Cowboy Bebop is one of the most acclaimed anime out there, especially since it was an early introduction for many fans. Its been running on Adult Swim for a freaking decade! By the time I was watching Saturday night anime, it was only on late. The two episodes I did watch didn't impress me.
Now that I'm older and wiser, I thought I could appreciate it more. Perhaps those two episodes were flukes. But alas, this series just isn't for me. There is some fun action, and the animation is among the best. I love the detailed, realistic sci-fi machinery, settings, and backgrounds. They pulled me halfway through the series before I quit.
But the character and plot of Cowboy Bebop are pretty shallow. The episodes are individual vignettes, so strong writing and characters are needed to hold them up. Instead, we have two-dimensional good guys hunting down one-dimensional bad guys. Our main cast barely develops, even with a few memories pulled up. They're fun, but they get boring after a dozen episodes. As for the side-characters, half of the them are stereotypical thugs, and most of the rest did not have enough time, depth, or personality to connect with me. Plot-wise, I almost always thought "It was alright" instead of "Wow, that was amazing!"
When I first started, I was pretty pumped up. Then I was mildly interested. Then I relegated it to background noise. I have never given an anime more of a chance. I can see why people love it, but I don't see how its well-written. Even at its best, I only thought it was okay. But apparently, that isn't enough, considering even respectful, 5/10 reviews are getting a barrage of downvotes. If sci-fi action + jazz is enough for you, then its fine. But I wouldn't even place it on the Top 100.
Now that I'm older and wiser, I thought I could appreciate it more. Perhaps those two episodes were flukes. But alas, this series just isn't for me. There is some fun action, and the animation is among the best. I love the detailed, realistic sci-fi machinery, settings, and backgrounds. They pulled me halfway through the series before I quit.
But the character and plot of Cowboy Bebop are pretty shallow. The episodes are individual vignettes, so strong writing and characters are needed to hold them up. Instead, we have two-dimensional good guys hunting down one-dimensional bad guys. Our main cast barely develops, even with a few memories pulled up. They're fun, but they get boring after a dozen episodes. As for the side-characters, half of the them are stereotypical thugs, and most of the rest did not have enough time, depth, or personality to connect with me. Plot-wise, I almost always thought "It was alright" instead of "Wow, that was amazing!"
When I first started, I was pretty pumped up. Then I was mildly interested. Then I relegated it to background noise. I have never given an anime more of a chance. I can see why people love it, but I don't see how its well-written. Even at its best, I only thought it was okay. But apparently, that isn't enough, considering even respectful, 5/10 reviews are getting a barrage of downvotes. If sci-fi action + jazz is enough for you, then its fine. But I wouldn't even place it on the Top 100.