Session 01 Asteroid Blues Review: Bell Peppers and Beef.....sans beef
Alright well here we are in episode one of Cowboy Bebop! I'm so excited to review this series and talk about how much I love it! I will also talk about some of it's flaws.... which are minimal. It was one of the first anime series I watched as a kid and it hooked me quick. This is the anime that you should show anybody looking to get get into the genre. It's so much more than a simple anime but at the same time one of the best that's ever been created. Here's my first review to kick things off!
We start things off by introducing two of our 4 main characters. Spike is the surefire, cocky Han Solo type who we follow through nearly every episode. He's seen here training his martial arts skills while his best friend Jet Black is cooking up dinner on their ship, the Bebop. It's established that they're both bounty hunters and are strapped for cash. Jet decides that they should go after a bounty by the name of Asimov. Spike agrees as we get the first taste of the series humor as he talks about the beef less bell peppers and beef. The information for the bounty is given by a recurring TV show known as Big Shot For The Bounty Hunters. This comes up in many episodes and is a fun and interesting way to tell the viewer all about each bounty and what they're worth.
The humor of the show is present here and quickly establishes the dynamic between the characters. The bounty hunter show is part of this as it makes the act of hunting a game of sorts. This helped by the hosts of the show as well. The intro for this episode tells the viewer how Spike and Jet get along and what sort of people they are. Jet is the more serious one for the most part while Spike is easily distracted and witty. The conversation keeps jumping between Jet trying to tell Spike about the bounty while Spike continues to ask why the food is called bell peppers and beef without beef. It's lighthearted fun that truly drew me in as a viewer.
We then skip into the plot for the episode and get our first taste of the serial like nature of the show proper. Each episode focuses upon some sort of bounty that needs to be taken in for the struggling Bebop crew. This episode focuses on Asimov as he attempts to sell of a highly potent drug known as red eye. We follow his character to a bar where he goes off to make a sale with the bartender. His confidant Katerina is left behind as she's ogled by the men there drinking. Asimov has to prove the experimental drug is real and takes some himself. We get a really cool red filter that shows his vision and how the drug affects the way he sees the world. It seems to make people extremely aggressive as well as he easily takes down armed guards coming after him for stealing the drug.
The bounties on the show are some of my favorite characters besides our primary cast. Each one has a real personality and backstory to themselves that drives them toward their goals. Asimov is a man out of time and down on his luck trying to sell off the drug he stole. Katerina has clearly fallen for the wrong guy as she is dragged along for the ride. It's this attention to detail in both characterization and storytelling that makes each episode a blast to watch over and over.
Eventually Spike happens upon Maria with some help from an Indian Shaman he meets. We get to see his charm and wit here in full force as he sweet talks Maria. He utilizes his charm and detective-like skills to get into the heads of his bounties before taking them in. This helps him understand more about them and more easily catch them ..... for the most part. Sometimes Spike gets himself into deep water as is evidenced here. Katerina eventually figures out that he's a hunter just as Asimov returns from the bar. He chokes out Spike but not before a vial of the drug is stole from him.
What works really well in this episode is how quickly characters are introduced and interact with each other. This being the first episode one would think it would focus primarily on our main cast and nobody else. The show is genius in how it sets a tone and follows through with the characters in a rather rapid manner. We get to know Spike and Jet a bit before we put them up against the adversary of the episode. This throws the viewer into this world headfirst but also quickly grounds them in the overall narrative.
Eventually Spike uses a disguise to catch Asimov and we see him fight for the first time. His style mostly involves moving like water and telegraphing his opponents moves before they make them. The fight scene here is well choreographed and animated as well. Even though Asimov may be physically stronger Spike can handle his own. It also shows that Spike obviously has had some sort of experience with this in his past. Asimov escapes however but not before Katerina is shot in her revealed to be fake stomach losing vials of the drug in the process. Jet moves into to help Spike as they take off after their target. We also get a scene here showing Spike humorously taking out armed guards as well. The humor is present in nearly every episode and becomes a driving force in it's own right.
