“3, 2, 1—Let’s Jam!” So begins the romping, jazzy, magnum opus of the theme song, “Tank!” and thus every episode of Cowboy Bebop. After all, in a spaceship like the Bebop, accompanied by a motley crew of bounty hunters and an unrivaled soundtrack, it’s impossible not to jam. It’s hard to write something about Shinichiro Watanabe’s legendary anime that hasn’t already been said by everyone from critics to Redditors in the twenty-two years since it aired. Rather than wax poetic (too much) about the brilliant way Watanabe weaves together influences from across time and space, or give an in-depth take on the gray morality of the show’s bounty hunter ensemble, I am simply going to try to convince you to discover—or rediscover—Bebop for yourself. It is often argued that Cowboy Bebop is the pinnacle of anime: the best of all time. I won’t be trying to make that claim, but I do feel safe in saying that in 1998 Watanabe and his composer Yoko Kanno created a masterpiece out of their wild Space Western. Whether you’re an established anime fan, a lover of sci-fi, noir, music, complex female leads, quirky kids, dogs, crime, art, or if you’re just a cool dude, Cowboy Bebop is an absolute must watch.
Cowboy Bebop chronicles the adventures of the crew of the spaceship Bebop: the smooth-talking ex-gang member Spike Spiegel; former ISSP (Inter-Solar System Police) officer with a metal arm Jet Black; amnesiac con-artist Faye Valentine; and the goofy child hacker Radical Edward. The four have very little in common and often find themselves at odds, yet all possess a murky past and have chosen hunting bounties as a means of staying afloat. Even then, the crew barely get by as bounty hunters, often going hungry due to a lack of funds. Set in 2071, in our own decrepit solar system ravaged by economic recession, this listlessness and sense of fruitless striving is a common theme in Bebop. The various planetary and lunar colonies on which the adventures take place are most often depressed cityscapes. This creates the overwhelming feeling of an entire civilization down on their luck.
It is in this potency of feeling that Watanabe expresses his talent at cross-genre manipulation. After all, what’s more Noir than dark, rain slicked streets, cigarettes, tough talking-crime-fighting protagonists, and the knowledge that the world is fundamentally unfair? And what’s more Western than the sense of loneliness, of strangers meeting and parting after carrying out a job? Watanabe wears his influences on his sleeve but does it with such style and precision that it feels authentic and new rather than a conglomeration of cliches. While there are clear nods to these American influences, such as calling bounty hunters “cowboys” and Spike Spiegel’s frequent visits to saloons, Watanabe employs the best aspects of these quintessentially American genres through imagery—each shot is cinematic and beautiful, unlike many other anime, intense artistic attention is paid to every angle, detail, and instance of lighting—and through feeling. This distraught feeling is likely why Bebop was initially cancelled by its home network Banai, a decision that seems like a crime in retrospect.
However, Bebop is more than just a copy of mid-century American tropes; it is, as Vulture puts it, “remixing culture.” Spike’s easy-going, quick talking nature may be reminiscent of the Sam Spades of the past, but his martial arts skills certainly aren’t. Watanabe skillfully takes the coolest aspects of East and West and creates a character unreplicable in his sheer swagger. It is this “cool” factor, in combination with the lively bickering, wild characters, rampant violence, and interesting bounties that makes Bebop genuinely exciting and enjoyable—not just an insightful and perhaps depressing look at our world. The show runs for only 26 episodes, each with its own contained plot—most often, the crew have a bounty, chase it down, find a way to beat it, and ultimately lose it due to the wild circumstances of the episode. Each is serialized, making it easy to pick up and put down, but a little bit harder to binge. The slow pacing, reminiscent, again, of mid-century cinema, and lack of plot has led some less dedicated viewers to label the show as boring. However, Bebop could never be as plot driven as other similar anime because the plotlessness is the whole point. These adrift characters come together, bound only by their poverty and flight from the past, and depart again to carry on their lives elsewhere (except one of the quartet, who does not make it out alive). Do not go into Bebop with the expectation of speedy plot and satisfying resolution, to do so would be setting yourself up for disappointment—which would likely make Watanabe smile.
What connects everything in Cowboy Bebop—the beating heart at the center of the show—is its score. All written and performed by Yoko Kanno and his group The Seatbelts, Bebop’s soundtrack is made up of rock, R&B, and, most significantly, all sorts of jazz. At times the jazz is upbeat and lively, resembling that played on a 20s dance floor. At other times it is warbling and lonely. No matter the type of music, it breathes life into every scene. It is the show. Vulture writes, “Kanno’s soundtrack wasn’t just a soundtrack, it was an ethos: Try everything, stay loose, and keep it moving.” Not only does it fit every moment perfectly, but it reflects the very essence of Bebop and its ever-moving characters.
- 464 votes, 30 comments. 79.3k members in the cowboybebop community. Welcome to reddit's foremost hub for all things Cowboy Bebop, the 1998 anime.
- For episode 13, “Space Lion” is the ending theme song also performed by the Seatbelts. For episode 26, “Blue” is the ending theme song also performed by the Seatbelts featuring Mai Yamane. The Cowboy Bebop anime series has many soundtrack albums by Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts. Cowboy Bebop is the first album created for the anime.
As I watched Cowboy Bebop for the first time this summer, I was struck by how prevalent its themes and circumstances felt, over twenty-two years after their conception. After all, our own world is in an increasingly disastrous economic recession. So many young creatives are turning freelance in order to make ends meet, just like the crew of the Bebop (with a few key differences). In a world seeped in disease, corruption, and despair, it’s as though each of us are adrift in our own way. That being said, never once did I feel as though watching Bebop heightened these feelings, rather it expressed that there is fun, adventure, and companionship to be had even in these dark times. People drift together and apart and that’s an aspect of life, but you have agency over the rest of it. Most importantly, Watanabe proves through his story that falling short doesn’t make striving any less important. Watch for the art, watch for the feelings, watch for the music, but most of all, watch for that one episode in which the crew gets high on bad mushrooms.
