Forum - View topicThoughts on Cowboy Bebop.
|
Goto page 1, 2, 3 Next |
| Author | Message | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Baka...
 Posts: 98 Location: Edmonton. Alberta Canada |
|
||
|
I was pretty psyched about buying cowboy beebop last week. It seems that all that money was an actual waste. I rather dislike the series. Im quite surprised due to the hype that it gets. I dislike it because when watching it aside from animation and General story line, the way the series goes just feels like pokemon, beyblade, or one of those other series like it. Minus great animation, and some pretty cool characters theres not really anything that great. It seems to me like 23 out of the 26 episodes were fillers and they just happend to ram 3 episodes full with some random storyline.
But is it fair to actually compare it to pokemon, what are other peoples thoughts on Cowboy beebop. |
|||
|
|||
Bruce Lee
 Posts: 715 Location: Seattle, Washington |
|
||
|
According to the ANN Ratings, you'd be in the minority with this opinion. Thats not a problem though, everybody has their own ideas - I myself happened to not completely hate the english-dubbed Tekken movie! I'm just curious about your reasons.
I would agree with you about the characters, as I'm quite fond of the entire cast. Spike has his smooth cool, Jet's got a gruff exterior with a soft center, Faye's got the tough-chick act, Viscious is a very grey bad guy. Writing it out, they look a bit cliched... but they're (mostly) all likeable, and have endearing weaknesses. I also agree about the cool story. The overall arc kept me glued to the screen to see what would happen next. I enjoyed getting a piece of everybody's mysterious past every week. This made the "filler" not so "filler-ry". Actually, just because a certain episode is not following the main arc of spoiler[Spike/Viscious/Julia traingle], doesn't mean it's necessarily filler. Watching the show again, you'll see that most episodes add to the story by showing the contrast of personalities on the Bebop. Take Mushroom Samba, for instance. This could be considered filler by some, but look at the mushroom eating scene. Everybody snatches up a mushroom in a way that fits their personality. Once everybody starts to trip out, they all do it differently as well. In my opinion, these "slice of life" type episodes are a fun change of pace, and serve to attach the characters to the viewer even more. I'm with you on the Animation as well. This series originally aired in 1998, but still holds its own even today. Think of some of the other series from 1998: Kare Kano, Outlaw Star, Princess 9, Lain, Trigun - all great shows, but the Bebop takes the cake in terms of art. Every character has their own unique style and fashion, and don't look like generic spiky haired anime guys, or high-school kids. Even the vehicles look distinctive - the Swordfish II, Redtail, and Bebop all have a detailed, almost real look to them. It sounds like you're saying you liked the animation, characters, and story. To say that and say you "rather dislike the series" is really a contradiction of sorts, don't you think? |
|||
|
|||
|
adonais
Posts: 302 |
|
||
|
I gave Cowboy Bebop a "Masterpiece" rating mainly because of the warmth and depth of the characters, the uniqueness of the story and the excellent animation. By story I don't only mean the underlying story arc, but also the "stand-alone" episodes, most of which I thought were really great. How many other animes pull it off having a story arc mixed with stand-alone episodes, without either completely ruining the main story or coming out as a disconnected sequence of stand-alones? The animation is devilishly good too -- have you noticed how much detail there is in the nondescript and the mundane, all those little things that are never the focus of attention, but which contribute immeasurably to the feeling of "real" and providing ambience? Watanabe stressed this in an interview, that they went to great lenghts to put in peripheral detail which they normally wouldn't bother with, because it's such a pain to do.
|
|||
|
|||
Space_cowboy64
 Posts: 337 Location: Great Britain...not all that great |
|
||
how do you mean like pokemon, can you elabrate on that for me please  .
