wow, the tropes keep on piling up: mysterious virus, ex paramilitary unit that was recently disbanded (but not recently enough so elaborate plans could be made)
• Ehm... Weird question,b ut has Spike taken the effort to check the vase for what's in it? Oh, wait, never mind, Ed has done the honours...
• Nice going Faye! See, that's the style I talked about!. Wait... What?
• So, back to the bean/marble. Very mysterious. that said, I kinda get the feeling Ed is becoming more and more of a plot-point/ critical information dispenser... an Info Sue, for lack of a better term...
• Wait, don't tell me this Vincent guy (long coat, ruggedly handsome, etc.) is the weapon...
• Ah... Ye Olde Cleaner Infiltratione Technique Tricke. sadly it's not very effective...
• Ah, some good old flirty fighting banter. Never leave home without it...
• I love the creators of this anime spent some effort in making everything a weapon in Spike's hands...
• Oh, that's a lot of redshirts generic guards...
• ding-ding-ding we have nanobotsof doom, I repeat we have nanobots of do
• Also, in other news, Spike is in luuuurve!
• well, I think I'll never understand Ed
• So, Solitaire with nanobot virus capsules eh... It seems the whole planning stuff I gave him was overrated. It seems he's Spike, jet and Faye all rolled up into one all along.
• No! Not faye! Seriously, that dude is messed up!
• So, he is giving her the antidote... Either that or someone crossed a line here. And not just a bit...
• Time for a hunt.
• Damn, Spike is in shape...
• That mag should have been empty about 4 times now... Make that 5.
• Dude, he said he's not gonna kill you.
• So, we have a villain and a protagonist that are actually marksmen.
• Ok. What is this dude...
• Ah, armychick is back and the **** has now officially hit the fan. This is some really weird ****. and everyone get covered in one way or another.
• You know, Cloud cuckoolander doesn't even begin to describe Ed's headspace.
• Well, at least Faye is still alive.
• Wow. that's quite a nasty bug to make: first touch, then the airways to spread. Then incubate in blood, eat the brain and exit without a trace. You get to see some pretty butterflies, so that's something... And it seems Vincent has the antithesis in his blood. Basically the same thing, but mostly harmless, unless it encounters a different type of nanobug...
• Nice one Spike...
• You know, in this movie the terrorism is linked to an arab looking fellow. the movie came out 9/1 2001. Guess what happened 10 days later?
• I like Ein more and more in this movie. He's got a better role here then in the series where is mostly comic relief. IN the movie he is more dog somehow, without losing the intelligence perk.
• So, here I was thinking Faye couldn't show any more skin. I guess I was wrong
• Ah, So that's what Faye's red thingie is for...
• Ooh, gregorian chanting, I hear badassery coming!
• Rock music came and went, no badassery in sight
• But will the set-up for a dogfight make up for it?
• "Only Death cures stupidity" Now there is a truth if I ever heard one
• 1-0 for Spike
• Damn, finally some jazz! Took you long enough Yoko!
• Damn Spike, you're graceful like a stingray shanking Steve Irwin (Odin invite him to his banquet hall)
• Jet, those are stupid words. Really stupid words
• So, that's the rest of the pursuers for Spike
• No! No, Stingray! No! Don't give up, keep lending Spike your gracefulness! He need you! DON'T LEAVE HIM!
• Ahhhh, good old-fashioned fisticuffs. some pugilism never hurt a good anime
• Spike, water and cigarettes don't exactly mix. You just waisted a perfectly good cigarette.
• *DINGDINGDING* TIME FOR ROUND TWO! RRRRRRRRREADY- TO- RRRRRRRUMBLE!!!!
• come on, don't tempt me again with faux latin chanting...
• But first, let's discuss rhopalocera
• PLOTTWIST! Sure, suicide is a much better option...
• Well, all's well that ends well. Shame about the 300 mil prize though...
• to be honest, the blues outro is the best song of the movie.

