Cowboy Bebop, A Timeless Classic?

🚀 Buckle Up for a Wild Ride with “Cowboy Bebop” 🤠

Tyler Woden
Media Central
4 min readJul 29, 2023

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The Crew from left to right. Jet, Spike, Faye, Ed, Ein.

Ah, Cowboy Bebop. Cowboy Bebop never came on my radar while I was at school. A sad story, I know, but true. In fact, it was more the domain of my dear friend, Chris, who had a taste for all things anime whilst we were at school. Then, some many years later, I finally found this piece of art, this…masterpiece. I’m gonna review it. Why? It deserves it. ~TW~

It really is awesome

“Cowboy Bebop” isn’t just an anime — it’s a whole vibe! This late-’90s space western cooked up by the genius Hajime Yatate and the maestro Shinichiro Watanabe, isn’t just standing tall but doing backflips over many of the anime released over the years. With its genre-smashing narrative, characters that stick to your heart like space-glue, and a jazz soundtrack that’ll have you tapping your feet, it’s no wonder this gem of a show is a classic that keeps on giving! 🎷🎶

Series director Shinichirō Watanabe

But hey, even the brightest supernova has a few dark spots, right? So let’s strap in and take a warp-speed tour of the good, the bad, and the ugly of “Cowboy Bebop”.

Positives 😎

  1. Music: 🎵 If there’s one thing that will ring in your ears long after you’re done watching “Cowboy Bebop”, it’s the out-of-this-world score by Yoko Kanno. She weaves together jazz, blues, and more to create a soundtrack that’s as integral to the show as Spike’s fluffy hair (and that’s saying something!). Have a listen to “Tank!”, the opening theme — it’s got more kick than a space-horse! (You can listen below.)
The opening is among my faves

2. Character Development: 📚 We’ve got a gang of characters here that are as deep as a black hole and twice as intriguing. As the series unfolds, we get to dig into their stories, and man, are they a rollercoaster! Spike’s journey from past sins to redemption could give any soap opera a run for its money. (See Spike in action below)

Pretty much a more ‘street’ Bruce Lee?

3. Unique Blend of Genres: 🎬 Cowboy Bebop doesn’t just blend genres — it tosses them into a blender and hits ‘purée’. Space opera, film noir, western, martial arts — you name it, they’ve got it. The episode “Ballad of Fallen Angels” is like a buffet of genres all wrapped up in a tortilla of awesomeness. (Watch the episode teaser)

It’s over on Netflix now

Negatives 😒

  1. Episodic Structure: ⏭️ Look, we all like a good one-off story. But when you’ve got a galaxy-wide plot to follow, the constant side-quests can be a bit of a drag. Cowboy Bebop, we love your mini adventures, but give us some more of that big picture!

2. Lack of Female Representation: 👩‍🚀 Sure, Faye Valentine is a force to be reckoned with, but she’s the lone lady in a crew of dudes. Come on, Bebop, the galaxy’s got to have more kickass women, right?

3. Graphic Content: 🚫 The show doesn’t shy away from getting gritty, and while that’s great for the realism, it might be a bit too much for some folks. If you’re not into violence or adult themes, you might want to steer clear.

In conclusion, “Cowboy Bebop” is like that rickety rollercoaster ride you just can’t get enough of — thrilling, a bit scary, and a whole lot of fun! Sure, it’s got its downsides, but it’s still an absolute must-watch for any anime fan out there. So what are you waiting for? Get onboard the Bebop and let the space adventures begin! 🚀🌌👽

Oh, and as an afterthought, I suggest to stick to the anime. Personally, I was okay with the live action version, but it lacks the soul of the anime. What about you? What did you think of Cowboy Bebop? Let me know. ~TW~

All of the images within this article are taken directly from the public source at Wikipedia.

I am an author of fiction and a writer on Medium. You can check out my debut right here on Amazon. I am also a pen for hire over on Fiverr, check me out here. Maybe videos are more your thing? If so, I also write scripts for aspiring Youtubers, and you can hire me in much the same fashion as above, right here on my video script gig.

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TW

That’s me. Copyright.

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Tyler Woden
Media Central

Unbound by niches. However, I enjoy writing: Fiction -Life -Mental Health I equally enjoy reading in the same areas