It’s 12am, you’re passed out on your couch with all the lights off except the dim glow of your television screen. You rub your eyes before adjusting your vision to see what’s in front of you, and are met with a striking montage of pensive characters dressed in the most chic, futuristic clothing flashing across your screen with an explosive jazz soundtrack playing in the background. There’s only one thing it could be: Shinichirō Watanabe’s magnum opus, “Cowboy Bebop.”
“Cowboy Bebop” was the first anime title to air on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim program on September 2, 2001. Since then, its massive success has enshrined it as a staple in the program’s array of curious shows. The anime is a neo-noir science fiction series set in the year 2071, following a crew of space-traveling bounty hunters who traverse the galaxy aboard their spaceship, the Bebop. Each episode depicts a different mission, offering a wide array of the intriguing villains that populate the void of outer space, as well as bring insight into each of the character’s development on a profound level.
The show is perfect for viewing in the depths of the night, not only because of its dark and moody aesthetics but because of its potent themes of loneliness and introspection that permeate each episode. Utilizing abundant flashbacks that dive into each character’s backstory, the show highlights the ways in which they can never fully escape their pasts. It definitely sets the mood in the late hours to face those existential ponderings of your own.
Besides immaculate storytelling, Cowboy Bebop is also known for its stellar soundtrack: a riveting jazz exposition that vibrantly paints Watanabe’s universe. Many also consider the show to be a gateway into anime, as it played a large role in introducing anime to Western watchers in the early 2000’s. In the never-ending dub vs. sub debate, most anime fans actually consider the dub version of the series to be one of the rare few that are worth the watch.
Since its release, the series has also gotten a film, “Cowboy Bebop: The Movie,” as well as a live-action Netflix adaptation released not long ago (which, we all know how those turn out). It isn’t a stretch to say that nothing could ever top the original series that brought us the utmost comfort during the liminal space that emerges after dark. Much of the show’s iconic imagery can make for wonderful tattoos, too. You can channel the artful cunning of Spike, the flirtatious class of Faye Valentine or even the innocent yet intellectual prowess of Ein the Corgi. In true “Cowboy Bebop” fashion, trying to stop yourself from getting inked is just as futile as running from what you know to be true. And on that note, see you, space cowboy.
Source: www.inkedmag.com