Cowboy Bebop
LIGHT 7.
although *Cowboy Bebop is SUAVE from the very first episode (marked by the fantastic music, agile animation, and sci-fi homages), the show STRUGGLES to find its footing in DEVELOPING the cast.
but i think that works to the show’s benefit. the cast ISN’T one-dimensional, but they’re RELUCTANT to CHANGE — and, at first, that’s annoying. but the show makes sure to emphasize to its audience that IT DELIBERATELY CHOOSES to give their characters SLOW growth.
and that’s super realistic, you know? most people aren’t willing to change for others, and those who are willing SHOULDN’T, because no one should never change who they are SOLELY to please someone else.
and so, these characters make a revelation, ONLY to return to their bad habits. in other words, they continue to struggle (specifically with their pasts) DESPITE their revelations. spike’s obsessing, jet’s hauntings, faye’s seeking, and ed’s forgetting.
it’s undeniable that this show’s quite ideologically DENSE (there’s even an episode about religion, i’ll talk about it in the comments). but the show ISN’T ideologically poignant, because these comments on the past are all things that i’ve ALREADY discovered for myself — and yet, Cowboy Bebop* IS poignant (in a roundabout way) beacuse it reminded me that introspection is the EASY past, but application is HARD.
oh, and the show struggling to find it’s footing? it REALLY shines in its latter half. personal favorites were EPISODE 19: WILD HORSES and EPISODE 22: COWBOY FUNK. i KNOW this show hits harder on the rewatch.