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Anime

Cowboy Bebop Film's American Premiere Announced 276

Posted by CmdrTaco from the a-thing-of-beauty dept.
From the Big Apple Anime Site "The Big Apple Anime Fest 2002 (BAAF 2002) is proud to announce that the festival will premiere the theatrical English dub version of "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie" on August 30th, 8:00pm at Loews State Theater (Virgin Megastore) in New York City's Times Square. At the premiere, Cowboy Bebop director, Shinichiro Watanabe, score composer, Yoko Kanno and character designer Toshihiro Kawamoto will be on hand to meet their legions of fans." That's a show worth seeing.
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Cowboy Bebop Film's American Premiere Announced More

Cowboy Bebop Film's American Premiere Announced

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  • What is the name of the festival in baltimore next weekend? anyone?

  • Anime theatre (Score:3, Funny)

    by lamp77 ( 147098 ) on Monday July 22, 2002 @10:30AM (#3929977) Homepage
    I think it would be great if people started trying to do stage versions of popular anime.

    John ritter starring in Akira.

    L
  • However, it doesn't really affect me being as it's in the big apple. If it were in, I don't know, around Minneapolis, maybe It'd help a bit. It isn't that big of news either, as it is an anime festival, so come on guys, why rub it in?
  • I've become a big fan of the show since the Cartoon Network has started showing it at 11:30 each Sat (if you're by a tv at that time and not watching, you're missing out on one of the most cinematic and action-packed animated series I've ever seen).

    However, I'm clearly not enough of a fan to know that there has been a movie made, or that there were even plans of dubbing it and bringing it over the US. Since I'm sure there are bigger fans out there, does anyone have more info about when this was made, and if it's available on DVD? If not, when is it going to be? I've had no reason to buy the series on DVD since it's on weekly, but the movie I might actually buy.
    • Region 2, no dub, no sub, has been available for a while.
      If you want to import it from Japan, of course.
      You probably meant something a little more accessible.
    • Well, I have the movie in Divx format...which will remain legal up until the US release if I remember my anime fan laws correctly. Look around for it, its like 550MB and I'm sure its common in IRC.
      • It's easily found on Kazaa as well. I downloaded
        it from there about a week or so ago.

      • Re:DVD Release? (Score:3, Informative)

        by bludstone ( 103539 )
        Actually according to "anime fan laws" Distribution of fansubs/bootlegs is supposed to stop when the title is LISENCED, not when its released.

        Of course, most people dont give a crap either way anymore and you can still find it :/
    • You really shouldn't judge the series by the mega-edited crap calling itself Cowboy Bebop on Cartoon Network.
    • I picked up a DVD set of the TV series, (6 discs, great quality, found on ebay, less than $70) both english and origional sound tracks, subtitled (non-macrovision encoded), and it came with the soundtrack!

      Anyway, when I was looking for that I did see many listings for the movie on DVD, don't recall if it was an english dubbed version though. Great series, excellent quality animation, cool action, interesting charachters, and a story that builds and keeps the watcher interested. If you really want to get into it, the subtitled japanese does have some different dialog than the dub version.

      I love the differences that pop up because of the Japanese vs. American culture. Some people don't get it, but I love the stuff.
    • You can pick up a nice region-free copy from Image Anime [imageanime.com] here in NYC. Subtitled, 5.1 surround, it's nice! There will be a US release next year with the same astounding English-language cast from the original series translation, so you can wait for that copy to come out as well. It's a really great movie, more of the same from the series. Great music, and they really kick the animation up a notch.
      • You can pick up a nice region-free copy from Image Anime here in NYC. Subtitled, 5.1 surround, it's nice!

        That practically screams bootleg. Don't buy nonlicensed anime; it's the same as paying someone to photocopy an entire book for you. For more info: Pirate Anime FAQ [anime.org.uk]

        • Theres an easy way to fix this for people who do want to purchase legitamate product, but don't want to modify their DVD players.

          Release your product in a region free format

          I'm sure if there was a release of a Harry Potter book in Engalnd 3 years before it was released in the US and you could only read it with a licensed viewer moddified to allow other region viewing people would photocopy the entire book and sell it.