space |
|||
|
|||
Deltakiral
 Posts: 3338 Location: Glendora, CA (Avatar Hei from Darker than BLACK) |
|
||
I kinda felt that way at first when I was originally watching this series. But when you look back at the series and rewatch the episodes you'll see how deep this show is. Nearly every episode has so much more going on then just face level. For myself the music alone is make this series, its hip and there is something so undeniable that moves you during each scene. As for the episode themseleves, once I got a chance to see "Ballad of the Fallen Angel" (EP 5 spoiler[Chruch Window]) in 5.1 that blew my mind. Also another particular episode that I recently just rewatch was "Sympathy for the Devil" (Kid and harmonic) the title alone spark me into writing a blog about the ironic nature and yet so true nature of Sympathy for the devil. But that is one of the episode that I think show how great a series Cowboy Bebop is. Also I don't know if you can call the episode themseleves filler since they are all created originally not deviating from any manga. I think more or less the correct term should be stand alone episodes, meaning that they don't belong to any sort of arc in the show. Check out the show once more, take time to study the characters and their interactions with one another maybe you'll see more in this series. But if ya don't then well I guess it just ain't your cup of tea. Till next time, Delta Kiral |
|||
|
|||
Abarenbo Shogun
 Posts: 1573 |
|
||
I think you should avoid the hype and just look at it for what it is. The hype actually detracts from the overall feel of the series. IMHO, I think the hype is uncalled for, and in reality, should never exist in the first place. It's pretty much overblown for a "short" series. I mean, how many frickin' times can you watch Cowboy Bebop over and over and over and over and over and over and still sing praises of it? Even the showing on [adult swim] is a joke. How many times can you air something before it become a "jump the shark" moment? Put it in this context: Take any "bad" B-Movie out there. It may suck, but then again, you can look at it in another way: campyness, just for a laugh, or even wonder "Hollywood paid money for this?" |
|||
|
|||
|
fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
|
||
That's why I decided to buy and read the manga to see if it was any good. Instead of spending 20 dollars on a DVD, I only spent 3 dollars for the first three volumes of manga. It's okay, in my mind. |
|||
|
|||
|
cheezisgoooood
Posts: 253 Location: Orlando, FL |
|
||
I say watch it again, but this time lose the needless cynicism and forget all of the hype. It looks like you're trying harder than your'e supposed to to find things that are wrong with the series. You're not the only one, but you haven't given enough reason to your argument. Either explain yourself or watch it again is all I have to say. |
|||
|
|||
Kyouta
 Posts: 3 Location: My Heart Beats iNdiana |
|
||
|
i think its a great anime.
i haven't rated anything yet. but, i give it the highest rating. thats funny, sayin bebop can be compared with pokemon. 
but, to be correct. bebop is raking one of the top animes. in my op. Last edited by Kyouta on Tue May 23, 2006 4:59 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|||
|
|||
Mylene
 Posts: 2792 Location: Indiana |
|
||
|
I can't really see comparing Cowboy Bebop to Pokemon, but I know where you're coming from with disappointment that results from a show having too much hype.
For me, Cowboy Bebop was a very entertaining show. However, I don't feel it's the end-all be-all of anime that some people make it out to be. However, I think a lot of the hype around the show comes from the fact that it is a good show to introduce people to anime. It might not have as many "first timers" as Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, or Pokemon, but it is good to bait people farther into fandom or give them a taste of anime. With its episodic nature, constant action, and a good mix of drama and comedy, it's something that a non-anime fan can sink their teeth into a bit more easily than by pulling them away from an episode of Family Guy and plopping them in front of, say, Haibane Renmei. Cowboy Bebop has familiar qualities to it which makes it very accessible. And often, people have a special spot in their hearts for some of their earlier anime. Sailor Moon really isn't that great of an anime, I know this, but it's still in my top ten. I rank it above better shows, because it has that 'place in my heart' factor going for it. All that being said, it's perfectly normal not to always like shows, particularly those that are overhyped. And sometimes, you just can't put a finger on why. People keep asking for proof of your dislike, but sometimes, an anime just isn't your cup of tea. I know I can't always explain why I like a certain show or why I dislike it. It's problematic, but occasionally, there are shows that either click with your or don't, and if they don't, there's really not much you can do about it. It's hard being a bit of a dissenter when discussing very popular shows though. I feel bad for the people who risk saying they don't like The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi right now, because it's gaining a rabid fanbase. And for myself, I practically have to go into hiding whenever I mention that I'm not all that fond of Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke. But hey, you like what you like, and you dislike what you dislike. In the end, that's all that really matters. So, er, summing it all up: I like Cowboy Bebop, but I didn't hear all the hype before I saw it. Moreover, I don't think it's the best anime out there, just a great one to pop in the DVD player and enjoy from time to time. No solid ties to it with regard to nostalgia, but did receive a fair amount of enjoyment, even if a few episodes were a bit to filler-ish for me, and I never really liked the overlying plot. |
|||
|
|||
MilkManX
 Posts: 47 Location: Tucson AZ USA |
|
||
|
I loved Cowboy Bebop. I didn't watch it when it came out. I caught a few episodes on Adult Swim. Bought the Movie on DVD at a used video store. It sat for at least a month before I watched it. After I watched it I sought out the TV series DVDs. This was just in the last 2-3 weeks. I got the whole series(first US release DVDs with only Dolby Surround) and I loved it. The show works really well in the fact that you can just jump in at almost any point. I dont think any episodes are filler that most TV from Manga anime is. I hold it in my top five not just Anime but TV series period.
