Number 15
86 Points, 5 of 18 lists, #4 Pak Man & Quirk
I think it’s time we blow this thing. Get everyone and the stuff together. OK, three, two, one, let’s jam!
The PremiseSpike Speigel, a former criminal. Jet Black, a retired police officer. Faye Valentine, a femme fatale living with massive debt. Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV, a brilliant and somewhat feral computer hacker. Ein, a genetically enhanced “data dog”. Together, they form the crew of the Bebop, a gang of interplanetary bounty hunters looking for their next big score, finding themselves in scenarios that span a wide range of genres, both dramatic and musical.
Great Episode Cowboy FunkOne of the wackier episodes, Cowboy Funk revolves around a mad bomber and two bounty hunters: Spike and “Cowboy Andy”, a self-proclaimed cowboy bounty hunter who’s skills match Spike’s. What begins as a simple competition goes way too far to the point where the mad bomber gets ignored (much to his annoyance). A fun episode that takes full advantage of the fun, dynamic animation that made this show stand out (along with the music, the characters and the style).
Big Ideas On the quieter side of things is a bleak, thoughtful and eerie episode “Brain Scratch”. When the Bebop decide to go after a cult leader who is convincing people to kill themselves, they find it difficult to find him. Some say he has transcended his mortal form, but the truth is more sinister… and more tragic. An episode that deals very well with religion and the human fear of death, this is episode (probably inspired by the Aum Shinrikyo cult responsible for the sarin gas attacks of the mid-90’s) is smart cyberpunk.