Cowboy be bop was well ahead of its time, combining elements from various genres of
entertainment, sci fi, western, and noir, just to name a few. What was once considered
to become just another children's show, grew on to international sensationalism, and one
of the single most adored anime series of all time. Dabbling on many real life struggles
like loneliness, financial burdens, and the inability to escape ones past. Not to mention
one of the most iconic opening sequences of any series ever.
This.
Is the cowboy be bop iceberg.
A pre mature end
Cowboy Be bop is a violent show, and at the time of its original TV run, Japanese schools
were experiencing an influx of violence in schools. This caused the series to get briefly
cancelled. The team behind the show made a special episode that served as an extra session,
It was called 'X X,: Mish-Mash Blues'. It wasn't a normal episode, and instead, it had
the main characters of the show talk about philosophical things related to their life.
Fortunately, the series made a return, and this episode was only translated into English
by fans, as it's not a part of the official home-video releases.
Not a re make
The live-action Cowboy Be bop series was originally expected to be a re make of the anime. However,
it has been revealed that instead of being a re make of what we have seen already, or
even a sequel, the live-action series is in fact an expansion of the storyline that we
know and love. What this means is that it will try to tell original stories while still
fitting itself in the canon of the anime, similar to the animated movie Cowboy Be bop:
Knockin' on Heaven's Door, which came after the series ended but was set between episodes
22 and 23.
Dead or Alive
Cowboy Bee bop is a philosophical show that deals with many mature themes. There is deep
meaning to be found for those who are willing to look for it - so there is a lot of discussion
around some of its episodes within the community. But the one thing that you will always find
fans theorizing is the show's ending, or to be more specific, whether Spike lived or died
in the final moments of Cowboy Be bop. The most widely believed opinion on this topic
is that Spike indeed passed away. What points to this is the fact that once he falls down,
he does not move at all, and we even see an image of his lifeless face after the credits
end. He was injured and did not try to rush towards any medical assistance. And before
departing, Spike tells a story that talks about a cat that dies after finding love and
losing it, and Laughing Bull tells Jet that Spike will die this time too, after he departs.
Furthermore, we see the same white doves fly that we see when Julia dies earlier on in
the same episode. And lastly, a star goes out in the sky, which signifies a life has
been lost. One tiny yet overlooked detail also lies in the episode preview for the series
finale, as Spike, Faye, and Jet Black, are discussing the upcoming episode. But neither
of them seem to be able to hear Spike at all. Since these previews often break the fourth
wall, it's considered a relevant detail that points towards Spike's passing.
On the other hand, fans make several arguments on why Spike survived too. The first one is
that the character has gone through worse and always makes it out alive once he is taken
away by one of his allies. As for the star, fans believe that the star belonged to Viscious
rather than Spike, since the former died in the same moment, and that is something that
we know conclusively. As to be expected, series creator Wahtuh nahbay has been asked this
question several times as well. His answer has always been open-ended, as he neither
confirms nor denies that Spike died, leaving it up to the interpretation of fans.
One way or another, there is no definitive way to prove that the character died. But
throughout time, several of the people who believed Spike survived have changed their
mind, because they believe that it would be 'unfair' for Spike to live on after losing
everything. Especially since he has been portrayed as a bit of a sad person throughout the series,
whose primary drive has always been the woman he lost, which he evidently prioritized over
the be bop crew from time to time.
Cancelled toyline
Although not all anime are made for toylines, many of them are. And these typically end
up being the most successful on a broader scale. Cowboy be bop almost got its own merchandise
toys, as Bandai was sponsoring it initially. They told the series director that he can
make whatever he wants, as long as there are marketable spaceships in it. Unfortunately,
the company backed out later after seeing that it's a bit too dark for something that
children would buy toys for. But all things worked out for the best, as this allowed wahtuh
nahbay to have complete creative freedom over what he does in the show. This worked well
for him since he no longer had to worry about making things in a way that would support
having a toyline.
Musical influence
The episode names of Cowboy be bop are all named either after a genre of music, or specific
English songs which were popular at the time of the show's development. For example, a
genre that has been used as an episode name. 'Gateway Shuffle', while a specific song that
has been referenced is 'Bohemian Rhapsody', from the iconic band Queen.
