The immensely popular Cowboy Bebop was written by Shinichiro Watanabe and first began airing in 1998. The layered nature of the story line and the influence of American culture has given the show huge success in both Japan and North America. Cowboy Bebop has a deep story and diverse characters who's pasts shape their outlooks, personalities, interpersonal interactions, ambitions, desires, and motivations. Yet another aspect to Cowboy Bebop's fame is the wonderfully scored music by Yoko Kanno, who applies jazz movements from the 1940s to the futuristic sci-fi setting.

The main character, Spike Spiegel, is the loveable smart-alike who is haunted by his past. After faking his death to escape the Red Dragon Syndicate he teams up with Ganymede ex-cop Jet Black to hunt bounties as a meager way to make ends meet. Soon they meet the vuloptuous Faye Valentine, kleptomaniac and gambler extraordinaire. Later on they're joined by the very strange and free spirited Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV, but she prefers to be called Ed and is a genius hacker. Finally there's the data dog Ein whose abilities far surpass those of a regular hound. Can you're dog answer the phone or flush the toilet? I don't think so. Their story follows less of their actual travels in bounty hunting, and instead explores the pasts of each character, slowly unravelling each of their stories as the series progresses.

"...Bang."

"I'm the only one who can keep you alive...And I'm the only one that can kill you..."

Next

Previous

Anime and Videogames

Home