Cowboy Bebop Remix - Anime Legends [DVD]

At last! The Cowboy Bebop Remix collection is getting a re-release!! And about time too! Apparently, just like the last release of this collection, the audio and picture quality will be remastered again. And hopefully, to save a bit of space, the box itself will be in a plastic DVD keep case as apposed to the big fold-out box of the last release.

This series is a must for Cowboy Bebop fans (obviously), anime fans and for anyone who is considering the genre. I only got into this series for the first time this year and I loved every minute of it! Even though I already own the original release of this collection, I'll certainly be re-buying this! It's entertaining for so many reasons: each episode usually has a different self contained story, though some have an overarching storyline that centres on/around the character's backgrounds and their personal inner demons; the main characters themselves are really likable, cool and funny (I especially like Spike and Ed); there's plenty of action, sci-fi, mystery, comedy, a dash of horror (the episode 'Toys in the Attic' comes to mind as it reminds me of Alien), a dash of romance, some emotional scenes, some really cool jazz/blues music (especially Tank! and The Real Folk Blues), and a really bittersweet ending...

There's something for everyone to enjoy in this anime sci-fi classic. Prepare to rejoin Spike, Jet, Faye, Ed and Ein on their bounty-hunting adventures again sometime next year! Can't wait!

08/01/12 EDIT: After finally getting my copy and watching the first 2 discs, I think it's safe to say that this re-release has been left unchanged from the last one. That's not really a bad thing; the only thing folk will be missing out on from the last release is the cool fold-out box. Despite everything being left unchanged - the front and back of the box, the disc labels, the subtitles, the picture and audio quality, the special features etc. - this is still an ideal purchase! Even more-so if you missed out on the original collector's edition back in 2009.

But even if the picture and audio quality have been left unchanged from the last release, they're still great in my opinion; and at least it supports Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound! I do wish though, that this release's video format was primarily for 16:9/widescreen TVs as apposed to 4:3/1.37:1, which again, is the same as the last release.
And finally, the inside of the box has those plastic clips that look like they would hold a booklet. Sadly there isn't one, which would have been ideal. It would have been great for Beez to have included one with some information about the series' history, interviews with the developers and maybe even a list of the episodes and the discs they can be found on...

There has been news this week that Beez Entertainment could well be shutting their doors for good! Very sad indeed. So I have no idea what this means for the future of their current titles - including Cowboy Bebop and this re-release. I just hope this release doesn't become rare like the last one!

*This review is targeted at those unfamiliar with this series and anime in general*

If you're new to anime and you're looking for an introduction to the format you've no doubt done a little research and have seen that Cowboy Bebop is at the top of nearly every anime ranking list out there, therefore you're probably thinking that this is the introduction you are looking for: short (a single series + a feature film) and acclaimed. However be warned this is anime at its most culturally alien. If like most in the west you've been brought up watching the products of Disney and Hollywood you're no doubt accustomed to clearly defined story arcs, mandatory romances and conclusions that provide closure. Cowboy Bebop does not provide any of these. In Cowboy Bebop you are dropped into the middle of this ensemble cast's lives, for the most part we watch them as they struggle (and often fail) to earn a living hunting bounties throughout the solar system. Occasionally their respective pasts catch up to them and we get the chance to explore each character in a little more depth but these forays into the past are brief. Eventually you'll be torn kicking and screaming from this world and these characters and all you'll be left with is fond memories and a distinct feeling of melancholy.

Warning issued I now have to explain why I gave this a five-star rating. If you can deal with the unfamiliar structure and story telling style this series is enthralling and entertaining. Characters' motivations aren't spoon fed to you, the stories aren't always epic and you don't always get a happy ending but all this makes the series that much more realistic. The series also oozes a cool, finger-clicking style thanks to its soundtrack of blues and jazz.

Summing up, this is an incredibly rewarding watch and fully deserving of all the acclaim. A must see for those unperturbed by my warning.

I love the series. It balances silly and serious very well!
The DVD set is great value but has one or two drawbacks.
While the image quality is great the transfer to PAL (50 fields/sec) results in some ghosting and juddering, so the action always feels a bit jerky.
I don't have the NTSC (24 frames/sec) to compare it to but in hindsight I would rather have bought that version now.
The PAL version also yields some discrepancy in audio syncing.
For some reason the DVD is authored in such a way that the four or five episodes on each disc are presented on one linear title instead of putting each on their own, this is no biggie but it means that you can't tell how far through an episode you are as each episode does not start on 00:00:00.
Still. If you don't have a multiregion DVD player then this is the BEST version of this series you can get for the money. Otherwise get the NTSC version, they are from the same masters so image quality is identical, but you get less juddering during action scenes and panning shots.