The appeal and reviews of Cowboy Bebop: Knockout

Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' On Heaven's Door: A fierce battle with the ultimate bounty

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

September 1, 2001 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment Distribution and promotion cooperation: Tokyu Recreation

■ Eirin Number

116126

■Frequencies

114 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Original author: Hajime Yatate

■ Director

Director: Shinichiro Watanabe

■ Production

Produced by: Sunrise, Bones, Bandai Visual

■Works

© SUNRISE・BONES・BANDAI VISUAL

■ Story

"Purgatory" is a place where those who are not allowed into heaven and are left behind continue to suffer.

2071, Mars. Just before Halloween, a bombing occurred on the highway in the crater city of Alba City. It was a terrorist attack using an unknown biological weapon. The Martian government put an unprecedented bounty of 300 million oolongs on the terrorist believed to be the mastermind. The Bebop crew was excited by the bounty, which could be said to be the highest amount in history. The four of them approached the culprit with their own approaches, but Fay, who acted on his own, fell into the hands of the terrorists. Vincent, a cold-hearted terrorist with no emotion or reason. Elektra, a mysterious woman who masters martial arts. And the existence of a huge pharmaceutical company and a military special forces that are squirming in the background. In addition to the series' most extreme and beautiful bounty hunter, various other characters appear, and in the midst of a situation where conspiracies and mysteries intersect and the story is on the verge of exploding, the story is heading towards an incredible ending... What will be the outcome of the confrontation between Spike, the "scarred wolf," and Vincent? What will be the fate of Fay, who has been taken prisoner? And what is Vincent and Elektra's true purpose? The "final party" hatched by the devil with the face of a saint is about to begin...!

■Explanation

An original theatrical film of "Cowboy Bebop". It is set between episodes 22 and 23 of the TV series. Source: Bandai Channel

■Cast

・Spike/Kouichi Yamadera ・Jet/Unsho Ishizuka ・Fay/Megumi Hayashibara ・Ed/Aoi Tada ・Vicious/Norio Wakamoto ・Julia/Masara Takashima

■ Main staff

・Original work/Hajime Yatate・Director/Shinichiro Watanabe・Executive Producers/Takayuki Yoshii, Ryohei Kakuta・Producers/Masuro Ueda, Masahiko Minami, Minoru Takanashi・Screenplay/Teiko Nobumoto・Character design/Toshihiro Kawamoto・Mechanic design/Kimito Yamane・Set design/Shiho Takeuchi・Art director/Atsushi Morikawa・Color design/Shihoko Nakayama・Animation director/Toshihiro Kawamoto・Director of production/Yoshiyuki Takei・Mechanic animation director/Masami Goto・Action animation director/Yutaka Nakamura・Music/Yoko Kanno・Sound director/Katsuyoshi Kobayashi・Director of photography/Yoichi Ogami・Editor/Shuichi Kakesu・Production/Sunrise, Bones, Bandai Visual

■ Main Characters

・Spike Spiegel (27 years old, born June 26th, Gemini, blood type O)
A bounty hunter who rides the Bebop, he is a practitioner of Jeet Kune Do, a martial art advocated by Bruce Lee. He is the type of person who likes to take on challenges, putting himself in more danger than necessary. He used to be a member of Red Dragon, a mafia based on Mars.

Jet Black (36 years old, born December 3rd, Ophiuchus, blood type A)
Spike's partner. He was a former ISSP (Pacific Criminal Police Organization) police officer, but retired after a certain incident. He became a bounty hunter. Due to injuries sustained during his time as a police officer, parts of his body have become cyborg. He is the owner of the Bebop, and does everything from general housework to ship maintenance. His hobby is bonsai.

Faye Valentine (23 years old, born August 14, Leo, blood type B)
When he wakes up from cryosleep, he loses all memories and is left with a huge debt. Perhaps because of this, his obsession with money is far greater than that of Spike or Jet. He loves gambling and is good at cheating.

・Ed (Edward Wong Howe Pepel Chibulski IV)
A genius hacker from Earth. Her favorite computer is a homemade one, and she's compatible with tomatoes. Because of her appearance, she is often mistaken for a boy, but she is a real girl. After hearing rumors about Spike and his friends online, she decides to stay on the Bebop.

・Ain (male, Welsh Corgi)
A data dog that was secretly studied at a certain research institute. After a series of events, he ended up being kept on the Bebop. He has human-level intelligence and sometimes helps the members of the Bebop!

