A shambolic starship crew. A dystopian intergalactic civilisation. A storyline that veers from straight up comedy to poetic melodrama. A kickass hero with martial arts superskills who is weighed down by his own weaknesses. Imaginative futuristic technologies, places and societal structures.
Sound familiar?
If you thought I was talking about the Star Inferno™ series, you’d be right, but my books aren’t the only space opera story to feature those particular story elements. Actually, there are more than a few! But none do it better than Cowboy Bebop, the short-lived, much-loved Japanese anime from Sunrise animation studio.
This is a show I didn’t get around to seeing until later in life. I think I tried to watch it when I was younger, but I wasn’t ready for it. But about five years ago, I gave it another go, and boy has it stuck. And now I just watch it on repeat.
From the capsule episodes that are miniature movies in and of themselves to the haunting music to the operatic set pieces to the compelling, loveable characters, this is as good as anime gets – and just about as good as science fiction gets too. If you’ve never seen it, here’s a little video to give you a taster.