I know the world of anime can be intimidating, because of all the cultural differences, and also because there's just so much of it that it can be hard to know where to start. But don't get your panties in a twist about it: I'm here to be your sensei. Let's start you on something easy mode and work you up to classics like Bizarre Jelly.
So your first stop is gonna be Cowboy Bebop.
Cowboy Bebop is a classic. It was one of the first anime I ever watched, back when you had to pass around badly subtitled VHS tapes with some dude you met off a Yahoo Group. (Don't sweat the details if no one's told you what that is –– it was fucking unholy, but the internet was a better place then. More creative. More democratic. And less fucking ads. Oh, shit, I'm getting off topic.) But I really think that until you watch Bebop, you can't really consider yourself an anime fan. Sure, maybe you've seen a few, maybe you think the medium is something you'll enjoy for years to come, but you're not REALLY an anime fan until you've enjoyed Hajime Yatate's Cowboy Bebop.
You know why?
Because Cowboy Bebop makes you ask the real fucking question, which is: how fucking badass, mind-blowing, eargasm-inducing, perfect can an anime be?
This fucking much, that's how much.
So the story follows Spike and Jet as they hunt bounties across the galaxy. They're aboard the spaceship Bebop, a rust bucket that only gets fixed when they have the rare bit of cash. They're broke. An anime about two men, you say? Don't worry, Ellie. Hajime Yatate has you covered, because there's this babe, too. Faye Valentine is a woman so sexy, so slick, so scantily-clad that you'll commit to drinking her bath water for the rest of your life.
And there's a weird kid, Edward, and this dog, Ein. Ein is a corgi. He might not be badass, but he's sure as hell cute.
Got all that? Let's keep going.
It's not enough to have a slick cast of characters. Cowboy Bebop is sci-fi and a western at once, which is hard to pull off. The Wild West in space, bounty hunters shacking up on Mars and Venus? Star Wars tried it, sure, but it hits different in Bebop, where it feels like humanity has worked to get there, rather than it being in a galaxy far far away. The artists did everything they could to make it feel real: the ship mechanics, every air brake and veneer thruster rendered beautifully, the planets having atmospheric effects like Venus making you sick, the fucking ads of the future. (Have you ever seen an ad, kid? You're missing out. In the early 00s there used to be whole websites dedicated to showcasing the best and funniest ads. Now there's so many ads that people just click through and ignore that no one tries for smart writing anymore.) And you know, they didn't HAVE to add that shit. It's expensive to animate instead of just adding a shitty expository line explaining it, and not everyone is going to watch with a critical eye to catch it. But they did it anyway, because world building is worth its weight in gold. And boy, does Bebop have it all –– bar brawls, space truckers, gambling dens, those motherfuckers from PETA but full-on terrorists, you name it. Hyperspace travel, bitch!
I know all of that is reason enough to start watching it, but here's more: they do monster-of-the-week without making you want to blow your brains out. There's a few two-parters, sure, but most episodes are a different bounty. Sick, right? And the spread of tone is pretty solid too. You've got some comedy, you've got some serious shit. A nice balance. And you can savor it too. Media these days is really made to binge, so everyone's doing serialized storytelling, but Bebop, you can watch one at a time and enjoy each for what it is on its own without rushing through to get the next part of the story. Each story has value, you know? But then there's still a few things that'll keep you pushing on: Spike's past, Vicious's deal, you know. Characters. There's so many shows out there that wow you with explosions and space fights and giant machines, which, don't get me wrong, get me hard. But the characters here will keep you coming back for more, more more. The banter between them is top notch, and Faye... there will never be another woman like Faye.
When I started writing this for you, I sat down to rewatch some of Bebop just to refresh my memory, but I ended rewatching the whole thing again. And you know what? I loved it as much as the first time. There isn't a lot of anime like it. The industry's changed. I don't know if we'll ever see anything like it again.
Until Netflix gets a hold of it, at least.
Anyway, I'll be by with a USB key later. Take your time with it. Savor it, because you'll never be able to forget it and watch it fresh ever again. And let me know what you think of it when you're done. We can go head to head on it, like real otaku.
