Cowboy Bebop

[NineTailsKitsu]

Originally posted by: masamuneehs
The music is what always stood out for me. Just about every episode title paying homage to some band/song. That and all the sometimes not so subtle references to other films/genres that they make.

ie. (wow I've watched this anime way too many times...)
Asteroid Blues - Desperado (also, Spike wears a shawl almost identical to 'The Man with No Name')
Stray Dog Strut - Game of Death (a Bruce Lee movie where the villian was played by Kareem Abdul Jabar).
the Charlie Parker references in 'Honky Tonk Woman'. (also some Escaflowne art used in this episode)
Gateway Shuffle - PETA.
Ballad of Fallen Angels - John Woo films, particularly 'The Killer'
Heavy Metal Queen - has a Woody Allen 'cameo'
Waltz for Venus - 'On Dangerous Ground'
Toys in the Attic - Aliens. (also some 2001: space Odessey elements)
Jupiter Jazz - no direct homage that I could find here... but I always got a feeling this 2-parter had a general 'blues' feel to it.
My funny Valentine - (several references, Star Trek and Lupin III)
Black Dog Seranade - tribute to film noir, especially the flashbacks
Mushroom Samba - Blaxploitian films (tons of Shaft references)
Speak Like a Child - constant references to a Japanese folklore (no, i obviously didn't get this one on my own)
Wild Horses - (the Babe Ruth reference, more Stark Trek stuff)
Pierrot le Fou - Batman the Animated series
Boogy Woogy Feng Shui - old detective films 1930s-50s
Cowboy Funk - more spaghetti western references than you can shake a stick at.
Brain Scratch - Serial Experiments Lain
Real Folk Blues - John Woo tributes

Obviously I didn't get all of these references the first time I watched this show but between me and my friends (one of whom actually compiled a great Cowboy Bebop website http://www.jazzmess.com/ ) we watched and re-watched until the remote controller broke (no joke, we broke the fucking remote control. but thats cuz some dumbass dropped it into a glass of soda...)

I love this show to death. I've always thought it would make a great live-action too.

You missed two, just from looking at the list:

Bohemian Rhapsody-Well known song written by Queen.

Sympathy for the Devil-Rolling stones hit.

Although even I don't know them all. You and your friend definitely are die-hard fans.

[masamuneehs]

i thought it was fairly obvious what the titles were alluding to... I always hated that there are so many title references to the Rolling Stones (Honkey Tonk Woman, Jamming with Edward, Wild Horses, Sympathy, maybe even more...) but only one for Led Zeppelin (Black Dog Seranade) and NONE for Pink Floyd, the Beatles (tho they get other tributes), Miles Davis (and tons of other big jazz/blues musicians), Hendrix etc etc. I have always thought the Stones were quite overrated...

'Sympathy for the Devil' would have worked so much better as 'Voodoo Child'. Wild Horses could have been 'Learning to Fly' or 'Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun'.

In that list I was mostly referring to styles used, themes used, characters used and other tributes that are rampant in Bebop.

[NineTailsKitsu]

I agree with you on the point that they could have used other references to better bands. However, I think it was more or less they're attempt at paying homage to usual Japanese favorites (that being flamboyant bands) which is why I'm fairly suprised Zeppelin, David Bowey, or Kiss for that matter were'nt referenced. But, it could also have been because of the limited number of episodes. Or they could have justed used the first things they thought of to reference, akin to Cromartie.

[Ryllharu]

I agree that the Stones are overrated, their only really good song is Paint it Black. But, you also need to remember that although Zeppelin is a better band, their overall style doesn't really fit with the Bebop image. Zeppelin is more laid back and psychedelic, which the laid back aspect of is already filled with the Blues and Jazz selections. Bebop doesn't give off too psychedelic a vibe (Mushroom Samba most notably). Same reason there's not any Pink Floyd. Cowboy Bebop is described by a very specific genre. A broad set of styles fit into it, and a lot of bands from those same styles don't fit into it. It's like an upbeat blues (contradictory, I know).