          Its just another illustration of how screwed up the whole dvd region system is, and frankly I don't have much sympathy.
  • It wasn't too bad. I've attempted to watch anime before and was always disapointed. but Bebop seemed ok. But in one episode I watched the dude died (or at least I think... I was kinda stoned). kinda a bummer man.
    • Heh, besides the fact that it said it was show #5 before and after each commercial break, and it's kind of hard to kill the main character in show 5 of the season, they also show him in the very end all wrapped up in bandages lying on couch. So even though he got very banged up, he made it through. Like you said though, you were stoned :)

      • Re:I just caught this show on cartoon network (Score:4, Insightful)

        by zaren ( 204877 ) <fishrocket@gmail.com> on Monday July 22, 2002 @11:11AM (#3930245) Journal
        Session #5, "Ballad of Fallen Angels" [aaanime.net]... just an amazing episode in terms of character establishment and development, cinematography, music... the segment where Spike is falling out of the church window is like nothing I've seen before in any real-life movie.

        For those of you who aren't into Adult Swim on Cartoon Network, this is a 3 hour block on Saturday nights where they play the "mature" anime, the stuff that doesn't quite fit into the afternoon kiddie stuff (like DBZ and Zoids and the like). This is where they run Bebop, at 11:30, like a previous poster said. (There's also a Swim on Sunday nights with "funny" adult cartoons, but Saturday's got the better stuff, IMHO)

        It's worth noting, however, that last Saturday they had a Bebop-a-thon - the entire 3-hour block for Adult Swim was all Bebop cartoons, and unless I misunderstood the scheduling, they're doing it again this Saturday. Last Saturday's 'thon had Fallen Angels in it; I donn't know if they're repeating the same episodes this Saturday, but it's worth watching to find out :)
    • Troll? why the hell is that a troll man? This place is weird sometimes....

  • what's the big fuss? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by myc ( 105406 )
    Recently I watched episode one on cartoon network, wanting to know what the big fuss was about cowboy bebop. I was disappointed. this is not a troll....what is the big fuss about this series? It seems not too unlike most anime...lots of violence and implied sexual imagry. In fact what is the big deal about anime in general? I admit there is some interesting artwork but that is about all I can find interesting about most of it.
    come to think of it that's about all you get from most hollywood fare these days, too :P

    • Re:what's the big fuss? (Score:3, Interesting)

      by pogle ( 71293 )
      Bebop on cartoon network rather sucks. Edited and such. A lot of it is very funny, and needs to be watched in Japanese with english subs. Much better that way. The japanese voice acting is better, and the translations to english too. The English dubbing just irritates me to where I cant watch it.

      The movie is good, seems like an abnormally long episode, but funny and interesting like almost all the bebop episodes. I think its supposed to take place between eps 22 and 23, but I'm not sure exactly.
      • there are very _Very_ few edits in the tv broadcast of bebop. A couple bare breasts and the blood from someone being shot in the head, but you still see the bullet hole.. You cant really call it hackslashed.

        The dub is considered one of the best around.. i rather like it. It does, however, still fall to the "strange pace of talking" that anime dubs often do.

        stupid lipflap.

      • That's correct, from what I've heard. I can't remember where, but I remember reading that the movie takes place between DVD's 5 and 6, which would in fact be eps 22 and 23.

        Very awesome movie from the fansub that I've seen, though honestly I haven't checked out the dub of the series at all. It doesn't matter though, because I MUST go see this - thank god I live in New York :D

      • Re:what's the big fuss? (Score:3, Interesting)

        by jafac ( 1449 )
        Things I like about Cowboy Bebop:

        It's a "modern" Anime with a "retro" look. The sets, vehicles, design, etc. all is super-detailed, nicely drafted, but the characters follow the more cartoony approach of 70's-era anime like "Speed Racer" and "Star Blazer", "Battle of the Planets" (um Gachaman, Space Cruiser Yamato, and Go Go Go, IIRC). Or even Lupin.
        Not that there's anything wrong with the Shirow-ites of the 90's. The more realistic approach is cool too - but it lacks a little bit of that light-hearted "life" of the older style.

        The main characters are extremely likeable, the stories are about as deep as you can go within a half-hour framework. There's an arc, that comes to a tragic end in the last episode.

        The action, is typical edge-of-your-seat anime.

        There's good music too.

        In fact, I think pretty much everything that I like about CB, I also like about Lupin.
        (btw - Steven Speilberg was quoted back in the 80's as saying that Lupin III: Castle Cagliostro was the greatest action/adventure movie of all time, I happen to agree).
    • Cowboy bebop had an excellent plot line. Maybe you just fast forwarded through it all looking for violence and nudity?

    • I think that anime, for most of us who read /., is a way to reach our childhood again. We all watched cartoons when we were little, and people try so hard at finding their childhood again and trying to recapture it. The success of the revamped comic versions of Transformers, G.I.Joe, Thundercats, and Battle of the Planets speaks this out.

