Cowboy Bebop Highly recommended

Publisher
BEEZ
Director
Shinichiro Watanabe
Production
Bandai, Sunrise
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
26 episodes
Year
1998

Cowboy Bebop Remix DVD V.1

By David Rasmussen
23rd Oct 05

There are series out there which are your “essentials”. Series that should top your list of Animes and Mangas that you simply must experience. Cowboy Bebop is one of those series.
Now there’s a brand new re-release of the series in this “Remix” format which may be the right fix for you.
New fans just getting into the series from watching it on TV or seeing the Movie? This is for you.
Die hard fan with a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio option which the previous DVD set didn’t take advantage of? This is for you.

Die hard fan who has all the DVDs but no Dolby Digital 5.1 audio (or that is not as important to you as the DVD case makes it out to be? Then this… STILL might be for you. For if you haven’t worn out your past DVDs into uselessness then you’d be getting this for the TON of extras. Yes, now I don’t know if these extras been seen before but there’s a whole lot (on this one DVD) so maybe not.
Guess you’ll just have to keep reading to see if this is for you.

You know the drill. It’s 2071 and the solar system is a wild place to live in.
Earth is for the most part uninhabitable, after an incident with a gate smashed a huge chunk out of the moon which had set up a deadly debris field about the Earth. The rest of the planets now have colonies and people living there full time, and business is good (for either good or ill). And it is in this climate a few good bounty hunters are needed… and wouldn’t you know it! This series provides that!
And things haven’t changed in the future.
There are still cool guys & hot ladies in the future. Terrorists and criminals are still around, and people still want them locked away. Money is still the root of all survival (only not the way it is in “Bet On Soldier : Bloodsport”… and yes, that’s the actual name of an actual shooter), and Koei is still making Dynasty Warriors and Romance of the Three Kingdom games… which they will do until we and our descendants die for all eternity.

We have Spike (the lead of the series), Jet (the “investigative genius” according to the box), Faye (played by everyone’s favorite female English voice talent, Wendee Lee), Ein (the “data dog” Welsh Corgi who will NOT be considered a food substitute… unless in case of emergency) and Radical Ed, who does not appear in this DVD. Her first appearance is in Cowboy Bebop Remix DVD V. 2.

You know the drill, you know the episodes, so let’s look a bit deeper in my favorite episodes of this DVD.

Episode 2 - Stray Dog Strut
Unless there’s just something about Ein nobody told us I think we’re looking at a stray dog here, not a cat.
Anyway it’s the first appearance of Ein, and it looks like there’s quite a few people interested in catching this Welsh Corgi… except Spike who is more interested in the guy who stole Ein in the first place.
Seem he (and Jet) have no idea what the dog’s true value is, so once Spike comes into possession of the dog he ends up using it as bait -- which is no good since it seems the dog’s “creators” are also looking for it, since the dog seems to have been done in a… well… not so kosher manner, so to speak.
Yeah. Chase chase, confusion, chase. It’s a fun episode and, yes, in the end Ein gets to stay.
But you knew that already. Let’s move on… and yes, I did skip Episode 1 (“Asteroid Blues“). I know, I know, first for Spike and Jet and all buuuuuuuuuutttt… it’s not my favorite. I don’t know why, it’s just not.

Episode 3 - Honky Tonk Woman
Yes, it’s Faye’s first episode and it revolves around -- not saying. Yeah, well… don’t tell me you ain’t looking forward to checking this out yourself since, well, it IS Faye’s first episode and I know lots of you have that special place in your heart for her. Let’s just say she doesn’t join the cast yet, that’s next episode.
As for me personally it’s not my favorite Faye episode, but it does introduce her so it’s worth mention for that, and worth keeping it hush for the new fans to check out.
That and there’s no need since the die hard fans know the episode by heart and the new fans can check it out for themselves… so, really… moving on now.