Source: Sunrise official website

■ Related works

・Cowboy Bebop

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・Ask DNA
・Lyrics by Tim Jensen
・Composition: Yoko Kanno ・Arrangement: Yoko Kanno ・Singer: The Seatbelts

The appeal and reviews of Cowboy Bebop: Door to Heaven

"Cowboy Bebop: Door to Heaven" is a movie version of "Cowboy Bebop" released in 2001, and is set between episodes 22 and 23 of the TV series. This work depicts the spectacular adventure of the crew of the Bebop as they pursue the most expensive bounty in history. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and reviews of this work.

The appeal of the story

The story of "Cowboy Bebop: Door to Heaven" begins with an explosion that occurred on Mars. This incident was a terrorist attack using an unknown biological weapon, and the Martian government puts a bounty of 300 million oolongs on the mastermind. Attracted by the high bounty, the Bebop crew members Spike, Jet, Faye, and Ed each begin to pursue the culprit in their own way. However, an unexpected turn of events awaits as Faye falls into the hands of the terrorists.

The appeal of this work lies above all in its thrilling plot and deep character portrayal. The confrontation between the cold-hearted terrorist Vincent and Spike keeps viewers glued to the screen. In addition, the presence of the mysterious woman Elektra, as well as the pharmaceutical company and military special forces operating behind the scenes, adds further tension and depth to the story. As the personalities and growth of each crew member of the Bebop are depicted, viewers empathize with their fates and are drawn into the story right to its conclusion.

Character Appeal

The characters in Cowboy Bebop: Door to Heaven continue to be as fascinating as the TV series. Spike Spiegel is known as a master of Jeet Kune Do, and is impressive for his fearlessness in taking on danger. His conflict between his past and present is depicted, evoking deep sympathy from the viewers. Jet Black is characterized by his cyborg body and his love of bonsai, and his calmness and warmth support the story. Faye Valentine's past of losing her memory and her obsession with money drive her actions, evoking complex emotions from the viewers. Ed is a genius hacker, and her unique character adds humor and lightness to the story. And Ein is an important data dog with human-level intelligence who helps the crew of the Bebop.

Visual and musical appeal

The visuals of this work are of extremely high quality, thanks to a collaboration between Sunrise and Bones. Character design is by Toshihiro Kawamoto, mechanic design by Kimitoshi Yamane, set design by Shiho Takeuchi, and art direction by Atsushi Morikawa. The visuals created by this team of staff are visually stunning, and express the worldview of the story in a rich way.

The music was composed by Yoko Kanno, whose unique sensibility adds depth to the entire work. The opening theme, "Ask DNA," performed by the Seatbelts, enhances the tension and thrill of the story. Yoko Kanno's music stirs the emotions of the viewer and moves them as the story unfolds.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Cowboy Bebop: Door to Heaven" is a film that can be recommended not only to fans of the TV series, but to everyone who loves anime movies. The thrill of the story, the depth of the characters, the beauty of the visuals, and the moving music all combine to draw viewers in. This film is not just an action movie, but has also been highly praised as a human drama, and has received rave reviews from many viewers.

In particular, the story background and character settings have been carefully drawn so that even those who have not seen the TV series can enjoy it. Therefore, even new viewers can fully enjoy the content. Also, for fans of the TV series, this work depicting the new adventures and growth of the Bebop crew is a must-see.

Related works and recommendations

After enjoying "Cowboy Bebop: Door to Heaven", be sure to also watch the TV series "Cowboy Bebop". The TV series depicts the daily life and past of the Bebop crew in more detail, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of the background of the story depicted in the movie version. You can also enjoy Yoko Kanno's music and Toshihiro Kawamoto's character designs even more.

In addition, for those who enjoyed this work, we also recommend "Samurai Champloo" and "Space Dandy," which are also directed by Shinichiro Watanabe. These works also feature unique worldviews, attractive characters, and music by Yoko Kanno, and are sure to satisfy fans of "Cowboy Bebop: Door to Heaven."

Conclusion

"Cowboy Bebop: Door to Heaven" is a very attractive work that combines the thrill of the story, the depth of the characters, the beauty of the visuals, and the emotion of the music. It is recommended not only for fans of the TV series, but also for everyone who loves anime movies. Please watch this work and experience the spectacular adventure and growth of the Bebop crew.