What do you think?
Rate this book
カウボーイビバップ [Cowboy Bebop] #2
Cowboy Bebop, Vol. 2
The hippest bounty hunters in the galaxy are back! Spike Siegel, Jet Black, and Faye Valentine are on the hunt for new targets inspired by the hit anime series. Cowboy Bebop blends science fiction spaghetti westerns film noir and jazz music into a new genre that's all about style.
184 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
14 people are currently reading
558 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
July 20, 2023
دلم براشون تنگ شد...
June 22, 2017
Fun and stylish but no overarching plot to speak of. Was hoping for a little deeper character studies.
January 22, 2023
Meh, another mediocre volume.
These manga volumes were released after the anime series and they are like a short story collection. Each volume has about 4 stories with a very clean beginning and end and therefore we get no real character development for the main characters or any of the side characters introduced. You are expected to know the characters from watching the TV show, if you don’t the story becomes even less readable. This one had one story that was pretty good with the Ed and Ein stuff, they are the stars of the show in my opinion so it was nice for them to get some real page time but regardless it still wasn’t anything to write home about. Like I said in my review of the first installment, I have all three volumes but since two didn’t improve enough to make a difference I may end up rehoming this series and not bothering with volume 3. Maybe someone who has been a long time fan of the show can love these more than I did.
These manga volumes were released after the anime series and they are like a short story collection. Each volume has about 4 stories with a very clean beginning and end and therefore we get no real character development for the main characters or any of the side characters introduced. You are expected to know the characters from watching the TV show, if you don’t the story becomes even less readable. This one had one story that was pretty good with the Ed and Ein stuff, they are the stars of the show in my opinion so it was nice for them to get some real page time but regardless it still wasn’t anything to write home about. Like I said in my review of the first installment, I have all three volumes but since two didn’t improve enough to make a difference I may end up rehoming this series and not bothering with volume 3. Maybe someone who has been a long time fan of the show can love these more than I did.
December 26, 2021
I don't have anything clever or interesting to say as an intro for this one. It's a fairly mediocre overall experience with a couple of stories I'd call good, but it just really doesn't capture the heart and soul of Cowboy Bebop. It feels more like an odd sitcom mixed with teledrama adaptation of the anime. Except still better than the Netflix version, as far as I'm concerned.
She's A Rainbow - 3/5
The premise of this one is just... weird. In any other franchise, it could probably work - and in some cases, has actually been done - but the entire vibe just doesn't feel right for Cowboy Bebop. I just can't believe that a random Martian television station would send a news reporter to do a show about "the famous Bebop." Also, Rachel the reporter is obnoxiously bubbly.
That said, I'm surprised how entertained I was by this chapter. The art is mediocre at times, especially when people are drawn chibi-style, but the characters look on-point when it counts - especially during dramatic moments. The characterizations are also very convincing, with only Ed seeming slightly off in her speech patterns (the personality is still accurate).
Great Deceiver - 4/5
A piece of Faye's past resurfaces as a bounty. We learn how close Faye and Linda used to be, often flirting with each other and basically being wonderfully sapphic and reaffirming my belief that Faye is the bisexual rep I desperately needed as a teen (and thus latched onto her being). Yeah, there's a "we were best friends" moment, and Linda is revealed to have once loved a man, but none of these things preclude either of the women involved having an intimate connection. The chemistry between them is amazing and undeniable.
Though a bit iffy on the art quality, I enjoyed the story a lot. Characterization was good all around.
Bebop Special Short - 1.5/5
I expected something... well, special. Instead, I got Spike and Faye digging up herbs when Jet catches a cold. That's it, that's the entire 'action' and the plot. This one's just a waste of space - the equivalent of a one-shot drabble fanfic based on a half-baked anonymous prompt. I'm only giving it an extra half-star because the characterizations were accurate and the art was alright. The ending was telegraphed from a mile away, or at least relied upon so many common tropes that it was far too easy to guess.
