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It All Began in Space, I Mean JapanOn April 3, 1998, a Japanese broadcast network premiered Cowboy Bebop. In video stores that same year, Cowboy Bebop premiered on video. The difference between the television broadcast and the OVA was the fact that only 13 episodes of the series aired on broadcast televison, (twelve sessions [the way the episodes were arranged] and a special edition splicing elements from the series that hasn't appeared on video nor aired in the US) aired while the remaining 14 were video-only. When it appeared on cable television courtesy of the popular pay-tv outlet WOWOW (Think a Japanese equivalent to HBO with original programming and recent blockbuster films), all of episodes, with the exception of the broadcasted thirteenth episode, aired in order.At first, nobody knew what to make of it. Afterall, the series had a lot of English in the titles and in the series, and only a fraction of the residents in Japan actually speak English. But people caught on in a big way. This series wasn't product-intensive like many anime shows are today. Sure, there were artbooks, scrolls, busts, and posters spawning from the series, but Cowboy Bebop was skewered more towards older audiences, not kids, which many popular anime series in Japan, like Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, Slayers, and countless others were aimed towards. Bebop has a lot of adult overtones that couldn't be shown in kid-friendly periods. Well, the bulk of the non-broadcasted episodes. Most of the episodes that originally aired on broadcast television in Japan were actually the lighter-toned episodes, and youngsters actually found themselves watching Bebop. Many of the broadcast episodes basically personified what the series was about, a rip-roaring good time and a spirited adventure. The mixture of fun-filled episodes and dramatic, moody episodes has made Cowboy Bebop a perfect series. Not only does it attract young audiences, but it also attracts an older crowd. Sheer perfection and a perfect balance. When the series was comedic, particularly the interaction of the main characters, it was very comedic. When Edward found a lot of mushrooms in Mushroom Samba, she tested the ill effects of them on her fellow crewmates. The results were hilarious. Andy, the literal cowboy bounty hunter in Cowboy Funk, was as clueless as he was funny, even having the teddy bear bomber feeling very neglected, as Spike paid more attention to Andy than he did him. When the series was dramatic, it was very dramatic. The moment that Faye got a first look of her past life courtesy of a mysterious package in Speak Like a Child, and later coming back to a familiar place in Hard Luck Woman. The battles between Spike and Vicious, which came to a heart-stopping climax in The Real Folk Blues. The insane battle Spike had with Pierrot La Fou. The stories were very intense from beginning to end, and they're a major reason why Cowboy Bebop is such an awesome series. And since a great story is one part of the winning equation, let's take a look at another part, namely the music!
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