Chris from SHAFT joins the addicts to talk about anime movies, what we like about them, the role they play, where they are good, and when they are bad.
Reviews: Appleseed ExMachina, Eve no Jikan, Cowboy Bebop, Metropolis
Alternate Titles: None
Original Japanese Release Date: 1998
Episode Length/Run-time: 26 ( 25 mins ea. )
Summary:
Spike Spiegel, a bounty hunter, travels around space attempting to collect bounties, either succeeding some or not at all. With the help of his friends Jet Black, Faye Valentine, Ed, and Ein (the dog), their adventures from planet to planet begin!
Review:
What a classic anime. Most everyone has heard of it, and for good reason too. Cowboy Bebop is one of those animes that manages to have episodes that can stand alone (such as when its aired on TV), but overall come together to fill in the greater picture of the story. The story is depicted in space and on a variety of planets, with Jet and Spike traveling in what they call their “junker” spacecraft. One of the cool things about Cowboy Bebop is that each colony they travel to is not some upscale sky scraper ridden place; rather they are filled with their own kind of cultural themes and problems. Realistic, no?
The characters are also realistically depicted, which is great for viewers that relate to their characters. Spike is no pretty boy, but rather a lanky handsome fellow. Faye, the provocative character of the show, is a sexy, curvy character but not some huge breasted stereotypical anime character. Jet is big and burly, almost russian-like. As for Ed…. well. Shes a scrawny adolescent tomboy whos brain and technological knowledge is only matched by her extreme wildness and bursts of energy. Ein is a welsh corgi that is so cute that he’ll have you squirming. Too bad Welsh Corgis are like $3000.
Now, onto other things. The animation you ask? How is it? Fantastic! Cowboy Bebop uses CG graphics, but does so in such a fantastic manner that you may not even be able to tell. You know the typical bad CG where the foreground looks seperate from the background? Yeah, you won’t have that ever in Cowboy Bebop. Sweet right? I know. Cowboy Bebop’s artwork and animation are full of life and realism.
Oh yeah, and if you like Jazz mixed with blues, you’ll find yourself buying Cowboy Bebop’s soundtrack after the first episode or two. Why? Because its AWESOME! And on top of awesome, its classy, and it fits perfectly! Its so filled with emotion, that the saxophones and horns very well might make you explode. I looked around, and couldnt really find any bad music that Yoko Kanno has done.
Also, the character development is great as well. This anime is a must see, but chances are you’ve already seen it cause its pure awesome in a DVD case. Plus it was airing on Adult Swim for years!
[starrater]