Thinking Bird, Happy Song - 4/5
A good story with decent quality art and terrible English language editing. I caught a few common errors, such as mixing homonyms (it's and its; you're and your) which really threw me out of the flow. That's a shame, because I liked the story.
It's about a hitman on his final job before he quits for the sake of love, an old man with a passion for his pet songbird, and Edward's desperate attempt to find food. It features quite a few good quotes and all the canon characters featured sound true to character. (Ed is maybe a bit more childish in speech patterns, but still feels plausible as matching her anime counterpart.) I enjoyed this one as a fun adventure with a little intrigue on the side. And Ein features heavily, so that's a nice bonus!
Like A Rolling Stone - 1/5
This chapter is kind of... odd. I don't know if there were translation issues or the art just isn't good at telling a story, but half the time I found myself feeling as if scenes or transitions must be missing. It was also difficult to tell at times who was speaking in a panel. I don't think I'm the problem here, because I've not encountered this problem in any of the other chapters of this manga or the previous volume. It just didn't feel as well put-together as any other component of the collection.
The story itself kind of bored me, if I'm being honest. In the anime, it could've worked as one of the slower-paced episodes, but only if Allison were given a bit more characterization and the pacing were interspersed with glimpses of other subplots to maintain interest. None of that is the case, here, so it feels like a chapter containing only the slower bits of an episode. And the dialogue feels really off for Spike at times.
For example, we get things like Spike saying directly that he hates women. It feels as if the nuance of his personality was overlooked and simmered down into a caricature. In the anime, he says the three things he hates are children, animals, and women with attitude (in the direct Japanese translation: rugrats, beasts, and tomboys) - not women as a whole - and he only says that because he's complaining to Jet about how Ed (child), Ein (dog), and Faye (woman with attitude) are inconveniencing him and invading his space after they've started living on the Bebop with him and Jet. He very clearly doesn't hate women, as evidenced by not only many interactions in various sessions (episodes) of the anime but also by his entire character arc revolving around a woman he loved. Also, I highly doubt Spike would agree to bet ownership of a woman he doesn't know (thus it's not some statement on disliking her, while knowing she can defend herself well, as it would be if the woman were Faye) on an arm wrestling match. So, yeah, maybe I'm just salty, but I don't like that the writer and/or translator of this issue missed all the depth and nuance that makes Spike so intriguing.
It's very much like a poorly written fanfic that latches onto one out of context quote, twists it into a character's personal mantra, and then tosses a half-baked cardboard cutout of an OC with a slightly interesting but poorly handled backstory into the mix. That said, you'll note I said poorly written and not bad. There's a difference between something that's not written well and something that's all around terrible. For me, that line in this chapter comes from still having a few enjoyable scenes where Spike felt in-character and Allison (the woman Spike meets this chapter) was kind of interesting.
There's potential, if only the author would stop swimming in misogyny for ten seconds. Which, yes, I do understand that things were a lot different back in the early 2000s when this was published. I was there; I lived through it. But I'm not sitting in a time machine reading this as a twelve-year old. I'm sitting here in 2021, looking back on this as an adult, and calling absolute bullshit on that potential defense. You know why? Because the anime this is based upon was released in 1998. It was probably made within the year/s preceding that. And somehow, the anime manages to not be a flaming pile of misogynistic tropes. This isn't just some standalone work with a vague excuse; this is something based on an existing property which managed to be engaging and entertaining without objectifying the hell out of its female characters.
But in this work? We get a woman being used as the prize of a bet, without her consent. And then said woman flashes the person she doesn't want to win so that he'll be distracted and lose. But the one she wants to win also ends up staring for a moment. I just... I'm not pleased. Cowboy Bebop deserves better than tainting what could've been a good plot with something so stupid and obnoxious.
Overall
I enjoyed Great Deceiver and Thinking Bird, Happy Song quite a bit and would probably handpick those to recommend to someone who's desperately craving more adventures with the Bebop crew. However, this volume as a whole feels more like a miss to me than a hit. I wish I could say that surprises me, but after the first volume it really doesn't.
