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Cowboy Bebop - The Perfect Sessions (Limited Edition Complete Series Boxed Set)

Cowboy Bebop - The Perfect Sessions (Limited Edition Complete Series Boxed Set)

List Price: $199.98
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: best anime ever
Review: An interesting twist on traditional anime, Cowboy Bebop is at once fresh, original, and wildly entertaining. It injects new life into a classic genre.

I first discovered this series on Cartoon Network's adult swim late-night block, and quickly began to really like it. The fight scenes are beautifully animated, the 26 episodes (each of which stands on its own) are well written and perfectly paced.

Speaking of which, the episode structure is very unlike most anime, where you have to see every episode or you don't understand it at all. The episodes in Bebop are all tied together with a common theme: Spike Spiegel and company travel throughout space in the near future, looking for bounty, their own backstories unraveling bit by bit. This formula works very well.

Bebop also conveys an atmosphere that sometimes changes but is always well done with each episode. It is, for the most part, either gritty and violent (Episode 5: Ballad of Fallen Angels) or goofy and sometimes laugh out loud funny (Episode 12: Toys in the Attic). Director Watanabe is great at really drawing the viewer in so that often you forget about what else is happening around you.

Bebop is not without flaws, however. Sometimes the episodes seem to have filler or are WAY too slow paced. This is mainly only a problem with Episode 20: Boogie Woogie Feng Shui. Half the episode is almost all dialogue, with hardly any real movement. It just doesn't feel like the rest of the series.

That one very small shortcoming aside, however, Bebop is amazing, and well worth it whether you enjoy anime or not. This is something anyone can appreciate.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Important question
Review: I am considering to buy this but I have an importnat question. How many episodes is in this box set and what are the episodes? (please respond in a reivew)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: See you space cowboy
Review: If you call yourself an anime fan and haven't seen Bebop, then get this set now! Bebop has all the makings of a great series: sharp character designs, terrific music, witty dialogue and high production values. I'm not going to waste space on plot synopsis since most of the stories are straightforward and I wouldn't want to spoil anything for the uninitiated. Perfect Sessions is a must-buy for all Cowboy Bebop fans.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Crappy bootleg? Won't play on your computer?
Review: Then get a frigging DVD player! If you're one of those who shuns this because of the lack of a soundtrack disc or art gallery, then you are indeed a sad, sad individual. You're missing out on a great anime... and I refer to the Perfect sessions DVD set.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Nice Set, but hard to find the REAL Deal...
Review: If you are this far along, then you probably already know about Jet, Spike, Ein and the gang [see other reviews for basic info]but what you should REALLY pay attention to is that virtually EVERY example of this item found in the MarketPlace section is NOT, repeat not Not NOT the seven disc set found if you searched for "cowboy sessions" [or however you got here...] but the 3 disc set import from Japan.
This means that you will not receive the OST disc, only the episodes and there are no commentaries / art galleries / character designs and the few "extra's" that are present are simply noise to us Gaijin, Ne?
These three disc sets are also MPEG 2 files, meaning that you can get them to play on your computer without a DVD reader/driver and although the discs [not the case] claims a letterbox format is available; I have yet to find out how to view anything but full screen.
All in all, still a good deal [sorta] compared to the seventy bucks or so that the REAL Perfect Session disc set [issued by Pioneer and still to be found in most larger anime/game stores] will cost you PROVIDED that all you seek is the episodes, which are well transfered and adequately dubbed on this three disc JP import; it's quite obviously NOT a boot.
Should you desire [english] commentaries, art galleries, character designs, etc. [like found on the very excellent movie disc - hint hint] then you should read the descriptions [3 does not equal 7] or e-mail the seller to make sure you are getting the real seven disc item.
The three disc sets are somehow related to Manga DVD, Inc. but you have to look REAL close to find their logo on the case and their usual plethora of previews is absent.
Either way, enjoy this exceptionally well made and wonderfully scored anime series.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Bebop rocks the house!
Review: If you're going to buy one anime boxed set in your lifetime, this would be the one I'd recommend. Cowboy Bebop is snazzy and sweet! The series follows the exploits of the crew of the Bebop -- Jet Black,(a former police officer), Spike Spiegal (a former member of a mob syndicate), Faye Valentine (a compulsive gambler) Ed the computer hacking child genius, and Ein, a welsh corgie -- and their quest for money as bounty hunters. Each episode contains a different criminal that the team conspires to catch, usually with amusing results... and less money than they had hoped for. However, a larger story arc is contained on the discs, with each characters' pasts trying to catch up with them.
Cowboy Bebop will make you laugh, with it's improbable schemes and wacky characters, but it will also make you cry (especially if you're a sentimental mush-head like me... *sniffle*) Not a single person that I've shown this series to has come away not liking it. It grows on you, and has something for every one.
See you, Space Cowboy...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hate anime? Then watch Cowboy Bebop!
Review: Oh...how I hated anime for so very, very long. Those ridiculously huge eyes, those tiny mouths that expand to be as big as black holes when they talk, those ridiculously annoying voices, those stupid facial expressions...everything about it just drove me up the wall. But then something happened...after a while of arguing his case, my friend introduced me to a show called Cowboy Bebop...a Session entitled 'Ballad of the Fallen Angels' to be precise...and in one instant, I was turned.

