Cowboy Bebop (TV Series) The Real Folk Blues: Part 1 (1999) User Reviews

Everyone was too excited for Part 2 and had no time to review this episode

[viktorymaxwell · 10/10 · 26 September 2021]

I also have no time for a review. Sorry, have to watch the finale.

Clarity within Conflict

[liammc-73274 · 10/10 · 4 July 2022]

There's a melancholic clarity to almost every scene of this two-part finale. After living with each other for so long, each remaining member of the Bebop crew has an unspoken understanding of the others' motives and ideals. As Spike's past rears its ugly head, both Jet and Faye come to grips with the decision that he will ultimately make. Both make futile attempts to convince him to abandon it, but they know the pull will prove too much for him to resist. The clarification and acknowledgement of loose ends are really what this episode serves to convey. The tracks we hear in this episode are few and far between, but all heighten its introspective/reflective quality. It really sets a bleak foundation for an indescribably beautiful finale, while still being incredibly entertaining in its own right. Just as they've always been, the action scenes are electric and the dialogue is simultaneously slick and layered. There's an unmatched beauty in the purity of this episode, setting up one of the best finales to any anime I've ever seen!

Stunning.

[bharrisdenver · 10/10 · 22 October 2022]

To sum it up in one word, this episode is stunning. The 4th episode in the Vicious arc (after Ballad of Fallen Angels, along with Jupiter Jazz parts I and II), this episode picks right up on the tension we last felt when Spike encountered Vicious in "Ballad", but the depth of the rivalry between Spike and Vicious becomes ever more clear thanks to the events of Jupiter Jazz. This is where all those elements finally converge, and we get to see where the road takes us on the journey to Spike's conclusion.

And let's not get this wrong - this is a Spike-centric episode. Jet, the only remaining member of Bebop, serves a support role. Faye visits for a scene and is even less prevalent than Jet. This feels fine, however, as the previous episode did a nice job of finalizing a few story arcs, and nothing feels unresolved. This is the moment we've been waiting for.

This episode, in particular, is pure tension. There's a little bit of action, but the violence serves a narrative purpose to add even more to the already existing tension, as he finally consolidates power. While the second part of this episode is absolutely legendary, and should be considered so, it wouldn't have succeeded the way it did without the masterful set-up job this episode did for it.