Cowboy Bebop, 2nd Session (Episodes 6-10)

Amazon.com

The popular anime series Cowboy Bebop is one of the few Blade Runner spin-offs that pays off big dividends. The Cowboy Beboppers are free-spirited bounty hunters who roam the solar system looking for criminals. Told in 25-minute episodes, this very different anime series has the stuff many shows lack: a strong vision, intriguing plots, and tantalizing back-stories. In this second session (episodes 6-10), we begin to learn some of the history of our hero, Spike, his right-hand man, Jet, and even the gloomy story behind the fate of the charred Earth. Episodes include a run-in with a deadly child prodigy, a trucker tale, a curious trip to the terraformed Venus, where a loner seeks to learn from Spike. There's also a tale of Jet's old flame, and the introduction of the crew's latest member--a computer hacker named Ed. Gorgeously drawn and fueled by cool music--often counterpointing the action--Cowboy Bebop is too good (and accessible) for just anime fans. (Ages 12 and older) --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

Just great story-line and production.......2006-03-16

This is perhaps one of my favorite Asian exports. The second session has such strong episodes, outlining things to come and bringing depth to some of the side characters. I think that the best part of a story is giving you things to relate to and these storys are full of that.

With plot twists, foreshadowing, and a new character, you can't go wrong. Pick up the fist session and continue with this one. You won't be sorry you did.

Worth the Hype.......2004-10-15

Cowboy Bebop has a reputation as one of the best animes out there. Thankfully for everyone, it lives up to that reputation. In Session 2 more of the permanent cast is added and there's plenty of action.

In Sympathy for the Devil, Spike has a run in with a creepy kid who seems to have some serious things wrong with him. This episode is a mystery and what would be considered a typical episode of Bebop at its finest.

Heavy Metal Queen is a sweet and adventurous piece with Spike and Faye trying to capture a bounty all while Spike has a hangover. There are some funny moments in this one and some memorable minor characters.

Waltz For Venus is a beautiful story of family and the sacrifices a person will make for that. It also has a thing or two to say about what we consider "bad" and "good" and the reasoning behind both.

Jamming With Edward adds the irrepressible Ed to the crew of the Bebop. While trying to find out why a satellite has gone rogue, the galaxy's greatest computer hacker has a run in with Spike and crew.

Ganymede Elegy is a Jet centric episode where he deals with a woman from his past. It ties up some loose ends with Jet and gives him a background.

Cowboy Bebop is at heart about dealing with one's past and the mistakes that have been made. That theme resonates soundly through all these episodes.

Cowboy Bebop's The Best Series on TV.......2004-04-25

Cowboy Bebop's awesome. There isn't much to say, but BUY THIS DVD. Buy the complete sessions, Cowboy Bebop is defenately my favorite anime.

Second to none..........2003-10-21

The second session of the CB series has many merits, and only one slight stinker of an episode. I'm fair and honest in my reviews, meaning that if something sucks, I'll say so (and have quite a few times).

6: Sympathy for the Devil: The best non-Spike oriented episode of Bebop, great plot and reflections of human nature.

7: Heavy Metal Queen: Yoko Kanno shows exactly how much talent she has with this episode, making a perfect parady of an 80's heavy metal tune (very cool). Otherwise, a normal (of course good) episode.

8: Waltz for Venus: I don't really know what to say about this episode. It's awesome, but I can't really say why. Take a look and you tell me.

9: Jamming with Edward: Ed-isode, where the little girl hacker is introed. Since I hate Ed (but realize that she's sometimes needed for comic relief), I'm not a real good judge of this episode.

10: Ganymede Elegy: Jet-isode, the first of few, where the crew goes to Ganymede to turn in a bounty, and Jet must deal with his past (has and interesting foreshadowing of when Spike must deal with his past, at the end of the series)

The extras on this DVD are good, because you get to see the creator's and Yoko Kanno's (songwriter/composer) interviews. It's a little wierd, though. In Japan, they like to have just the interviewee's face filling the entire screen (my friend and I were once making fun like one of said interviewees would get the up-the-nose cam).

"Hyperspace is the black line between the frames".......2003-01-28

This seconds CD presents more of what made the first collection a hit. Fast-paced plots full of space battles, fights, and dirty dealing. Faye has moved into the Bebop and with three people and a Corgi to feed, the can du jour is usually dog food. With Faye's exotic tastes the crew again get deep in situations that a sane bounty hunter would never touch. Ninety-year-old pre-adolescents who play a mean harp, mysterious lady truck drivers, and hackers from hell set the pace. As usual, the Bebop may get the guy, but more often than not, they don't get the reward.