The climax of the episode comes once Asimov tries to escape and takes more of the drug to do so. These scenes show quickly how the drug is extremely potent and addicting. His vision is worse than it was before and we see Katerina starting to distrust her lover. Spike catches up with them just in time to see her kill Asimov herself and the ship be destroyed by the police. This starts a trend for the series of having a darker and more somber tone than another anime series. It can be funny at times but more often it tries to teach it's viewers a lesson. The one here being that you can't run forever from your mistakes.
Spike and Jet of course receive no reward for the bounty and have another helping of peppers and beef to close out the episode. This episode is a fantastic and adrenaline-pumping start to an amazing series. The only true bad point of this episode is that we don't get a large amount of time spent with Asimov before his death. This is mostly due to the 26 minute run-time of episode but it would have been nice to see more all the same. I give Asteroid Blues a 9.5/10. See you space cowboy....
Alright well here we are in episode one of Cowboy Bebop! I'm so excited to review this series and talk about how much I love it! I will also talk about some of it's flaws.... which are minimal. It was one of the first anime series I watched as a kid and it hooked me quick. This is the anime that you should show anybody looking to get get into the genre. It's so much more than a simple anime but at the same time one of the best that's ever been created. Here's my first review to kick things off!
We start things off by introducing two of our 4 main characters. Spike is the surefire, cocky Han Solo type who we follow through nearly every episode. He's seen here training his martial arts skills while his best friend Jet Black is cooking up dinner on their ship, the Bebop. It's established that they're both bounty hunters and are strapped for cash. Jet decides that they should go after a bounty by the name of Asimov. Spike agrees as we get the first taste of the series humor as he talks about the beef less bell peppers and beef. The information for the bounty is given by a recurring TV show known as Big Shot For The Bounty Hunters. This comes up in many episodes and is a fun and interesting way to tell the viewer all about each bounty and what they're worth.
The humor of the show is present here and quickly establishes the dynamic between the characters. The bounty hunter show is part of this as it makes the act of hunting a game of sorts. This helped by the hosts of the show as well. The intro for this episode tells the viewer how Spike and Jet get along and what sort of people they are. Jet is the more serious one for the most part while Spike is easily distracted and witty. The conversation keeps jumping between Jet trying to tell Spike about the bounty while Spike continues to ask why the food is called bell peppers and beef without beef. It's lighthearted fun that truly drew me in as a viewer.
We then skip into the plot for the episode and get our first taste of the serial like nature of the show proper. Each episode focuses upon some sort of bounty that needs to be taken in for the struggling Bebop crew. This episode focuses on Asimov as he attempts to sell of a highly potent drug known as red eye. We follow his character to a bar where he goes off to make a sale with the bartender. His confidant Katerina is left behind as she's ogled by the men there drinking. Asimov has to prove the experimental drug is real and takes some himself. We get a really cool red filter that shows his vision and how the drug affects the way he sees the world. It seems to make people extremely aggressive as well as he easily takes down armed guards coming after him for stealing the drug.
The bounties on the show are some of my favorite characters besides our primary cast. Each one has a real personality and backstory to themselves that drives them toward their goals. Asimov is a man out of time and down on his luck trying to sell off the drug he stole. Katerina has clearly fallen for the wrong guy as she is dragged along for the ride. It's this attention to detail in both characterization and storytelling that makes each episode a blast to watch over and over.
Eventually Spike happens upon Maria with some help from an Indian Shaman he meets. We get to see his charm and wit here in full force as he sweet talks Maria. He utilizes his charm and detective-like skills to get into the heads of his bounties before taking them in. This helps him understand more about them and more easily catch them ..... for the most part. Sometimes Spike gets himself into deep water as is evidenced here. Katerina eventually figures out that he's a hunter just as Asimov returns from the bar. He chokes out Spike but not before a vial of the drug is stole from him.
What works really well in this episode is how quickly characters are introduced and interact with each other. This being the first episode one would think it would focus primarily on our main cast and nobody else. The show is genius in how it sets a tone and follows through with the characters in a rather rapid manner. We get to know Spike and Jet a bit before we put them up against the adversary of the episode. This throws the viewer into this world headfirst but also quickly grounds them in the overall narrative.
