Random Thoughts of an Otaku - May 11th, 2008

03:19 pm - Cowboy Bebop Thoughts-Minor Spoilers

I have finally seen the classic anime series Cowboy Bebop (the series everyone says adult's should see for anime). It is an excellent series and can understand why people like it. It has an almost totally stand alone nature to it. It is amazingly well drawn, written, design and (in English) acted series. Is it the best series I have ever seen? It is in top five or ten I have ever seen. I don't want to say it is the best I have ever seen 10 minutes after the final volume. Neon Genesis Evangelion is the best series I have ever seen.

My biggest problem with Cowboy Bebop is that it is almost episodic in nature. The main villian in the series is Vicious. Vicious is only in five episodes of the whole series. I know it is about life on a spaceship full of bounty hunter, but if Vicious is that powerful he should play more a pivital role to series. It also leads to some head scratching episodes like Episode 23. The story of the episode is about this guru taking people's memories. The only tie to the other characters is that he is a bounty to them.

Compare that to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. In both seasons, there are stand alone episodes to expound on a character such as the episode where Batou and Togusa face serial bombers. They still had the main villian involved or tied to the main story arc of the series. They still tied in to the big end of the season and the mystery Section 9 is trying to solve.

This series is definitely worth spending the $45 or so that the online sites are selling the new Cowboy Bebop box set for. It has alot of praise that is well deserved for it. I just think it is slightly overhyped as a series by the marketers.

Current Mood: contemplative