Rating: 
Summary: best kept secret?
Review: i dont think anyone realizes (at least in the US) that this is available. the entire series...on 3 dvds....english and japanese dialogue....for under 30 bucks? this is a deal compared to buying 4 episodes on 6 or so individual volumes for $... each here. i honestly didnt think this was going to be real when i bought it, but was so happy to see i did get the whole series in a nice little package. ONE DRAWBACK: the digital transfer, is, at times, a little poor. almost like watching a really good quicktime avi. you can see pixelation and choppiness in some areas. if you're not too concerned with this, and just want to enjoy this series for a rediculous price, i highly, highly recommend this
Rating: 
Summary: Series Good, Video Transfer Bad
Review: Cowboy Bebep is a cool series, but the video on the import 3 disc "Perfect Sessions" set has lots of bulky pixels on many frames. This bad video transfer doesn't hurt the fact that the series is awesome. If you must have the series at a low price and don't care about the quality, this is for you. The subtiles on the interview extras are all in Chinese, which would not be a problem if not for the fact everyone speaks Japanese. I give the series 5 stars, but the video 0.5 star = Total 2 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: out with a bang!
Review: Cowboy Bebop is just bloody fabulous; it has everything- action, romance, drama, comedy and quite possibly the most likeable chick in the anime genre. Basically, the anime is about a slapstick group of bounty hunters aboard a ship called the Bebop and their adventures, or should I say, misadventures. For the cast we have: Spike Spiegel, a tall and charming bounty hunter whose mysterious past we get into as the series progresses. Jet Black, is an ex-cop and the operator of the Bebop. Faye Valentine, a gorgeous, scantily-clad gambling lady who was cryogenically frozen. She's witty, independent and very unlike the usual damsels-in-distress attitude of most female leads in the anime genre. Ed, a capable female hacker who is more like a boy. She's absolutely bonkers and seemingly boneless at times. Ein, the genetically enhanced dog who is smarter than your average human. He and Ed are great friends but he has an awful relationship with Faye. In fact, in one episode, when Ein is hungry and whining for food, Faye eats up his dog food right in front of him! Poor Ein. That's it for all the main characters. There are other characters that you'll meet later who have past relations with our main characters- these interactions are what slowly reveal what happened in our mysterious protagonists' pasts. I highly recommend the following episodes (if you don't want to watch the whole series... SHAME ON YOU!): Honky Tonk Woman, Ballad of the Fallen Angels, Toys in the Attic, Jupiter Jazz (1+2), My Funny Valentine, Mushroom Samba, Pierrot Le Fou, Cowboy Funk, Hard Luck Woman, and Real Folk Blues (1+2). These episodes are the highlights of the series, although of course the other episodes are still wonderful- high above the caliber of other anime episodes. If you don't watch Cowboy Bebop, you don't know what you're missing. The Cowboy Bebop DVDs, a TV and a six-pack of beer are all you'll ever need if you get stuck on a deserted island.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest Shows -Animated or Not- of All Time
Review: As you have read in previous reviews, people who hate anime love this show. Some of my friends who dislike anime have loved this show. There is a reason for this. Cowboy Bebop is one of the greatest shows of all time. This series has everything you could want. Top-notch animation and visuals, excellent characters, a great storyline, and well written dialogue. The character designs are truly excellent. The characters are extremely likeable and original. Spike is an excellent main character with a cool attitude. Also, Spike's main enemy, Vicious, is one of the, if the not the, coolest bad guys out of any show. Also, Cowboy Bebop has does not exhibit the problems shown by a lot of anime. The series stays serious, with humor throughout. The English dub is superb, quite possibly better than the original version. The fight scenes are done extremely well with fluidity. There is not much I can say that is negative about this series. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys action and humor, even if they are not in to anime. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. Just a word of warning. The "Limited Edition" Box Set listed on this site is actually the 3-disc bootleg version. The original box set has six DVDs with a soundtrack included. Only aobut 10,000 of this box set were produced, making it extremely pricey and hard to find. I was lucky enough to obtain a copy a year or two ago. Do not even waste your time with the bootleg version, as it does the series no justice whatsoever. Your best bet is to just buy the DVDs seperately or buy the 6 DVD set Amazon is offering.