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I know the world of anime can be intimidating, because of all the cultural differences, and also because there's just so much of it that it can be hard to know where to start. But don't get your panties in a twist about it: I'm here to be your sensei. Let's start you on something easy mode and work you up to classics like Bizarre Jelly.
So your first stop is gonna be Cowboy Bebop.
Cowboy Bebop is a classic. It was one of the first anime I ever watched, back when you had to pass around badly subtitled VHS tapes with some dude you met off a Yahoo Group. (Don't sweat the details if no one's told you what that is –– it was fucking unholy, but the internet was a better place then. More creative. More democratic. And less fucking ads. Oh, shit, I'm getting off topic.) But I really think that until you watch Bebop, you can't really consider yourself an anime fan. Sure, maybe you've seen a few, maybe you think the medium is something you'll enjoy for years to come, but you're not REALLY an anime fan until you've enjoyed Hajime Yatate's Cowboy Bebop.
You know why?
Because Cowboy Bebop makes you ask the real fucking question, which is: how fucking badass, mind-blowing, eargasm-inducing, perfect can an anime be?
This fucking much, that's how much.
So the story follows Spike and Jet as they hunt bounties across the galaxy. They're aboard the spaceship Bebop, a rust bucket that only gets fixed when they have the rare bit of cash. They're broke. An anime about two men, you say? Don't worry, Ellie. Hajime Yatate has you covered, because there's this babe, too. Faye Valentine is a woman so sexy, so slick, so scantily-clad that you'll commit to drinking her bath water for the rest of your life.
And there's a weird kid, Edward, and this dog, Ein. Ein is a corgi. He might not be badass, but he's sure as hell cute.
Got all that? Let's keep going.
It's not enough to have a slick cast of characters. Cowboy Bebop is sci-fi and a western at once, which is hard to pull off. The Wild West in space, bounty hunters shacking up on Mars and Venus? Star Wars tried it, sure, but it hits different in Bebop, where it feels like humanity has worked to get there, rather than it being in a galaxy far far away. The artists did everything they could to make it feel real: the ship mechanics, every air brake and veneer thruster rendered beautifully, the planets having atmospheric effects like Venus making you sick, the fucking ads of the future. (Have you ever seen an ad, kid? You're missing out. In the early 00s there used to be whole websites dedicated to showcasing the best and funniest ads. Now there's so many ads that people just click through and ignore that no one tries for smart writing anymore.) And you know, they didn't HAVE to add that shit. It's expensive to animate instead of just adding a shitty expository line explaining it, and not everyone is going to watch with a critical eye to catch it. But they did it anyway, because world building is worth its weight in gold. And boy, does Bebop have it all –– bar brawls, space truckers, gambling dens, those motherfuckers from PETA but full-on terrorists, you name it. Hyperspace travel, bitch!
I know all of that is reason enough to start watching it, but here's more: they do monster-of-the-week without making you want to blow your brains out. There's a few two-parters, sure, but most episodes are a different bounty. Sick, right? And the spread of tone is pretty solid too. You've got some comedy, you've got some serious shit. A nice balance. And you can savor it too. Media these days is really made to binge, so everyone's doing serialized storytelling, but Bebop, you can watch one at a time and enjoy each for what it is on its own without rushing through to get the next part of the story. Each story has value, you know? But then there's still a few things that'll keep you pushing on: Spike's past, Vicious's deal, you know. Characters. There's so many shows out there that wow you with explosions and space fights and giant machines, which, don't get me wrong, get me hard. But the characters here will keep you coming back for more, more more. The banter between them is top notch, and Faye... there will never be another woman like Faye.
When I started writing this for you, I sat down to rewatch some of Bebop just to refresh my memory, but I ended rewatching the whole thing again. And you know what? I loved it as much as the first time. There isn't a lot of anime like it. The industry's changed. I don't know if we'll ever see anything like it again.
Until Netflix gets a hold of it, at least.
Anyway, I'll be by with a USB key later. Take your time with it. Savor it, because you'll never be able to forget it and watch it fresh ever again. And let me know what you think of it when you're done. We can go head to head on it, like real otaku.
x Travis