NineTails is right though, the names wouldn't mean a whole lot if the Japanese hadn't heard of them.

On renaming Wild Horses, I don't think anything else other than Wild Horses is really appropriate. The whole eps is about how the Swordfish is a fickle machine, not really ever fully cooperative when it needs to be. It is an untamed horse. That's what I got out of it anyway.

[XanBcoo]

Originally posted by: NineTailsKitsu
I agree with you on the point that they could have used other references to better bands. However, I think it was more or less they're attempt at paying homage to usual Japanese favorites (that being flamboyant bands) which is why I'm fairly suprised Zeppelin, David Bowey, or Kiss for that matter were'nt referenced..

I'm quite suprised Kiss wasn't referenced at all either (or at least, none that I could see). Especially since Watanabe has listed that band as one of the biggest influences in his life before.

As far as Zepplin references go, you could always list the "stairway to heaven" reference in Mushroom Samba [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img].

[Jadugar]

Ahh Cowboy Bebop. That bring back memories.

I can still remember Spike words : "Julia is dead, lets end it all".

Spike is the definition of COOL.

[dragonrage]

cowboy bebop is one of the best anime i have ever seen its one of the reasons i was interested in adultswim and toonami. haven't seen the subbed version but dubb was amazing

budweineken i believe that julia was spikes girl friend first and i believe that the reason why vicious hated her i becuase she betrayed the organization when spike wanted to leave if i remember correctly there was a set up to kill spike and she was suppose to be the bait and after that situation they split up cause spike was badly wounded(lost his eye), she left i think becuase she was confuse and she felt guilty and vicious was as cold as ever continued his quest for power. i think

i am not sure what the per existing relationship between spike, julia and vicious was other that they both work for the same organization and the are kick ass. i beliweve that she was there to keep an eye on spike becuase i think they didn't think that he would be faithful to the org. but the fell in love with each other.

btw my favorite episode was the last it was the best ending for that anime i can't ever imagine anything better. what was yours?

edit1. Jadugar you are sooo freaking right. just thinking back it raises my spirits..... i think is time i watch that series again it been far to long and too awsome not to watch it again

[Augury]

I was browsing through amv.org again and came across an action + James Bond themed Cowboy Bebop AMV made in 2003. I thought was good enough to link to for those that haven't seen it:

Cowboy Bebop 007

[animus]

At the end of episode 5, the girl Valentine, i forget her name gets called over by an injured Spike. And Spike whispers in her ear, tone deaf. Then she gets real angry and pounds him in? What does it mean? What significance does this have, and why did she get mad?

[masamuneehs]

lol, i always thought that was a weird way to end the scene, but after seeing it so many times, I read it as this:

Spike's just gotten his ass kicked all the way down Memory Lane by Vicious (2nd best segment in the whole damn show btw) and his gang, and his thrown-through-stained-glass induced slumber is full of dreams about the old days, Julia and Vicious.

He remembers the tune that Julia used to hum, a good memory. And when he wakes up he has Faye, his current interest doing something similar. But he notices that Faye's singing just isn't as sweet as Julia's (representative of their whole failed relationship, as Faye can never replace Julia in Spike's eyes) and calls her tone deaf.

She is probably really starting to fall for him at this point (he did come risk his life for her at that church...), and gets angry. She sees he doesn't feel the same for her and gets pissed, smacks him and stalks off, a scene that is really a pretty good example of their whole relationship.

ah i love that show...

[animus]

Hehe, I just started watching it. I've watched many many anime, but I just got around to Cowboy Bebop now. I didn't realize Faye was singing to Spike? Hmm, maybe I should rewatched it a bit. Seeing their personalities, does their love ever flourish, or develop throughout the anime?

[Munsu]

This is not how a 2004 thread about an awesome series should come back to 2009.
It feels wrong.

You're right. Moving this discussion to this thread:
http://forums.gotwoot.net/showthread.php?t=16850