But I'm going to be nice and round up the average of 2.7 into 3 stars, despite the misogynistic bullshit in the final chapter. Why? Because it's nowhere near as harmful or hateful as the transphobic mess in the second chapter of the first volume. I don't feel the need to deduct a star for it, so long as I've provided ample warning. I'm not mad this time, only disappointed.
Oh, so disappointed.
She's A Rainbow - 3/5
The premise of this one is just... weird. In any other franchise, it could probably work - and in some cases, has actually been done - but the entire vibe just doesn't feel right for Cowboy Bebop. I just can't believe that a random Martian television station would send a news reporter to do a show about "the famous Bebop." Also, Rachel the reporter is obnoxiously bubbly.
That said, I'm surprised how entertained I was by this chapter. The art is mediocre at times, especially when people are drawn chibi-style, but the characters look on-point when it counts - especially during dramatic moments. The characterizations are also very convincing, with only Ed seeming slightly off in her speech patterns (the personality is still accurate).
Great Deceiver - 4/5
A piece of Faye's past resurfaces as a bounty. We learn how close Faye and Linda used to be, often flirting with each other and basically being wonderfully sapphic and reaffirming my belief that Faye is the bisexual rep I desperately needed as a teen (and thus latched onto her being). Yeah, there's a "we were best friends" moment, and Linda is revealed to have once loved a man, but none of these things preclude either of the women involved having an intimate connection. The chemistry between them is amazing and undeniable.
Though a bit iffy on the art quality, I enjoyed the story a lot. Characterization was good all around.
Bebop Special Short - 1.5/5
I expected something... well, special. Instead, I got Spike and Faye digging up herbs when Jet catches a cold. That's it, that's the entire 'action' and the plot. This one's just a waste of space - the equivalent of a one-shot drabble fanfic based on a half-baked anonymous prompt. I'm only giving it an extra half-star because the characterizations were accurate and the art was alright. The ending was telegraphed from a mile away, or at least relied upon so many common tropes that it was far too easy to guess.
Thinking Bird, Happy Song - 4/5
A good story with decent quality art and terrible English language editing. I caught a few common errors, such as mixing homonyms (it's and its; you're and your) which really threw me out of the flow. That's a shame, because I liked the story.
It's about a hitman on his final job before he quits for the sake of love, an old man with a passion for his pet songbird, and Edward's desperate attempt to find food. It features quite a few good quotes and all the canon characters featured sound true to character. (Ed is maybe a bit more childish in speech patterns, but still feels plausible as matching her anime counterpart.) I enjoyed this one as a fun adventure with a little intrigue on the side. And Ein features heavily, so that's a nice bonus!
Like A Rolling Stone - 1/5
This chapter is kind of... odd. I don't know if there were translation issues or the art just isn't good at telling a story, but half the time I found myself feeling as if scenes or transitions must be missing. It was also difficult to tell at times who was speaking in a panel. I don't think I'm the problem here, because I've not encountered this problem in any of the other chapters of this manga or the previous volume. It just didn't feel as well put-together as any other component of the collection.
The story itself kind of bored me, if I'm being honest. In the anime, it could've worked as one of the slower-paced episodes, but only if Allison were given a bit more characterization and the pacing were interspersed with glimpses of other subplots to maintain interest. None of that is the case, here, so it feels like a chapter containing only the slower bits of an episode. And the dialogue feels really off for Spike at times.
For example, we get things like Spike saying directly that he hates women. It feels as if the nuance of his personality was overlooked and simmered down into a caricature. In the anime, he says the three things he hates are children, animals, and women with attitude (in the direct Japanese translation: rugrats, beasts, and tomboys) - not women as a whole - and he only says that because he's complaining to Jet about how Ed (child), Ein (dog), and Faye (woman with attitude) are inconveniencing him and invading his space after they've started living on the Bebop with him and Jet. He very clearly doesn't hate women, as evidenced by not only many interactions in various sessions (episodes) of the anime but also by his entire character arc revolving around a woman he loved. Also, I highly doubt Spike would agree to bet ownership of a woman he doesn't know (thus it's not some statement on disliking her, while knowing she can defend herself well, as it would be if the woman were Faye) on an arm wrestling match. So, yeah, maybe I'm just salty, but I don't like that the writer and/or translator of this issue missed all the depth and nuance that makes Spike so intriguing.
