Normally, I am not a big fan of pure action shows; however, in this case I am willing to make a big exception. Cowboy Bebop has an abundance of features that other action shows, such as Hellsing, simply lack.

The first and foremost such feature is style. Cowboy Bebop simply oozes style. Everything -- from character animation, to environments, to ship designs, to music, to the humor -- is like the Baby Bear's porridge: not too hot, not too cold, but juuuuust right. The action sequences, such as hand-to-hand fights, shoot-outs, spaceship stunts, etc., look more like a delicate dance than a slugfest. Each character has his or her (or its) own distinct style as well, which affects every aspect of their behavior, from their posture to their speech to the way they fight. Almost every scene of the show makes me smile in appreciation.

Additionally, the amazing amount of detail makes the world of Cowboy Bebop really shine. There are working vector-thrust fins in the ship's engines, crushed Coke cans in forgotten alleyways, directional arrows on computer screens, layers of neon ad signs on city streets, little scuffs on car polish... When added up, all the little details help create a feeling that the episodes present a glimpse into a living, breathing world. The show is set in the near future, when humans have terraformed many planets in the Solar System, leaving the Earth behind (for reasons which are mysterious at first). However, people are still people, with their usual set of debts, favors, attitudes, plots, careers, etc. Many stock characters in Cowboy Bebop have more depth than leading characters in other anime.

And then, of course, there is the character chemistry. Spike (the main character) puts it well when he says: "You know what are the three things in life that I hate the most ? Rude women, pets, and little kids. Now... explain to me, why do we have all three on our ship ?!" The show never takes itself too seriously -- after all, it's not about saving the world from space aliens or evil demons, it's just about two guys cruising around on their run-down ship, trying to make a living. Most of the humor of the show comes from the constant bickering, one-upmanship and general humanity of the characters. As the show progresses, the characters begin to grudgingly accept, and even trust each other, but they never explicitly voice their feelings. Just as in real life, the changes in their personalities become apparent only through their behavior.

The plot of the show deserves special consideration. Cowboy Bebop is mostly episodic; there are only a handful story episodes which move the plot along. As the viewer, you already know that each of the characters is flawed in some way (well, unless you are some sort of an inhuman cyborg, then I suppose you won't know); the key episodes show you WHY they are flawed. Each of the story episodes feels like a pulse of laser light to your brain. In fact, my only complaint with the show is that there are too few story episodes in it.

All in all, Cowboy Bebop is one of these shows that you simply must watch. There are no excuses. In fact, I think I will go and watch it again for the 100th time after I post this review. It's just that good. 

Dex gives Cowboy Bebop a 9.0 out of 10