Cowboy Bebop producers are fascinated by American movies and music, resulting in a multi-cultural view of the future not usually found in anime.

            Spike Spiegel, a former mobster, and Jet Black, a former police officer, cruise the solar system, collecting bounties in the Cowboy Bebop. During the 26-episode series, three new crewmembers join Spike and Jet (whether they like it or not). The episode, “Stray Dog Strut,” introduces Ein, a Welsh corgi with genetically enhanced intelligence. In “Honky Tonk Women” Faye Valentine, an amnesiac gambler with a colossal debt, moves in. The fifth member of the crew, Ed, is a young female computer-hacking misfit.

            Each episode title comes from jazz or rock albums and songs. The score reflects the series’ interest in western music. Yoko Kanno’s soundtracks range from jazz inspired by Charlie Parker to heavy metal to the exquisite blues harmonica featured in the episode “Sympathy for the Devil.”

            Director Shinichiro Watanabe and writer Keiko Nobumoto were inspired by American movies and television as well. Spike and Jet work like a 21^st century Starsky and Hutch, and many episodes parody movies like Alien and Shaft, giving the 2070s the feel of the 1970s.

Alongside the parodies are deeper stories that explore the human characters’ tragic pasts. Faye searches for information about her life before she was cryogenically frozen following an accident. Jet learns the truth about the incident that cost his arm. Meanwhile Ed finds her long-lost father. Along the way the crew encounters Vicious. A former friend and rival of Spike, Vicious is one of the best villains in anime. The tragedy revolves around the triangle of Spike, Vicious, and Julia, the woman who came between them, culminating in the devastating two-part finale.

The DVD version has access to both the Japanese and English versions. Many anime fans claim that Cowboy Bebop’s English voice acting is among the best. I particularly enjoy the smooth, laid-back voice David Lucas brings to Spike and Melissa Charles’ hyperactive speech patterns for Ed.

The series is distributed in a set of six DVDs. Each episode is roughly 25 minutes long. Available at Suncoast Video and similar stores for around $29.95, each disc can also be ordered from Amazon.com for around $25. While the series is episodic in nature, the ongoing story of Spike, Vicious, and Julia provides a narrative that should be watched in order. At any rate, don’t watch Session 6, the last DVD in the series, before seeing the rest, as it will break your heart.

Be forewarned. If you buy one of the Cowboy Bebop DVDs, you’re going to buy them all, so set aside some money. And when you are done watching “The Real Folk Blues,” you’re going to wish there was still more of the series to buy. It’s that good.

Well, there is more. A movie set near the end of the series entitled Knockin' On Heaven's Door is now available on DVD as well.