It's very much like a poorly written fanfic that latches onto one out of context quote, twists it into a character's personal mantra, and then tosses a half-baked cardboard cutout of an OC with a slightly interesting but poorly handled backstory into the mix. That said, you'll note I said poorly written and not bad. There's a difference between something that's not written well and something that's all around terrible. For me, that line in this chapter comes from still having a few enjoyable scenes where Spike felt in-character and Allison (the woman Spike meets this chapter) was kind of interesting.
There's potential, if only the author would stop swimming in misogyny for ten seconds. Which, yes, I do understand that things were a lot different back in the early 2000s when this was published. I was there; I lived through it. But I'm not sitting in a time machine reading this as a twelve-year old. I'm sitting here in 2021, looking back on this as an adult, and calling absolute bullshit on that potential defense. You know why? Because the anime this is based upon was released in 1998. It was probably made within the year/s preceding that. And somehow, the anime manages to not be a flaming pile of misogynistic tropes. This isn't just some standalone work with a vague excuse; this is something based on an existing property which managed to be engaging and entertaining without objectifying the hell out of its female characters.
But in this work? We get a woman being used as the prize of a bet, without her consent. And then said woman flashes the person she doesn't want to win so that he'll be distracted and lose. But the one she wants to win also ends up staring for a moment. I just... I'm not pleased. Cowboy Bebop deserves better than tainting what could've been a good plot with something so stupid and obnoxious.
Overall
I enjoyed Great Deceiver and Thinking Bird, Happy Song quite a bit and would probably handpick those to recommend to someone who's desperately craving more adventures with the Bebop crew. However, this volume as a whole feels more like a miss to me than a hit. I wish I could say that surprises me, but after the first volume it really doesn't.
But I'm going to be nice and round up the average of 2.7 into 3 stars, despite the misogynistic bullshit in the final chapter. Why? Because it's nowhere near as harmful or hateful as the transphobic mess in the second chapter of the first volume. I don't feel the need to deduct a star for it, so long as I've provided ample warning. I'm not mad this time, only disappointed.
Oh, so disappointed.
January 14, 2013
So I read volume two... and it was awesome! Yeah, I have no idea what else to say! This review is going to be me basically gushing over how awesome this manga series is... so... you've been warned. XP
I was excited to get my hands on the next volume of Cowboy Bebop since I loved the first volume so much. It did NOT disappoint. Reading the chapters of this manga is like watching the individual episodes of the anime. It was great. It was fun, exciting, engaging, amazing! I loved how each chapter played out its own plot. The characters were amazing, including some of the new ones. The art style is just fantastic! Overall, I enjoyed ever aspect of this book!
Nanten just keeps getting better and better! The art of this manga is so nice to look at. The characters have their own unique designs and the scenery is just astounding. You feel as if you are on a different planet! And the one who wrote the story, Hajime Yatate (I don't think I talked about them in my last review), did an excellent job again by taking the formula they used for the anime and adapted onto the manga and it flowed beautifully. Nothing seemed forced. It literally felt as if you were watching an actual Cowboy Bebop episode and I couldn't be happier.
I already said how much I love Spike and the rest of the Bebop crew. In this volume, it's no different. They were all badass and lived up to my expectations. Even the new characters were great! Kazuki, a news reporter, though slightly... naive... she brought a lightness to the story that was necessary considering how dark this series can get sometimes. Linda Wise, a mentor to Faye, was fantastic! She was intelligent and kind. You can tell she really cared for Faye. The Killer... he was the butt of Ed's jokes and his end was hilarious! Finally, Allison was somewhat bland but because of her, we were able to get to see a softer side to Spike. Naturally, I enjoyed the new characters tremendously. However, no one can take the spot of my favorite character ever. That spot is reserved for Jet. God, he was so cute, amazing, epic, and wonderful in this manga! Made me laugh a few times, too! XD
If you decided, to read the first volume then I highly suggest you read this one as well. It's full of action, suspense, drama, and comedy! In fact, this volume was a bit more light-hearted tha the previous one but that doesn't mean it wasn't a great volume! It was awesome! Any Cowboy Bebop fan would LOVE to read this manga. Trust me. It is just THAT good!