Eventually Spike uses a disguise to catch Asimov and we see him fight for the first time. His style mostly involves moving like water and telegraphing his opponents moves before they make them. The fight scene here is well choreographed and animated as well. Even though Asimov may be physically stronger Spike can handle his own. It also shows that Spike obviously has had some sort of experience with this in his past. Asimov escapes however but not before Katerina is shot in her revealed to be fake stomach losing vials of the drug in the process. Jet moves into to help Spike as they take off after their target. We also get a scene here showing Spike humorously taking out armed guards as well. The humor is present in nearly every episode and becomes a driving force in it's own right.
The climax of the episode comes once Asimov tries to escape and takes more of the drug to do so. These scenes show quickly how the drug is extremely potent and addicting. His vision is worse than it was before and we see Katerina starting to distrust her lover. Spike catches up with them just in time to see her kill Asimov herself and the ship be destroyed by the police. This starts a trend for the series of having a darker and more somber tone than another anime series. It can be funny at times but more often it tries to teach it's viewers a lesson. The one here being that you can't run forever from your mistakes.
Spike and Jet of course receive no reward for the bounty and have another helping of peppers and beef to close out the episode. This episode is a fantastic and adrenaline-pumping start to an amazing series. The only true bad point of this episode is that we don't get a large amount of time spent with Asimov before his death. This is mostly due to the 26 minute run-time of episode but it would have been nice to see more all the same. I give Asteroid Blues a 9.5/10. See you space cowboy....
Session 02 Stray Dog Strut Review: Best Dog In Anime EVER!!!
I'll start this off by saying this is one of my favorite episodes of the series. I love Ein and for a show to not only feature a dog as a primary character but also give him character depth is astounding to me as a viewer. The plot here mostly revolves around the cute Corgi pup himself being stolen by a new bounty by the name of Hakim. Hakim is hoping to sell the dog as he is a highly coveted experiment from a tech company.
Spike and Jet get involved trying to capture this bounty and at first have no idea about the dog he's attempting to sell. The interesting schtick here is that Hakim is a master of disguise and has changed himself multiple times. A surgeon who knows Spike and Jet inform them of this man and his last appearance to make for a quick bounty pick up. These scenes are hilarious as we get to see Spike react to the doctor having been beaten up by Hakim previously.
After this we see Hakim get his briefcase with the dog inside stolen by a younger man. He follows the man to a nearby shop that he tries to sell it to. It's revealed here that there is simply a Welsh Corgi inside and he's basically worthless to the owner. They're all interrupted by Spike as he makes his way to the shop. I love Ein here as he is simply a cute dog at the moment. Nobody really knows that Ein is a data dog and is highly intelligent and valuable besides Hakim.
After a long chase sequence Ein ends up escaping Hakim and ending up with Spike. After this they make it back to the Bebop and fit Ein with a tracking device collar to help lure out Hakim. Jet's reaction to meeting the dog and Spike's instance disinterest make for some of the funniest scenes in the episode. We are getting many different glimpses into these characters and how they work here.
Afterwards Ein is being tracked by two scientists from the facility he was taken from. They're also trying to get him back and join in on the chase after Spike and Hakim. They use a high powered whistle machine to attract all dogs in the area and Ein leaves Spike to find the sound. This begins the awesome chase sequence that closes out the episode. The action here is top notch and honestly feels ripped out of a classic action movie car chase. My favorite part of this has to do with Ein biting Hakim and figuring out how to escape the vehicle.
Unfortunately Hakim and the scientists both run their vehicles off the highway and directly into the police station. Yet again Spike and Jet receive no award. They do however keep Ein. I loved this episode both when I watched it as a kid and now. It's one of the few episodes of the series to focus entirely on a non-human character. It also introduces Ein whose cuteness and ingenuity helps the Bebop crew out of a few scrapes in the future. The well-written dialogue and humor is on point here as well. I give Stray Dog Strut a solid 10/10. See you space Cowdog....