Like what the website of Japan Powered says, the United States is not as large of an anime market as Japan, but anime has left its mark on popular culture in the US. Japan Powered provided a list of the top 10 most influential anime in the US, and Cowboy Bebop is #3. Cowboy Bebop is a Japanese anime series developed by Sunrise in 1998. The director was Shinichirō Watanabe, the screenwriter was Keiko Nobumoto, the character designer was Toshihiro Kawamoto, the mechanical designer was Kimitoshi Yamane, and the composer was Yoko Kanno. Cowboy Bebop is known for its believable adult characters, its gangster feel, and its amazing jazz score. It even has a Wild West science fiction theme, and it is set in the year 2071. Cowboy Bebop basically follows Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, Edward, and Ein (the cutest dog ever in an anime!) while they seek out food and fugitives for bounties on their spaceship called the Bebop. Cowboy Bebop was even adapted into two manga series and a film. Cowboy Bebop was definitely a commercial success worldwide especially in Japan and the US. It has received major science fiction awards and praise for its characters, story voice acting, animation, and soundtrack. Cowboy Bebop ran from October 23, 1998 to April 23, 1999, with 26 episodes.
Cowboy Bebop LP Vinyl. $30.98 Retail Price $ 30.98 Kick it with the Bebop crew on this double-LP color version vinyl set. This exclusive set has over 20 jazzy beats showcased on 2 brilliant red and purple records from Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts. Waltz for Zizi.B4. Piano Black.B5. Too Good Too Bad. Spike Spiegel (スパイク・スピーゲル, Supaiku Supīgeru?) is a former member of the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate, who left by faking his death after falling in love with a woman calledJulia. He then became a bounty hunter and the partner ofJet Black, the captain of the Bebop. Spike and Jet pursued criminals across the populated planets and moons of thesolar system. His ship was the.
Cowboy Bebop is very well known for its music. Each “session” or episode follows a different musical theme, and even the episode titles are from well-known albums or song names. Some episode titles are even genre based. For example, episode 14 is titled “Bohemian Rhapsody,” episode 15 is titled “My Funny Valentine,” and episode 17 is titled “Mushroom Samba.” The music for Cowboy Bebop is arranged and performed by Yoko Kanno (pictured above) and the Seatbelts (pictured below). Yoko Kanno is a Japanese composer, arranger, and musician. She is well known for her work on soundtracks for many games, anime films, TV series, live-action movies, and advertisements. She is also a great keyboardist. Yoko Kanno also assembled the Seatbelts. The Seatbelts is a Japanese blues and jazz band. There are actually Japanese, New York, and Paris musicians in the band. The Seatbelts also have guest vocalists such as Mai Yamane.
For episodes 1-25, “Tank!” (featured in the video above) is the opening theme song written by Yoko Kanno and performed by the Seatbelts. It includes an alto saxophone solo played by Masato Honda. It also combines a double bass and bong drums. It is basically an instrumental piece, but it does have some spoken male vocals by Tim Jensen. Jensen’s final lyrics are “I think it’s time we blow this scene. Get everybody and the stuff together. Ok, three, two, one let’s jam,” which leads into the instrumental part.
For episodes 1-12 and 14-25, “The Real Folk Blues” (featured in the video above) is the ending theme song also performed by the Seatbelts featuring vocals from Mai Yamane. The lyrics were written by Yuho Iwasato, and it was sung in Japanese. For episode 13, “Space Lion” is the ending theme song also performed by the Seatbelts. For episode 26, “Blue” is the ending theme song also performed by the Seatbelts featuring Mai Yamane.
The Cowboy Bebop anime series has many soundtrack albums by Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts. Cowboy Bebop is the first album created for the anime series. It was released on May 21, 1998, with 17 tracks including “Tank!” In 2006, Cowboy Bebop was actually voted by IGN as the greatest soundtrack for an anime. Cowboy Bebop Vitaminless is the first mini-album. It was released on June 3, 1998, with 8 tracks including “The Real Folk Blues.” Cowboy Bebop No Disc is the second album. This album includes different styles of music such as heavy metal, Japanese pop, swing, and scat singing with the usual blues and jazz pieces. It was released on October 21, 1998, with 18 tracks. Cowboy Bebop Blue is the third album, which features more vocal pieces. It was released on May 1, 1999, with 17 tracks. Ask DNA was a mini-album released on July 5, 2001, with 5 tracks. Future Blues is the main soundtrack from Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. It has other musical styles such as country western and Arabic music. It was released on August 29, 2001, with 18 tracks. Cowboy Bebop Tank! THE! BEST! contains previously-released material with three new songs from the 2005 Cowboy Bebop game. It was released on December 22, 2004 with 12 tracks.
Cowboy Bebop Spaceship
The Nihon Review by Kavik Ryx does a great job in analyzing Cowboy Bebop. Kavik Ryx says that the soundtrack is “brilliant Kanno Yoko jazz style,” the animation is “fluid like water,” the characters are “quirky, dynamic, and just plain likable,” the style is “amazingly unique,” and the one drawback is “could have gone on longer.” And I could not agree more with Kavik Ryx. It is so interesting how important music is for anime especially for Cowboy Bebop. Did you even know that the episode titles were based on albums, song, or genres? That is pretty amazing.
Resources:
The Bebop
Written by Camille Garcia