Sci-fi isn’t usually my genre of choice, but the strength and allure of this series is in its characters. Spike has always been a favorite of mine; tough in a nonchalant, composed manner, silly by circumstance, and fiercely loyal to his lady despite understandable reasons not to be. Jet is also endearing as the gruff guy on the outside with a soft heart for his friends on the inside.
My first impression of Faye is always “fan service,” but she gets to be more than that as the series progresses and pieces of her identity are gradually revealed. I think her role opposite of Spike in the final episode is particularly poignant; she’s finally found her home and he’s lost it forever. And Ed and Ein are appreciated for comic relief and computer hacking (yes, the dog did hack by himself at one point).
This time around I also felt like Bebop was showing me a picture of humanity. The year is 2071, humans have spread throughout the galaxy, technology is ubiquitous… one might think things ought to be going great. And yet, most of the inhabited locales we see are recessed slums; crime and corruption are rampant and the galaxy in general doesn’t seem at all cheery. “Technology advances, humans don’t,” perhaps; the same problems continue to plague us far into the future, whether they be societal or personal.
And of course no commentary on Bebop is complete without a gracious nod to the musical score. Jazz, waltz, funk, blues, latin, weird a-tonal stuff… it’s all there and put to good use, timed to fit with action and fight scenes. Watching a series a second time through tends to make me think either better or worse of it. Cowboy Bebop gets the thumbs up… again. So, if you’ve never seen it, I whole-heartedly recommend it. If you have, it’s worth a re-watch some time when all those shiny new series are falling flat.