I'll start this off by saying this is one of my favorite episodes of the series. I love Ein and for a show to not only feature a dog as a primary character but also give him character depth is astounding to me as a viewer. The plot here mostly revolves around the cute Corgi pup himself being stolen by a new bounty by the name of Hakim. Hakim is hoping to sell the dog as he is a highly coveted experiment from a tech company.
Spike and Jet get involved trying to capture this bounty and at first have no idea about the dog he's attempting to sell. The interesting schtick here is that Hakim is a master of disguise and has changed himself multiple times. A surgeon who knows Spike and Jet inform them of this man and his last appearance to make for a quick bounty pick up. These scenes are hilarious as we get to see Spike react to the doctor having been beaten up by Hakim previously.
After this we see Hakim get his briefcase with the dog inside stolen by a younger man. He follows the man to a nearby shop that he tries to sell it to. It's revealed here that there is simply a Welsh Corgi inside and he's basically worthless to the owner. They're all interrupted by Spike as he makes his way to the shop. I love Ein here as he is simply a cute dog at the moment. Nobody really knows that Ein is a data dog and is highly intelligent and valuable besides Hakim.
After a long chase sequence Ein ends up escaping Hakim and ending up with Spike. After this they make it back to the Bebop and fit Ein with a tracking device collar to help lure out Hakim. Jet's reaction to meeting the dog and Spike's instance disinterest make for some of the funniest scenes in the episode. We are getting many different glimpses into these characters and how they work here.
Afterwards Ein is being tracked by two scientists from the facility he was taken from. They're also trying to get him back and join in on the chase after Spike and Hakim. They use a high powered whistle machine to attract all dogs in the area and Ein leaves Spike to find the sound. This begins the awesome chase sequence that closes out the episode. The action here is top notch and honestly feels ripped out of a classic action movie car chase. My favorite part of this has to do with Ein biting Hakim and figuring out how to escape the vehicle.
Unfortunately Hakim and the scientists both run their vehicles off the highway and directly into the police station. Yet again Spike and Jet receive no award. They do however keep Ein. I loved this episode both when I watched it as a kid and now. It's one of the few episodes of the series to focus entirely on a non-human character. It also introduces Ein whose cuteness and ingenuity helps the Bebop crew out of a few scrapes in the future. The well-written dialogue and humor is on point here as well. I give Stray Dog Strut a solid 10/10. See you space Cowdog....
Session 03 Honky Tonk Women Review: Introducing Faye! What a Dame!
Alright so we finally get our first female lead here in the form of Faye Valentine. She's introduced to us by taking out some thugs sent to claim debt that she's accrued. She handily takes them out and leaves before being approached by the villain of the episode, Space Casino Owner Gordon. This works as an intro to Faye's character as we see her handle a tense situation with finesse and see a bit into her past dealings that gave her the debt she currently has.
The primary plot kicks in when Spike and Jet visit the casino to win money. They're down to their last bit of cash and have to find a way to make some back. Spike happens to sit down at the table Faye is working to pay off her debts. Gordon knows she's good at gambling and will be able to make him a hefty profit. Faye is told that a man looking like Spike will sit down and pay her with one chip as a tip. If she gets this her debts will be erased.
This works as character motivation and as a means to put together these characters in this situation. It also shines more light on Faye as she's willing to do anything to erase her debts. Well of course nothing goes according to plan as Spike has no idea why Faye wants one chip from him. He's down to his last chip and decides to keep it rather than lose everything. This leads to an especially funny chase scene between the two with both characters confused as to why things are happening the way they are. I laughed for a long while during this chase as Spike is honestly scared for his own safety.
After this Jet wins a 200,000 Woolong jackpot but has to leave it behind as Spike is being chased by casino thugs. Faye makes her escape in her own ship, the Red Tail and our main cast is on their way away from the casino. On-board the Bebop Jet and Spike learn that not only is Faye worth 6 million Woolongs but that the chip Spike took with him holds a high-tech microchip inside. This is what Gordon wants and they arrange a deal to trade it for 30 million Woolongs. Spike and Jet take Faye hostage along with her ship.