Episode 4 - Gateway Shuffle
Looks like Faye’s luck has just about run out… and it’s only her second appearance no less!
Stuck near Jupiter with no fuel she’s just set adrift in her little ship hoping somebody would just pull over and help… all the while regretting she let her GalacticAAA membership lapse. But while she has the time to float stationary looking for help she floats into a crippled ship and a dying pilot who seems to be carrying the answer to a little problem that is about to come up.

Seems Spike/Jet are about to become very inconvenienced when a bounty they’re after is shot up by a bunch of eco-terrorists (who wear things that look like sea lions or seals as headgear) led by a nutty woman. What kind of a nutty woman? The kind whose “children” are about to hold the planetary government of Ganymede hostage with a new virus called “Monkey Business” to secure her release, that kind. Heh… the show has monkeys references… gosh, monkeys haven’t be this much fun since Rampage or Ape Escape 2!

Anyway as you know Faye gets picked up by the crew of the Bebop, and ends up becoming one of the “gang” after a missile scare which ends in a spectacular (but non-lethal… almost) manner.
Now she hangs around, eats their food, uses their fuel and takes hot showers… with a gun. Yeah, this should be fun.

Episode 5 - Ballad of Fallen Angels
The best of the DVD. This delves abit into Spike’s past, and introduces Vicious for the first time.
Who is Vicious? What link does Spike have to the “bounty” at the start of this episode who ends up getting his throat slit by Vicious? How good is the gun battle in the end? You’ll see. Liked the last 10 minutes the best from this one. That’s that. Let’s break it down and I’ll tell you more about how much I liked this.

Cowboy Bebop Breakdown Remix the 1st
What’s Hot?
It goes without saying that this series is hot. It’s one of those Essentials I keep telling you about occasionally. A series that you shouldn’t pass up, something well worth your time and effort to see.
Cowboy Bebop is a fan fave and for good reason. Besides the animation and action which is fine, there’s the fact that the music is just great, the characters are finely done and developed oh so nicely, the stories are top notch, the action is balanced out with great drama and great humor, and the English voice acting is great (no cringing at bad voice acting here).

There isn’t many series which is worth calling an Essential (BANDAI has quite a few by the way) but this is most definitely one of those series. If this isn’t an Essential of your collection then I don’t know what is.
Yes, though, what if you already do own this? What can I say that’ll change your mind?
How about the extras? Check this out!

Two commentaries! One by the Japanese voice talents behind Spike/Jet, the other by Wendee Lee (Faye) and one of the people who made the series! Several selections of trailers from the movie to the TV Series!
A Wendee Lee interview! This is packed, and if you haven’t seen these on your other DVDs then it might be the factor that decides whether your in or not. Of course if you doubt the extras you can always rent it to see if it lives up to expectations, and if it does (and don’t forget that it now comes in Dolby Digital 5.1 now) then you’ll be checking this out purchase wise!

What’s Not?
I honestly can’t think of a thing. Yes, the extras are the deciding factor on whether a person who already has this series will invest in the Remix, but still I don’t see that as a problem (or a Not), do you?

Moments to Remember?
(holds up DVD case and points at it) -- and that’s all I have to say about that.

What to Ignore?
(looks at case) -- oh, wait, this is We Love Katamari -- (holds up right case) -- there we go. Nuff said.

Overall?
If you have a list of the top ten Animes you enjoyed without a doubt, odds are one of those series is going to be Cowboy Bebop. And now you can get it in this new Remix flavor with a new audio option, what seems to be new extras (must be) and just a solid series that has a solid fanbase which is more than enough incentive for any new fan, fan who missed the DVD series the first time or fans with a Dolby Digital 5.1 set up to go out and buy this.

Of course if you have the series, and want to know if the extras make this worth it, go rent it and spin it once to try it out. Still, from what I’ve seen? I can’t see there being anyone who won’t be buying this. It should be one of the frontrunners for it’s category in our upcoming Best of 2005 Awards (BANDAI putting out quite a few candidates like Ghost in the Shell : Stand Alone Complex Gig 2, Planetes, this and so forth).
Well, in short it’s Cowboy Bebop. What else can I say? A well done series like this? Should fly off shelves.

-- David Rasmussen 23rd Oct 05

Cowboy Bebop Images