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37 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's hard to sing the blues..., November 9, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Cowboy Bebop - Session 6 (DVD)
Ultimately the finest and most renowned expression of the blues is perhaps Robert Johnson's 'Crossroads' which relates the emotional tedium of choosing a definitive direction in the middle of one's life. The last four episodes of 'Cowboy Bebop' slowly bring forth difficult and melancholy situations detailing the inner workings and underlying turmoil of the Bebop crew's lives. A subtle and unique blend of sci-fi/fantasy/action/intrigue/drama cap this series definitively with the same unpredictability that has been the hallmark of this fantastic animation milestone. 'Brain Scratch' is probably the most disjointed and experimental episode from the entire series. Using a choppy cutting style to survey the television programming of 2071 the director gives us another quick peek into culture surrounding the solar expansion of humanity. Faye has left the Bebop and appears curiously in middle of a brain washing cult led by one of the few remaining bounties. A rather odd combination of self observation and current event parody encompassing video games, internet, Heaven's Gate, Doh Applewhite, television and its elusive control over people. 'Hard Luck Woman' reveals Ed's odd past on Earth, and allows a sort of closure to Faye Valentine's past. You finally see Faye regain her memory and touch on her past life as Ed revisits her old orphanage and finds her father who is Bebop's latest and last bounty. These first two episodes on this DVD slowly begin the set up for the series' somber finale in 'The Real Folk Blues I & II'. I don't wish to detail the final episodes too thoroughly in order to avoid spoilers. Julia emerges as a tangible character for the first time and meets Spike. Both episodes bring to a head Spike and Julia's relationship and answer some of the many questions plaguing viewers. The ending also wraps up Bebop's fate (I can assume) and Vicious' epiphany within the tong. A striking scene I will relate is that this is the first time you will ever see Jet and Spike laugh together. As the series blinks out it may leave you cold as it did myself. The amazing sense of discovery and excitement which permeated the beginning of the series becomes juxtaposed with decay and decline in the last episodes. Such a simple path of natural order is one of those exceptional traits which put 'Cowboy Bebop' far above most other contemporary entertainment. Any viewer will easily recognize all the creative thought put into each episode and the series as a whole. Some may say it is rather disjointed as a series, but that was another refreshing choice on the part of its creators to allow glimpses of their multifaceted future society without getting bogged down in minutia or creative trivialities as do all continuous series. The stories always give the viewer just enough to piece together and rarely over emphasize any particulars giving the viewer a chance to think and make assumptions about the world before, outside and after the current diorama presented. Super dynamic design choices and combinations within the show have floored many animation fans, and the pulp style of writing deftly harkens back to the days of blues and jazz from which comes the foundation for this sci-fi detective anime. From sound track to color to computer animations and mecha, 'Bebop' stands out as a stew of high creativity never quite seen before in animation history. The most definitive quality of 'Bebop' has been its ability to display pathos.....the ability to 'sing the blues'- a very difficult and rare expression to convey honestly without flaw. Pathos is perhaps the pinnacle of human emotion because it cannot be achieved without building a high from which to descend so that it needs the full range of human emotions in order to exist. Usual mainstream entertainment tries only to be 'funny' or 'cool' and ignores the scope of existence this rather earthy sci-fi series confidently captured. Sadly 'Cowboy Bebop' is over and the creators have said it shall never be continued. It would be very easy to continue in some vein, and perhaps one day it will, but I won't relish the day it might resurface as a second series since it will be made a pale extrapolation of its original. However there is a movie slated for release next year which will supposedly be the last we see of 'Bebop'. The movie is said to take place inbetween 'Brain Scratch' and 'Cowboy Funk' within the series. Will there ever be another anime this good? This intense? Will there? Sure, but unfortunately in the mean time the anime coniseurs will have heavy hearts....as the end of Bebop says- You're Gonna Carry That Weight ...
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fine ending to an amazing series., November 28, 2000
This review is from: Cowboy Bebop - Session 6 (DVD)
Few anime series have touched me as a viewer, and I am glad to say that Cowboy Bebop has developed into such a series. From the fun of the first episode to the revelations of the final DVD in the series Cowboy Bebop portrays an incredible spectrum of the human condition, ironically enough in a future that is just within belief. A lot of viewers see a common Japanese anime in the first few episodes. Little connection between plots, and relatively 2D characters. But in the long run, the driving force of the story as a whole becomes the characters themselves. Their pasts, their pains, and their futures rapidly become the focus of every episode, sometimes in lengthy exposition, but most often in interconnected montages of the past, and its effect on the present. This final DVD relies heavily on the past, drawing on Spike's oft-alluded life on Mars, while revealing the truly emotional aspects of the relationships between all of the characters. Spike has often been portrayed as a callous opportunist throughout the series, with brief glimmers of humanity and compassion, yet this, much like every other aspect of this series, is subject to change. Perhaps one of the most redeeming factors of this anime is the return to a concentration on Spike in the last few episodes, as he is certainly one of the most intriguing and mysterious characters seen in recent anime. Yet, like all good things, this anime must come to an end at the seemingly requisite 26 episodes. And what a ride it has been! One of the most interesting aspects of the series is the underlying feeling of hope, for a variety of things, each depending on the characters. Yet closure is also present, and the interaction of the future and the past brings this anime to an incredibly powerful conclusion that left me staring at the ending credits, and then watching the last episode again. Real Folk Blues could not have been any more apt a title, because the characters ultimately become human, finally facing the building emotional tension that the last two DVD's have woven into the tale. If you have enjoyed a single episode in this series, you owe yourself the service of finishing it, however you can! Rent it, buy it, borrow it, find an anime club. This series transcends its own style and its own animated roots, as it leaves its viewers with questions of existence, justice, and honor. We all face tests in our lives, and as Spike himself says, "I'm not going to die. I'm going to see if I'm truly alive." See You Later, Space Cowboy...
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Review Of The "Kid's" Review By "King" Of The Killer 7, November 14, 2004
First and foremost, the person who wrote the review is a kid and probably thinks that Dragon Ball Z is the greatest anime show ever created. Which to that I say, "Ha"! With this being the case this "kid" should stop watching anime all together. Especially if he or she cannot appreciate great anime, so maybe you're better off watching Spongebob Squarepants. Even though that's not anime it's probably more the "Kid's" speed. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to bash anyone. But posting this kid's review twice was just stupid.
Now for a real review on the sixth session, this is the ultimate wrap-up of a great series. I don't want to spoil anything for the people who haven't seen this series yet. So I can't go into get detail about this session. But I will say that everything comes to a head: the relationship between Spike, Julia, and Vicious, what Ed is going to do with the rest of her life, the faith of the Red Dragon, and of course you can't forget about Faye and Jet. Session 26 is truly a great ending, one of the best ever seen in an anime series.
I just want to tell everyone when it comes to being an anime fan there are a few animes that are mandatory to view, they are: 1. Cowboy Bebop 2. Trigun 3. Vampire Hunter D 4. GTO 5. Bastard! 6. Pet Shop Of Horrors 7. Kenshin(OVA)
One last thing, you don't have to see "Akira" to be an anime fan. That movie is just a waste of time and it just sucks. See HaloKillah's Review.
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