SPOILER ALERT FOR ANYONE WHO HAS SOMEHOW NOT SEEN THIS! SCROLL PAST! This is one of my favorite Cowboy Bebop songs. The reveal at the end that this is not about the main villian but actually about Spike was one of the key points of my childhood that made me realize how amazing of a storytelling platform anime can be.
I've been playing this song every day for a month now. Either my melancholy is just that bad, or this song is just that good. Or both. And I read the comments to remind myself I am not alone in either feeling. Thanks, brothers and sisters.
no thats the beauty of it. the series about time and the past. it always always be beautiful and in the past. a true master piece that has a end that while sad is beyond words.
@@abhijeetshrestha1502 make that live action *series*. Delayed a bit by COVID, but Netflix'll be debuting it in 2021. Already cast & in production. (Psssst, OP? Seeing them again is as easy as a DVD or subbing to Hulu (which has the whole series).
Spike: Years ago, back when I was much younger, I was afraid of nothing. I had not the slightest fear of death. I was ready to die anytime. But then I met a special woman. She made me want to go on living. For the first time, I was afraid of death. A feeling I’d never had before. Electra: Where is she now? Spike: She went away.
cowboy bebop is one of the few anime's out there that are flawless in all aspects!!!! great story, great music, great characters, that atmosphere surrounding everything and MC, and it has a perfect balance of seriousness and comedy. overall a 10/10 for me!!! see you later space cowboy.
John Phillips nah man, i watched it with some friends, and we all agree on the first 4 episodes are weak compared to the rest of the show, not bad, but not as amazing as the rest.
+Hjalte Joest Stray Dog Strut (ep 2) is probably my second favorite episode behind Mushroom Hunting. I think the first 4 are easily on par with the rest.
I don't know what it is about choirs! Every time I hear song that introduces a choir during the chorus--it automatically makes the song sound more epic.
While I wouldn't say tragedies are always better then happy endings, I do agree that the ending was quite appropriate for this anime. I honestly think the ambiguity is a much more important factor then the tragedy, as ambiguity is a major point of the show. For me a major point of the anime was the uncertainty of life, and how in all lives there are moments of great happiness and great sadness. I believe Alan Moore said something appropriate but there is no space, so I'll post it a response.
i don't care what anyone says cowboy bebop is so iconic and is so relatable to life that it'll be here for a long time and a staple of what good anime is
There have been times when I've felt like Mai was singing on my behalf while listening to this. Sometimes by the end of the song I feel better, and empowered. Other times, it makes me feel like I've got a lot of work to do. But no matter what, I love this goddamn song!
Endgame Summary In Session 1, Laughing Bull foretells of Spike's death being brought on by a woman. Laughing Bull: Swimming bird will meet a woman. The bird will be hunted by this woman. And then death. Spike: One more time. Laughing Bull: What's that? Spike: I was killed once before by a woman. Spike is speaking of Julia. Losing her love was so painful as to be considered a form of death. He was left in a detached dream-like purgatory from that day on. In Session 26, Julia is shot in front of Spike. White doves fly by in slow motion. Horror, shock, and agony are expressed in Spike's left eye. He screams her name, drops his weapon, and runs to her. He takes her in his arms. Hears her last words, which are inaudible to the audience. Spike looks down at his lost love and then up to the sky. The camera is now focused on Spike's right eye, which is shaking in a disturbing manner. The camera zooms into Spike's pupil and everything fades to black. The next scene is of Laughing Bull predicting Spike's imminent death. Holding Julia's coat, Vicious speaks of Spike. Vicious: A beast that has lost his place. He has nowhere to return to now. He will come. Vicious is both right and wrong. Spike will come, but he does have somewhere to return to one last time. Two rose petals are shown blowing away in the wind. Spike returns to the Bebop and tells Jet a story. An allegory about his life which he uses to explain why he will never return. Spike: There once was a tiger striped cat. This cat died a million deaths, revived and lived a million lives, and he was owned by various people who he didn't really care for. The cat wasn't afraid to die. Then one day the cat became a stray cat, which meant he was free. He met a white female cat, and the two of them spent their days together happily. Well, years passed, and the white cat grew weak and died of old age. The tiger striped cat cried a million times, and then he died too. Except this time, he didn't come back to life. Jet is keenly aware that Spike's death looms in the horizon. He is wary of the tale's implications. When Spike gets up to leave, Jet asks him one last question. Jet: Is it for the