So, the praise will be later, let's talk ****tiness first. I get that the movie should stand out in terms of music and so on, but for the love of Freya, the baseline should be included. It's iconic for the series! You might think I'm being a bit bitchy about it, but to me it's very important. It kind of makes my day... With that out of the way I had one minor gripe, it kinda felt as if the movie was stacking tropes. It's not that they did a bad job about it, but some of the time it felt kinda forced for some reason. The bazaar being one thing, the nanobots another. Also, I think Ed is becoming more of a pet instead of a team member. A very intelligent and very well managing pet, but a pet none the less. I did like the comparison with the tranny/crossdresser though...

So far the bad stuff. the good stuff: damn, the creators didn't exactly skimp on the quality, did they? the animation felt smoother then ever, everyone had their moment of glory for entirely in-character reasons, I also like how comedy, action and drama were all woven well into the movie. The plot really shone. It's indeed a great movie. Due to *couch**ahem* the circumstances I watched the movie I got to enjoy both the American and Japanese voice actors. Both were fantastic, which is another testament to the series to begin with and definitely a great point for the movie. The inherent quality is so freaking high. if the creators had put a little bit more effort into creating an over-arcing plot instead of settling for failed-catch-of-the-week the show would have been even better. The movie confirms this: once plot rears it's head (even when it's fairly subtle) the series makes a giant leap in entertainment value. The plot rich episodes make me want to watch more of this series, something the plot-light episodes don't.

Verdict: 9/10. I deducted 1 point for the joint bad points (forced tropes, lack of baseline, etc.)

[DigoDragon]

The movie's opening song seems forgettable to me. I think some kind of remix of the series' intro would have been more fun to listen to. :)

[TeChameleon]

Yeh, I kinda missed the classic show intro as well. That being said, the movie outro remains to this day one of my all-time favourites of the Cowboy Berbop music, which is saying something.

Also, if there's a better dogfight in animation, I've yet to see it. And the final punchup between Spike and Vincent... wow. Just wow. Beautifully fluid, amazing to watch, and still managing to maintain a sense of believability/realism/whatever you want to call it (as in 'I could see this being done in live-action without killing any actors/needing to be all CG anyways'). Can't really argue when you say the quality of this one is top-notch.

[Feytalist]

The movie's opening song is one the the great things about the movie. It's so appropriate. Sets the mood of the whole movie perfectly.


Actually the music in general is one of the great things about the movie. Actually the series as a whole.

[DigoDragon]

Also, if there's a better dogfight in animation, I've yet to see it.

Heck yeah, Spike's dogfight near the end is beautifully animated. Even better is that it actually gives us a great "tour" of the Martian settlement and how folks travel between the towns.

Spike fighting with the broom is also one of my favorite scenes. He's so casual about it XD

Really, Spike is just awesome.

[TeChameleon]

Spike fighting with the broom is also one of my favorite scenes. He's so casual about it XD

Really, Spike is just awesome.

... y'know, I never really thought about it before, but Spike is Anime Jackie Chan in a lot of ways <.<

Which in no way diminishes his awesome, of course. If anything, it enhances it

And it's interesting to see Socratov mention that Cowboy Bebop was weak-ish on plot, which is probably my own biggest caveat when recommending the series to others. That being said... yeah, going to be interesting to see how the ending goes over

[Feytalist]

... y'know, I never really thought about it before, but Spike is Anime Jackie Chan in a lot of ways <.<

Spike is explicitly anime Bruce Lee.

Even Bruce Lee grabbed whatever tools were at hand in his fights. Well. On-screen fights, anyway.

[Socratov]

Spike is explicitly anime Bruce Lee.

Even Bruce Lee grabbed whatever tools were at hand in his fights. Well. On-screen fights, anyway.

nope, I agree with TeChameleon: he is Anime Jackie Chan, not just becasue of his adaptive style, but alo his relaxed manner and general feel for comedy.

[Eldan]

No, he is explicitely Bruce Lee. The creators came out and said it. Modelled his fighting style on Jeet Kune Do and everything.