It seems my previous posts – reviews of IPod and Cowboy Bebop- caused a microscopic debate. Good. Based on comments left on the page (and also on Devin’s Article), those who love this show REALLY love it, and I can see why.
That being said, a few things mentioned in those comments left me a bit annoyed, and I’m going to address them here… because I am neurotic.
– To clarify: I saw episodes 1 through 15 (the episodes I didn’t like in general; except episode five, which I LOVED) on my tele. I saw episodes 16 through 26 (the episodes I did like in general) on my iPod. This being the case, do you really think that watching episodes 16 through 26 on my iPod had anything to do with me not liking the episodes I didn’t like?
– When I wrote my previous post I completely forgot about Jupiter Jazz part 1 and 2 (Episodes 11 and 12) and My Funny Valentine (episode 15). I really liked those episodes. On the other hand, I didn’t like Boogie Woogie Feng Shui (episode 21), and didn’t care much for Mushroom Samba (Episode 17).
– To the person who said “Watching a movie on a bitty screen at the beach ‘taint priceless, it makes both Darwin and Jesus weep”: Darwin and Jesus are dead. And even if they were alive, I highly doubt the use of the most inoffensive piece of technology would bother them.
– To those who said maybe I didn’t get the story: Sure, that’s a possibility. But you didn’t consider that maybe I simply didn’t like some episodes. I’m not saying they’re bad episodes, the certainly did their work in terms of character development and many of them had very interesting characters like the trucker lady from Heavy Metal Queen. I simply didn’t like the episodes.
– Knowing that Cowboy Bebop was planned as a collection of standalone stories makes no difference to me. There are episodes I liked, and there are those I didn’t like. End of story.
– There are two constants with this series: Great music, and great characters. I understand that the way back story was dealt with allowed the characters to remain with a little sense of mystery that made them vastly interesting. But as I really, really liked Spike and his story arc with Vicious, Julia and the Syndicate, I would have liked to see a hell of a lot more of it. And I still do. It has nothing to do with me not getting the series or wanting more back story in general.
I’m writing this because I did give the series a second chance. This time I saw every episode on a big ass tv. I even saw it in Spanish to secure my understanding of the series (English is my second language).
After doing this, I understand – once again – why so many people passionately love Cowboy Bebop, but I still don’t like the episodes I didn’t like, and the episodes I did like I now love.
And keep in mind: It should never be consider a personal attack when someone doesn’t like what you like. It is simply a matter of difference in opinions.
So there, I’m done. If you feel so inclined, insult away…