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[contains spoilers]

"I love the kind of woman that can kick my ass"
So many countless good quotes...

This movie can be watched without watching the series but better if watched some episodes.

Not surprised that a movie was created for Cowboy Bebop: a masterpiece series with unique and amazing atmosphere and soundtrack.

The bulk of the story is about a terrorist that has the potential to kill a crowd of people with a weapon and has a huge bounty. It's up to Spike and his crew to get information and chase after the terrorist despite the enormous risk. Of course, other characters are also after the terrorist. ... The plot sounds kind of mediocre doesn't it? Probably the weakest aspect of this movie. The Cowboy Bebop series have average plots but are at least episodic. A movie with an average plot would bound to fail but this isn't the case. Despite popular opinion, I enjoyed this movie more than the series.

The art and animation were astonishing considering it was made in the 90s. Fluid animation and good lighting. The fighting scenes were quite memorable. The sound is amazing with jazz masterpieces like the series. You can see the impression of the 90s recession in Japan, despite set in a futuristic setting. This is why this movie and the series will always be a timeless classic. It's quite historic.

What's memorable is that Jet, a crew member mentions to Spike that the crew does not have to go after the terrorist. It's not their problem. However, Spike wants the bounty but more importantly to save the world. They are heroes by choice. But what's more interesting is that after everything is over. No one recognizes and cares who stopped the terrorist. No one views them as heroes. They're just another bounty hunter as Spike likes to say. This adds to the amazing cowboy and loneliness atmosphere.

The reason why I like the movie more than the series is because it feels like the characters are all working together despite saying they are not. In the series, you might see a few glimpses of some characters in each episode but not here. Also, there's improvement in the art. The best thing about this movie is how the characters interact with each other. Lot of the interactions are quite witty, sly and most of all cowboy like. The characters sound so cool. It really makes up for the mediocre plot.

When Spike flew his jet into the sunset with a lot of tall buildings. I almost cried. It reminded me of the nostalgic times in the 90s. The 90s atmosphere is really strong in this one. What other anime or other shows makes you feel this way? Almost none. Even the sad animes and movies/shows outside anime didn't make me close to crying (other than Clannad).

Definitely worth watching. A timeless classic similar to the series :)

Definitely a lot of mixed feelings for this one. After watching a few episodes, I thought this could get interesting with intriguing games having a similar vibe to Death Note and Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor. However, I was mistaken.

Story: 6/10
Art/Animation: 9/10
Sound: 8/10
Character: 6/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Overall: 7.4/10

[contains spoilers]
...
Story:
Let's just say that the entire anime felt slightly rushed given that there were 12 episodes. However, I do acknowledge the fact that probably because of the insane art, they had a limited budget. Basically, Mad House (studio) intentionally tried to fit everything. The evidence is that the OPs and EDs were cut out in various places.

Now let's get to the meat of things. The biggest letdown of this anime was that the main characters: Shiro and Sora were winning the games out of their a** but of course, not all the time. I understand that the race: Imanity has no special powers compared to the Werebeast and the elves and have to use their wits to win. But there were so many instances where what Sora and Shiro does to beat the game is plausible. How did Shiro know where to put this? How did Sora know the other characters felt this way? I am not sure if the studio cut a lot of stuff from the manga or not but more explanation would have been nice. I might just say that they have some ridiculous plot armor! Of course, I am not saying the games were no good. In fact, they were interesting to keep me watching.

The comedy was alright but I felt some repetitiveness after some time. One of the biggest surprises was the amount of fanservice it has. I mean most of the characters are female so it's like a harem anime for Sora. The fanservice is greatly integrated with the comedy. Also, I should point out that there was such a huge emphasis on how much Sora and Shiro loved each other to the point where it overshadows the game. It's really a nuisance when they keep mentioning this, especially in the flashbacks. I'd rather have more explanation on the game itself.

The reason I state this is because the flow of the plot heavily depends on the games. The interesting games are what stands out from other animes. The plot is pretty much predictable. Sora and Shiro are unstoppable and is going to dominate the world. This is somewhat anticlimactic so the games itself are a key component that keeps the viewers to watch. With such a key component executed not so well, the fanservice is what keeps the viewers to watch.

I assume there's going to be a 2nd season judging by the ending but if there isn't, that would be a huge letdown. Hopefully, there will be more for the conclusion.

Character:
Basically, having two ridiculous smart geniuses make other characters look like idiots. If you think about it, all they're doing is deceiving and dominating others, the world and eventually the god Tet. Sounds like antagonists right? Despite their sportsmanship behavior to be friends, that doesn't help me to sympathize with the main protagonists. On the contrary, I sympathize Dola and her grandfather more because the characters feel more realistic. Other characters were just meh, just average characters. Some of them do not flow properly with bipolar behavior so it's probably more for comedic value. Also, it's possible that there will be more character development if there are more seasons but for now, it's just that.

Art/Animation:
The art is absolutely superb to say the least. There is none quite like it. Sometimes, some glares would make it difficult to see but quite remarkable. This style of art makes the viewers feel like they are in a game and it also gives the impression that the main protagonists feel alive in the game rather than in real life. Not surprising for NEETs ;)

Sound:
The most noticeable ones are probably the techno OST that makes it sound like you are inside a game. Quite a refresher from other animes. I would not mind listening to them in the future. The ending is also interesting.

Enjoyment:
Other than a few nuisances here and there, this was definitely fun to watch.

| Overall |
Interesting but leaves the viewers with a lot of questions. You can say that this anime is somewhat 'rushed' if you will.
In conclusion, if you are looking for some interesting entertainment with a lot of funny and outrageous fanservice, then I definitely will recommend this.