--Later
Rating:
Summary: Cool beyond words
Review: When the topic of essential anime is mentioned, many titles come to mind. Evangelion is almost always mentioned. Trigun is usually there. Some might talk about Rurouni Kenshin, Escaflowne, Serial Experiments Lain, and even Tenchi Muyo. But whenever I am asked this question, one anime never fails to come to mind. Of course, I'm talking about Cowboy Bebop. After seeing it on Adult Swim (Sundays-Thursdays, 11:00PM-2:00AM), I purchased the DVDs. Needless to say, I was completely blown away. Never in my life had I seen such a cool show. I literally laughed, cried, and stared at my television in a state of awe, all during the same episode. Cowboy Bebop is a must if you are into animation, and definitely worth a look if your not. Very highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Captivating Until the Final Session
Review: First thing, this is not a boxed set and is just a collection of 6 discs. If you are in this for an artistic box, holding artistic DVDs, you'll have to make your own. This series is a masterpiece of animation and music combined to form an artistic story ranging from love to all out blood battles. I highly recommend this entire series, which follows a group of bounty hunters in a space futuristic setting. Spyke, one of the main characters, finds himself with the 3 things he hates most all "neatly gathered on our (Jet actually owning the Bebop) ship!" Children, pets, and women. There are moments of sadness, suspense, and tons of laughs.
Rating:
Summary: Perhaps the greatest animation...ever.
Review: Everything I can think to say about this series has been said in previous reviews. If you've any basic desire to make your life better, buy this set; even if you hate anime, I can make a 99.9% guarantee that you will fall in love with Cowboy Bebop. Perfect plot, perfect characters, perfect animation, perfect soundtrack.. It's simply flawless in every aspect. I can honestly say that Spike Spiegel is my idol, without any Otaku worship involved. Just buy it, and do yourself a grand favor! (I'm about to buy the movie, which I've yet to see - think on that, as well)
Rating:
Summary: Best anime series yet, even if you don't like the genre.
Review: I must admit that while I'm intrigued by some anime, most of the non-Miyazaki stuff is just no fun at all: poorly-performed dubs, inept translations, cliched plots and situations, poor animation. That said, Bebop is a breath of fresh air. It's episodic, so you can just pick a "session" and get into it, but the whole series has an overarching story arc. Characterization and art design is well-done, and the English dub is very well done for a change. Perhaps the best part of this series is the soundtrack, which complements the action perfectly in its jazz-age way. Cartoon Network has been showing these episodes on its late-night Adult Swim lineup, but the DVDs are worth it for the extras and the crystal-clear video transfer. Strongly recommended for fans of action, mystery, science fiction, and animation.
Rating:
Summary: Animé for People Who Hate Animé
Review: Gotta' chime in here with those who say this is one incredible piece of work. The creator is a fan of American movies, particularly westerns and action flicks. And you can see it in his take on the genre -- take a look at the "New Tijuana" episode to see what I mean. Forget for the moment that CB is animated. This is great science fiction on par with Farscape and Firefly, Dark City and The Matrix. It tackles both character complexity and philosophical ideas with equal grace, makes you think while entertaining you to no end... An as far as animation goes, I only wish there was more out there like it. Stylish, patient (a sequence where everything is still for a moment as the ice melts and shifts in a glass comes to mind), and lovely to look at... this is very much how the movies in my mind (which become the words on my word-processor page as I write my own fiction) look. The voice acting on the English version is fan-freakin-tastic -- none of the annoying squeaks and grunts I hate in most anime, none of the cutesy stuff, no ponderous exposition... just darn good storytelling and great music. Instead, they take a lot of the clichés (cute kid, for example) and turn them on their head -- when you find out the "secret" about Radical Edward, you'll see what I mean... As for Spike Spiegel, I'm all but in love with the guy... The legacy of Bogart and Han Solo shines through... <pause for swoon> I love it. This series did for me what The Crow, Sandman, and Alan Moore's work did for comic books: opened my eyes to a whole new world. Because of CB, I'll give some other anime a chance. But nothing else yet has even come close to this level of quality and originality...
Rating:
Summary: Not just for anime fans
Review: This is, simply put, a brilliant work of art. If you enjoy a good story, great visuals, great acting, wonderful music and LOADS of style, just buy this already. You won't regret it.
|
