Written By: G.G. AAkre
Edited By: Lauren Neher
“The work, which becomes a new genre itself, will be called... Cowboy Bebop”. This is the promise made by the manifesto of a show that changed the game for anime in regards to western audiences. Cowboy Bebop premiered in Japan in 1998 and three years later became the first anime brought to Adult Swim. Prior to this, anime was either dubbed over for younger audiences in children’s programming blocks or occasionally available on premium cable and select market channels. This marked one of the first moments anime was brought over for both adult tastes and made available to a wider market, propelling anime viewership in the west to its current popularity.
This isn’t a history article though, nor is it here to defend Cowboy Bebop as a good anime. I can’t say anything that hasn’t already been said regarding its quality. What I can say is that it is a great candidate for someone’s first anime to watch. The basic idea of Cowboy Bebop is that in the not so far off future a ragtag band of characters make their living as professional bounty hunters, looking to turn a profit off of those on the run from the law across the solar system. Drifting across the stars on their old spaceship, The Bebop, each episode contains new misadventures and interactions with some of the most bizarre creatures the solar system has to offer. Meanwhile, the characters attempt to make enough money to keep flying as they deal with the ghosts of their past.
Cowboy Bebop is something that can feel very novel and fresh for someone who has never seen anime, the show is designed the same way many projects have stayed relevant past their era; it’s still relatable. Even in a future where we’ve overcome the bounds of our planet, The Bebop still deals with the same things our generation does. In between the chases and the shootouts, they’re broke and bored, they have baggage from the past they’d rather not talk about, and it affects them - a lot. Despite having finally conquered the heavens, humans still struggle for spiritual meaning in a seemingly pointless universe. There’s great disparity of wealth despite humanity's scientific progress and still corrupt systems of power despite how much our knowledge has grown. The main characters are not really heroes or villains, they’re just people trying their best doing what they have to do to keep going. This all builds up a story which showcases the depth of the medium.
Cowboy Bebop is, at its core, an aggressive mixing of genres that manage to produce an impressive whole. This mishmash of style and concept can be seen in many aspects throughout; especially the musical direction, which is always at the forefront of the show. Each episode title being a musical reference emphasizes this. With a bold mix of contrasting genres including western rock, opera, and jazz, this creates a unique experience within each episode while still remaining cohesive as a whole. The mix of story genres that make up Cowboy Bebop sets a tone that feels both fresh yet familiar. In a very basic sense, the show features a sci-fi setting, western style characters, and crime drama plots. These basic components are all fairly identifiable for a western viewer. But because of these basic elements, Cowboy Bebop creates something fairly non-traditional while still feeling compelling.
While being of a fairly short and bingeable size (26 twentysomething minute episodes and a standalone movie) it manages to make a big impact. Existentialist themes and moments are placed throughout, as reflective and introspective as any arthouse film. These themes range from the nature of the past to the day to day boredom we all face. Throughout the show there are little moments buried in mundane or intense action. The show's rewatchability lies in the details noticed upon each viewing, providing insight into the characters’ world. Along with this, Bebop’s episodic nature creates a dynamic that doesn’t include a huge overarching story with crazy narrative moves over the series. Most episodes are largely self-contained with a basic premise of trying to find a job due to or despite money, boredom, or the past coming back at a bad time. So while they each have an impact on the overarching story it's fairly easy to follow along episode to episode. The plot comes from the character's emotional choices. This produces a story driven by emotions rather than events.
If anime comes off as a genre for kids, or not grounded enough to be enjoyable, Cowboy Bebop may have a good shot of changing your mind. It stands by itself as a story that will leave you with that unsure feeling that you learned something yet can’t quite explain what it is right away. It showcases the potential longevity and thematic resonance that quality pieces of the medium can possess. If something with a good balance of action, humor, and compelling plot based on complicated characters interests you, give it a try.
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