Rating: Summary: X-Files-like Character Development with a Great Soundtrack Review: If you have a home theater system, crank it up. Though the 5.1 encoding leaves a bit to be desired, the stereo feed is good enough, especially with the subwoofer kicking in. As an owner of DVD discs 1-5, I have not been dissapointed. There are only six DVD discs, and no other TV episodes planned, but a feature is supposedly in the works. The stories are well written, from the poignent, "Speak Like A Child" (DVD session 4) (Was I actually a bit weepy at the end??!?), to the wonderfully strange "Pierrot Le Fou" (DVD session 5) and silly, trippy "Mushroom Samba" and "Alien" take-off of "Toys in the Attic", this series never lets you down. Just like with the X-Files, some episodes are like 'conspiracy' episodes in that they focus on the characters pasts, which you may actually find interesting because the characters themselves are interesting. (There really are only three characters, "Jet", "Faye" and our here "Spike". "Ed" is there for comic relief and "Ein" is a dog...) Other epidodes focus on the profession of the BeBop crew which is "Bounty-hunting". I especially like the way logic in the series isn't contradicted. IE: a fact created in one episode still holds true in later episodes. Some episodes are funny, some action packed, others are slow and melow. The chartacter development is great. The music is great. The stories are great. Sink your teeth into disc one and then buy the rest. Jason
Rating: Summary: A new must have classic! Review: I brought this title along with my new DVD player, and right away i knew i was hooked for good! The opening theme song alone will put you in the mood to enjoy Spike, Jet, and faye run rapport in space...buy this dvd and enjoy!!!
Rating: Summary: A New Legacy Has Begun Review: I have been an anime fan since it was only known as 'japanamation' in the States and my favorite has always been the series. Well, Cowboy Bebop has redefined the genre. Before Bebop, a series was either comedic or action-based, with little mixing of the two. This series, along with Trigun ( though Trigun does so to a lesser and more gradual extent ), melds all genres perfectly. Though the action, the voices, the art and animation are all top-notch it is the characters that drive this story to new levels of greatness. At first, you feel satisfied with the story, but by the end of disc one(and DVD is the ultimate anime format)you find yourself aching to know what's next. With the timely revelations of each characters respective pasts, it is easily addictive. And don't get me started on the AWESOME jazz soundtrack. I think that only one episode (Heavy Metal Queen)feels like a filler episode. All other solicit every emotion possible from rage (at Vicious) to humor (with Ed and Ein's antics) to pure fear(of Pierot la Foe). Buy it ASAP. or live in regret!
Rating: Summary: Anime worth your time. Review: This is one of the most fun anime series I have seen. It is worthy of watching over and over, and the only negative to this series is that it is only 26 episodes long. Great animation, funny, believable characters, and great writing make this an anime you can't miss. This series deserves much more attention than it has receieved. If you appreciate a good anime, just see the first couple episodes and I am convinced you will agree.
Rating: Summary: An Anime That Actually Deserves the Hype Review: Well, it was inevitable that anime would become the next big thing. After creatively bankrupting traditional American animation techniques, it was only a matter of time before something bigger and better came along (not necessarily "new"). If you're like me, most anime that you run across is dismal, insipid and takes a tremendous knowledge of backstory before you even watch one episode (even THAT'S hard to do considering there's so many different incarnations of every anime). Anime has been around a long time and has only recently come to be the "next big thing". Unfortunately, much of it really isn't that interesting but once in a great while one comes along that's actually worth paying attention to. This is where Cowboy Bebop comes in. Fairly easy to get into, the episodes move along at such a pace that each is enjoyable and most stand alone (only a handful connect to each other and even then it's not necessary to have seen the episode that preceeds it). Full of interesting concepts, dry wit, complex characters and even a bit of slapstick, the crew of Bebop try hard to entertain and, most often, succeed. The only downside is that the episodes tend to go from one extreme to the next (one episode is played for laughs while the next is purely drama; sometimes it's a letdown). Also a bonus is the fact that the female characters are not reduced to vapid, irritating whiners who seem to lose their clothes at the most inopportune moments (those of you who know anime, know what I'm talking about). They actually have brains and a personality, a rare commodity in many an anime. The music as well deserves recognition. Composed by Yoko Kanno, her versatility is heard throughout many of her works ranging from Bebop Jazz to Ska influence to old fashioned Bluegrass. Her work is undeniably brilliant and is a welcome change from the usual electronica scores of most anime. All in all a well-rounded anime that deserves the hype lamented upon it.
