"BANG!" One could say this is the shot heard round the world in the medium of anime and pop culture as a whole.
Cowboy Bebop has been a hallmark of anime since its inception in the 90's and has gone down in history as one of the finest works of art to have been put out for the genre.
When I first watched the show I had asked myself, "How is this space, jazz, western with guns and martial arts suppossed to affect me emotionally?", that was when I learned what truly separated Cowboy Bebop from the pack. The characters. The characters are a big reasonas to why an outrageous plot about space bounty hunters getting stuck in slice of life-esque stories seems to succeed so well. Through the main characters in the show we are able to truly see the complex and mature themes that the 26 episode run is trying to convey to us in a stylistic and musical way. The main theme that is going to be discussed here is the idea of running from and ultimately confronting your past.
Each character on the ship, the Bebop, has a past they are running from and they all deal with/confront it differently. Through this analysis we will see how each one deals with their own issues and the lessons that can be gained from it. One could say they each have their own paths they take to cope with it.
Jet Black
Now in the series Jet has always been the voice of reason and understanding amongst the crew of the Bebop. Not without a checkered past of his own, this ex-cop turned bounty hunter was abandonded and betrayed by everything and everyone he loved and cared for. Because of this he may in fact be the guiding light to the rest of the crew by showing; "Everything will be okay if you allow it to.", should they choose to listen, of course. Jet makes a point of facing his past every day he looks in the mirror and to learn from it.
His path? To stare your problems in the face and use them make you and others better people.
Faye Valentine
Faye is a very special case in the series. She is seen, through the course of the series running from her issues with a very devil may care attitude. Faye is the only character in the main crew that actually wants to run TO her past. In her case, the past yields answers that she was yearning for. Once she had them she was confortable staying in her fabricated haven. The problem with that is the present will never truly allow that and Faye learns that while her past is buried she can forge a future with her new family on the Bebop.
Her path? To remember who you were so you can make the right decisions of who you WILL be.
Edward
Edward or "Radical Edward", in her computer hacking circle, landed in the lap of the Bebop crew with hardly any warning. She helped the Bebop throughout the majority of the series without us having an inkling of who she even was! It isn't until the end of the series that we find out that Ed has a past and ultimately she makes her own decision not due to baggage, like the rest of the crew, but because she wanted to. It is because of this that we now understand Ed was not running from anything but instead simply running. She went where the road took her without any worries of what she would find.
Her path? Live your life and let nothing hold you back. It all works out for you in the end.
Spike Speigel
In saving the best for last, we come to the main protagonist, and in my opinion, the most relatable character of the series, Spike. The dapper, laid back, main bread winner of the Bebop. What makes Spike so down to earth and easy to follow as a character? Simply put, he makes it a habit of opting to not handle his issues. He would rather acknowledge its existence and see where life leads him; in the opposite direction. He may die overheating in a spaceship or riddled with bullets by a bounding man with a feline phobia but in the end he simply does not care......or does he?
In the middle of the series we hear Spike utter the infamous "Bang" to a harmonica thrown in the air. This symbolized that he doesnt really believe that we never really escape our past. He would rather laugh in its face and keep getting bounties.
Yet, by the end of the series the last line uttered, not in defiance, but in understanding is "bang". Why? Spike's path is shown that even when you have nothing left to lose, you can still face the past that haunts you and finally stand up to it. Because you can't run forever.
Cowboy Bebop in itself is a story rife with thematic elements and lessons that you will find no matter how many times you watch it. The best part, to me, is each time you can interpret things in any way you want. It is a new experience every time.
That being said; this was my personal experience on the show and may completely differ from yours. That is the beauty of it. As we grow through our lives we make many decisions that shape our future; when the time comes for us to face it.....Which path will you take?
Until next time.....Bang.