Customer Reviews

Cowboy Bebop, 2nd Session (Episodes 6-10)

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Perhaps not as enigmatic as the first five episodes of 'Bebop', but extremely engaging expositional storytelling bringing the viewer up to date with the world of 2071. 'Sympathy for the Devil' corners the space cowboys against an unnatural terror in the form of an immortal youth on a killing spree. The term 'cowboy' is sorely defined as Spike corrects nature's path in a display of individual justice against physical and moral perversion. 'Heavy Metal Queen' allows the viewer a glimpse into the sad reality of commercial bounty hunting and caricatures Woody Allen in an odd homage. 'Waltz for Venus' is a sweet and harsh portrayal of valour within the criminal world. 'Jamming with Edward' introduces the final member of the spaceship Bebop- the enigmatic, charismatic Edward Wong Haupeppelau Tvrusky 4th (a self styled pubesant hacker). This episode shows the sad fate of a shattered future Earth which caused the frontier migration of humanity into space. 'Ganymede Elegy' explains Jet Black's tragic past love life which led to his present course as a segregated freelance lawman.

Cowboy Bebop portrays a finely polished set of stories displaying some of the finest talent in anime as well as the most progressive film style to emerge in animation worldwide in the late twentieth century. It never degrades into tired old anime cliche which clears the stale air of rehashed plots, pretentious visual symbols and clunky mecha designs with a breath of visual fresh air via uniquely thoughtful, imaginitive effort. The dub is really good! Perhaps the one disappointment is Ed's english voice actress who just never accomplishes the range or espression of the original Japanese actress whose portrayal is extremely charming even without subtitles for explaination. One could viably argue the stories become slow at times, but one could also be labeled 'attentively deficit'. Bebop will always give the viewer a sizable bone wether it is a fantastic soundtrack, slick action sequences, buckets of blood, gun play, space ship battles, heartbreak, humor, silliness, intrigue, mecha, sex, style, or expressive poses which tell stronger stories then all words could muster. Beautiful, dangerous and challenging: Bebop is a must for any one with pulse and breath.

Perhaps not as enigmatic as the first five episodes of 'Bebop', but extremely engaging expositional storytelling bringing the viewer up to date with the world of 2071. 'Sympathy for the Devil' corners the space cowboys against an unnatural terror in the form of an immortal youth on a killing spree. The term 'cowboy' is sorely defined as Spike corrects nature's path in a display of individual justice against physical and moral perversion. 'Heavy Metal Queen' allows the viewer a glimpse into the sad reality of commercial bounty hunting and caricatures Woody Allen in an odd homage. 'Waltz for Venus' is a sweet and harsh portrayal of valour within the criminal world. 'Jamming with Edward' introduces the final member of the spaceship Bebop- the enigmatic, charismatic Edward Wong Haupeppelau Tvrusky 4th (a self styled pubesant hacker). This episode shows the sad fate of a shattered future Earth which caused the frontier migration of humanity into space. 'Ganymede Elegy' explains Jet Black's tragic past love life which led to his present course as a segregated freelance lawman.

Cowboy Bebop portrays a finely polished set of stories displaying some of the finest talent in anime as well as the most progressive film style to emerge in animation worldwide in the late twentieth century. It never degrades into tired old anime cliche which clears the stale air of rehashed plots, pretentious visual symbols and clunky mecha designs with a breath of visual fresh air via uniquely thoughtful, imaginitive effort. The dub is really good! Perhaps the one disappointment is Ed's english voice actress who just never accomplishes the range or expression of the original Japanese actress whose portrayal is extremely charming even without subtitles for explaination. One could viably argue the stories become slow at times, but one could also be labeled 'attentively deficit'. Bebop will always give the viewer a sizable bone wether it is a fantastic soundtrack, slick action sequences, buckets of blood, gun play, space ship battles, heartbreak, humor, silliness, intrigue, mecha, sex, style, or expressive poses which tell stronger stories then all words could muster. Beautiful, dangerous and challenging: Bebop is a must for any one with pulse and breath.

The second session of the CB series has many merits, and only one slight stinker of an episode. I'm fair and honest in my reviews, meaning that if something sucks, I'll say so (and have quite a few times).

6: Sympathy for the Devil: The best non-Spike oriented episode of Bebop, great plot and reflections of human nature.

7: Heavy Metal Queen: Yoko Kanno shows exactly how much talent she has with this episode, making a perfect parady of an 80's heavy metal tune (very cool). Otherwise, a normal (of course good) episode.

8: Waltz for Venus: I don't really know what to say about this episode. It's awesome, but I can't really say why. Take a look and you tell me.