Shuffled
Cowboy be bop is one of the anime series that have been infamously broadcasted in the wrong
order in its dubbed release. This is possible since its episodes usually have individual
stories that can be viewed without a specific order. Although there is a main storyline
progressing in all of the episodes too, which makes this situation awkward. Episodes 2,
3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 18,. Only about half of the episodes were shown
during the show's original run, with no real explanation for the wrong order being given
for some of the episodes. However, specifically for episodes 6, 8, and 22, - the reason behind
skipping them was the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center, since those episodes
dealt with explosions and terrorism to some extent. Episode 22 was scheduled to air later
on in February 11th, 2002, - but the network programmers had accidentally misplaced it,
and had to air a different episode at the very last minute instead. This made the experience
even more jarring for those watching the series without knowing all these important details.
This extended to the Movie too, as it did not get an American release until years later,
due to the fact that it deals with the theme of terrorism, and the country having just
gone through the tragic 9 11 attack.
Cancelled?
A common belief within the show's fanbase is that it was cancelled, and that's why it
only has 26 episodes. However, the series creator watuh nahbay has explained the situation
differently. Throughout different interviews, he has stated that he didn't believe he could
get a second season for the show, due to its mature themes and lack of potential for merchandise
like most mainstream series. Regardless, he personally did not want to continue Cowboy
be bop either. Firstly, he originally envisioned Cowboy be bop as a movie. Then, he found it
better to have it as a series, which has each episode act as a 'miniature film'. He wanted
to end it conclusively, so that fans do not have to wait for a continuation, nor did he
want to drag the series to the point that it has no end in sight. This would keep watuh
nahbay tied to a single project throughout his life, - comparing it to franchises like
Star Trek. This surely seems more like a personal decision than one built on circumstances.
Especially since the series went on to become one of the most popular anime series to ever
exist. In the process spawning a franchise of animation, video games, manga, and even
the aforementioned live-action show.
United in another world
Spike and Julia's fate was tragic and ended with their deaths, as they tried to be with
each other after finally giving up trying to hide for so long. The English voice actors
for the two characters, Steve Blum and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, ended up dating each other.
They even got married later on. Additionally, in the Latin American Spanish dub of the show,
the voice actors for Jet Black and Katerina are married in real life.
Dub misconception
An extremely common misconception regarding Cowboy be bop's English dub has plagued the
fanbase for decades. It still continues to be something that is stated with such confidence,
that people who only got into the show later end up believing as factual. This is a fake
statement from watuh nahbay, that states he preferred the English dub of the show over
Japanese - and some even go as far as to claim that he created Cowboy be bop with the English
dub in mind. However, in reality, his original statement simply said, "My English isn't that
good, but I thought it sounded very good", upon hearing the English dub of the show.
Almost happened
There are four things that almost happened to Cowboy be bop as a series. The first one
was that despite originally envisioning the show as a single movie, circumstances and
plans made a series seem like the better option instead. Second, the Knockin' on Heaven's
Door was intended to show more of Spike's backstory from when he worked for the Red
Dragon Syndikit. But it was later decided against, as the team realized that the lack
of a straightforward backstory for the character is one of the things that make him appear
cool to the audience. Thirdly, Cowboy be bop almost became a live-action movie in Hollywood
and was stuck in development hell for quite a while. Keanu Reeves was originally intended
to play Spike, and the movie was eventually scrapped in favor of the upcoming Netflix
show. Lastly, on the subject of the Netflix show, Faye Valentine's outfit was originally
meant to be faithful to the anime series. But the design was later altered, as the staff
realized that the original outfit will not work very well in real life. Especially with
extensive action stunts needing to be performed all the time.
References to celebrities
The conspiracy theorist character, Yuri Kellerman, seems to be a parody of the real-life self-proclaimed
'psychic', Uri Gheller, as the two share several similarities. The Teddy Bear Bomber is a fictional-world
version of the infamous Una bomber. Except the character's motivations are toned down,
as he seems to be an extremist with a good-intentioned cause. He also functions as a bit of a comic
relief character throughout his different appearances. The bounty head in "Heavy Metal
Queen' is similar to Woody Allen, and this similarity is further strengthened by the
fact that the restaurant in which Faye Valentine finds him in is called 'Woody's'.