girl? Spike: [beat] She's dead. There's nothing I can do for her now. This is true. Julia is dead. There is nothing Spike can do for her. This does not lessen the impact she has on the events that are about to unfold. Jet understands this. Upon hearing of Julia's death, he has a resigned if devastated reaction. He knows exactly what this means for Spike. Faye confronts Spike while holding him at gunpoint. She knows that he is marching towards his death. Faye: Where are you going? Why, are you going? You told me once, to forget the past, ‘cause it doesn’t matter, but you’re the one still tied to the past, Spike! Spike does not deny this. Instead, he explains the truth about his eyes. The camera spans from his left eye to his right eye. Spike: Look at my eyes, Faye. One of them is a fake because I lost it in an accident. Since then, I've been seeing the past in one eye and the present in the other. So, I thought I could only see patches of reality, never the whole picture. Faye: Don’t tell me things like that; you’ve never told me anything about yourself, so don’t tell me now! Spike: I felt like I was watching a dream I could never wake up from. Before I knew it, the dream was all over. This is not the first time Spike has expressed this sentiment. One of his most revelatory quotes was said in the teaser for Ballad of Fallen Angels. Spike: The music box is broken, or is it? It starts to play, and a haunting tune fills the air. I wake suddenly from my dream. There is no music box! And yet there it is. A tiny one nestled in my hand. And I awaken from my dream again. As if I were peeling an onion. It’s a dream no matter how far I go. I can never reach reality. Trapped in an endless nightmare. Spike is so affected by the loss of the woman he loves that even an item she once possessed haunts him. It is her death that has finally woken him from his detached dream-like state. Faye shares with Spike that her memory has returned. She explains that there was nowhere for her to go back to. She pleads with him to stay. Spike ignores her please and instead leaves her with these parting words. Spike: I’m not going there to die; I’m going to find out if I’m really alive. I have to do it, Faye. Faye is not comforted by this statement. The audience should not be comforted either. Spike's words eerily echo what Jet said to him in session 25. Jet: Men only think about the past right before their death, as if they were searching frantically for proof that they were alive. Faye cries and shoots off her gun. An act reminiscent of the 21-gun salute that is used in the military to honor the fallen. Spike walks away from Faye without looking back. He is never shown thinking about anyone from the Bebop again. The song "See You Space Cowboy" plays as Spike leaves the Bebop. "Everything is already over", You say with closed ears The words only flow Towards a tomorrow without peace "There's nothing that won't change" Even if my life ends This love will not disappear It's something that will live forever Even if dreams are hidden in darkness I got a rainbow Rainbow in your hands... The camera focuses on Spike's left eye. The eye that sees Spike's past. The lyrics begin as Spike is recalling romantic memories of Julia. He thinks of the first time he saw Julia and was captivated by her beauty. He thinks of a time when he made love to Julia and she cradled him in her arms. Given that Spike confided to Jet just the previous session that Julia was a part of him, the image shows a moment in Spike's life when he felt whole. Spike: She was a piece of me I had lost. She is my other half that I had longed for. The song continues to play as Spike attacks the syndicate. It is a ballad of undying love alluding to lovers being reunited in the afterlife. When Spike faces off against his hated rival, Vicious makes a proclamation. Vicious: So, you're finally awake. I told you before, Spike. I'm the only one who can kill you and set you free. Spike does not deny this. But makes a proclamation of his own. Spike: Those words apply to you as well, Vicious. During their fight, there comes a moment where the two disarm each other by swapping weapons. Vicious getting Spike's gun and Spike getting Vicious's katana. It is at this moment that Spike makes a statement of great significance to both men. Spike: Julia passed away. Let's end it all. Vicious: If that's your wish. The rivals return their weapons. Spike shoots Vicious but gets sliced across the abdomen. Vicious's death comes quickly, while Spike lingers as was foreshadowed. Vicious: Don't forget, a snake's venom poisons slowly after the bite. Spike watches Vicious's body fall to the ground, spends but a few seconds looking at him, then looks up to the night's sky. The camera is focused on Spike's right eye. Now calm. Spike sees Julia. This is the first time in the entire series that Spike is shown seeing Julia with his right eye. In session 13, during an auditory flashback, Spike and Julia discuss his eyes. Spike: My left eye sees the past. Julia: What about your right eye? We do not hear his response. In the penultimate scene of the series, we are specifically shown what Spike sees