      However, we as people have matured and anime has filled in the gap, giving us adult themes to satisfy our need to be entertained at our intelectual level, and the cartoons that make us feel like a kid again.

      Granted, it's not for everyone, but for some, it's the way to finding that lost youth that so many people spends their lives trying to find, and I figure, if you can find it as soon as possible, you're better off than most.


      • I think that anime, for most of us who read /., is a way to reach our childhood again. We all watched cartoons when we were little, and people try so hard at finding their childhood again and trying to recapture it. The success of the revamped comic versions of Transformers, G.I.Joe, Thundercats, and Battle of the Planets speaks this out.
        I have to strongly disagree with this.

        First, it falls in to the usual US cultural trap of labeling all animation as "cartoons for kids". While there is more than ample evidence of "kids cartoons" from the likes of Hanna Barbarra, there is plenty of adult content in other animated works. Disney's classics are wonderful artworks. And many of the unedited Warner Bros. classics are full of humor and cultural references that only an adult (with some idea of history) will likely catch. Even some of the later cartoons such as Animaniacs packed in adult references. Of course, that completely ignores animation that is entirely of an adult nature - such as Heavy Metal.

        Of course - when I was a kid, I hated Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Thundercats. I wasn't overly fond of Battle of the Planets. But I loved Robotech (especially the feeling of depth during space combat scenes). I find anime interesting because of its style, concepts, and because it doesn't fall in to the trap of being "just for kids" all the time.

        One final comment - nostalgia exists. I fall in to it myself. I occasionally catch The A-Team and CHiPs on TV. Sometimes I'll catch some cartoon I remember from childhood. I think I probably enjoy Space Ghost Coast to Coast partly because of its mocking 70s-era cartoons (or at least the Space Ghost series). But I've always appreciated animation and have no illusion that any current appreciation is induced by a desire to revisit my childhood.
    • Watching one episode of a limited series of Cowboy Bebop is like watching a random 5 minutes of a movie and judging it based on that one instance. A series like Cowboy Bebop, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Trigun, or any other GOOD anime series is something thats better enjoyed by watching from the beginning, where the viewer can appreciate the slow changes and introduction that makes interesting characters, plot, and interaction interesting... like any other movie, show, play, book, etc etc.

      Anime is not exempt from the so called Spurgeon's Revelation: In any given medium, about 95% of something is going to be a bunch of crap (paraphrased). Not all movies from Hollywood are Oscar worthy, not all TV shows are Emmy winners, not all plays or musicals will win Tonys, and not all Anime is great.

      Cowboy Bebop, if watched with an open mind in the beginning, instead of the seemingly closed mind of the parent post, is clearly better than a large amount of anime thanks to the humor, style and direction, spectacular soundtrack, and gripping characters.
      • Forgot to add... Cartoon Network is like a butcher's block for anime. You never see the whole picture or hear the correct translation because we "Westerners" would never be able to understand it, or enjoy it, so they "westernize" it. Definitly subtracts from the expierience.
      • Anime is not exempt from the so called Spurgeon's Revelation: In any given medium, about 95% of something is going to be a bunch of crap (paraphrased).

        Correction. That should be Sturgeon's Law [jargon.net], "Ninety percent of everything is crap".

    • Re:what's the big fuss? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by CynicTheHedgehog ( 261139 ) on Monday July 22, 2002 @11:07AM (#3930206) Homepage
      Anime are cartoon dramas. In America you have a strict dichotomy between adult content (NYPD Blue, General Hospital) and child content (Spongebob Squarepants). In Japan, everyone watches anime--each show has elements that appeal to all age groups. Thay are cartoons and feature cartoon violence and expressions, which kids can relate to, on top of which is stacked teen angst and sexual innuendo (to capture the adolescent market), and if you're really lucky, you'll occasionally get a show with some kind of unrequieted love that appeals to a more mature audience.

      To really enjoy it you have to allow yourself to indulge in slapstick humor and sexual comedy. Sure, we like to imagine that we are a cultured, civilized poeople who don't appreciate that sort of thing, but if you take the stick out of your ass and allow yourself to be entertained it's usually worth it.
      • Probably the best American parallel is the Horror Movie. As a genre they are at best misunderstood. You have the generic serials (with the decline in quality as they extend into the double digits... Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween), the pure exploitive trash (Sleepaway Camp, the joyous (almost avant garde) cult/underground films (Evil Dead, Troma Films), and the amazing masterworks (Romero's Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the Shining, John Carpenter's the Thing).

        A lot of people think Horror Movies are crap. And a lot of people just go to get their willies off at seeing B,G,T&A (blood, gore, tits and ass). And then there is a large loyal underground composed of fanatics and fanzines.

