27 Years Later, This Masterpiece Sci-Fi Series Is Back on Streaming Charts and Dethroning ‘Breaking Bad’

Breaking Bad is often considered one of the best crime thrillers ever created, but it also serves as proof that streaming services can be a significant help in elevating a movie or TV show. “Netflix kept us on the air”, creator Vince Gilligan said, and to this day, Breaking Bad remains a fixture on Netflix. It has recently been dethroned on the streaming charts by another classic series, which is also experiencing its own surge in popularity. What’s this series? None other than Cowboy Bebop. In the last week, Cowboy Bebop hasn’t only topped Breaking Bad in terms of streaming numbers but also currently sits at the top of iTunes’ most downloaded shows, an awe-inspiring feat.

Created by Shinchiro Watanabe, Cowboy Bebop takes place in the far future when humanity has colonized the stars, but also brought crime and murder along with them. To help maintain peace, bounty hunters, nicknamed “Cowboys,” are tasked with tracking down criminals. It follows the crew of the titular Bebop: Cowboy Spike Spiegel, former law enforcement officer Jet Black, gambling addict and amnesiac Faye Valentine, genius hacker Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivruski IV (or “Ed” for short) and Ein the data dog. To this day, Cowboy Bebop remains a standout in the world of anime, thanks to Watanabe’s distinctive style.

‘Cowboy Bebop’ Blends Genres To Create A Unique Story

Cowboy Bebop – Poster – 1998-1999.Image via Sunrise

Part of what makes Cowboy Bebop such a fantastic watch is its unique mix of elements. It’s a sci-fi story, yet it unfolds like a classic Western with noir elements. It has a beginning, middle, and end, which is a rarity in the world of anime, let alone the television medium. The most notable aspect of Cowboy Bebop is its music, which features a strong jazz foundation, particularly in the opening sequence, before shifting to Western themes and incorporating operatic elements, depending on the character the scene is focusing on. Yoko Kanno would compose the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack before animation work had begun, leading Shinchiro Watanabe to improvise new scenes. That same sense of fast-flowing chaos permeates Cowboy Bebop‘s narrative, especially when Spike and his crew are hunting down criminals.

Cowboy Bebop‘s narrative is also memorable for the way it unfolds. At first, most of the focus was on Spike and his crew trying to make a living. Eventually, the narrative shifts to reveal Spike’s past, including the fact that he was once part of the notorious Red Dragon Syndicate and is searching for his long-lost love, Julia. Unlike Walter White, who became an unrepentant monster over the course of Breaking Bad, Spike still genuinely cares for his crew even when they get swept up in his quest to find Julia. When he and Jet briefly come to blows, they end up forgiving one another, and the final episodes feature a tear-jerking moment where Spike bids Jet and Faye farewell. Cowboy Bebop wasn’t afraid to put its characters in genuine danger, a lesson that more modern shows could stand to learn.

The Legacy of ‘Cowboy Bebop’ Affects Science Fiction To This Day

The words “Space Western” probably wouldn’t be in our lexicon if it weren’t for Cowboy Bebop. This series arguably defined the subgenre, and to this day, other series feature elements it pioneered. The Mandalorian has Din Djarin traveling the Star Wars universe to hunt down bounties, while also forming his own unique bonds, like Spike. Firefly‘s story of humanity carving out a new frontier among the stars also bears a resemblance to Cowboy Bebop‘s backstory. Lazarus, Shinchiro Watanabe’s newest anime about a group of outlaws racing to save the human race, even features similar elements to Cowboy Bebop, including a collection of distinct characters and a jazzy score backing the free-flowing animation.

Cowboy Bebop would even receive a live-action adaptation, courtesy of Netflix. Unlike the streamer’s take on One Piece, this series only lasted a single season and was critically lambasted, proving that this anime is one of a kind. Long before Walter and Jesse started cooking, Spike Siegel was showing the world what a great antihero looked like. Now it seems like a new generation of fans will discover why Cowboy Bebop is so beloved.

Release Date

1998 – 1999

Network

TV Tokyo, WOWOW Prime

Showrunner

Shinichirô Watanabe

Directors

Yoshiyuki Takei, Ikuro Sato, Hirokazu Yamada

Writers

Keiko Nobumoto, Michiko Yokote, Dai Sato, Sadayuki Murai, Akihiko Inari

Franchise(s)

Cowboy Bebop

• Koichi Yamadera

  Spike Spiegel / Ein (voice)

• Unsho Ishizuka

  Jet Black (voice)