|
|||
|
|||
Evil_dave83
 Posts: 25 Location: Oxford, England |
|
||
|
I'm with Baka here, although I haven't seen DBZ or Beyblade so can't comment on the comparisons. I do think that Bebop does have some pacing problems, and, that given, that this can affect how people react to the character episodes. Taking these as one-offs I've never found them to be that engaging, and as I was never a fan of Vicious I wasn't a big fan of the 'story'. Best bet is to give it a rest, clear your mind and then try again - you'v spent the money now, so its worth a shot. The hype was certainly an issue for me as I found myself thinking again and again, 'Where's the greatness? What do so many people see in this series and why am I missing it?' When I put that aside and returned to it I found it more enjoyable, although I wouldn't rank it in my top ten.
Have you seen the movie? I really rather liked it as I felt it counteracted some of the deficiencies I perceived in the series (in fact it served to further increase my expectations for the series). It may be worth a look as I feel it captures a lot of the essence of Bebop without so much of the 'fluff' that you find with the series. |
|||
|
|||
tonite she dies
 Posts: 7 Location: Saturn Texas |
|
||
It is great that it is set up that way. I started watching it on Adult Swim. If this show had been set up any othe way I probably would not have able to catch interest so quickly. I would place Cowboy Beebop as one of my favorites, though the music kinda threw me off at first ( I dont really get into the funky jazz type of music normally ) after getting more into it, I think it vibes well with the charaters and all the fast paced scenes in the series. |
|||
|
|||
|
opaquescum
Posts: 235 |
|
||
|
I will answer the question you posed, and the answer is no not in a million years. The only things these series have in common is that they are anime. In a sense your compareing Citizen Kane to Halfbaked. A gut reaction does not equate to similarity. Simply fealing the same level of disgust for two different things does not make them the same. I will break it down.
My personal take is you are right that this is not really a show that revolves around a central arc, but one gets the fealing that its not supposed to. Instead you have alot of sub arcs. One for each character for instance. Also the shows in themselves are little arcs in, and of themselves. Also remember this series did themed shows. Thats part of the deal with the music. Each show is a different take style wise. Some shows are warm, and fuzzy. Others are just plain whimsical. This is not a bad thing. Some episodes are going to be pure gold to you others will not. The characters are just fun characters to watch. Every single one of them has quirks, and watching them interact is part of the fun of the show. From Faye cheating Jet out of his clothes to edward talking jibberish that somehow concerns a deep thought. This series was never overhyped in my oppinion. This is a very good series. Infact I think the whole looking for a deep storyline aspect kind of put blinders on you. You probabally got annoyed by all of what you called the fillers, because you were looking for some deep story. The truth is each episode is very good standalone, and unless you take the time to appreciate them as standalone your missing something important. This reminds me of a mineing story from the old west. These miners were digging for gold. I think it was the comstock load not certain. They were haveing a hell of a time with all of this blue slag getting in the way, and they were takeing it outside, and dumping it. Curseing it for causeing them so much trouble. Someone finally got curious as to what exactly the gunk was made of. So they went, and got it tested. Yeah the slag was mostly silver. These miners were throwing away money. They were so fixated on finding gold that it had never occurred to them that they might find something else valuable. Now what if someone had not taken the time to take a second look. That mine would have gone down as a complete bust. Watch the series again, and come at it from another standpoint. Something tells me if you just get past your preconceptions about what it should be then you will find that what it is. |
|||
|
|||
|
pumirya
|
|
||
|
Persoanlly i liked the series. I like the premise of future bounty hunting,but thats not the main reason i like bebop. As stated by others bebop has a nice group of characetrs"spike and vicious" are my two favorites.I also find the action elements,and the art style well done. Maybe the storyline isn't new,but thats something that i didn'tmind.
|
|||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group