Cowboy Bebop is undoubtedly one of the most well-known and iconic anime ever produced, notably being the first anime ever shown on Adult Swim. Featuring a blend of science fiction, Westerns and noir mystery fiction, the anime oozes style and flash in a way that opened international viewers' eyes to what anime could be about.
Cowboy Bebop is still highly regarded for its storytelling, world, characters and acclaimed soundtrack, so those who've still never seen it should finally get on board. The franchise also has two far less known manga, both of which add to the story in some way. With a live-action Netflix adaptation on the way, here's a rundown of what Cowboy Bebop is about and how to get into it.
What Is Cowboy Bebop About?
The story of Cowboy Bebop is set fifty years from now in the year 2071, with the Earth having long since been made uninhabitable. Humanity has since taken to colonizing other planets and moons for habitation, with a system being put into place by the Inter Solar System Police to allow bounty hunters (called cowboys) to bring in wanted crooks from throughout the galaxy.
The protagonists are cowboys who travel the stars on the spaceship Bebop, gallivanting from one world to the next on missions after being left broke from other ones. The crew includes Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, Edward and the dog Ein, all of whom have their own histories and backstories. These mysterious pasts continually come back to haunt them in their adventures, as Spike's life in particular increasingly threatens him and his crew.
Despite its often fun and even comedic tone, Cowboy Bebop has many different themes and concepts at its core. This stems mainly from its blend of genres, as the science fiction Western blends elements of cyberpunk and space opera.
Where to Read the Cowboy Bebop Manga
Although it's best known for the anime, Cowboy Bebop actually has not one, but two different manga. The first of these is Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star, which has ten chapters collected within two manga volumes. This manga is a reimagining of the show's events that changes Edward to actually being a male character. The series began publication right before the anime came out, so it's theoretically the first entry in the franchise.
The second manga, simply called Cowboy Bebop, features more standalone stories featuring the familiar cast, with the stories' titles homaging popular songs. Sadly, both of the manga are increasingly rare nowadays, this due in part to being early Tokyopop publications. Some of the volumes can still be found for somewhat reasonable prices on Amazon, however.
Where to Watch the Cowboy Bebop Anime
The biggest form of Cowboy Bebop media is of course the original anime TV series, which was initially released in 1998 and produced by Sunrise. A few years later, it would be brought to the West via Adult Swim, where its popularity would see it be rerun for four years afterward. Its English dub was particularly praised by viewers and critics, which helped to push the show and anime in general into a more mainstream light.
The 26-episode classic can currently be watched in a variety of ways. It's available on Hulu and the Adult Swim app, while Amazon Prime Video allows users to purchase the entire series in individual episodes or as a whole digitally. It's also recently been announced that it will again be available on Netflix, coinciding with their upcoming live-action remake of the series.
There was also a movie set between the 22nd and 23rd episodes of the show, although this is not currently available to stream anywhere. It can, however, be purchased from retailers such as Amazon and Right Stuf Anime, as can DVDs and Blu-rays of the TV series. With the show coming out soon, now is the best time to rewatch the old show or finally check out what all the hype is about.