9: Jamming with Edward: Ed-isode, where the little girl hacker is introed. Since I hate Ed (but realize that she's sometimes needed for comic relief), I'm not a real good judge of this episode.

10: Ganymede Elegy: Jet-isode, the first of few, where the crew goes to Ganymede to turn in a bounty, and Jet must deal with his past (has and interesting foreshadowing of when Spike must deal with his past, at the end of the series)

The extras on this DVD are good, because you get to see the creator's and Yoko Kanno's (songwriter/composer) interviews. It's a little wierd, though. In Japan, they like to have just the interviewee's face filling the entire screen (my friend and I were once making fun like one of said interviewees would get the up-the-nose cam).

This seconds CD presents more of what made the first collection a hit. Fast-paced plots full of space battles, fights, and dirty dealing. Faye has moved into the Bebop and with three people and a Corgi to feed, the can du jour is usually dog food. With Faye's exotic tastes the crew again get deep in situations that a sane bounty hunter would never touch. Ninety-year-old pre-adolescents who play a mean harp, mysterious lady truck drivers, and hackers from hell set the pace. As usual, the Bebop may get the guy, but more often than not, they don't get the reward.

Jet Black, in an introduction to episode #8 describes this story of a bad guy who almost makes it back to good as a 'change of pace.' The truth is that one can say the same thing for all the episodes. The overall themes are still light, although several times stronger, more emotional contexts come into play. The apparent villains are often not the real villains, and the little character insights probe deeper than before. Especially in Jet Black's case.

Episode #9 introduces Radical Edward - 'Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky the fourth' who is a change of pace all by herself. Ed is a 13-year-old super hacker who decides that the Bebop is her key to exciting adventure. When Spike, Jet, and Faye come into Earth on what they think is a vacation, the get hooked into tracking down the hacker who used a battery of space lasers to indulge in a bit of terrestrial finger-painting. This gets them all tangles up with Ed, and, to quote the crazy woman with the remote control, 'Ooh La La!!'

In an on-disk interview, Director Shonichiro Watanabe states that the overall theme of the series will be Spike's past or karma. Other than the final episode of the previous session, we have seen very little about his history. Typically macho, neither Spike nor Jet display much emotion or talk about themselves, and all Faye seems to talk about is what she wants. This will begin to change in later episodes, but for now the watcher can relax and enjoy the hopped up, jazzy scripts.

With Session 1 of "Cowboy Bebop", we were introduced to three of the main characters and managed to catch a glimpse of Spike's past. The end result was a satisfying beginning to a wonderful anime series. With Session 2, the series presses on with its noir-style flair that sets it apart from everything else. While episodes 6-10 aren't as enigmatic as the first five, they still have their appeal and make a wonderful addition to the series.

Like the first five episodes, the next five episodes follow an episodic format, meaning the storylines don't overlap and they can each be viewed separately. While Session 1 introduced us to the characters of Spike, Jet, and Faye, Session 2 mainly follows their adventures as they try to catch their bounties (more often unsuccessfully than not). Of course, Session 2 does take the time to introduce us to the fourth (fifth if you count the data-dog Ein) and final member of the Bebop, the Earth hacker Ed. As before, these next five episodes contain doses of action, humor, and pizzazz that only "Cowboy Bebop" can create. The pacing is just right, and every movement fits perfectly. We never lose interest in the characters, and the stories are rarely boring if ever. It's amazing that the show's creators could maintain the show's trademark finesse with each and every episode, making them all unforgettable.

Just as good as the episodes is the stellar animation. Using a blend of CGI and traditional animation, "Cowboy Bebop" manages to become a standout in today's market of anime. Everything looks clean and polished, from the beautiful environments to the character models. Speaking of the characters, they also manage to stand out in the anime community thanks to their realistic yet wacky builds. And the CGI blends in so well with the hand drawn animation that's difficult to tell where the two come together.

Complimenting the great animation is the wonderful music. Yoko Kanno of "Vision of Escaflowne" and "Macross Plus" works her magic yet again in "Cowboy Bebop", creating some of the most eclectic and memorable music ever head in anime. The music is so varied that it's almost impossible to guess what she'll use for the next episode. While the music in Session 2 doesn't have any defining moments like Episode 5, "Ballad of Fallen Angels", it's still powerful enough to be considered a highlight of the series. And as for the dub...if you don't like the English track, there is something wrong with you. Bandai, knowing full well how good this series is, took the time to put together one of the most memorable dubbing casts ever assembled, creating a near-perfect dub that many (myself included) consider far better than the original Japanese track.

