Decent episodes on this volume, but special features could've been better Cowboy Bebop Remix Volume 3 includes the eleventh through fourteenth episodes of the series. Personally, I thought episode eleven was rather strange, but the remaining episodes on the disc were pretty good.
The only real "extra" on this volume is a four-minute interview with Sean Akins, a producer at Cartoon Network. He was asked about the series' impact on Japanese animation, about how the show was reaching a new adult audience, and he also shared who his favorite character was and why. It was a decent extra, but it left me wanting more. I would've either liked to have had a longer interview with Mr. Akins, or perhaps a second interview with someone else involved with the series.
Sweet Disc This is my 2nd favorite disc in the whole set. The 1st and last episodes capture the feel of the series, and the middle two provide dramatic substance forthe series.
More of the same but better It's Cowboy Bebop in 5.1, what's more to say if your already a fan of the series. For those first getting introduced it's a good all around anime in my opinion.
BUG HUNT A strange amorphous blob is hunting the crew of the Bebop through the dark and spooky confines of their ship, taking them down one by one, first Jet, then Faye...even Ein has gotten attacked and been immobilized by the creature's poison! With no sign of Ed, Spike has to take it upon himself to kill the monster in this funny but suspenseful send-up of the first Alien movie. The next two-part episode starts with the crew (minus Faye, who has jumped ship, taking all their money with her) intercepting a message from a woman named "Julia" who Spike has an intense interest in catching up with. He takes off in his fighter as Jet goes down to the planet to find Faye. They unintentionally stumble into a drug deal involving Spike's nemesis Vicious. The last episode "Bohemian Rhapsody" involves a hacker that is using the Gate systems which ships use to move around the galaxy to steal millions from electronic bank accounts. Our bounty hunters, with Edward in the lead, attempt to track down the elusive mastermind of the scheme.
What's to complain about when it comes to Bebop? The cinematic feel and lack of static action shots with moving backgrounds set this show way apart from other anime. Even watching it 8 years after it was produced, it still shines! You get a little more background on Spike and Vicious in the Jazz episodes but you still feel as though there are unspoken volumes about these characters. The lack of bug-eyed typical anime characters also makes this show appeal to more adult audiences and even non-anime lovers. The humor and the director's passion for films in general really comes through, and the experience is even better in the new 5.1 remix. The only extra on the disk is an interview with Cartoon Network Producer Sean Akins.
REMIX-VIDEO QUALITY This is (also) a review of the REMIX VERSIONS. I won't go into the awesomeness of Cowboy Bebop other than to say that it is the best anime series ever, I'd even call it one of the best television shows ever!
While it has been universally noted on various postings about the remix versions that the sound is significantly better than the original sessions, there are multiple varying reviews on the PICTURE QUALITY. Some say there is no difference at all, some say it's a bit better, some say it's a lot better, all say they have "checked" both versions. Well, I took it a step further. I watched both versions side by side on an Avid Nitris Professional video editing system with high definition high resolution (HDHR) monitors and here is the DEFINITIVE ANSWER. There is a difference, they lightened it and did a very slight color correction. Basically, the old versions were a bit dark and some of the detail went unnoticed while the remix versions are lighter and there is more visible detail and color. In terms of viewing expeirience this means that a majority of the scenes look noticibly (if marginally) better. There are certain scenes, however, where the lightness works against it. Some of the more noirish scenes look a bit bleedy. Overall I would say that there is a difference in video quality and that the difference is mostly an improvement. But, even to the die hard fan the difference is negligible.
If you don't own the originals, if they're scratched, if you're a huge fan, if you have an awesome theatre system with good surround, or if you have a crappy small tv and can't see the detail in the image, GET THE REMIX. If not, while they are cool, they're not worth the $30 a pop.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