Jet Black, in an introduction to episode #8 describes this story of a bad guy who almost makes it back to good as a 'change of pace.' The truth is that one can say the same thing for all the episodes. The overall themes are still light, although several times stronger, more emotional contexts come into play. The apparent villains are often not the real villains, and the little character insights probe deeper than before. Especially in Jet Black's case.

Episode #9 introduces Radical Edward - 'Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky the fourth' who is a change of pace all by herself. Ed is a 13-year-old super hacker who decides that the Bebop is her key to exciting adventure. When Spike, Jet, and Faye come into Earth on what they think is a vacation, the get hooked into tracking down the hacker who used a battery of space lasers to indulge in a bit of terrestrial finger-painting. This gets them all tangles up with Ed, and, to quote the crazy woman with the remote control, 'Ooh La La!!'

Amazon.com

The past comes back to haunt each of the characters in the sixth installment of the popular noir sci-fi adventure. In "Brain Scratch," Faye is drawn into an eerie cult that promises electronic immortality and an end to worldly cares. Director Shinichiro Watanabe juxtaposes flashy television graphics with gritty, gray reality, as Ed hacks a path to the truth. Next, Faye and Ed confront different yet linked pasts in "Hard Luck Woman." Ed (who turns out to be a girl) finds her long-lost father; Faye learns she can't go back to the world she knew before a devastating accident. The two-part epsiode "Real Folk Blues" returns to the saga of Julia, the woman Spike once loved, who appeared in "Jupiter Jazz" (episodes 12 and 13). The icy Vicious's attempt to take over the Red Dragon mob draws Spike and Julia into a deadly web of revenge.

"Real Folk Blues" marks the end of Cowboy Bebop, arguably the most stylish and sophisticated anime series in recent years. This last adventure will leave viewers with the same sense of loss they experienced when the first Star Wars trilogy ended. Although no further television episodes are planned, a feature is in the works. Fans can look forward to seeing their favorite Space Cowboy in the not-too-distant future.

Not rated: suitable for ages 13 and up for nudity, violence, adult situations, and unflattering ethnic characterizations. --Charles Solomon

Description

The shocking conclusion! Spike is still on the trail of the woman of his dreams, his old girlfriend Julia. When he finds her, what will the future hold? And Spike and Vicious are reunited one last time. How will it all end?

Customer Reviews:

BEBOP REMIX-VIDEO QUALITY.......2006-01-17

This is (also) a review of the REMIX VERSIONS. I won't go into the awesomeness of Cowboy Bebop other than to say that it is the best anime series ever, I'd even call it one of the best television shows ever!

While it has been universally noted on various postings about the remix versions that the sound is significantly better than the original sessions, there are multiple varying reviews on the PICTURE QUALITY. Some say there is no difference at all, some say it's a bit better, some say it's a lot better, all say they have "checked" both versions. Well, I took it a step further. I watched both versions side by side on an Avid Nitris Professional video editing system with high definition high resolution (HDHR) monitors and here is the DEFINITIVE ANSWER. There is a difference, they lightened it and did a very slight color correction. Basically, the old versions were a bit dark and some of the detail went unnoticed while the remix versions are lighter and there is more visible detail and color. In terms of viewing expeirience this means that a majority of the scenes look noticibly (if marginally) better. There are certain scenes, however, where the lightness works against it. Some of the more noirish scenes look a bit bleedy. Overall I would say that there is a difference in video quality and that the difference is mostly an improvement. But, even to the die hard fan the difference is negligible.

If you don't own the originals, if they're scratched, if you're a huge fan, if you have an awesome theatre system with good surround, or if you have a crappy small tv and can't see the detail in the image, GET THE REMIX. If not, while they are cool, they're not worth the $30 a pop.

When i say "the best" i mean it.......2005-06-25

This is incredible. period. The way its ends leaves you feeling, almost not satified.

Let me explain.

By the time you are at this point, hopefully you have seen the first 5 DVDs. Brain Scratch is awesome, but the last 3 episodes are what really gets you.

Hard luck women is when Ed and Faye leave. You get a sense that the series is coming to an end, and honestly, you can't wait to see the last two episodes but you can't help the fact that you'd wish the series would never end.

Real Folk Blues is rediculously good. The best. The best episodes of the series, but actually the worst because when it's over. it's over. The way it ends leave wanting more. It leaves you feeling sad, it just leaves you speechless. The music that couples with the ending is the best ending of anything iI've ever seen on TV. Only 1 video game can beat that ending as well.

