I'm curious, when you say that this show uses the western elements better than any other sci-fi show, does that include Firefly? I'm a big fan of that one, and I'm wondering if I should check this show out or not. All signs seem to be pointing to yes.
I'm a geek.
I'd have to disagree, as Outlaw Star has just as many western themes (if not more so) than Cowboy Beebop does - from bounty hunting, to quick draw duels, to searching for hidden treasure. There's even harmonica music that plays during some of the grappler ship battles, which also adds to the 'Wild West in Space' type ambiance.
The same could also be said of Trigun, which actually is a sci-fi western; complete with a gunslinging protagonist, who drifts from one wild west town, to the next.
I'm not knocking the review, I'm justsaying that others have done what Beebop has, in that regard, and have done it better. Since uncannybeetle seems to be a fan of sci-fi westerns, they may wanna check out Outlaw Star and Trigun if he/she hasn't seen them already.
That's a good question. I had in mind works that were older than Bebop like the original Star Trek, and Firefly came out a few years later. Environment-wise they are very similar, with terraformed planets that look a lot like the old west but with futuristic technology. I feel that Bebop is taking inspiration from a specific subsection of western films while Firefly takes a more general approach.
Orson Scott Card loves both and wonders whether Firefly (since it came out later) was influenced by Bebop. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.352989-Was-Firefly-influenced-by-Cowboy-Bebop
So if you like Firefly Bebop should be right up your alley.
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Another show whose party I showed up late to, Cowboy Bebop may be the most accessible anime for adult western audiences ever.
The show has a strong 'wild western' vibe. It is hardly the first time science fiction borrowed from old westerns, but it has never been done this effectively. I felt that it was especially close to the Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Westerns. It dabbles in other genres from episode to episode, such as horror and noire, but at heart it is always a western in space. For those of us who live in the west, these genres and themes are much more readily accessible than the typical anime.
Bebop has an interesting set of characters. They are generally on the static side, but even in that respect they are like the Clint Eastwood westerns. In fact, they get more development than 'The Man with No Name' did in any of his films. They are also quirky and well written enough so that their relative lack of change over the course of the show is not as big a problem as it could have been even if it was not aping movies that have little character development. The flashbacks were also effective in exploring how the characters got to the Bebop. I didn't like Faye as much as the other characters, but she didn't detract and was arguably the most dynamic of any of the main cast.
Other than that, Cowboy Bebop does not have any noteworthy flaws. The music is great, the animation spectacular for a hand-drawn show, and the world it creates is as quirky and interesting as the characters, or even moreso. It isn't close to being my favorite, but it is one of those animes that goes beyond its medium to deliver something for everyone.