Neverending Debates: Is Cowboy Bebop a 7/10?

What score does Cowboy Bebop deserve?

Jul 18, 2019 2:40 AM

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Jun 2016

783

Cowboy Bebop is an anime that needs no introduction for us real anime fans. We all understand the fame and prestige it holds, as well as how important it was for the medium's exposure in the West. There's no debate about these clear-cut facts. But today I wish to bring into question the "quality" of Cowboy Bebop. The series is often labelled a masterpiece and absolute classic of the medium, but maybe those labels are misguided and inaccurate for what the show achieves by its own merit. Is it as remarkable as the fans make it out to be? Or is it another case of nostalgia blinding the community?

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Jul 18, 2019 3:01 AM

AndoCommando

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Jun 2016

783

Correct answer:

Cowboy Bebop is a generally overrated anime that now is mostly famous due to its abundant references for Western pop culture, high-quality OST and well-animated action sequences. However, the show does not offer enough in character development, thematic concepts or a compelling narrative. Instead it opts to value style over substance, a critical flaw as the series stumbles along its episodic storyline with little grace. It ends with a respectable sense of finality, but ultimately Cowboy Bebop is unable to live up to the overblown expectations it bears.

It cannot carry the weight of a true masterpiece.

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Jul 18, 2019 6:58 AM

removed-user

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Jul 2018

564125

what is this shitpost.

Jul 18, 2019 10:13 AM

LIQfilms

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Dec 2013

119

sorry it's a 6/10 because it has an episodic narrative sorry i don't make the rules sorry it has too much rule of cool over story themes and narrative and story

I wanna die.

Jul 18, 2019 3:43 PM

AndoCommando

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Jun 2016

783

LIQfilms said:
sorry it's a 6/10 because it has an episodic narrative sorry i don't make the rules sorry it has too much rule of cool over story themes and narrative and story

Excellent point. Can't believe I didn't mention "rule of cool" beforehand.

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Jul 18, 2019 8:13 PM

Lythelus

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Jan 2016

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Thanks for the shitpost ANDREW

Jul 19, 2019 8:13 PM

AndoCommando

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Lythelus said:
Thanks for the shitpost ANDREW

You're very welcome JONATHAN

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Aug 29, 2019 7:48 PM

DiegoMends

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Sep 2017

Definitely 7/10. Some few great episodes, many average.

The main problem is that 90% of episodes have no narrative continuity or consequences, side characters and past events aren't brought up again and that makes it that much harder to care.

Some people bring the argument "so what? It's episodic, that's supossed to be that way" but here's the thing: some episodics shows are handled better.
If the story is not going to risk making developments longer than the 20 minutes reset limitation, then it's really important that each of these small narratives are great for the show itself be great as a whole, but... they just aren't, they're hit or miss, and binge watching it shows that.

The first episode and some 6 others were truly great, but the remaining 20? Most of them were either "boring" or "okay" as individual stories and I don't think the technical aspects are enough to compensate them.

For this reason I honestly think other shows are more deserving of the title of best animated shows ever made, for example, Avatar TLAB excels in everything Bebop does AND handles episodic-vs-serial better with overaching storytelling developments.

So, I don't think being episodic should excuse CB inconsistencies.

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Neverending Debates: Is Cowboy Bebop a 7/10?

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