A dream
Although not a widely accepted theory, one of the most common interpretations of the
show takes the dream approach of Spike a bit too literally. Some fans believe that everyone
in the show is either dead or collectively dreaming, and the situations that they find
themselves in are directly related to things that they cannot let go from their lives.
For example, Faye's inability to make peace with her past and accepting people in her
life, Jet's inability to get over Katerina without proper closure. And Spike's inability
to move on from Julia, which even leads to him accepting death himself once he loses
her for good. The theory believes that, by the end of the series, we see the characters
make peace with what they couldn't move on from in their lives. This will finally end
their 'dream' and allow them to enter actual afterlife. While not accepted by most people,
it's supported by a statement from wahtuh nahbay who somewhat joked to a fan, saying
that 'Spike is sleeping' in the end, rather than dead. But he proceeded to laugh when
saying 'he is sleeping', which makes it obvious that it's not his true interpretation of what
happened.
A connected universe
Wahtuh nahbay confirmed in a 2019 interview that several of his works take place in the
same universe, even giving us the chronological order. That order is Samurai shamploo, Cowboy
be bop, Carole & Tuesday, and Space Dandy - all existing in the same universe and one
after the other. Although this makes no real difference to the stories and context of the
shows, it's still something that fans were happy to get an answer to.
A piece of history
Throughout time, Adult Swim became a network that has broadcasted several anime series
in the English language to the United States. This led to many westerners discovering anime
as a whole, as the internet was not something that everyone used at the time. Despite the
messed up airing order, Cowboy be bop is in fact the first ever anime series to be broadcasted
on Adult Swim in 2001.
Influencial
Although Cowboy be bop has inspired a little bit of several works throughout time, the
most notable example is the 2011 graphic adventure novel called Gemini Rue. The game directly
takes artistic inspiration from Cowboy be bop, and most of the aesthetic aspect is taken
from the 'Ballad of Fallen Angels' episode of the show. However, it does not stop there,
as several story elements were inspired by Cowboy be bop too. Elements such as the crime
syndikit conflict and one of the main characters leaving a life of crime behind. Since the
developers are not shy about admitting how heavily Gemini Rue is inspired by Cowboy be
bop, the game features cameos from all five members of the be bop crew. You can find all
of them at different parts of the game and some of them can be interacted with too. Although
their names are not stated, their appearances and some of the things that they say are direct
references to Cowboy be bop - which honors how much Gemini Rue takes from this iconic
series.
Bang...
Spike's last word, 'Bang', is one of the most iconic last moments of any character in the
history of anime. It's stated right after a sarcastic finger-gun pointed towards clueless
members of the syndikit, who he has no intentions of fighting. However, something that people
often miss is that it's a direct reference to episode 6 of the show. As Wen is dying,
he asks Spike if he knows the relief that death provides, to which Spike says, 'As if',
as he shoots Wen's harmonica with a finger-gun, saying Bang just like in the finale. Fans
theorize this to be Spike's way of agreeing with Wen as he begins to smile and embrace
death, possibly considering it a relief, since he has lost everything in his life by that
point. Although it still doesn't prove that he did die, it does suggest that he was more
than ready to let go of the world.
Ahead of its time
Cowboy be bop is considered well-ahead of its time because when it originally came out,
there was nothing quite like it available at the time. It had a mixture of many genres,
such as westerns, pulp fiction, space opera, cyberpunk, comedy, and even horror, in one
of the episodes. The music itself was a beautiful mixture of different genres, such as jazz,
rock, and opera to name a few. Furthermore, it dealt with several topics with maturity
without being too in-the-face about them. For example, the show treats homosexuality
as something normal, as no one reacts to it strangely every time it's on-screen. While
the nineties did have such a topic at times, it was treated as the 'odd one out' rather
than something that is simply a part of society, the latter being how Cowboy be bop portrays
it. The women in the show are very capable and don't simply serve as a plot point for
the main character, there is a lot of diversity in every city, and the show dealt with things
like existentialism, loneliness, abandonment, inability to let go of the past, grief, capitalism,
philosophy, spirituality, environmentalism, and much more. And it was all portrayed in
a realistic way that fans still try to interpret to this day, especially as they gain more
experience in life with age. Although Cowboy be bop is not the only show to feature such
things, it was the only show to seamlessly combine all the aforementioned things into
one smooth experience and that's something for which it is creditied heavily to this
day by both critics and audiences alike.
Cowboy be bop was well ahead of its time, combining elements from various genres of
entertainment, sci fi, western, and noir, just to name a few. What was once considered
to become just another children's show, grew on to international sensationalism, and one
of the single most adored anime series of all time. Dabbling on many real life struggles
like loneliness, financial burdens, and the inability to escape ones past. Not to mention
one of the most iconic opening sequences of any series ever.
This.
Is the cowboy be bop iceberg.
Ein's Summer Vacation
This is a one minute short that displays images of what the famous corgi would consider a
dream vacation. One scene even showed Ed swimming in the background. It ended in typical be
bop fashion, revealing that it was just a dream.
27 Club References.
People have theorized that be bop references the 27 club, which is a list consisting of
popular musicians, artists, and actors, who died at the age of 27. It's become a bit of
a cultural phenomenon that so many creative and influential people have died at this age.
The most blatant reference would be spike having been thought to die at that age. The
series 26 episodes, along with the movie, add up to 27 as well.
NBA 2020 Playoffs Reference
A sports channel, bleacher report, created a custom animation for the playoffs that was
created as an intro for be bop. The music and style remained the same and served as
a great homage to the series.
The Manga
There were two different manga series that were adapted from the show. They featured
the 4 main characters as well as ein, in completely original stories, separate from the show's
events. The first manga, cowboy be bop shooting star, was released one month after the show
originally aired on TV Tokyo. In this series, most of the characters were altered from their
show version. For instance, Spike was the most wanted man in the galaxy, and Ed was
officially a male character. Several months later, we saw a different manga series released
simply titled cowboy be bop. The characters in this series were more closely adapted to
their show counterparts. But the events of the manga were completely different.
Cowboy Be bop U T
This was a short story published in 2001 that follows the early days of Ural Terpsichore.
He was the husband of the well-respected interstellar trucker, VT, otherwise known as Heavy Metal
Queen. It was originally sold through its own website, but it's no longer available.
Fortunately, it was archived for others to enjoy.
.
Playstation Days
Cowboy be bop has 2 official games and one crossover game. The self-titled first game
came out on the playstation. It acted similar to a star fox game. You control spike's Swordfish
2 from a third person perspective. The second game came out for the ps2. It was titled Tsuioku
no Serenade, or serenade of reminiscence. It acted as an action adventure and fighting
game with an entirely original story based around the anime series. The crossover game
was called Super Robot Wars T.... It was a massive crossover between different mecha
anime series released in japan. Spike in his Swordfish 2, is one of the characters included.
The Song Remains the Same
This youtube channel uploaded all of the cutscenes from the Serenade of reminiscence ps2 game.
The scenes were arranged in a particular order with subtitles to allow for a pseudo fan made
film, appropriately called the Song Remains the Same.
The Real Final Episode
Session 11 features a blob type creature that delivers a poisonous bite to the characters
on the be bop. This theory states that this was the true final ending of the series. Each
of the following sessions were simply the poison sinking further into the passengers.
What we see is the minds of the characters slowly fading away.
Julia Faked Her Death
This is a theory that Julia couldn't hurt Spike any longer. She faked her own death
in order to help them both move on. Obviously this backfired for Spike ,as he went on a
vengeful rampage, possibly killing himself in the process.
Many of us consider be bop to be their favorite anime of all time. It didn't even have the
opportunity to drag out too long. And many people insist their only problem with the
show is that it's simply too short. Nevertheless, the show has left an impression on many people
throughout the world and continues to do so. I hope you've enjoyed the video.