with his eye that sees his present. He sees her. In Spike's vision, Julia is cast in a white light. She says her last words to Spike, this time they are audible to the audience. Spike is shown reflected back in Julia's eye. He glumly concurs with her. Spike is then completely engulfed by a blinding white light. The scene fades to white. This light is reminiscent of the divine light that is cast upon a soul that is ready to ascend to heaven. Julia: It's all a dream. Spike: Yeah. Just a bad dream. From white we transition to the final scene of the series. It is now day. A white light is now cast over the entire syndicate. Spike smiles, points a finger gun at the remaining syndicate goons and says "bang". This is a callback to Wen from session 6. As Wen was dying he asked Spike if he understood the relief that came with one's own death. In response, Spike threw Wen's harmonica up in the air, pretended to shoot it while saying "bang", but then said "as if". When Spike says "bang" this time he is acknowledging that he now understands that relief. Spike falls to the ground. He is never shown moving again. White doves are shown flying over Spike's body. White doves also flew by Julia when she died. The camera follows an ascension into the heavens, while the song "Blue" plays. The song's lyrics allude to a soul ascending to heaven. Free Wanna be free Gonna be free And move among the stars You know, they really aren't so far Feels so free Gotta know free Please Don't wake me from the dream It's really everything it seems I'm so free No black and white in the blue Everything is clearer now Life is just a dream, you know That's never-ending I'm ascending At the end of the credits a star goes out but never falls. In session 13, Laughing Bull informs the audience to what a falling star truly is. Child: A star just fell from the sky. Laughing Bull: That is not an ordinary star, my son. That star is the tear of a warrior. A lost soul who has finished his battles somewhere on this planet. Child: What warrior is it? Laughing Bull: A pitiful soul who could not find his way to the lofty realm. Where the great spirit awaits us all. Given that the star we are shown does not fall, it is reasonable to infer that the soul the star belonged to did make its way to the great spirit that awaits us all. That soul has broken away from the cycle of death and rebirth and is never coming back. As was foreshadowed to happen to Spike in the fable of the tiger striped cat, who followed his love into death and never returned.
Happiness is just a word to me And it might have meant a thing or two If I'd had known the difference Emptiness, a lonely parody And my life, another smokin' gun A sign of my indifference Always keepin' safe inside Where no one ever had a chance To penetrate or break in Let me tell you some have tried But I would slam the door so tight That they could never get in Kept my cool under a lock and key And I never shed a tear Another sign of my condition Fear of love or bitter vanity That kept me on the run The main events at my confession I kept a chain upon my door That would shake the shame of Cain Into a blind submission The burning ghost without a name Was still calling all the same But I just wouldn't listen The longer I'd call The further I'd crawl The further I'd crawl The harder I'd fawll I was crawlin' into the fire The more that I saw The further I'd fall The further I'd fall The lower I'd crawl I kept fallin' into the fire Into the fire Into the fire Suddenly it occured to me The reason for the run and hide Had totaled my existence Everything left on the other side Could never be much worse than this But I could go the distance I face the door and all my shame Tearin' off each piece of chain Until they all were broken But no matter how I tried The other side was locked up so tight The door it wouldn't open Give it all that I got And started to knock Shouted for someone To open the lock I just gotta get through the door And the more that I knocked The hotter I got The hotter I got The harder I'd knock I just gotta break through the door Gotta knock a little harder Gotta knock a little harder Gotta knock a little harder Break through the door
As much as I loved the series, the movie felt like such a pale contrast to me at least. During the series we got to see them at the best and worst but in the film I felt like we only got to see them at their worst or least capable. I had wished the movie had been used to explore some things the series didn't get to perhaps...but it is what it is and doesn't negate the fond memories I have of the series.
thcollegestudent Its different developing characters during a movie compared to a whole series. If you look at it as a long episode you might judge it differently.
CowBe was always about people having a bad time... That's what make it original. An anime about ordinary people with bad pasts, trying to live in a decadent universe.
"Life isn't divided into genres. It's a horrifying, romantic, tragic, comical, science-fiction cowboy detective novel. You know, with a bit of pornography if you're lucky." -Alan Moore P.S. I meant I'll post it as a response.