This turn in the episode was unexpected but also very entertaining. Each character has their own goal and ways in which to accomplish these goals. Faye utilizing a hairpin is able to escape the Bebop as she makes a run for the briefcase. At the same time Gordon's thugs have turned on Spike and begin shooting at him. This leads to an exciting standoff in space. It closely resembles old western gunfights in the sense of the action but the setting is wholly different. This adds more credence to the idea of this being a space western show.
The episode ends with Faye stealing the money and Jet and Spike left with the chip. Gordon and his men are taken out by Faye reversing the polarity of their missiles and sending them back at them. Jet and Spike decide to use the chip at another casino as Gordon was the only one who knew of it's worth.
Overall this is a spectacular introduction to Faye as a character. She's very interesting and fits right in with the rest of the crew. It takes a while before she fully joins the crew but when she does she brings a lot of strength and finesse to their endeavors. I also love the humor used throughout this episode. Spike not realizing what's going on until nearly the end of the episode was fantastic. Poor Jet not being able to receive his winnings was sad but also funny. Next up is Gateway Shuffle with more Faye! This episode gets an 8/10. See you next time Space Cow...girl? :D
Alright so we finally get our first female lead here in the form of Faye Valentine. She's introduced to us by taking out some thugs sent to claim debt that she's accrued. She handily takes them out and leaves before being approached by the villain of the episode, Space Casino Owner Gordon. This works as an intro to Faye's character as we see her handle a tense situation with finesse and see a bit into her past dealings that gave her the debt she currently has.
The primary plot kicks in when Spike and Jet visit the casino to win money. They're down to their last bit of cash and have to find a way to make some back. Spike happens to sit down at the table Faye is working to pay off her debts. Gordon knows she's good at gambling and will be able to make him a hefty profit. Faye is told that a man looking like Spike will sit down and pay her with one chip as a tip. If she gets this her debts will be erased.
This works as character motivation and as a means to put together these characters in this situation. It also shines more light on Faye as she's willing to do anything to erase her debts. Well of course nothing goes according to plan as Spike has no idea why Faye wants one chip from him. He's down to his last chip and decides to keep it rather than lose everything. This leads to an especially funny chase scene between the two with both characters confused as to why things are happening the way they are. I laughed for a long while during this chase as Spike is honestly scared for his own safety.
After this Jet wins a 200,000 Woolong jackpot but has to leave it behind as Spike is being chased by casino thugs. Faye makes her escape in her own ship, the Red Tail and our main cast is on their way away from the casino. On-board the Bebop Jet and Spike learn that not only is Faye worth 6 million Woolongs but that the chip Spike took with him holds a high-tech microchip inside. This is what Gordon wants and they arrange a deal to trade it for 30 million Woolongs. Spike and Jet take Faye hostage along with her ship.
This turn in the episode was unexpected but also very entertaining. Each character has their own goal and ways in which to accomplish these goals. Faye utilizing a hairpin is able to escape the Bebop as she makes a run for the briefcase. At the same time Gordon's thugs have turned on Spike and begin shooting at him. This leads to an exciting standoff in space. It closely resembles old western gunfights in the sense of the action but the setting is wholly different. This adds more credence to the idea of this being a space western show.
The episode ends with Faye stealing the money and Jet and Spike left with the chip. Gordon and his men are taken out by Faye reversing the polarity of their missiles and sending them back at them. Jet and Spike decide to use the chip at another casino as Gordon was the only one who knew of it's worth.
Overall this is a spectacular introduction to Faye as a character. She's very interesting and fits right in with the rest of the crew. It takes a while before she fully joins the crew but when she does she brings a lot of strength and finesse to their endeavors. I also love the humor used throughout this episode. Spike not realizing what's going on until nearly the end of the episode was fantastic. Poor Jet not being able to receive his winnings was sad but also funny. Next up is Gateway Shuffle with more Faye! This episode gets an 8/10. See you next time Space Cow...girl? :D