There's only one left... oh, no! I am not ready for this! I don't want this lovely manga to end! DX But, alas, there is but one left. Oh well... I am REALLY looking forward to seeing where this last volume is going to take me!I know it's going to be epic! >:3
I was excited to get my hands on the next volume of Cowboy Bebop since I loved the first volume so much. It did NOT disappoint. Reading the chapters of this manga is like watching the individual episodes of the anime. It was great. It was fun, exciting, engaging, amazing! I loved how each chapter played out its own plot. The characters were amazing, including some of the new ones. The art style is just fantastic! Overall, I enjoyed ever aspect of this book!
Nanten just keeps getting better and better! The art of this manga is so nice to look at. The characters have their own unique designs and the scenery is just astounding. You feel as if you are on a different planet! And the one who wrote the story, Hajime Yatate (I don't think I talked about them in my last review), did an excellent job again by taking the formula they used for the anime and adapted onto the manga and it flowed beautifully. Nothing seemed forced. It literally felt as if you were watching an actual Cowboy Bebop episode and I couldn't be happier.
I already said how much I love Spike and the rest of the Bebop crew. In this volume, it's no different. They were all badass and lived up to my expectations. Even the new characters were great! Kazuki, a news reporter, though slightly... naive... she brought a lightness to the story that was necessary considering how dark this series can get sometimes. Linda Wise, a mentor to Faye, was fantastic! She was intelligent and kind. You can tell she really cared for Faye. The Killer... he was the butt of Ed's jokes and his end was hilarious! Finally, Allison was somewhat bland but because of her, we were able to get to see a softer side to Spike. Naturally, I enjoyed the new characters tremendously. However, no one can take the spot of my favorite character ever. That spot is reserved for Jet. God, he was so cute, amazing, epic, and wonderful in this manga! Made me laugh a few times, too! XD
If you decided, to read the first volume then I highly suggest you read this one as well. It's full of action, suspense, drama, and comedy! In fact, this volume was a bit more light-hearted tha the previous one but that doesn't mean it wasn't a great volume! It was awesome! Any Cowboy Bebop fan would LOVE to read this manga. Trust me. It is just THAT good!
There's only one left... oh, no! I am not ready for this! I don't want this lovely manga to end! DX But, alas, there is but one left. Oh well... I am REALLY looking forward to seeing where this last volume is going to take me!I know it's going to be epic! >:3
January 17, 2016
Not a spectacular set of stories, even the first time I read it in high school. Confusing, choppy, and I didn't really care about anybody.
September 5, 2017
More stories with the Bebop crew. Still not as good as the anime.
December 24, 2021
The first chapter consists of a news reporter trying to make a name for herself by interviewing the bebop crew. It’s more about her than them.
The second chapter is a con artist who used to be the mentor of Faye. They have an emotional meeting and an emotional farewell as Faye wins their last round of cards and they take in her bounty.
There’s a mini chapter in which the crew suffers from the common cold and travels to earth to get some scallions. It’s cute and simple and I enjoyed it.
The third chapter is about Ed trying to steal a bird who accidentally knocked a bounty out a window. There’s an underground group of people who value animals and the person had a locket with a turtle photo inside it.
The final chapter is about a woman who is on the road trying to find her father, she teams up with Spike and they share a heartfelt moment about how lonely it is to have their way of life. It ends with her finding her father and I guess turning him into the police.
The second chapter is a con artist who used to be the mentor of Faye. They have an emotional meeting and an emotional farewell as Faye wins their last round of cards and they take in her bounty.
There’s a mini chapter in which the crew suffers from the common cold and travels to earth to get some scallions. It’s cute and simple and I enjoyed it.