Everything you hear about Cowboy Bebop, in one way or another, is true. It is THE anime that even anime haters can enjoy, and in some cases, such as mine, convert those haters into anime lovers. Cowboy Bebop has some great animation, combined with a great soundtrack and excellent story. Each Session is your average 25 minutes, spanning 26 Sessions. Though most of the Sessions are not connected by any means, despite the occasional Session that furthers the story of main character Spike and his past with the Red Dragon Syndicate, there is enough character development throughout the show to make you really care about the crew of the Bebop. The Sci-Fi outer-space bounty hunter setting is great, and is a unique blend of present day real-world/futuristic sci-fi setting.

Each character of the show has their own little quirks and attitudes, which is basically the driving force of the show. The grizzled Jet, cool and controlled Spike, sultry and greedy Faye, the 'wonderdog' Ein, and the annoying but useful Edward all bring a unique personality to the show. Ironically, I found myself liking Edward very much, despite the fact that she represents everything I once hated in Anime...thats how well the characters are developed. The voice acting is oustanding, fitting each character well and making their personalities that much more beleivable. Many of the side characters are entertaining, and the villains are some of the most sinister and creative I've seen in any form of entertainment.

Even though not all the episodes are as spectacular as 'Ballad of the Fallen Angels', they're all pretty good, and some are even better, but I favor Ballad mainly because it was the Session that changed my view of Anime as a whole. The show has its fair share of violence, gunplay and bloodshed, with plenty of sexual innuendo, action, drama and comedy. Some of my personal favorites include 'Venus Waltz', 'Blackdog Serenade', 'Cowboy Funk' and of course the 2-part final episode 'Real Folk Blues', which is among the best I've ever seen in any anime.

Describing it does it no real justice, since you need to watch Bebop to understand how great it really is. Is Bebop overrated? Well, yes and no. I can see how some may hold Bebop much higher than it should be, but it is very deserving of all of its praise. It converted me, and I know i'm not the only one who has been converted by Cowboy Bebop. Its been over a year since I was introduced to Bebop, and since then I have watched and enjoyed many different Anime. My narrow-minded view of anime has changed dramatically, and while definitely not an 'Otaku', I definitely do consider myself a big fan of Anime, and I owe it to Bebop. Anime-haters and critics, even if they aren't turned into fans by watching Bebop, will at least have to acknowledge just how good the show is, and how it definitely does live up to its tagline as being in a genre all its own. Cowboy Bebop is definitely one of the greatest anime in our time, and though there may very well be much better anime out there, Bebop is definitely something special in itself.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Cowboy Bebop
Review: I just ordered this box set off the site and man, it is awesome. The snazzy bebop music, attitude, and overall air of the show is ... dazzling or ... uh ... appealing i guess. I saw no flaws in the plot or anything like that. If you have seen Outlaw star, Trigun, or any animes like that i suggest that you buy the box set or just one disc to preview. I enjoyed it alot, and im sure that you will 2.If you are skeptical, check the numbers. If you buy the 6 DVDs separatley its 180.00 (30.00 each) This is 35.00 its really worth the cash.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Emotionally Detached Review For Non-Anime Fanatics
Review: If you're not an anime fanatic and are trying to decide if this set is worth your bux, than this review is for you.

