The Real Folk Blues
Jeff Harris, Absolution Station #1 (reedited August 2004)
cowboy - n. An outlaw, one who is unconventional or rebellious
bebop - n. jazz characterized by harmonic complexity, convoluted melodic lines, and constant shifting of accent and often played at very rapid tempos
Cowboy Bebop - n. An animated series originating from Japan that blends harmonic complexity and unconventional characters with smooth, melodic beats and a definite "western" sound.
In April 1998, the world was introduced to a unique anime series. This wasn't your average anime series with the cliche situations. No magical girls in school outfits. No super-muscled alien warriors. No ultra-tall mecha units. No superpowered ubervillian. It was a basic drama with a lot of comedic overtones. This is Cowboy Bebop, a very intriguing, eclectic, and exciting series.
This 26-episode is the long strange journey of an ex-hitman-turned-bounty hunter named Spike Spiegel and an eclectic group of fellow outlaws, including a former police officer, a beautiful yet notorious card shark, a strange child prodigy/hacker, and the universe's most expensive dog.
Ever since the series first hit our shores in 1999 courtesy of Bandai Entertainment and Zro Limit Productions (and made its North American television debut on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block on September 2, 2001), Cowboy Bebop has entertained anime fans. Strangely enough, the music, perhaps one of the most important draws to any series, didn't have to be translated much. A majority of the vocal tunes in Bebop, created by a very talented composer named Yoko Kanno, were performed in English (much to the surprise of many purist otakus out there). The score and soundtrack to the series is phenominal, and very westernized, much like the original Western music form which seemed to inspire the series in general, jazz. All sorts of fans have flocked to the exciting, thrilling, and awe-inspiring adventures of the crew of the Bebop. People are excited about Cowboy Bebop. Sales for the series are very high. Heck, even Cartoon Network publicly stated that they wanted to air the series, only not dramatically edited, a first time a network actually showed respect for such a series. Not only that, but Cowboy Bebop was popular enough to create an interest for a new feature film, Knockin' On Heaven's Door. All of these factors leads me to this question.
What drives many fans to the jazzy beat of Bebop, and why has a 26-episode series like this gathered so much attention throughout the world? Is it the stories? Is it the music? Is it the strange and interesting characters? Or is it all of these traits. Whatever it is, the beat goes on for perhaps one of the jazziest series ever created.
If you want to see where it all began, let's jam!
