Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Review (Anime)

You’d be hard done finding an anime fan who hasn’t watched the legendary Cowboy Bebop, but finding a UK fan who owns the film on Blu-ray is even harder! Thankfully, Manga UK are releasing Cowboy Bebop: The Movie for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK, and it’s been a long time coming.

 

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie takes place between episodes 22 and 23 of the series, and it’s a must-watch for fans of the series. Shortly before Halloween, a deadly virus is spread which kills and harms over 300 people, and so a large bounty is put out to bring the attacker to justice. Bounty hunter Spike, and the rest of the Cowboy Bebop crew, take this opportunity to make a bunch of cash and to prevent the virus from bring harm to more people.

 

cowboy bebop: the movie review

My DVD copy doesn’t hold a candle to the movie in glorious HD, and it’s what Cowboy Bebop: The Movie deserves.

If you’ve watched the series, then you’ll know just how stylish it is. The film takes it up a notch, thanks to its clearly more generous budget, with fluid fight scenes, a completely new story which begins and wraps up with the movie, and more adventures with Spike and the gang — you can’t say you don’t want that, can you? Cowboy Bebop has always been a mature series and the movie also deals with mature scenes. There’s one seen with Faye which is very uncomfortable to watch, but it’s handled well.

 

cowboy bebop: the movie review

 

This movie may be 16 years old, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the most breathtaking anime on the market. Honestly, it’s a work of art. Gorgeous, detailed animations, awe-inspiring hand-to-hand combat and a generally amazing aesthetic make for an absolutely beautiful movie. Cowboy Bebop has always looked pretty, but it’s the movie where it really gets to shine. And on Blu-Ray? My DVD copy doesn’t hold a candle to the movie in glorious HD, and it’s what Cowboy Bebop: The Movie deserves.

 

cowboy bebop: the movie review

Yoko Kanno’s work here shows why she’s regarded as one of the finest composers in anime.

The wonderful main cast of characters are brought to life by Steve Blum, Beau Billingslea, Wendee Lee, Melissa Fahn, Jennifer Hale and Daran Norris, the first four of which are reprising their roles from the series. The movie was released only two years after the series finished airing, with plans to make the movie happening during the making of the series, so it’s no wonder that they got the original cast back together for one last adventure. Outstanding voice-acting – one of the best English dubs around – is joined by terrific, jazzy music with a hint of Arabic to match the movie’s new influences. Yoko Kanno’s work here shows why she’s regarded as one of the finest composers in anime.

 

cowboy bebop: the movie review

It’s been worth the wait.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie took an incredibly long time to come to Blu-ray in the UK, but it’s finally upon us. It’s been worth the wait and I’m happy to finally have it in my collection, and it’s had me itching to watch the series again. It looks stunning on Blu-ray and with both the series and movie now easily accessible to buy on Blu-ray and DVD, you should get round to watching them if you haven’t already. Cowboy Bebop is an excellent anime which doesn’t need a direct continuation, and this movie has further proven that famed director Shinichiro Watanabe has always had a firm grasp on what he’s wanted to do with Cowboy Bebop, and he’s created a classic.

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