The third chapter is about Ed trying to steal a bird who accidentally knocked a bounty out a window. There’s an underground group of people who value animals and the person had a locket with a turtle photo inside it.
The final chapter is about a woman who is on the road trying to find her father, she teams up with Spike and they share a heartfelt moment about how lonely it is to have their way of life. It ends with her finding her father and I guess turning him into the police.
March 31, 2022
Series of short manga stories originally written to compliment the Cowboy Bebop manga series. I read it because I caught some middle schoolers giggling over it in the library today and got curious.
This book is rated 13+, and that’s probably about right. One of the characters is quite buxom and dresses as if for a hot summer day but her costume in the book never varies. The objectification is there but isn’t acted on by Faye or anyone around her. It’s a weird line this book walks. I can see why the middle schoolers had stuff to talk about. Faye does not follow our middle school’s dress code, but you could argue that she dresses to suit California’s.
Anyway, aside from Faye’s outfit, there is a box or two where a character is smoking. Other than that pretty tame reading experience.
This book is rated 13+, and that’s probably about right. One of the characters is quite buxom and dresses as if for a hot summer day but her costume in the book never varies. The objectification is there but isn’t acted on by Faye or anyone around her. It’s a weird line this book walks. I can see why the middle schoolers had stuff to talk about. Faye does not follow our middle school’s dress code, but you could argue that she dresses to suit California’s.
Anyway, aside from Faye’s outfit, there is a box or two where a character is smoking. Other than that pretty tame reading experience.
May 20, 2024
Cowboy Bebop
Author: Yukata Nanten, Hajime Yatate
Penerbit: M&C!
Status: Completed(?)
List of Volumes: 3
Berkisah tentang Spike, Faye, Jet, Ed, dan Ein menjelajah Luar Angkasa dan menjadi Pemburu Hadiah demi bisa bertahan hidup.
Yang membedakan dari Versi Anime & Manganya adalah, di Manga Cowboy Bebop ini hanya dibagi jadi 3 Volume dan semuanya hanya Cerita Sampingan. jadi kalau mau merasakan Full Experience menjelajah Solar System bersama Spike, Tonton Versi Animenya. Cerita di Manganya sih oke² aja buat dibaca, tapi keseruan yg ada di Animenya tidak akan didapat di versi Manga.
Author: Yukata Nanten, Hajime Yatate
Penerbit: M&C!
Status: Completed(?)
List of Volumes: 3
Berkisah tentang Spike, Faye, Jet, Ed, dan Ein menjelajah Luar Angkasa dan menjadi Pemburu Hadiah demi bisa bertahan hidup.
Yang membedakan dari Versi Anime & Manganya adalah, di Manga Cowboy Bebop ini hanya dibagi jadi 3 Volume dan semuanya hanya Cerita Sampingan. jadi kalau mau merasakan Full Experience menjelajah Solar System bersama Spike, Tonton Versi Animenya. Cerita di Manganya sih oke² aja buat dibaca, tapi keseruan yg ada di Animenya tidak akan didapat di versi Manga.
September 2, 2023
This is a high 3-star rating as this one is surprisingly good. Most of the stories in this volume are interesting, but “She’s a Rainbow” and “Like a Rolling Stone” in particular are perfectly fit as Bebop stories and they flow quite well.
October 1, 2017
Really funny - especially the "special short" halfway through. I loved the last chapter the best, though.
June 6, 2019
I liked it better than the previous volume, but this series is just not for me.
July 28, 2020
I honestly don't know how I feel about this series. It's a great concept, but the story seems scattered and down right hard to follow at times.
September 14, 2020
Eh it’s all right. Still prefer the anime.
January 20, 2021
I really loved the anime version but the manga wasn’t all that great 😭👌❤️
January 30, 2021
a fun read, I liked Ed's staring chapter the best.
April 16, 2021
a little boring but i just love the characters haha
August 21, 2021
In this volume i realized Yutaka Nanten only has one face for women and modified the hair. Allison in the final chapter looks like Faye with long hair
January 24, 2022
Makes me nostalgic about the anime. A fun crew to read about.
