Anime often gets a bad rep and is seen by many to be kinda cringe (its easy to see why). But like it or not Anime is huge. First making its way across from Japanese shores to western audiences with Astroboy in the 1960’s, Anime has had an enormous impact on western media with television series such as Dragon-ball Z, Pokemon and Naruto. These shows were and still are, global phenomenons. The popularity of these shows brought a major demand for more anime and demands were met. Although the quality of these shows varied. Although one in particular has always been classed as one that surpasses most anime, and breaks the stereotypes and cliches of the medium. That show is Cowboy Bebop.
The show’s premise is set in a distant future where police have lost grasp on crime and a bounty hunting system has been implemented. We follow a group of bounty hunters (Spike, Jet, Faye, Ed, and Ein) who go on various adventures and try to cope with the struggles of their lives and their troubled pasts.
In the 20 years since its debut, Cowboy Bebop has been considered by many to be one of (if not) the best anime of all time, and is usually recommended as a great starting off point for anime. Actors like Robin Williams and Keanu Reeves (Who’s even tried to get a live adaptation produced with himself cast as Spike Spiegal) have expressed their love for the show. But why is Cowboy Bebop a global success?
There are many factors that contributed to the success of Cowboy Bebop (the soundtrack being a big one). One of them being the show’s style. The setting is otherworldly, yet has a sense of familiarity to most audiences. It does this by taking inspiration not only from Japanese culture, but western culture as well. Every episode is constantly brimming with pop culture references that range from music, literature, television, other anime, and cinema. Cinema being a major contributor to the shows style. Director Shinichiro Watanabe mixes genre of film that range from westerns like Desperado and A Fistful of Dollars, to science fiction such as Alien and Blade Runner to film noir like The Third Man, and even blaxploitation cinema, that all contribute to the shows characteristics. This hybrid of styles keeps things fresh and interesting in its short 26 episode series span. A quote from an essay written by Anthony Minghella on Cowboy Bebop’s style gives a great example of what I’m saying. “a stylish blend of traditional Japanese anime with the sensibilities of American Westerns and the foreboding themes of 1930s film noir, set to a moody, often innovative jazz score.” (Minghella, 2006).
Watanabe chose this approach because he didn’t want to limit his work to one genre. By combining genres, themes and elements of particular works he enjoyed, he created a work that had something for everyone while also keeping the show original and enjoyable. For example, One episode titled ‘Toys in the Attic’, is a homage to Ridley Scott’s Alien and borrows heavily from the themes and structure of that movie. Its elements like these that made Cowboy Bebop such a success.
I think to sum up why Cowboy Bebop has been as successful as it is, is that it’s a love letter to pop culture. It combined elements from so many different mediums and created something totally original. One of the title cards for the shows pretty much sums up what i’m trying to say. ‘The work, which becomes a new genre itself, will be called… ‘Cowboy Bebop.’
Academic Source-
Minghella, A, 2006, ‘”The Work Which Becomes a New Genre Itself:” Textual Networks in the World of Cowboy Bebop’ https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=7&sid=26f04ec3-8ad6-4dc1-afe5-74adc1b5260c%40sessionmgr4007 [2 September 2019]
Mitch's blog 