This show is the best by far. It makes you want more. But at the same time, let's be honest. If they made more of Cowboy Bebop, would it really still have the same feeling?? We all loved it because of the first impression the show made.

But, all in all, ITS THE BEST EVER!!

It's the truth,.......2005-04-22

Now I know alot of people have written reviews absolutly praising this series, saying things like "incredible", "remarkable", and "best series ever". But there is a reason they say those things, it is good, very good. I could go on about the great stories, excellent writing, outstanding voice acting, and the soundtrack (which has become one of my favorite of all time), but I should really focus on this session. Session 6 contain four solid episodes. But the final pair, "The Real Folk Blues" part one and two, stand out as two of the finest in this already great series. First I should point out that before I saw this show, I had the firm belif that anime was for kids alone, and couldent really tell a "grown-up" story. And honestly, who could blame me. For every "Cowboy Bebop", "Jin-Roh", and "Ghost in the Shell", we have there's about a thousand "Yu-Gi-Oh!s", "Hello Kittys", and (shudder) "Pokemons". American TV is saturated with so many cheaply produced kiddy oriented "animes" that I coulden't really develope an opinion to the contrary, until a good friend of mine started showing me some of his collection of 'the good stuff' and changed my mind. It is not all for kids (honestly, I'd love to see them show "Neon Genesis Evangelion or "Excel Saga" on Fox Kids and see what happens.) and "The Real Folk Blues" should finalize that opnion for anyone who'se followed the series so far. "The Real Folk Blues" stands as one of the most violent episodes in the series (along with "Jupiter Jazz", "Pierre le Fou", and "Waltz for Venus") and brings to a close the story of Spike's self-imposed exile from his criminal past. As well as his ongoing search for Julia, the mysterious love he left behind. I don't want to ruin the ending for anyone so I won't go into detail. But I will say as much as this; the closing theme "Blue" by Yoko Kanno ends the episode (and the series) perfectly. Also, pay attenion to the lyrics as they apply to the final scene, they add so much to the emotional intensity of the end. To quote the final line of the series "bang!", bang indeed.

A Review Of The "Kid's" Review By "King" Of The Killer 7.......2004-11-15

First and foremost, the person who wrote the review is a kid and probably thinks that Dragon Ball Z is the greatest anime show ever created. Which to that I say, "Ha"! With this being the case this "kid" should stop watching anime all together. Especially if he or she cannot appreciate great anime, so maybe you're better off watching Spongebob Squarepants. Even though that's not anime it's probably more the "Kid's" speed. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to bash anyone. But posting this kid's review twice was just stupid.
Now for a real review on the sixth session, this is the ultimate wrap-up of a great series. I don't want to spoil anything for the people who haven't seen this series yet. So I can't go into get detail about this session. But I will say that everything comes to a head: the relationship between Spike, Julia, and Vicious, what Ed is going to do with the rest of her life, the faith of the Red Dragon, and of course you can't forget about Faye and Jet. Session 26 is truly a great ending, one of the best ever seen in an anime series.
I just want to tell everyone when it comes to being an anime fan there are a few animes that are mandatory to view, they are: 1. Cowboy Bebop 2. Trigun 3. Vampire Hunter D 4. GTO 5. Bastard! 6. Pet Shop Of Horrors 7. Kenshin(OVA)
One last thing, you don't have to see "Akira" to be an anime fan. That movie is just a waste of time and it just sucks. See HaloKillah's Review.

can you say .......2004-10-30

Cowboy bebop is one of the most overrated animes around, i wacthed all 26 episodes of one of the most boring and pointless things ever created. i think that the reason why this is so popular is because many people are considered "cool" for being a fan of this gay show, all of the anime geeks love this show. how is it that a show w/ no plot can be so popular? basically, 90% of the episodes in this serise are random encounters that have nothing to do w/ anything or follow a story line, only the episodes that involve vishious/spikes past do that, and there are only 4 or 5 of those amoung 20+ filler episodes. cowboy bebop is like the seinfeld of anime, just a lame (...) show about a bunch of freinds in a story w/ no direction that goes absolutly no where and leaves you feeling empty at the end (which bebop did), although seinfeld was better then this. another thing is that this show is the reason now that all of the new animes are obtrosiously mixing cg w/ animation, which just ruins it all. anyway, don't fall into the mindless retard mass cult mentality of actaully thinking this shoe is good.

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