        And no matter how hard the genre tries it still can't overcome the lowest common denominator.

        Of course I think the best works of Horror movies far exceed anything done in anime. Personal opinion? Yes. But a movie like Dawn of the Dead seems to reverberate with zeitgeist fears: Nuclear Annihilation, slow death from radiation poisoning, the Cold War, isolation of the self in modern consumer civilization... The best Akira did was: fear technology, stuff blows up real good.
        • I disagree. While to the uninitiated anime may appear shallow and childish, there is a tendency to tackle complex social issues. The Japanese love to play with the idea of men becoming gods through the creation of fearsome technology or through genetic experimentation. Very Mary Shelley. Then there's the idea that one day corporations will replace governments--so you've got your Orwell covered. Top that off with depth of interpersonal relationships, real life pressures and fears, and what you get is a view of real life in a fantasy setting. Take away the giant robots, swords, and flying high kicks and you're left with a mundane and at times depressing look at what it means to be human.

          If you want heavy/serious, take a look at Ayashi no Ceres, Evangelion and maybe Akira (haven't seen it). If you want high school/college humor, try Love Hina or Ranma 1/2. And if you want just plain wacky, try Kodomo no Omocha.

          It's not all Magical Girls, aliens, and giant robots, you know.
    • Recently I watched episode one on cartoon network, wanting to know what the big fuss was about cowboy bebop. I was disappointed. this is not a troll....what is the big fuss about this series? It seems not too unlike most anime...lots of violence and implied sexual imagry. In fact what is the big deal about anime in general? I admit there is some interesting artwork but that is about all I can find interesting about most of it.

      Anyways, I watch Anime movies because they come from "Bizarro-Hollywood" (ref Seinfeld). They're just like american movies, just completly different.
      It blows my mind, and I like getting blown.

    • I'm asking because Bebop has a pretty wide variety of episode styles. Some are cops and robbers in space, some are fairly violent, and others are just a lot of fun.

      I recommend trying a couple more episodes, especially since you're watching for free.

      As for anime in general, one of the big deals is variety. Anime is FAR, FAR more varied than you seem to be giving it credit for. There are kid's shows like pokemon, but there are also shows for older audiences. There are shows for guys, and shows for gals. There are dark, violent thrillers, but there are also flowery girly romances, and everything in between.

      One of the problems I find with people's view of anime is that it is formed by looking at what they see in video stores and comic shops, and the selection there tends to be skewed towards the violent, R-rated type of thing because that's what the shop owners think their audience is. A vicious circle, really.

      Three quick films for you to try to rent:

      Princess Mononoke - Violent, but also amazing. Humanity vs. Nature in a powerful story that examines both sides of the issue, and allows the audience to draw their own conclusions. By Studio Ghibli, probably the best animators currently working on Planet Earth.

      Kiki's Delivery Service and Totoro - By the same people that did Princess Mononoke, but these are both for children. Kiki is a young witch out on her own, but all she can do is fly a broom. So she starts a messenger service... Totaro is about two little girls living in the country who encounter a friendly and magical forest creature in the woods. Both are probably in the kid's section of your local Blockbuster.

      Jon Acheson
    • Well, when you ask "what is the point of Anime", you should keep in mind that it's one of the largest culture-outputs of a nation of 130 million people (and Taiwan and Korea are starting to make it,) so there's a great deal of variety.

      Personally, I find Anime, particularly Cowboy Bebop, aesthetically pleasing. If you like good Camera Work more than substance in your movies (I do - I loved Minority Report even though I thought the plot was, frankly, stupid. I liked The Fugitive primarily for the cinematography, although it had many other good points,) than I recommend Cowboy Bebop.

      It is Eye Candy.

      Incidentally, I've seen priated copies of the Movie (good quality DivX,) and it's not better than the show. If you like the show, you'll like the movie, but the animation is about the same - a little more polished, but not a drastic improvement.

    • Re:what's the big fuss? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Yunzil ( 181064 ) on Monday July 22, 2002 @11:19AM (#3930284) Homepage
      what is the big fuss about this series?

      I am not a huge anime fan. In fact, I think most of it is crap (Sturgeon's Law? [tuxedo.org]), but having said that, I really like Cowboy Bebop. Why? Well...
      • The characters are distinct and have real personalities. Each one has a sad past that you gradually learn about through the series. By the end, I actually felt bad for Faye.
      • The premise is a little different as the series isn't about 1) mecha, 2) big-eyed teenage girls or 3) tentacle pr0n.
      • There are only 26 episodes, so it doesn't go on forever like some series I could mention *cough*DBZ*cough*.
      • While there is an underlying plot to the series, each episode is more-or-less self-contained; so if you miss an episode, you're not completely lost.
      • I don't speak Japanese and I don't really want to watch subtitles, so it's fortunate that the English dubbing really is quite good.
      • The music is very good. 'Waltz for Zizi', for example, is a very pretty song.
      • It is very artistic. The very first scene in the first episode and the very last scene of the last episode (to take two at random :)) are well done. There are some episodes as a whole that were very well done. 'Pierrot Le Fou' comes to mind. And finally...
      • It had Ein. :)
      I could go on, but these are the biggest reasons I can think of right now.

      • >The characters are distinct and have real personalities. Each one has a sad past that you gradually learn about through the series.

        Except Edward? Apart from the episide where she is introduced, Ed seems to be there for mainly comic relief. Too bad, too. I thought her character had lots of possibilities, and apart from that chessmaster episode, she doesn't really seem to have much of a role at all.

        (although, I haven't seen *all* of the episodes - CN disrupted the start-to-finish airing a couple weeks ago and I've lost track).
      • Maybe you don't understand what DBZ is trying to accomplish...animated soap opera.

        Have you ever watched a soap like 'young and the restless' or 'guiding light'? I had to endure summer vacations watching that drivel as a kid. Somehow though, occasionaly, I'd find myself interested in the show. Only it would take forever for the plot to advance in soaps. They'll have the same conversation for a week sometimes. That and some of the plots are silly/corney. Deamon Possesed Housewives, Cloned Housewives, Alien Abducted Housewives...who could sit and watch that?

        Anyway, DBZ is a lot like that. It is a developing story, not a planned one. If you don't have patience, don't watch it.

    • The fuss is.... (Score:3, Insightful)

      by mblase ( 200735 )
      ...it's not like anime.

      Obviously, I'm going to clarify that. "Cowboy Bebop" is popular with a lot of Americans who otherwise dislike anime as a whole. Most anime shows are genre-driven -- fantasy, giant fighting robots, ninja/samurai, schoolkids, hentai, what have you -- but "Bebop" isn't so easily categorized. It's science fiction, yes, but it's not about the spaceships and technology. And there's no robot suits anywhere to be found.

      The story is about the bounty hunters, "cowboys," who constantly wander the solar system in search of their next paycheck. They're pretty good at it, but they're generally nice people who keep their friends, which means they give up paychecks from time to time. I'm halfway through the DVDs, but I'd say about 90% of their jobs (the ones seen on the show, anyways) end up profitless. So you keep rooting for them to come out ahead when they almost never do.

      It's not that violent a show, really -- at least not compared to, say "NYPD Blue". Compared to "The Simpsons" or "Pokemon", yes, it's occasionally violent and sexy and bloody, but the characters aren't violent or sexaholic by nature. And, of course, they all have a Mysterious Past that's uncovered a bit at a time.

      If you don't like anime/animation, then you don't like it, and that's all there is to it. If you're willing to open your mind a bit to it, and watch a few episodes of the series (unedited on DVD is nice), you'll see a good bunch of stories and some very interesting and likeable characters.
      • I'm halfway through the DVDs, but I'd say about 90% of their jobs (the ones seen on the show, anyways) end up profitless.

        It's "The Rockford Files" in the 22nd century. :-) Well, the non-Vicious episodes anyhow.

    • Here's the problem: you watched it on Cartoon Network, all chopped up with commercials.

      Rent or buy the DVDs - its worth it. i don't even really like anime all that much (i respect it as an art form, but most of it just doesn't impress me enough to keep watching), but I really dig on Cowboy Bebop.

      And the Bebob dub is OK. Its better than most other dubs out there. I've seen the movie plenty on DVD, and I'd LOVE to get the chance to see it on the big screen.

      now as soon as they get CB in the IMAX theatre, i'll be a real happy camper.
    • In fact what is the big deal about anime in general?

      There is some very good anime, and there's a lot of bad anime; it follows Sturgeon's Law just like everything else. Unfortunately most anime fans seem to lack any critical ability when judging anime, so I think a lot of people are turned off when they turn on something that they've heard raved about, then find it isn't that good.

      Personally I think Bebop is great, but I a) first watched it on DVD, which is always at least a little better than the tv versions, and b) recognize that not everyone shares my tastes. Don't give up on anime because of it, I'd just recommend you try renting a different title.

    • Re:what's the big fuss? (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Moofie ( 22272 )
      It would be difficult to really "get" what Cowboy Bebop is about by only watching one episode. The series has a very definite direction. The first episodes are pretty light and funny, and start introducing the characters. As the show proceeds, you really get to delve into what makes these people tick, and some of it is pretty heavy stuff.

