Cowboy Bebop

tick22 · Post by **tick22** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 4:36 pm

WOW!!! Bickering?????? Where??? I just see people who loved a great series voicing their thoughts. ok, except for a couple of sour grapes people.....I guess you have not discovered the other threads on the board.... You either did not like the series or have never seen it, which is ok. It is old and finished, but as most agree, it is one of the best series ever done...... Sorry, if I took what you posted wrong....

greenrider85 · Post by **greenrider85** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 7:23 pm

i have tried to watch bebop, but confused many people tell me that it's an episodic thing, is that true?

tick22 · Post by **tick22** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 8:32 pm

mmm, how to approach this???
Most if not all of the episodes are or can be stand alone, meaning you can enjoy just watching shows as you find them. But to really get into the whole of Cowboy Bebop it is better to watch the complete series to see how it all come together in the final 3 or 4 episodes. From the first frame or introduction which is only shown once (only one part is never shown again at the beginning of the opening part, mm, did that come out right???) of the series to the final end, there is an aweome story going on.... Just check out this thread for others thoughts on the series and there is also a thread a couple of page back on what is your fav episode, naming 3 of them as the subject. For most, those that have watch the complete series, have fell in love with it and it does set the marker of how others series should be done. The music, the characters and the stories all form one massive excellant storyline and series. Ok, I really did not help you. Is there anyone else who wants to put in their 2 cents???

greenrider85 · Post by **greenrider85** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 10:50 pm

it's okay i have to figure it out i guess.

tick22 · Post by **tick22** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:12 pm

Sorry, I was not more help......

older_gohan · Post by **older_gohan** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 1:56 am

maybe I can help.

There are a total of 5 episodes which fit in with the major plot which is the love affair between Spike and Julia, and the tension between Vicious and spike.

These episodes are

Episode 5 - Ballad of Fallen Angels (Considered one of the best in the series)
Episode 12 - Jupiter Jazz Part 1
Episode 13 - Jupiter Jazz Part 2
Episode 25 - The Real Folk Blues Part 1
Episode 26 - The Real folk Blues Part 2

All of the other episodes each have there own mini plot which begin and finish within the 30 minute time slot.

It is safe to say you can jump in on any of these episodes and understand what's going on and no be totally lost.

Also these episodes provide a basis for the relations the crew develops with each other.

Spoiler: There is a hint that Faye falls for spike even though they constantly bicker with each other. In the last episode she begs him to stay instead of going after Vicious and Julia.

Also something else happens with the crew over the course of the 26 episode series. Every one of the main characters on the bebop have had a family of sorts previously to becoming a member of bebop.

Jet and the police force.
Spike and the clan.
Ed and her father. (Can't remember the episode where he appears but man does he ever own spike in a fight.)
Faye previous to her accident.

Read Spoiler for more detail

Spoiler:
Over fifty years before her first appearance in the series Faye is invovled in a shuttle accident where her injuries are unrepairable. Therefore they put her into cryogenic freezing to wait out a time where she can be treated. Inccidentally she ends up with a multimillion dollar debt for the proceedure. Something obviously not entirely thought out. She is claimed to be the hotest granny in the universe. And at the age of 70+, she sure as hell is.

I believe the concept of the series itself was take these band of loners, all with previous lifes they wish to forget and throw them together where they have completely different personalities and have them form their own dysfunctional family.

Obviously Spike's life seems to take the lead but other episodes talk about the other main characters problems before bebop.

More Spoilers.

Spike: He involvement with Julia and disagreements with Vicious.
Faye: Her life before bebop where she was in a orphanage and her life was sort of charmed. (Very Touching episode)
Jet: His involvement with a woman and his problems with control.
Ed: Her dad and his reckless abandonment of her. He seems to had ADHD as well.

So all in all, they tie together in a small sense.

5 major episodes are all about spike.
3 are about the other crews previous lifes.
A few have it where each member has to catch the bounty. (I reccomend the one where ed catches the shroom dealer. Hilarious episode.)
The rest are just no hold bar fun with crazy antics, cool fight scenes, and rather od characters.

The funniest thing about the whole series is that with all of these bounties they can never seem to nail the big fish that will let them retire for life.

There is a movie as well (Yet something else I highly recommend.)

I hoped that helped at all.

The truth is Cowboy Bebop is one of the those ground breaking, award winning, everyone loves it anime's that is a must watch even if you hate anime.

tick22 · Post by **tick22** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 3:55 am

Thanks Gohan.
i really did not want to give too much away and you did an excellant job of filling in what I was afraid to say. Nice way to let spoilers out without really doing it. (I got to learn that trick)

On the early Faye, I thought she came from a wealthy family (notice the big house, her room, friends and the jet trip before the accident) and Ed, after being abondon was in the orphanage. damn, maybe I should go back and check that out. I could be wrong......

The movie I believe supposely takes place between esp 22 and 23... Esp 24 being where Faye and Ed find out many things.... a very good yet sad esp.... The movie kind of shows where Spike's frame of mind (Vincent's like a dream as well) is afterwards (end of the movie) that leads up to esp 25 and what happens during 25 and 26....mmm, hope I did not give too much away or explained it right...

some esps and what they are about.... beside what is mentioned in Gohan's post

esp 9, the first Ed introduction
esp 11, The fridge esp, has the funniest end previews in it. Ed again
esp 14, Ed plays a big part
Esp 15, where we find out where Faye's present starts...
esp 16, jet esp of his past in ISSP
esp 17, where ed catches the shroom dealer. Very Ed funny esp....
esp 24, where it comes together for Ed and faye...

I know I left alot out, way to much I could write....
hope this helps now.. Greenrider and again Thanks Older Gohan

EmilLang1000 · Post by **EmilLang1000** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 5:05 am

I'd have to say that Cowboy Bebop did what little others really could: Have a fairly small Macroplot, with many microplots or "episodes."

Every episode of Bebop is amazing, really, and although it doesn't seem like it has a singular plot, you can sort of see where it does; or rather, it follows the various exploits of these psycho bounty hunters, with recurring characters throughout (Vicious and the three old men to say the least).

Trigun had a similar structure, but the last few (6 or so?) episodes did have a singular plot, whereas Bebop only had the last two related directly as the climax, maybe three if you count ep. 24.

If you want to see another show that took a similar stab at what Bebop did, but failed HORRIBLY: Teen Titans. I'm not saying it's Anime (although it is; we've been over this, and Webster wins... it just isn't Japanimation), but it followed suit of what Bebop did: have, for each 13-episode season, a Macroplot which took up only about 4 episodes or so, with 9 "fillers." The one difference? While Bebop was entertaining entirely, only the serious episodes of Titans were; they went for comedy, and tried too hard. When they went total-seriousness for an entire season there, I was jumping for joy (the Raven/Trigon arc was damn good).

But, yeah... Bebop will forever remain the King of Tangents. It went off on so many, yet it always retained its coolness factor and enterainment value. And, if you ask me, had the BEST TV-show-based movie ever (Star Trek included). Knockin' on Heaven's Door was godly in animation quality, story, and score.

Now, if you'll excuse me; the film student in me needs to go fapping to the gloriousness that is Knockin'...

greenrider85 · Post by **greenrider85** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:26 pm

thanks for all the help. i saw a bit of the cowboy bebop movie.

Mariko21 · Post by **Mariko21** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 6:59 am

Cowboy bebop is the coolest anime ever! Both the series and the movie were great!