The show is set in the year of 2071. An explosion of an experimental hyperspace gate in the year 2022 severly damages the moon resulting in bombardments damaging the earth and most of the population leaving the planet inhabitable. As a result the reamaining human population decides to colonize the inner planets as well as the asteroid belt and the moons of Jupiter. People are able tos ravel from planet to planet through hyperspace gates. Crime syndicates also operate throughout the solar system. The ISSP (Inter Solar System Police) due to the broad range of the solar system and internal corruption are unable to capture criminals effectively so a bounty system similar to that of the old west is set up to help capture them (thus the name cowboy in the title, cowboy is another name for a bounty hunter). This is how we enter this motley crew of Bounty hunters.
Jet Black
Jet Black used to work for the ISSP, but left due to the corruption that surrounded hiheHe owns the ship that they live in called "The Bebop" (Thus the completion of the title). He's a macho guy, that pilots his own smaller shit called the hammerhead. One of his arms is cybernetic due to an incident as a cop where he didn't look before he leapt. He is the main leader and somewhat of a father figure for the rest of the group to his dismay. He are the first two bounty hunters in the show and have a good friend type of relationship with each other. Despite his rugged and macho exterior he cooks,maintains the ship as a mechanic and looks after bonzai trees. He is reminiscent of those old school detectives that see in film noir type movies and his detective prowess is what aids both him and the rest of the crew in capturing bounty heads.
Spike Spiegel
First off, let me say that Spike Spiegel is the Hottest anime character ever. If you were to look up badass in the urban dictionary, you would see his picture. That's just how awesome he is. He is the chain smoking main character of the show and many of the episodes events revolve around his shady past. He used to belong the the Red Dragon crime syndicate but left and took up bounty hunting. He's tall with green descheveled hair and is efficient with firearms and the martial art of Jeet Kun Do ( created by Bruce Lee). He has a carefree, laissez faire, I don't give a fuck type of attitude about him and though it may make him seem calous his past catches up to him revealing many things about his character. He is very complex and it's hard to decipher his emotion at times which is what helps to make him such an interesting character. He always leaves you guessing. Flashbacks of his times with the Red Dragon syndicate reveal that he was ones close friends with his nemesis Vicious and was in love with a mysterious woman named Julia. One of his eyes in cybernetic dueto an accident.
Ein
Ein is a Pembrock Welsh corgi that enters the Cowboy Bebop Ship when the fail to catch a bounty and end up taking him home.Ein was once called the "Data Dog" because he was experimented on thus leading to his excelled intelligence. He exibits a high IQ though the rest of the C rew Members Do not know it or acknoledge it and treat him like an average pet,except for fellow genius Edward. He can ck into a computer, steer a car and do other things that a normal dog can not do.
Faye Valentine
Faye Valentine is the Fourth Memeber of the Group. She joins the group when aaounty is put on her head and she is captured. She finds a way to flea but returns in the following episode when she realized that she has no place to go. She pilots a ship as well called the Red Tail. She has a gambling addiction is in a huge amount of death. She in 2021 a near death accident leat her being cryogeniccally frozen until a cure can be found. When she awakens in the year 2071 not only has she lost her memory but she also comes to find out that she must pay for the medical treatments making her millions of dollars in debt. Though she is a novice bounty hunter she uses her sultry voice and maniupulative nature to aid her in bounty hunting.
Edward
Edward is a prepubescent genius hacker from Earth. Despite her name and androgynous appearance she is a girl and the confusion regarding her sexso brings humour to the show. Her like to the other characters of the show come frof very mysterious past. Edward was abandoned by her parents on earth. She comes abord the ship in exchange for helping the crew find a bounty head. For the rest of the show she aids the bounty hunters in finding bounty heads by hacking into highly secured and restricted databases. She is a very happy and eccentric character, but her precence compliments the rest of the characters.
This anime explores different themes such as lonliness and phil ophical conacpts like existentialism. There are 26 episodes or "sesssions" that act independently of each other meaning that the episodes arn't successively connected. Each episodes explores different concepts and go in depth into the complicated pasts of the characters. Though they are bounty hunters, bounty hunting is notnecessarily the focal point of the show. Though bounty hunting may seem some what glamourous the crew spend most of their time within the span of the show broke or holding on the last amount of dolliind rom their previous bounty reward. Bountly hunting merely used to provide a way through which these tragic and highly complex characters can finr and find refuge in one another nd tell their stories. This anime also powerfully blends anachronistic concepts beautifully together. Director Shinichiro Watanabe is especially good at this. I saw Samurai Champloo before Iw Bebop and Samurai Champloo juxtaposes the Edo Japan era with Hip-Hop music and culture. The same rings true for Bebop. It meshes together Jazz, Blues, Film Noir, hipster and beat culture as well as western influences all together. This is probably another reason why it was so well received by westeren audiences. There is a strong sense of relateablility that comes along with the fimiliar concepts in this anime that you won't always get with other animes that usually rely on a familiarity with japanese culture and customes to understand. This anime is also very multiculture when it comes to the supporting cast and minor characters. References to blaxploitation films are also shown in the show. It was Watanabe was influence by a plethora of different music and film genres and the brilliant Yoko Kanno filled the show with an orgasmic score that would make any Jazz fiend fall in love. The music compliments the characters and plot so well that the show is seen to have one of the best scores for an anime. A film based off of the series was also created titled Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heavens Door. The film acts independently of the show but with the same exact characters doing what they like to do best. According to Wanatabe there will be no more development of the show saying that it is in the "spirit" of the show to not prolongue the show just for the sake of making a sequel. However there is word that a live version of Cowboy bebop will be created. I won't hold my breath on this, Hollywood has a bad habit of turning beloved anime shows into piss poor movies ( Dragon Ball Z, Avatar the Last Airbender, just to name a few) and filling them with caucasion actors. For now let's just be greatfull that this masterpiece of a show waiought out of the minds of a creative team for our enjoyment. Until next time. See you Space Cowboy.
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