All in all, "Cowboy Bebop" Session 2 continues the tradition set by Session 1 and does it in the same no-holds-bar style. Without a doubt, "Cowboy Bebop" is one of the slickest anime series to have ever been made, and it's so good that it is a crime to limit it to the anime-loving community. If you haven't been exposed to "Cowboy Bebop", you need to discover what you've been missing.

Cowboy Bebop has a reputation as one of the best animes out there. Thankfully for everyone, it lives up to that reputation. In Session 2 more of the permanent cast is added and there's plenty of action.

In Sympathy for the Devil, Spike has a run in with a creepy kid who seems to have some serious things wrong with him. This episode is a mystery and what would be considered a typical episode of Bebop at its finest.

Heavy Metal Queen is a sweet and adventurous piece with Spike and Faye trying to capture a bounty all while Spike has a hangover. There are some funny moments in this one and some memorable minor characters.

Waltz For Venus is a beautiful story of family and the sacrifices a person will make for that. It also has a thing or two to say about what we consider "bad" and "good" and the reasoning behind both.

Jamming With Edward adds the irrepressible Ed to the crew of the Bebop. While trying to find out why a satellite has gone rogue, the galaxy's greatest computer hacker has a run in with Spike and crew.

Ganymede Elegy is a Jet centric episode where he deals with a woman from his past. It ties up some loose ends with Jet and gives him a background.

Cowboy Bebop is at heart about dealing with one's past and the mistakes that have been made. That theme resonates soundly through all these episodes.

As has been stated beofre these 5 episodes are not quite as enjoyable as the first 5, but are still a treat. The viewer is treated to an ageless kid, A heavy meatl trucker, Spike's fanboy, Ed, and Jet's former lover. All of the episodes are very entertaining the first Sympathy for the devil is by far the darkest. The Blues Harp playing Genius Wen will make you shiver. Although he looks around ten he is in fact much older and a brutal killer. Heavy Metal Queen is a decent story. About a female trucker who hates bounty hunters but befriends spike. The bad guy in this episode, Decker, looks like Woody Allen! Also Antonio, Carlos, and Jobin appear again. Waltz for Venus is a very good story about a guy named Roco who rubbed some bad guys the wrong way by stealing a medicinal plany called grey ash to cure his sister's blindness. We see in this episode that Spike has alot of heart. Not that we didn't know that already, but it really shines in this episode. Jamming with Edward brings Bebop its final crew member. Ed helps the cast defeat a weather satellite that has decided to draw pictures on the earth. Ganymede Elegy in this episode we finally learn a bit more about Jet. He tracks down an old girlfriend, and leaves soon after talking to her. Spike learns of a bounty while Jet is away, and that bounty happens to be Jet's ex girlfriend's boyfriend. Of course Jet finds out about the bounty, and he tells Spike to let him handle it himself, so Jet does catch his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend and we find out why she left Jet in the first place.

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I have to admit,I had never seen this serie before I bought it but now that I got the I can't live without it.This serie is great and it has a good plot.The music is very nice too.I was also amaze because it is very similar to OutLaw Star and I really like this serie,so I was double amaze when I first watched it.I totally recoment this one.Beliveme, you wouldn't be desappointed at all.I'm looking forward to by the others five videos to have the complete collection.This serie rock!!!

This is a series you will not want to miss. The graphics and music are extrondanry and the series is just plan fun.

Also, this is the first dub I have ever heard that does a series justice. The casting is great so you can enjoy this in both Japanese and English. (Yes, I'm normally a snob who only like to watch Anime in Japanese with English subtitles. This series is the exception).

In the first volume they didn't get a single bounty, but cheer up, they catch a couple bounties in this volume. The first episode of the volume, "Sympathy for the Devil" is a little strange but still exciting, along with bringing another small flash into spikes past. The second episode i didn't see as too significant, but i could be proven wrong when i see the third volume. The third episode is where they catch actually a few bounties, a couple at the begining and at the end of the episode. This episode is also kind of moving as we see a softer side to Spike, showing the sensitivity burried deep down. The fourth episode is when we meet Ed... advice to all, if possible watch all episodes with Ed present in japanese, Ed has the most annoying dubbed voice, and the sad part is Ed is a girl, and will be in many future episodes, but i won't ruin that for you... The fifth episode is were we go into Jet's past a little as we meet his old girlfriend, who's boyfriend happens to be Jet's bounty. Over all i think that this volume is very good, some episodes better than others, but it is still great. We get to see a little more into the personalities and backgrounds of the characters and ponder over all that symbolism. Cowboy Bebop is as good as ever in this volume and I have very high expectations for the third volume.