February 17, 2022
Enjoyed this one a lot more than the first one. Felt more like the anime. The Ed chapter was my favourite, they're so funny
January 10, 2024
Faye Valentine saying the Bebop is out of toilet paper is something that can be so personal....
February 27, 2024
Bounty hunters travel alone like a rolling stone ♾️✌🏼
January 8, 2025
Stessa cosa detta del primo volume senza alcun tipo di modifica a riguardo. Non è bello e non va assolutamente letto. Per caritá di dio non leggetelo.
July 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
November 30, 2025
Abbandonato a metà lettura, sono delle storie molto semplici, davvero lontane dalla bellezza degli episodi dell'anime, peccato perché potevano essere sviluppate meglio
June 4, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This volume dials up the heart while keeping the humor and style intact. She's a Rainbow kicks things off with a meta twist, as the Bebop crew becomes the subject of a documentary—both hilarious and oddly sincere. Great Deceiver gives Faye a personal arc, adding some welcome backstory and grit. The lighter shorts—Bebop Special Short and Thinking Bird, Happy Song—are quirky diversions that showcase Ed’s chaos and charm, especially the bird-chomping subplot. Like a Rolling Stone ends the volume with a bittersweet note, blending cowboy nostalgia and subtle melancholy. Overall, the character work is stronger here, with a few heartfelt surprises tucked between the shootouts and scams.
This volume dials up the heart while keeping the humor and style intact. She's a Rainbow kicks things off with a meta twist, as the Bebop crew becomes the subject of a documentary—both hilarious and oddly sincere. Great Deceiver gives Faye a personal arc, adding some welcome backstory and grit. The lighter shorts—Bebop Special Short and Thinking Bird, Happy Song—are quirky diversions that showcase Ed’s chaos and charm, especially the bird-chomping subplot. Like a Rolling Stone ends the volume with a bittersweet note, blending cowboy nostalgia and subtle melancholy. Overall, the character work is stronger here, with a few heartfelt surprises tucked between the shootouts and scams.
December 8, 2014
For what it's worth, Cowboy Bebop, Vol. 2 fares slightly better than the previous volume in translating the hit anime into manga form.
The art style is still a little off around the eyes. "Freeze-frame" vignettes are a recurring solution to action and movement. We see no more chibi-versions of the characters, though the art remains lazy enough that sometimes their faces are left blank. The translation doesn't feel like a bad dub anymore, but what about the stories themselves? This time we only get one joke story, which revolves around comic relief Ed, as well as a "special short story" around a comically ill Jet. That leaves us with the introductory story, which works well enough, and two stories concerning Spike and Faye's pasts. These feel like rehashes of character-centric episodes from the anime, but at least they hit the right notes here and there.
In the end I hadn't worked up much care for the manga anyway. All it really did was remind me of the show's brilliance, and make me want to watch it all over again. Or listen to The Seatbelts. Or play that awful PS2 game. I don't know. There're so many better ways to experience the awesome of Bebop. I guess manga isn't once of them. For now.
See you space cowboy...
The art style is still a little off around the eyes. "Freeze-frame" vignettes are a recurring solution to action and movement. We see no more chibi-versions of the characters, though the art remains lazy enough that sometimes their faces are left blank. The translation doesn't feel like a bad dub anymore, but what about the stories themselves? This time we only get one joke story, which revolves around comic relief Ed, as well as a "special short story" around a comically ill Jet. That leaves us with the introductory story, which works well enough, and two stories concerning Spike and Faye's pasts. These feel like rehashes of character-centric episodes from the anime, but at least they hit the right notes here and there.
In the end I hadn't worked up much care for the manga anyway. All it really did was remind me of the show's brilliance, and make me want to watch it all over again. Or listen to The Seatbelts. Or play that awful PS2 game. I don't know. There're so many better ways to experience the awesome of Bebop. I guess manga isn't once of them. For now.
See you space cowboy...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews