Every sci-fi or anime fan should have this series
Look up the word `cool' in any dictionary and it says "see Cowboy Bebop"...well, not really...but it should, because Cowboy Bebop is the quintessence of coolness. If you don't already know, Bebop is a stylish 26-session masterpiece chronicling the thrilling triumphs and tribulations of those space-sailing, chain-smoking, bounty-hunting buddies, Jet Black and Spike Spiegel. The wiry gunfighter and martial arts master, Spike, has fuzzy green hair, mismatched eyes and a checkered past. Jet is a bald and burly bonsai tree collector with an artificial left arm and a comma-shaped piece of metal under his scarred right eye. A former ISSP officer--known on his home satellite, Ganymede, as the tenacious "Black Dog"--Jet is now the owner/pilot/mechanic of the spaceship Bebop. These two intrepid space "cowboys" hop from one astral gate to another to hunt down wanted criminals all across the galaxy, hoping to earn enough woolongs to enable Jet to finally add some actual beef to his famous "Bell Peppers and Beef" stir-fry. In Session 2, Spike and Jet rescue a Welsh Corgi "data-dog" named Ein from the notorious pet thief, Abdul Hakim. In Session 3, they meet up with an unscrupulous Blackjack dealer who turns out to be the infamous yellow-clad femme fatale, Faye Valentine. And in Session 9, they meet an androgynous red-headed net-diver with an occasionally invisible nose who calls herself Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky, IV. Only by working together can this motley little crew of hungry hunters overcome the ruthless gangsters, senile chess players, broken showers, biting mutants and bad mushrooms that stand in their way as they attempt to nab the endless lineup of bad guys profiled daily on Punch and Judy's Big Shot television show.
Cowboy Bebop showcases phenomenal jazz music and exquisitely detailed animation that perfectly captures the mean streets and spaceways of a future world that's simultaneously strange and familiar, with technology that's grungy and realistic (like the hardware of the original Star Wars trilogy) and a uniquely multi-cultural cornucopia of characters. Unlike most animes, Bebop is primarily episodic, so the shows can be enjoyed individually, without requiring the viewer to watch the entire series in one sitting. My personal favorite is the suspense-filled horror spoof, "Toys In the Attic," which opens with red-tinged video footage of a dingy tunnel, reminiscent of the long-forgotten Sega CD game, Sewer Shark.
The "Remix" of Cowboy Bebop allows you to hear the unforgettably exhilarating opening theme, Tank! (as well as the rest of the exquisitely-scored soundtrack), in speaker-rattling Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. This affordably-priced Anime Legends set collects the entire Bebop series (not the movie) on six colorfully silk-screened DVDs. A plethora of special features are included, among them: three English-language trailers for Cowboy Bebop on DVD; four Cartoon Network promos from Adult Swim; interviews with Wendee Lee, the voice of Faye Valentine and Cartoon Network producer, Sean Akins; subtitled commentary on Session 1 with the Japanese voices of Spike and Jet, Koichi Yamadera and Unshou Ishizuka; commentary on Session 5 and 10 with Wendee Lee and ADR producer, Yutaka Maseba; a laughter-filled commentary on Session 17 with director, Shinichiro Watanabe, and legendary composer, Yoko Kanno; Session 24 commentary with the Japanese Faye, Megumi Hayashibara, and the Japanese Ed, Aoi Tada; a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Cowboy Bebop, called Session 0; plus a music video featuring the full-length version of Tank! Audio options consist of the aforementioned Dolby Digital 5.1 mix in both English and Japanese, as well as the original English and Japanese Stereo tracks. The voice acting is amazing in both the English dubbed and Japanese, I like the performance of Steve Blum as Spike. Shucks howdy, this is an anime collection that would even satisfy those grouchy old geezers, Antonio, Carlos, and Jobim. So come out of your cryogenic sleep and order yours today! Highly recommended to all animation fans, cop show fans, jazz enthusiasts and corgi owners. "Once the channel is set, you will no longer be able to escape!"
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned