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Anime

Cowboy Bebop Movie comes to the States 263

birdman666 writes "According to the movie site the movie of the popular anime Cowboy Bebop has finally been set to release in the states in a handful of cities including LA, NY, SF, Seattle and others on April 4. It features all the same voice actors as the Cartoon Network series and is big news for all those Bebop fans out there. As a note the Japanese title of the film was 'Cowboy Bebop: Knockin On Heaven's Door', but has been changed simply to 'Cowboy Bebop: The Movie' for the states." We had a note about the American premiere last summer, but now it's finally open for general admission.
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Cowboy Bebop Movie comes to the States

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  • Heh (Score:5, Funny)

    by Entropy248 ( 588290 ) on Friday March 07, 2003 @01:49AM (#5456551) Journal
    I thought that said CowboyNeil movie and I got all excited... I love p0rn so much!
  • Title Changes (Score:4, Interesting)

    by svvampy ( 576225 ) on Friday March 07, 2003 @01:52AM (#5456566)

    Why do the yanks always seem to want to change the titles of foreign movies?

    Mad Max is soooo much better than road weanie and what was the deal with the "Sorceror's Stone"?

    Although I had heard it said that the Americans don't understand/acknowledge philosophy so that is why the change was necessary

    • by Anonymous Coward
      Someone should change your post rating to (Score:-1 Uneducated).
    • Eh... this isn't a "yank" movie is it? Are you certain yanks are responsible for the change?

    • Re:Title Changes (Score:2, Interesting)

      by Student_Tech ( 66719 )
      Remember the bit about what Cartoon Network had to deal with for Cowboy Bebop (it was either that or Outlaw Star) when they missed a Star of David on a slot machine in one episode, they had parents threating to sue. (/. article mentioning that editing here [slashdot.org]). I think it is the general, oh its a cartoon its good/ok for kids idea.
      But yeah, if "Knocking on Heaven's Gate" had been something different it might have been left alone.
    • Re:Title Changes (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Chemical ( 49694 )
      From what I understand the change was due to legal issues regarding the "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" subtitle. Aparently Bob Dylan didn't like one of his song names being used in an anime title. And of course he owns that phrase, so no one else may use it without his express written consent (implied oral consent isn't good enough).

      Of course this is second hand info. Don't know if it's really true.

    • Re:Title Changes (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Microlith ( 54737 )
      They changed it out of fear of being sued by whomever owns the copyright to the song "Knocking on Heaven's Door"

      Sorry if I can't say who does, as while I can think of the song I can't think of the artist.

      (Hell the original title was which comes across as just "Heaven's Door" but the "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" was an official subtitle).
      • Re:Title Changes (Score:1, Informative)

        by Microlith ( 54737 )
        Hey Malda!

        Are you just being an ass now and having the /. engine strip out all non-english text?

        I wrote "tengoku no tobira" using mozilla in the previous post. It should have come out as standard HTML entities, but lo-and-behold, they're GONE?

        The following should be a line of kanji: that reads "otanjoubi ha rainen"

        If that's gone, then taco needs to fix /.
    • Re:Title Changes (Score:5, Informative)

      by GrimSean ( 545405 ) on Friday March 07, 2003 @02:15AM (#5456706) Homepage
      Why do the yanks always seem to want to change the titles of foreign movies?

      Mad Max is soooo much better than road weanie and what was the deal with the "Sorceror's Stone"?

      I believe that they went with Cowboy Bebop: The Movie rather than Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door so as to avoid any legal issues with Bob Dylan due to his famous song Knockin' on Heaven's Door.

      As to the Sorceror's Stone, that was done because the American publisher felt that it sounded more "Magic-like" than Philosopher's Stone.

    • Re:Title Changes (Score:5, Informative)

      by Anonvmous Coward ( 589068 ) on Friday March 07, 2003 @02:17AM (#5456719)
      "Why do the yanks always seem to want to change the titles of foreign movies? "

      Uh, we didn't have a say in it. Why don't you talk to the Japanese Movie Studio that's prepping it for release?

      I mean seriously, did you think we took a vote on it or something? Maybe an American Idol style voting system? It's somebody's perception of us 'yanks', not our preference.
      • Blame marketing.

        Marketing says: "Philosopher's Stone means nothing to target audience, call it "SORCERERS Stone", that makes it magic."

        or

        ""Leon: The Professional" is too much for target audience to read, call it "The Professional". Oh and cut out all that inuendo, we'll get sued."

        For these and other opinions some guy is paid 6 figures.

    • by puto ( 533470 ) on Friday March 07, 2003 @03:02AM (#5456912) Homepage
      Well having spent a good part of my live in my homeland the(US) and a good part on the road in other countries I can answer you in this way.

      Mad Max was called Mad MAx here. I even saw in the US as Mad Max. The second movie was called Mad Max 2, the Road Warrior. And Road Warrior sounds a Helluva lot better than Mad Max 2.

      And Gibson was born in New York, pop shipped the whole family back to Aussie Land cause that was where mom was from and to avoid his sons possible conscription into the service into Vietnam.

      And we do acknowledge philossopy. But alchemy? Hmmm.

      Movie name changes are made all over the world. They do it so that wherever they are showing the flick can get a general idea of what the original title is about. Somethings cannot be transalates.

      Knocking on Heavens door is one of the most famous songs in the US, and in English, so I would venture they did it to avoid confusion. And it is actually quite a beautiful tune.

      So you know what? Cool your jets, wherever your are from. People are people. Including this yank with one grampaw from Madrid and the other Cajun French(which is better than regular Frog any ol' day") we is all just people.

      Puto
    • Re:Title Changes (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Gropo ( 445879 )
      Why do the yanks always seem to want to change the titles of foreign movies?
      That's rich... Just last night I was flipping through the Spanish channels in the UHF range and caught a spot for an upcoming airing of The Frisco Kid [imdb.com]... What had they renamed it?

      El Rabino y el Pistolero!!!
  • by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 07, 2003 @01:55AM (#5456587)
    Is a crazy 70 year old Japanese professor [purdue.edu] that only wears Anime T-shirts.
  • butterflys (Score:3, Funny)

    by OwlofCreamCheese ( 645015 ) on Friday March 07, 2003 @01:55AM (#5456588)
    I see the butterflys....
    • The parent is hardly off topic if you have any clue as to what the story is about(Cowboy Bebop Movie).

      It's like me saying, "I like these old school games. Back in the day this was all people needed."

      Weak moderation, very weak. Would you rather he spoil the movie??
    • If you had seen the movie, you would understand that this is _VERY_ on-topic... Besides, it's better then posting a scummy spoiler!

      -Trav
  • Observation (Score:5, Funny)

    by Copperhead ( 187748 ) <talbrech@speakea[ ]net ['sy.' in gap]> on Friday March 07, 2003 @01:55AM (#5456592) Homepage
    I went to the premire in New York last summer, and I was looking forward to having a good time with all the other cool American Anime fans.

    Who invited all the geeks?

  • I know this is going to get marked flamebait, but I have to ask...

    What is it that people see in anime? I am actually curious. I have watched several different things, and I have thouroughly enjoyed many, but I have never understood the obsession.

    So, what are the qualities that anime fans think raise it up as a great thing?
    • Like with everything else, 90% of anime is horrible.
    • So, what are the qualities that anime fans think raise it up as a great thing?
      Nothing at all. It is just another of many mediums from which you can tell a story, just like a novel, the theatre, or live action films. Each has their own benefits and weaknesses.

      The strength of anime is that it allows the creative force complete control over the visual environment, without concern for if its possible to do in terms of special effects or in terms of real life freedom. Thus, the storyteller gets the ultimate freedom to express his or her ideas. That is what makes Anime unique in contrast to other mediums.

      But, its important to remember that it is still a medium, just like other mediums. As such it has its limitations.
      • Personally I like it because the _story_ in general is a hell of a lot better than hollywood crap.

        I go and watch hollywood films once a week at the cinema, and love the action etc. But sometimes you need to watch something with a bit more bite.
        For that there is anime.

        Of course, you get the occasional good holywood film, and the 'bad' anime. (good and bad defined in as above)

      • The strength of anime is that it allows the creative force complete control over the visual environment, without concern for if its possible to do in terms of special effects or in terms of real life freedom. Thus, the storyteller gets the ultimate freedom to express his or her ideas. That is what makes Anime unique in contrast to other mediums.

        Actually, that's not completely true. If you watch the credits of any good anime, it's pretty easy to see that it actually takes a much bigger crew to do a cartoon well than to shoot with film. You don't even save much on cast, because you still need to hire voice actors.

        What makes anime a (slightly) more "free" medium is that it is quite a bit cheaper, which allows producers to take bigger chances on rolling with a creative person's vision. The idea that a single Manga artist ever really has complete control of their vision during the production of something like Cowboy Bebop is a bit of a myth, though. Compromises were made, even if you were never told about them in a DVD commentary track the way you are with a lot of Hollywood films these days.

    • by 2nd Post! ( 213333 ) <gundbear@pacbe l l .net> on Friday March 07, 2003 @02:02AM (#5456635) Homepage
      Entertainment?

      The same thing you see in every other media.

      Anime is just a medium, like TV or commercials or infomercials or live action movies or print or comic.

      Each medium has their own history and culture, so it would stand to reason that anime too has its own subculture. It is this subculture that most fans are attracted to, the expectations built up from watching previous anime is carried over when watching new anime.

      Same as any other genre: American music, Marvel comics, Car commercials.

      And of course, anime itself can be divided into smaller genres, just like American Music, Marvel Comics, or Car commercials.
    • by Anonymous Coward
      I for one simply see anime as another medium of creative expression. Many people who don't "get anime" (not you obviously) see it as nothing but a cartoon. That's just ignorant. That's like seeing Saving Private Ryan as "just another shoot-'em-up action movie".

      I think one reason anime has such dedicated fans are two-fold.

      1. Animation can show things real life cannot either due to technological, financial or time constraints. For example, Cowboy Bebop. If you've seen the series, imagine trying to translate that into a show or movie. You know how much money that would cost? I'd guess upwards of $20 million an episode on average (CG ain't cheap, especially when every second has some).

      2. The culture in anime is unique. It's the same reason Star Wars has a cult following. Because anime is it's own little isolated universe. There are things otaku (anime fans to the nth degree) can say/do that another otaku will understand, but a casual observer would say "What the Hell is that?"

      I personally think those are huge factors in the fandom of anime, the unique culture it presents and the fact anything they can think up can be done.
      • Actually that was two reasons, not one two-part reason, but whatever.

        1. Animation can show things real life cannot either due to technological, financial or time constraints. For example, Cowboy Bebop. If you've seen the series, imagine trying to translate that into a show or movie. You know how much money that would cost? I'd guess upwards of $20 million an episode on average (CG ain't cheap, especially when every second has some).

        As was just proven this year with Firefly, a live-action TV show that reminded some people more than a little bit of Cowboy Bebop. At $2 Million an episode, it was simply too expensive to stay on the air with as limited of a following as it had. It was cancelled just as it was getting really good.

        In addition to the cost savings and subculture appeal, there's one more reason for anime being loved so much by some people in the US. Only the most appealing stuff ever gets exported. Then, once they went through the trouble of translating and exporting it, they carefully market it to the right audience (Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" vs. after-school syndication).

    • by Uller-RM ( 65231 ) on Friday March 07, 2003 @02:08AM (#5456666) Homepage

      Oh, it's not all anime. A great deal of it sucks ass (ex: DBZ, Hamtaro, Pokemon, etc.) -- and if you think that's true in the US, you should see all the loads of total crap that's released in Japan and never makes it here because the sheer stench of it tips off the customs officials.

      What makes good anime? Consistent, three-dimensional -- as in deep, not as in their look -- characters with back stories and patterns that viewers can relate and get attached to. A consistent art style. (Seizure robots do not apply.) Compelling writing, with humor where appropriate -- whether that's slapstick humor or the more darker variety. Believable lines, and convincing voice actors. In other words, the exact same things that make good film.

      Cowboy Bebop is considered one of the heights of anime, for all of the above. Other good examples of anime (IMO) would be Trigun, Rah'Xephon, Shinseiki (Neon Genesis) Evangelion, and the recent Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. If you're the type that likes relationship dramas, Love Hina is pretty well known and liked. There's shows that run the line between relationships and action, like Martian Successor Nadesico. There's also the full-length movie variety of anime, of which the most famous are Akira and Ghost in the Shell.

      *shrug* There's good and bad anime, just like there's good and bad films and good and bad TV -- favorites will vary with a person's taste, but there are consistent things you can critique on.

      • by Op911 ( 593600 )
        Please don't forget (for people who don't like giant battling robots), Great Teacher Onizuka , an intelligent comedy about a young Japanese schoolteacher and his antics to teach his class of misfits some life lessons, or anything by Studio Ghibli, such as the film recently nominated for the Academy Awards, Spirited Away , and its predecessors, such as Princess Mononoke and the like. (Also devoid of giant battling robots, or anime pr0n) More info on Studio Ghibli stuff at this excellent fan news website [nausicaa.net]
        • GTO is oustanding, altho the manga is better IMHO. Also let us not forget Serial Experiments: Lain, or any of the other of their ilk. I agree with the parent on Spirited Away and Mononoke.

          *grinning at the giant battling robots comments* I dunno, Rah'Xephon and NGE are the only mecha shows I've liked. Full Metal Panic, GunParade March, the whole Robotech series, etc. just never hooked me. I guess it's the mysticism bent that both those shows have, while the others are more of an extension on modern technology.

          I'm looking forward to Behind the Clouds right now -- a typical separated-loves story in an alternate future where Japan was conquered and divided after WW2.

          Kiddy Grade (Gainax) has been pretty interesting too.
      • in other words what makes good series or a movie makes good anime.

        i've come to conclusion that because there is just so freaking much anime there's also good anime, just like hollywood does make some good movies..

        beginning titles on cowboy bepop-knocking on heavens door are extremely stylistic and good looking in my opinion too(coupled with excellent music)..
      • by deek ( 22697 )
        Don't forget His and Her Circumstances. I recently borrowed this off a friend, and it's extremely good! There are some absolutely classic scenes in this series. Highly recommended.

        DeeK
        • I want to find that somewhere - I watched it at my local anime club and was pissing myself laughing the whole way.

          For non-fans - His and Her's is basically the best chick-flick ever. Its the usual stupid romantic duelling storyline, except its actually funny (instead of Cameron Diaz traipsing around being a ditz).

          Get it for your girlfriends.
      • what?
        http://www.animetempy.com/
        The series in the spotlight section are usually worth your time. I also like the reviews, 4-5 stars is usually a guaranteed win.

        where?
        http://abma.x-maru.org/guide/
        http://an ime.mircx.com/
    • In one phrase:

      "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"
    • I like it because it's a great storytelling medium. As you cannot rely too much on motion as in live action, you have
      to compensate for that by putting more work into making
      more interesting characters and story. Also, as the world
      is truly yours to shape in whatever form you wish in
      animation, it's often completely "out of this world".. that
      has its appeal, considering such entertainment is supposed
      to be escapist fantasies.

      Other factors.. the japanese culture is cool.. it's familiar in some ways because of the influence from the west, but yet it's also very distinguished like an unique mixture of old and new. Some like the language too.

      Oh, one more thing.. for many it also holds "art potential", whether we're talking simple or advanced animation design.. or as I like to say.. I could take professional grade camera equipment and film a scene just the way michael mann or whatever did.. but i cannot even draw a minute's worth of simple cartoons that DON'T look like complete sh**.
    • "What is it that people see in anime? "

      In this case, it's that Cowboy Bebop is a damn good show. It's earned its rep without relying too heavily on being anime.

      As for the attraction to it, I honestly can't say for sure. I do know that it's very imaginative visually and very dramatic, unlike American cartoons which are usually too cutesy.

      To be fair, though, there's lots of anime that sucks. On the flip side, though, at least there's the visual interest to it. Ghost in a Shell was BORING but it had some damn cool things to look at.

      I guess you could say it's thee sci-fi version of Britney Spheres.
      • To be fair, though, there's lots of anime that sucks. On the flip side, though, at least there's the visual interest to it. Ghost in a Shell was BORING but it had some damn cool things to look at.
        I agree there's a whole spectrum of quality in the genre. However, I think calling Ghost in the Shell boring is unfair. Admittedly it was slower paced than a lot of anime. It did explore some interesting ideas and had pretty well developed characters. The action scenes, though spaced apart, were good.

        Maybe it's a matter of taste. I thought X was appropriately named because it was anime "porn". There was a ton of action but it didn't really make much sense.

        Just so I don't get modded down for going too far off topic, Cowboy Bebop rules! :)
    • Anime, on the whole has one major plus for me, which is not seen in American Cartooning. A concentration on what makes cartoons visually interesting, as opposed to attempting to make a cartoon similar to live action.
      Why bother animating an entire scene poorly all around, when you can have aspects in a scene the eye is naturally drawn to animated well?
      Putting out a cartoon takes a lot of time, and rather than spending your resources equally across the entire length of your show, why not concentrate them where they can be put to the best use? Animation has come a long way, but lip synching is still terrible, so why not spend less time on the close up, and spend more on the wide shot action scene? This is what anime does well, which US cartoons do not.
      If you want to see what I mean, check out Cowboy bebob episode 1 [animecentral.net], and witness one of the greatest hand to hand fighting moments in any cartoon
    • by Anonymous Coward
      Two words: tentacle porn!
    • by Joe Tie. ( 567096 ) on Friday March 07, 2003 @03:07AM (#5456935)
      So, what are the qualities that anime fans think raise it up as a great thing?

      Japan in general seems to have a greater tolerance for creativity and continuity in sci-fi than most of the English speaking public. It's nice being able to watch a series I like with no fears that it'll be canceled for a zaney reality show because too many of the viewers missed having the big red reset button pushed after each episode. I also like animated sci-fi in general more than live action, if the latter is going to resort to nose putty aliens. For some reason an animated alien dosn't jar my suspension of disbelief as much as a cheap forehead alien of the night.

      That said, I also should say that I don't like the idea of generalising to such a high degree. I own quite a few anime series, but I don't consider myself an "anime fan" any more than I consider myself a "American TV fan". Both catagories are so broad as to make any statement like that pretty much meaningless. I'm a fan of science fiction stories which have interesting characters and a progressive storyline, and I really don't much care what video medium or country delivers them to me.
    • by gad_zuki! ( 70830 )
      >What is it that people see in anime?

      I think its just a reliable source for tons of science fiction. Wherever science fiction goes geeks are sure to follow.

      I don't think its a big coincedence that the most popular titles are pretty much sci-fi or use a sci-fi setting.
    • What is it that people see in anime?

      Are you new? I see this question every freaking time /. posts an anime story. I'm starting to believe that it's actually posted by anime fans who want to give their fellow anime fans an opportunity to karma whore. The replies are always "it's a medium, lots of crap, some good," followed by the poster's personal top-ten of anime, which rarely deviates from the standard top-ten of anime, except maybe for some fansub-du-jour that they throw in to let everyone know that they're still "current". God knows, I've been tempted to do it myself. I don't see this question asked about Linux every time some story is posted about version X.YrcZ of some distro. "What is it you guys see in Linux? What is it as a whole that makes you such great fans of it? I tried to install DragonBallZ Linux, and it seemed to fight with me for days while nothing actually happened...". People then posting their favorite distros for 80 comments, moderators modding up the comments about distributions they like...

      From here on in, let it be known that this question has been answered, numerous times. Look up an anime favorites list on google or just check the commentary in any /. anime story, watch some of the recommended shows, and decide for yourself.
    • It's easier to be perfectionistic in making anime than it is in making a live-action film; you can tweak the visuals arbitrarily until they're just right, and it's much easier to do a lot of takes of the audio and splice the best ones together, because you're not trying to fit video and the actors don't have to do difficult things while speaking. This means you can get a better result with somewhat less effort, and that you can get a good result with less skilled people taking more time.

      American cartoons tend to be taken less seriously than anime, which means that you don't get as impressive results most of the time.

      So anime isn't automatically great, but it's a lot more practical for a lot of good stories.
    • I understand your question, IMHO most anime sucks.
      However, Cowboy Beebop is one fine series. I recommend it because it is a good movie, the fact that it is anime is really secondary.
      I suggest you find someone with a copy, and watch the first DVD. I think you'll enjoy it, most people I've shown it to have.

      to sum up:
      Cowboy beebop is:
      1)sexy
      2)well written
      3)well drawn
      4)cool looking ships
      5)funny
      6)subtle
      7)characters with depth
      8)thought provoking
      9)wity
      10)action packed

      • I agree with all of your points on the strengths of Cowboy Bebop, but there is something you left out: Fantastic Music!

        I'm not a big anime fan. I was hooked into this show while flipping channels and heard some of the music. I bought the 'Perfect Sessions' 3 DVD set and only really know the english voices. I also bought the most of the soundtracks (even after downloading the MP3s for free).

        Glad this is coming to Chicago. I'll be at the Music Box that night.
  • ouch (Score:5, Informative)

    by lingqi ( 577227 ) on Friday March 07, 2003 @02:00AM (#5456619) Journal
    that title is just... AWFUL.

    btw if you translate the japanese title directly i think it's "heaven's door" - I thought the "knocking no heaven's door" would be a good english interpretation (yes I watched the japanese one)... probably have to do with copyrighted song titles? though AFAIK you can't copyright song titles at all.

    ack. that is just whack.

    btw, no nudity as far as I remembered (though there was points where Faye was pretty close), so I don't think much will be cut. Violence was not extreme either as well, IIRC;

    btw, anybody (who saw it in japanese) knows who sang the opening song? it was in english, but I can't figure it out.
    • Re:ouch (Score:5, Informative)

      by Microlith ( 54737 ) on Friday March 07, 2003 @02:09AM (#5456672)
      There will be nothing cut. You mistake them for Miramax and Disney, whom seem content to edit stuff to death until they think it's marketable.

      The crew behind the US release of this movie is the same as the one behind Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (well, it's changed a bit) and they left that whole.

      Also the song:

      "Ask DNA"
      Words by: Tim Jensen
      Sung by: Raju Ramayya
      Music by: Yoko Kanno
      Performed by: Raju Ramayya and Seatbelts
    • Re:ouch (Score:3, Funny)

      by minusthink ( 218231 )
      faye is ALWAYS close to nude.
      • In the opening credits she's holding onto something of hers, but it's all silloetted and you can't really see...whew, is it a tit bit nipply in here or is it just me?
  • Give us Lupin the IIIrd and Cowboy Bebop! YEAH! I'll gladly usher those days!
  • by Anonymous Coward
    ...you can always commit the criminal act of copyright infringement and download the fansubbed version of the movie [sharereactor.com] ahead of time. (You will need the emule p2p app [sf.net] to download it.)

    I know I did! I'm a filthy little pirate who's seen it thrice, and will see it once again at the theater, and again when it's finally on DVD.

  • by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 07, 2003 @02:10AM (#5456684)
    Is that supposed to be some kind of stereotypical American name?
    Hell, we should make a cartoon that makes fun of tradional Japanese heroes! Call it something like Samurai... Samurai Jack!

    Oh wait! Crap!
  • by xfs ( 473411 ) on Friday March 07, 2003 @02:13AM (#5456695)


    "We had a note about the American premiere last summer, but now it's finally open for general admission"

    Using the Taco->English translation on babelfish, it comes out as:

    "HAHA BASTARDS, CANT TELL ME ITS A REPOST NOW"


  • thank heaven (since we're knocking on it's door anyway) that the original voices are used... i watched most of the series with subtitles, and then a dubbed episode... beyond the fact that the people who dub voices almost invariably suck more ass than a prisoner named bubba, there's the horribly disconcerting sense that you no longer know the characters... btw for anyone that has watched the series but not the movie (is there anyone?), check it out... it's good
  • The Movie (Score:5, Funny)

    by absurdhero ( 614828 ) on Friday March 07, 2003 @02:18AM (#5456720) Homepage
    I think they changed it to "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie" to make sure that us American's can be sure that it is, in fact, a movie. Who knows, it could be terrorist propaganda or some mix between country music and old school bebop. How should we know?
  • I got a fansubbed version of it on a CD Xvid compressed fullscreen. I'll say this.... If it comes out in theaters here, I'm watching it, and I'll buy the DVD.

    In terms of quality, the animation is beautiful. The storyline, I believe, is the movie between EP 24 and 25 of the Cowboy Bebop series. This explains some weird 'sayings' in the alang=ja,slang=en of the American dvd.

    ARE YOU LIVING IN
    THE REAL WORLD?
    • Between 23 and 24.

      And what do you mean This explains some weird 'sayings' in the alang=ja,slang=en of the American dvd.
      • Sorry.. Alang and slang is mplayer dvd audio and subtitling commandline options. I was doing commandline options to mencoder and comments/commandline crossed ;-)

        Alang = Audio Language. Audio to Japanese
        Slang = Subtitle language. Subtitling to English
  • I just finished watching episode 15 of the series, I pop open slashdot before hitting the sack, and here's news I can use!

    Can't wait for Spike-san to 'hit it' on the big screen.

    As long as they start off the flick with 'Tank', I'll be happy.

    sigs? we don't need no steenking sigs here
    • WHAT? No TANK? (Score:2, Informative)

      by CrocOS ( 635608 )
      Sorry dude - From a post [slashdot.org] last time this was mentioned:

      "Ask DNA"
      Words by: Tim Jensen
      Sung by: Raju Ramayya
      Music by: Yoko Kanno
      Performed by: Raju Ramayya and Seatbelts

      Like I said... Sorry =)
      -Trav
  • So this movie is supposed to take place somewhere between the middle and the end of the series or what?

  • Why do people like fansubs over dubs, at least for the people who don't know japanese, don't they lose a large part of the dialog due to not understanding the person's inflection/tone. Perhaps that isn't a big issue? I've watched many of both type and end up liking dubs due to that reason.
  • I live in Irvine and I love the fact that we get all the limited release Animes... Vampire Hunter D, Cowboy BeeBop, Princess Ahime, the list goes on... but it's a city of like 250,000 people maybe twice that during the day (damn commuters) and NOT a major city. Over 50% of the residents drive a luxury car and pay more than twice what they should for their housing but still...

    oh well, I'll just count my blessings. April 4rth will be a very entertaining day!

  • by euxneks ( 516538 ) on Friday March 07, 2003 @03:25AM (#5456996)
    Honestly, can't someone get it into their head that if it's in a movie theatre, any joe blow could figure out that it's a movie that they're watching? Is the second title "The Movie" really needed? Sheesh.
  • bebop? (Score:3, Informative)

    by joenobody ( 72202 ) on Friday March 07, 2003 @04:13AM (#5457129)

    I've seen it, and the nicest thing I can say about it that it's not Cowboy Bebop. Ed is messed up, grapically and character-wise. The computer animation is pretty poorly integrated. Jet's barely in the movie and spends most of it moping around like a schmuck. Faye's top is cut open for no particular reason. Spike's at least about right, but Ein is painfully obvious.

    The villain is some kind of nihilistic joke who can't even keep continuity -- he survives, without disfigurement, exploding a grenade in his hand that blackens and twists a nearby metal seat, but takes one bullet in the climax and dies.

    Speaking of which, the entire story around the contrived love interest is incredibly hammy, and if anyone didn't see that twist at the end coming you'd best get your eyes checked. Ugh.

    I didn't expect the world from this movie, but it didn't come close to matching up with the worst episode.

  • It's a shame they couldn't get this released in more cities. I'm gonna have to go all the way to Austin to see this, but go I will. Dallas is actually closer but, well, it's Dallas - so I'll go to Austin.

    Anyone know if there are full length DVD releases available for this movie or other Cowboy Bebop titles?
  • We dont know how to vote, subsequently we dont get cowboy bebop movies. Maybe if Spike was edited out and re-filmed live as Vin Diesel or something, then this state might just find the movie shallow enough to enjoy. I hate Florida.
  • by Ride-My-Rocket ( 96935 ) on Friday March 07, 2003 @10:42AM (#5458374) Homepage
    I can only assume so, since the Cartoon Network version is all in English. Not that I find that particularly distasteful -- in fact, it's probably one of the best dubbing jobs I've seen to date -- but I also find the Japanese voices more appropriate and in tune with each persons characters (Edward always cracks me up).

  • Great Movie (Score:2, Informative)

    by nule.org ( 591224 )
    A friend of mine got me hooked on Bebop after showing me a few of the eps on DVD. I immediately went to eBay and bought a complete set of DVDs (26 eps on 3 dvds for about $40 on regionless disks from HongKong, with English audio) a boxed set of the series music (4 cd's, some great tunes) and a copy of the movie (about $8, regionless, English subtitles from HongKong).

    I am a bit biased about the movie since I dig the series so much, but it is really an impressive feat of animation. IMO the best I have seen in any anime, Ghost in the Shell and Princess Mononoke included. The story is pretty good, but somewhat akin to the X-Files movie - which seems just like an extended episode with nifty effects thrown in. Don't let that fool you though - I think I this thing can stand on its own, and I can't wait to hear it with the English-language voice actors who are fabulous in the series.

    If you get a chance to see some of the episodes before the movie you should do so. You'll appreciate more of the in-jokes and understand some of the oddities (like Ed :) ). Chronologically, I think the movie happens somewhere during the middle of the series so it won't give away the end if you haven't watched it all. If you have, don't worry, it will just enhance your appreciation of it.

    Here's to hoping it comes to Cleveland.

  • I was at the Anime Expo in New York last summer (which was during the premiere of Cowboy Bebop:TM) and was in the Q&A session with the director Shinchiro Watanbe and the music composer Yoko Kanno (and the character designer, forgot his name. Side note: I was in the same room with Yoko Kanno! woot!)

    The name was changed because it conflicted with Bob Dylan's song name. That's all. Rather than coming up with some other original title, Mr. Watanabe decided to use "The Movie."

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