I buy an assortment of sci-fi, fantasy and anime so I try to be reasonable about what makes a quality series. It makes no sense spending time and money on hype right? So here it goes...

The animation(think Vampire Hunter D,Bloodlust, Macross Plus or Ghost In The Shell), dvd packaging and dvd features of this set are top-notch. The animation obviously took a lot of work and could be a case study in itself on how to produce a quality anime.

The soundtrack is ok, nothing special. On any other dvd series, the soundtrack would be annoying and/or boring but it works well enough on this set. After finishing the 6 dvd set and hearing the music, I didn't feel like I had missed anything by not having purchased the 6 dvd +1 cd set that had been on sale earlier. If the music wasn't associated with Cowboy Bebop, I don't think it would ever find its own audience, even on the underground scene.

Unless you're obsessive about voice actors, the voice work is pretty good. I thought the character voices matched well enough and didn't detract from the series.

So why 3 stars? Well depending on what you're looking for, this might not be for you. I like "serial" series, like Escaflowne or Record of Lodoss War, where the episodes build on one another and you feel a sense of anticipation and want to watch the next episode. This series, (coincidentally?) reflecting the characters personalities, kind of just ambles along. There are a couple of episodes that are 2 parters but the rest are mostly random storylines. A lot of the episodes have scenes featuring the characters just lounging around on the ship trying to figure out how to make money. This got really boring after a while. How many different times did the writers need to convey that the characters were starving bounty hunters? I think most people would understand the first couple of times.

Don't get me wrong the episodes are fairly decent on their own. It's just the case that if you have 26 episodes in a series, then you expect a fair amount of variation, not just a bunch of stories that do little to flesh out the characters or the world in which they live. I had actually stopped watching this series halfway through because there was no compelling(emphasis on compelling) reason to continue. Farscape, the series, is an excellent example of how to develop characters over time without giving away everything in the first season.

Here's a quick run down of the characters:
The Ed character was the equivalent of Jar-Jar binks from Star Wars. Ed's only saving grace was his(her?) ability to hack the net when the crew needed information. They never fully explain that "data" dog(you'll see).

The Spike character strikes the pose(vogue) constantly and is virtually invulnerable. This takes a lot of the (good) tension out of the fight scenes. If you're going to make a character virtually indestructible, then you need to make the character vulnerable emotionally (a good example of this is D, from Vampire Hunter D or Gul(sp?) from Macross Plus)

The Faye character(scantily clad woman trying to win in a man's world, using her looks to mask her brain) has been done ad nauseum in other series. The Jet Black character is intriguing though. He's painted as a decent man who's just trying to get through life and do the right thing. One of the better episodes sheds light on his past.

So was this series worth the price? With respect to the animation, audio and production values...yes. But for a good story, solid character development and a cool alternative reality go with Escaflowne.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great box-set, misleading advertisement
Review: I already had the European Cowboy Bebop set, but since I wanted the NTSC version as well, I bought the new perfect collection.
Of course Cowboy Bebop is great, and it ranks number one on my list of all time favourites, however, the advertisement on this site is misleading.
You will only get the 7 disc version if you order from a manufacturer and pay the full price. Buying one from the "Used & New" section will get you only the three disc version.
However, there is no way of knowing this before you order, and that's why some people (like me) feel cheated.
There's no note that says that the one you are buying is the three disc set, and I think that's pretty lousy because that way people get their hopes up for nothing. Not everyone can afford $190 for a box set of anime, especially with the economy gone under here in California.
If you're on a budget and you want to see a quality anime without a whole lot of extras, simply get one of the Used & New. If you have money to spend on hobbies like this, you should definately buy one from the manufacturer.


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