Cowboy Bebop

[Guest EricMM]

I just watched the last episode of Cowboy Bebop (I haven't seen Knockin On Heavens Door)

 

I would just like to say that that is the saddest most depressing thing in the world. When Faye told him not to go throw his life away and he did it anyways, I just felt it was stupid.

 

And then when it ran the little message "You're gonna carry this weight" which of course ends "...until you die" was SOOOOOOOOOO sad.

 

Faye herself said "I found out I had no place else to go but here." so she came back and didn't want him to go. Now she was forever shady, but still. Julia was dead, there was no reason to kill himself over Vicious.

 

Can anyone explain to me how this ending didn't suck?

[Guest AlwaysPissedOff]

Well, I think what made Spike do what he did was because their pasts intertwined and he felt an obligation to shut Vicious down for good.

 

In a way, it's Spike's atonement for his shady past, which is what Jet brought up in their last conversation when he told Spike to just let it go. Hope that's a good enough explanation for you, but I'm sure someone else can explain it all better than I can.

[Guest red_file]

It reminds me of Inigo's line from The Princess Bride: I've been in the revenge business so long, I don't know what do to with the rest of my life.

 

As Spike tells us, his life, following his breaking away from the Syndicate, has been little more than a dream. It's had no purpose; it didn't matter whether or lived or died; indeed, the Spike that we see throughout the series is rather happy-go-lucky because he doesn't care what happens to him (e.g. his response to possibly being burned up in the Swordfish on re-entry when Jet can't get him). On two occasions during the series he gets word that he may be able to find Julia. The first has him kick his friends to the side so that he can pursue her. That he doesn't even question whether or not this woman is worth the loss of his comrades (he knows she is) shows us how little his current life means to him.

 

The only thing besides Julia that means anything to him is Vicious. Vicious was responsible for him not being with Julia, and, I assume, is responsible in some way for Spike wanting to leave the Syndicate. He wants revenge on Vicious -- some much so that when he goes when Faye calls, not so much to rescue her, but to get to Vicious.

 

Now, in the two episodes we learn that the only two things that mean anything in his life (Julia and Vicious) are not of equal importance to him; Julia remains more important to him than getting revenge on Vicious. When he finally meets up with Julia he's willing to get away from everything with her; willing to pass up the opportunity to get revenge to be with the woman he loves. Her death leaves only one important thing in his life: Vicious. And Vicious is so important that he walks into certain death (again walking away from his friends) to accomplish something that has meaning only to him. He had no other option.

 

Thematically the show requires that Spike die. Each of the main characters is presented as hopelessly tragic; Jet was betrayed by the person he trusted most and was forced to hurt the woman he'd loved in the past; Faye has lost her past and when she finally realized that the only home she has in the future is with Spike and Jet, Spike leaves her to die; Ed and Eine have each other, but it won't be long before they leave her father again because he doesn't care (he doesn't even know her sex). And Spike is the most tragic of them all.

 

It's a sad ending, yes, but not a bad one. It certainly could've been more tragic. Spike could've died before Vicious and thought that he'd failed. Or Spike could've lived and had to continue on in life without any purpose. I think it ended perfectly. Which isn't to say I don't have my quibbles with the show, but it's a fine anime.

[Guest Edwin MacPhisto]

Well, it sucks in that it's sad as hell, but god-damn if it isn't amazingly good.

 

Knockin' On Heaven's Door is worth checking out for a slightly more big-budget looking Bebop, but storywise it's not really as good as the whole series. It's basically one big 90 minute ep.

[Guest Special K]

Actually, 2 hours. While CB:KoHD isn't quite as great as the best episodes of Bebop, it holds up to the high standard of the show.

 

Plus it has some sweet ass action sequences.

[Guest red_file]

I'm not sure if anyone here enjoys anime music videos, but the guys over at More Than Toast have a couple of really good ones on Cowboy Bebop. The one to "Yesterday" is my favorite.

[Guest CED Ordonez]

I'm not sure if anyone here enjoys anime music videos, but the guys over at More Than Toast have a couple of really good ones on Cowboy Bebop. The one to "Yesterday" is my favorite.

Cowboy Bebop to "Yesterday" is a pretty damn kickass anime video, probably the best they have. I'm also partial to "A Love (Hina) Story" to The MTX's "I'm Like Yeah, But She's All No"

[Guest red_file]

That's a great one too.

 

Another of my favorites is "Still Fighting It" set to Dragonball Z dealing with the relationships between fathers and sons on that show.

[Guest EricMM]

My favorite Anime Music Vids:

 

FLCL with Radiohead "My Iron Lung"

FLCL with Nine Inch Nails "Perfect Drug"

X with VAST "Touched"

 

lesse...

 

Ranma 1/2 with Madonna "Material Girl"

Irresponsable Capt. Tyler with MxPx "Responsability"