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Rating: 4 out of 5
Cowboy Bebop is one of the most iconic and all-time greatest anime series ever. Cowboy Bebop has the perfect blend of adventure, jazz, and anime that will leave you in awe. From the opening scene to the end, it is an anime that sets the standard for all anime series. The show introduces characters such as Spike, Jet, Faye, Ed, Ein and Vicious with many others. This anime didn’t need an anime film with it or that pathetic Netflix TV show, but that is another rant for another day. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie was something that really didn’t need to be made for this awesome anime, but here we are. It didn’t add to the story, but like the show, all the episodes weren’t connected.
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is set between episode 22 and episode 23 of the original series. On Mars, a few days before Halloween in the year 2071. As Faye is flying around, a terrorist bombing happens where a deadly virus is released. The government issued a 300 million woo-long award for the capture of the one behind the heinous act. When the crew of the spaceship Bebop, Spike, Faye, Jet, and Ed, they lead at the chance to get the reward. As the crew of the Bebop starts to investigate, they soon learn that the man responsible is Vincent. Vincent is a mysterious man with a major history with Mars and everyone else. Also looking for Vicent are the original creators of the virus who have dispatched Electra, who had a history with Vincent. As the hunt for the man begins, everyone soon learns that Halloween might be a deadly time for Mars.
I am going to say right now that the music of this film is top-notch. Yoko Kanno, composer for the original series, always brings it when composing the music. She used the same mixture of music genres (western, opera, jazz), which works very well. Kanno needs to be considered one of the best composers in anime history because she brought her A-game again with this film, and I could repeatedly listen to the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack.
Most people don’t like the story of this film, but I found it entertaining and fun to watch. Is it a little long in the tooth? Yeah, I would say by a good 15 minutes, but overall, it is enjoyable. I think people were expecting another episode, but nowadays, an hour-and-a-half episode is average. Look at freakin Attack on Titans and the final two episodes. I felt like the story worked with a villain in Vincent, who seemed cold and numb to the world and everything that happened to him. A man who wanted vengeance or to have the world feel his pain. As with many episodes, the Bebop crew goes after him for the sake of reward money. I will say that Spike always seems to get his ass handed to him and makes a recovery. He is like a freakin Sayian with his recovery and being able to fight on par with the next person.
One of the biggest highlights of this film is the fight scene between Spike and Vincent. I think that scene has been recreated in many other anime series. The scene is fluid, fun to watch, and intense. Are there other fight scenes in anime history that go beyond this one? Yes, but this was a great fight to watch back in the day. Spike, as usual, somehow either wins or gets help. Even when Spike is in the facility, he is fun to watch when he twirls around the mop.
I will say that one of the biggest downsides to this film is that Jet, Ein, Ed, and Faye were put into the background. They were way more of a supporting cast, and it made them feel like they were not significant. Cowboy Bebop is set around Spike, but his shit was five episodes, and this film could’ve equally given all the characters more to do. That is why people fell in love with the series because of the characters and what they brought. This film put many of them in the background.
Overall, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is entertaining, with many moments that will make you like the film. The music is still as amazing and iconic as ever. The story is decent and is like three episodes in one. One problem is that many favorite characters are regulated to background work. Besides that, this is a great story in the Cowboy Bebop universe. See you Space Cowboy.
BONUS CLIP!!!!