      So, fair enough, I can totally understand why you wouldn't catch what the fuss was about after only one random episode. I'd encourage you to go rent the first DVD and start from the beginning...you'll have a much better experience.

      And as far as there being a big deal about anime in general, I'd suggest to you that you not think of "anime" as a genre unto itself. There are good movies and TV shows that happen to be animated, and there's also a bunch of crap out there.

      Anime is a medium, not a genre.

  • Ok.. (Score:1)

    by iONiUM ( 530420 )
    I think Yoko Kanno being there is pretty much warrent in itself to go. Her music is just incredible (you like Macross Plus right? :), and her work on bebop was also incredible. Honostly, there's very little I could say that could show the magnitude of her music talent.

    • She's a great guest too! (Score:3, Informative)

      by Thag ( 8436 )
      We had her as a guest of honor at OTAKON a few years back, and she was really nice.

      Hopefully she'll do some live music at the NYC con.

      Gotta finish the graphic for my Cowboy Bebop "best of" CD... (Note: I bought all the Japanese CDs, so don't even start...).

      Jon Acheson

  • amazing (Score:3, Informative)

    by tps12 ( 105590 ) on Monday July 22, 2002 @10:45AM (#3930083) Homepage Journal
    I am a huge Bebop fan (as I'm sure many here on Slashdot are), and since I'm only a couple hours from New York, I may actually be able to attend this.

    For those who have not seen CB: drop what you are doing, go out, and pick up all the episodes and the movie on DVD. You will not regret it. This is what movie-making is all about.

    Cowboy is also known for its excellent English dubs. Many fans prefer the English voice acting (at least for some characters) to the original Japanese soundtrack. If you were disappointed by the dubbing of Akira, do not dispair: Bebop really is better.

    My one reservation is in regards to the graphic violence that pervades CB. It is really a cultural thing, and won't be very shocking to anime aficionados. However, it is likely to put many American viewers off. Hopefully, they will remove some of the more gruesome scenes, or perhaps reanimate them so as to be less offensive to a sensible audience.

    See you space cowboy... (that's what it always says after each episode!)
    • It's not strictly a cultural thing. Didn't like half of the episodes not even air on Japanese television because of how extreme some of it was?
    • See you space cowboy... (that's what it always says after each episode!)

      Not always. :) Once it said "Easy Come, Easy Go".
      • Jupite Jazz, I think part two, ended with a different tagline also. I can't remember what it was.

        I still remember the first time I watched CB. By the end of the session where CB is falling from the window looking up at the glass falling, I was hooked. The sound of the girls singing still haunts me. It was me and 3 other buddies, sitting in stunned silence, watching CB fall backwards while reliving his past. We all just sat and cried. At thet time, I didn't even know a cartoon could have that much power over my emotions.

        In any event, CB is the best 30 minute show I have ever seen. Thanks for the emotions Space Cowboy...
        • Jupite Jazz, I think part two, ended with a different tagline also. I can't remember what it was.

          "Do you have a comrade?"

          Also, the Teddy Bomber episode (Cowboy Funk) ends with "See you Space Samurai..."

          I have to go hurt myself now.

    • If you were disappointed by the dubbing of Akira, do not dispair: Bebop really is better.

      Hearing the voice Tetsuo [joshuaseth.com] was surreal after realizing he was the main character of a very child-oriented, VERY popular anime [foxkids.com]for almost 4 gigabytes... er... 100 episodes (i assure you I have no idea how large all of the mpegs would be... er, assuming there even are mpegs) Hearing Josh swearing in the same voice was more amusing after considering the interesting sound bytes that could be meshed together. Which would be a good project for a rabid taiora, but linking to that would demand of me posting anonymously.

  • Might be bad (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Chardish ( 529780 ) <chardishNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Monday July 22, 2002 @10:53AM (#3930126) Homepage
    First, let's hope this is Knockin' on Heaven's Door. I assume it is.

    This will only be exciting if the original dub cast from the TV show worked on this film. I'm talking about David Lucas as Spike, Wendee Lee as Faye, and Beau Billingsey as Jet. For all fans of Bebop, those voices embody those characters, and the Bebop movie would be a terrific disappointment if those voice actors didn't return.

    -Evan
    • In know way do they "embody" the characters. There voice are way to soft and young compared the the original.
      Yes its good dubbibg, technically, but the emotion is often missed. Watch it subtitled, the emotional content is much better. In something as powerfull as Cowboy Bebop, emotional content is very important, as opposed to something like Godzilla.

      • Re:Might be bad (Score:2, Insightful)

        by rhombic ( 140326 )
        You are kidding, right? The original Faye has a whiny little girl voice, the original Jet sounds like a confused ex-hippie. And Ed just sounds ordinary.

        I watched it first with subtitles and wasn't that impressed; when I watched the English dub I was blown away. English-speaking Faye sounds jaded, and english-speaking Jet sounds like a grizzed old ex-cop (which is exactly what he is). And while I think the original spike was good, the english speaking Spike is perfect. And of course, the dubbed Ed is wild-off-her-rocker. Bebop is the only example I've found of the English voice actors "getting" the characters better than the Japanese voice actors.
    • For all fans of Bebop, those voices embody those characters

      No. Koichi Yamadera as Spike, Megumi Hayashibara as Faye and Unsho Ishizuka as Jet Black embody those characters.

      The dub might have been above average, but it was still a dub.

    • Re:Might be bad (Score:3, Informative)

      by peter_gzowski ( 465076 )
      Yes, this is Knockin' On Heaven's Door, although the official title for the North American release is Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. I disagree that the english cast embodies those characters, as I watched the series in japanese (yes, I listened to some of the dub, yes it was better than most dubs, no I did not prefer it to the japanese), but the english cast will return (at least in the major roles). You can read the press release [animeondvd.com] from the AnimeOnDVD forum.
  • if you were really a fan youd have seen this movie already. Fansubbed, engrish and all, the proper way.

    i have seen it and i cannot wait for the DVD release of it, to finnish my collection. What will be even better is the future release of ALL of the Evangelion movies. THe bootlegs are good but professionally subbed DVDs are better.

    • Too bad manga isnt really translating rebirth, just the first half of end of eva.

      although the two are VERY _VERY_ similar, they are not exactly the same. Different music, some re-recorded dailogue and they re-animated some stuff for the theatrical release.

      Well, its probably gainax's fault, only giving them the EoE masters.. Thats what it usually is.
  • I've found no better place to pick up this awesome series than half.com [ebay.com]

  • Why not watching anime that has no dub/sub at all? That way sub fans won't complain about the voice acting and dub fans won't complain about reading subtitles.

    The perfect world does exist, you know.
  • I kinda like the series actually. The music was kick-ass, and has a way better storyline than a lot of "cartoons" that are on TV these days. Personally, I don't look at anime to be the be-all end-all of cinematic culture. It's just cool and fun to see in a niceley done animated form what you KNOW would be a horribly cheesy sci-fi movie if they tried to do it with real people.

    Since I'm way out here in Wisconsin, I doubt that I'll get to see this movie anytime soon. But what I'm Really waiting for is the Trigun Movie that I keep hearing about.
  • Anime USA [animeusa.org] (anime convention in Northern Virginia) premiered the original fansub of the bebop movie last year all weekend (Oct 12-14). It was a surprise showing because we didn't even know it was going to be on the schedule and ended up changing it last minute.

    If you ever wanted to see some die hard fans, that was the weekend. Never could you cram 120+ people in a tiny little room with no AC and yet still ask them to sit through two hour of awesome bebop action.

    We also gave away 3 free copies of the fan sub version for 3 lucky attendees to take home.
  • I love that movie... My kingdom for a plane ticket to New York!

  • English dub? Yuck.
    Letterboxed with subtitles below, that's the way to go.

  • Cowboy (Score:1, Flamebait)

    by Drath ( 50447 )
    My roomate got me into this series last year, I like the anime well enough but the soundtrack that comes with the dvd box set is annoying as heck, seeing as that's the only cd my roomate ever listens to.

    Just what I want, jpop mixed with the japanese-obsession-with-American-80's music/pop-culture-tears-for-fears-esq garbage. Whoo.
  • I've seen the fair-quality DIVX (a little under 600MB, IIRC) that's available easily on the 'net. I also saw a 35MM subtitled showing at Anime Expo in Long Beach, CA this year.

    This is definitely a movie worth seeing in the theater, shown right. The art is gorgeous and it looked wonderful on film.

    Also, while I'm a huge fan of anime, I find the quality of most theatrical-length anime to be... lacking. Not so in this case! It's a great movie all around. It would be enjoyable for anybody, I think, because it doesn't require any prior knowledge of the series, but long-time Bebop fans will really love it because of their attachment to the characters, who are in fine form in this movie. I got chills seeing all of the characters "one more time". :)
  • I caught this flick last year when it hit the Fan Sub circuit. My impression was the film was mostly about big screen special effects, and less about telling a compelling story. It does attempt to tell more back story on the characters, and do some development in that area, but it never seems to catch you attention. I mean you're sitting there watching this, you want to feel involved with the non-action elements happening onscreen, but it just never happens. I ended up feeling bored at times. I really wanted to dig the movie because I liked the TV show so much, but I couldn't get that blah feeling out of my system afterwards.
  • One thing that was left out of the story is that they have retained the "original" English dub cast that did the work for the regular series (i.e. what's showing on Cartoon Network). This is big news; while it's been known that Columbia/Tri-Star obtained the U.S. rights and were probably planning on a theater release, up until now there was no confirmation on the dub cast.

    There's a press release [animeondvd.com] here with a bit more information that is the confirmation on the dub cast.
  • The best way of seeing Anime on film is clearly in a theater. If you happen to be in the area and catch this debut with the English dub go for it.

    - To those who think English dub sucks, it is all realitive. (For some odd reason no one complains about crappy Japanese recording since they do exist)

    Dubbing was bad in the 80s because you had only half a shoe string budget and scheduled recording time between SMURFS and GI JOE. Now that Anime has been shown to be a proven money maker recording quality has gone way way WAY up with the amount of money invested in making them.

    COWBOY BEBOP is an example of this. The English production crew from Bandai USA loved the show and worked hard in all aspects of it. If the KNOCKING receives the same TLC then it will be a quality English recording.

    - To those who think "What is so great about this show...I saw one goofy episode and it sucked"

    I suppose I could say the same thing about ATTACK OF THE CLONES can't I? ^_^;; COWBOY BEBOP is different than a lot of the stuff that came out post EVA/X-FILES/Angsty. It has clearly defined characters that you can identify with. It has a clearly defined ending(so many Anime these days leave endings open 'just in case' they can sell a second season). CB was more about style. A typical Anime series has "super plots" where consecutive episodes explain the themes and story but CB did many self contained one shots. Of course no one mentions CB without mentioning the music of Yoko Kanno. If CB represents anything about the future correctly it is that good music is timeless. ^_^

    - To those who say "why is this news?"

    Until recently if it was animated it had to have Disney on it or it was shown only in art house style movie theaters. This is one of the biggest openings for a non-US animated feature in the US. I think that is as newsworthy as anything else on /.

    - To those living in NYC I say "LUCK STIFFS" ^_^

    Take lots of pictures! Try to get an autograph(I would die for Kanno to autograph my BLUE CD). Have fun watching one of the better movies to come out of Japan recently.
    • Don't forget that out of ANY TV series in the world, Cowboy Bebop also has the largest soundtrack, no holds barred... 5 CDs in total... Not those "Songs INSPIRED by such and such a movie or show" crap CDs you see advertised on late night teevee either, every track is an original (with a few remixed for incidental music, such as "Doggy Dog")...

      For the anime OST geek, a bit of fun trivia as well (for those who haven't seen the series): Yoko Kanno (Macross Plus, Vision of Escaflowne) was the producer/composer of most of the soundtrack...
  • You know what would be great? If this (or ideally, a subbed print) were to show at the Michigan or State theaters here in Ann Arbor. They've shown anime before (the screening of Metropolis I went to had an almost full house).
    Maybe the editors from a somewhat influential website could co-sponsor some sort of an event. You know, as a sort of house-warming for their new offices. And to show their new community what a great 'n' fabulous 'n' magmanimous bunch of guys they are.

    What? It beats hell out of a PT Cruiser...

  • Next Saturday night, there will be another 3 hour block of Cowboy Bebop from 11pm-2am

    http://schedule.cartoonnetwork.com/servlet/Sched ul eServlet?action=viewAll&showID=319442&show=Cowboy+ Bebop

    That night's schedule is thus:
    11:00pm Honky Tonk Women -The introduction of Faye
    11:30pm Sympathy for the Devil -The secret of a child prodigy and what happened to earth
    12:00am Waltz for Venus -One man's attempt to set things right
    12:30am Black Dog Serenade -What happened to Jet
    01:00am Pierrot Le Fou -Why you shouldn't build a homicidal maniac
    01:30am Brain Scratch -Online cult (everquest maybe?)

    With the exception of "Honky Tonk Women" all these episodes are rather dark in tone (especially Pierrot Le Fou, which is one of my favorites of the series). They are also rather standalone, as opposed to last Saturday's, which covered the underlying main plot of the series.

    Although I haven't seen these episodes in their dubbed and edited form, from what I've seen of other episodes and Adult swim in general, minus some blood, these episodes should be rather intact and definitely worth seeing if you haven't.

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