Rating: Summary: A must see and the best dub I have ever heard Review: This is a series you will not want to miss. The graphics and music are extrondanry and the series is just plan fun. Also, this is the first dub I have ever heard that does a series justice. The casting is great so you can enjoy this in both Japanese and English. (Yes, I'm normally a snob who only like to watch Anime in Japanese with English subtitles. This series is the exception).
Rating: Summary: Excellent for anime newbies and old-timers Review: A lot of people are turned off by anime, and rightfully so. A lot of the time, the stuff that gets to America is just plain weird: unnatural acts with tentacles, schoolgirls acting like vamps, and then there's that whole have-sex-and-explode thing. Cowboy Bebop will turn you right back around. This series is smart, sexy, sassy, and tons of fun. The production values are excellent; art is beautiful, animation is silky smooth where it needs to be. And the music! It's no wonder people buy the soundtrack to Bebop; the music runs the gamut from country harmonica to power pop ballads with a bit of classical and jazz thrown in. The stories are quick and self-contained, and the plot, believe it or not, makes sense! Whether you're an old hat at anime or new to you, I think you will enjoy Cowboy Bebop. This series shows off what anime can do that regular movies can't: the action scenes are wild and frenetic, and the spacescapes are broad and beautiful. Do yourself a favor and hop aboard the Bebop. You won't regret it.
Rating: Summary: Rich, detailed, fascinating science fiction Review: Cowboy Bebop is the best anime TV series I have seen. The only unfortunate thing about it is its name, and that's only bad because it might put off potential viewers (actually, the blurb on the back cover is pretty bad, too). Cowboy Bebop sports terrific animation quality (including computer generated images which are much better integrated into the style of the cel animation than just about anything out there), interesting character designs, a great English dub, and terrific writing. Unlike most sci-fi TV or movies, Cowboy Bebop has a well thought-out world, where a fact learned in one episode is not blatantly contradicted in another. More importantly, Cowboy Bebop puts this world to use: out of the five episodes on this DVD, there are action episodes, comedic episodes, and a (rather action-packed) look at the past of main character, Spike. I can think of only two reasons why someone would not like Cowboy Bebop: if you're unwilling to take animation seriously, this isn't the show for you, and if you demand a continuous plotline which runs throughout the show, Cowboy Bebop doesn't have that. Not that Cowboy Bebop is purely episodic; it is held together by the well-maintained world, where actions in past episodes have repercussions throughout, and by the pasts of the characters, which haunt them. One last plug: Cowboy Bebop even has hilarious next episode previews after every episode. Watch them!
Rating: Summary: BLOODY GOOD ANIME Review: this is some of the best anime i have ever seen. before seen this disc, i hadn't even heard of cowboy bebop, but i'm glad i have now. the stories are short, but manage to squeeze more into 25 minutes than most 2 hour hollywood movie. if you like akira and/or dominion tank police, then you are going to love this. ARE YOU STILL READING THIS?, WHY AREN'T YOU ON THE ORDER PAGE BUYING THIS DISC
Rating: Summary: My favorite action-adventure Title! Review: This is a great combination of music, action, great stories and extraordinary characters. I personally sold my VHS and started to buy this series when it came out on DVD. I wasn't disappointed. This disc contains eps. 1-5! Meet Spike and Jet, a drifter and a retired cyborg cop who have started a bounty hunting operation. In the converted ship The Bebop, Spike and Jet search the galaxy for criminals with bounties on their heads. They meet a lot of unusual characters, including the unusually intelligent dog, Ein, and the voluptuous and vexing femme fatale, Faye Valentine. An all-star creative team who has worked on some of the greatest anime titles, including: Director Shinichiro Watanabe (Macross Plus) Character Designer Toshihiro Kawamoto (Golden Boy, Gundam 0083) Music composed by Yoko Kanno (Escaflowne, Macross Plus)
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