@SMU198901 The singer is suffering from loneliness, apathy, and possibly depression because she locks herself away from the rest of the world, creating a "door" to separate herself from the world. Everything inside her tells her that this is bad for her, but she keeps "stalling" and "crawling" into self-destruction (the fire). Eventually midway she realizes that she needs to confront the world and deal with the problem. So she summons all her strength and courage to break through that "door"
@ladycharmer12 well his star faded at the end of the credits, it didnt fall which was what happened when someone dies, so who knows - by some miricle he might still be some how alive. I mean he is Spike
A falling star is a pitiful soul who could not find his way to the lofty realm, where the great spirit awaits us all. A star that goes out belonged to a soul that did make his way to the great spirit that awaits us all. That soul has broken free from the cycle of death and rebirth and is never coming back. As was foreshadowed to happen to Spike in the fable of the tiger striped cat, who followed his love into death and never returned.
@raysetiger285 If Spike hadn't died in the last episode, then the Cowboy Bebop would just be another no name anime lost in the turn of the century. The tragedy makes it a phenomenon.
It's just that he was all alone. Always by himself. Never anyone to share the game. A man who lived in dreams -- that's who he was.
Are you living in the real world?
Do you have a comrade?
SPOILER ALERT FOR ANYONE WHO HAS SOMEHOW NOT SEEN THIS! SCROLL PAST! This is one of my favorite Cowboy Bebop songs. The reveal at the end that this is not about the main villian but actually about Spike was one of the key points of my childhood that made me realize how amazing of a storytelling platform anime can be.
Veen I never once thought of it this way or realized how relevant the lyrics were to the plot. Dang I need to go rewatch the whole series now :)
@@SwogFrog what's real?
Mai Yamane is a beautiful and powerful blues, jazz, and rock goddess. Super underrated.
yep
I love that this holds up 12 years later...timeless.
The work, which becomes a new genre itself, will be called... COWBOY BEBOP
I've been playing this song every day for a month now. Either my melancholy is just that bad, or this song is just that good. Or both.
And I read the comments to remind myself I am not alone in either feeling. Thanks, brothers and sisters.
When you are a crew member of the converted interplanetary fishing trawler vessel Bebop, you are never alone.
“You’re gonna carry that weight”
You're not alone bro
It's impossible not to love this song, moreover if you've seen the anime. "walk in the rain", "words that we couldn't say" are heartbreaking songs too
See ya, space cowboy.
Nothing but love.
This is one of the greatest pieces of music I've ever heard.
It makes me sad knowing we'll never see any of them again...
How?
possible live action movie
It will be awful, absolutely awful.
no thats the beauty of it. the series about time and the past. it always always be beautiful and in the past. a true master piece that has a end that while sad is beyond words.
@@abhijeetshrestha1502 make that live action *series*. Delayed a bit by COVID, but Netflix'll be debuting it in 2021. Already cast & in production.
(Psssst, OP? Seeing them again is as easy as a DVD or subbing to Hulu (which has the whole series).
Spike: Years ago, back when I was much younger, I was afraid of nothing. I had not the slightest fear of death. I was ready to die anytime. But then I met a special woman. She made me want to go on living. For the first time, I was afraid of death. A feeling I’d never had before.
Electra: Where is she now?
Spike: She went away.
literally died because of him.
sad as hell.
cowboy bebop is one of the few anime's out there that are flawless in all aspects!!!! great story, great music, great characters, that atmosphere surrounding everything and MC, and it has a perfect balance of seriousness and comedy. overall a 10/10 for me!!! see you later space cowboy.
yes, yes it does good sir.
mitchell harter it's not perfect, the first 4 episodes are ehh are hard to get trough if you dont know the series
John Phillips nah man, i watched it with some friends, and we all agree on the first 4 episodes are weak compared to the rest of the show, not bad, but not as amazing as the rest.
+mitchell harter MC?
+Hjalte Joest
Stray Dog Strut (ep 2) is probably my second favorite episode behind Mushroom Hunting. I think the first 4 are easily on par with the rest.
Freakin' 'ell I'm crying my heart out at this.
Yoko Kanno kicks so much ass it's not even human.
It's not actually her singing; but she did write/compose this so you're right and wrong
This song....so incredible in so many ways. Love it so much.
This song is definitely the movie's equal. That's why it works so well.
Man, dat bass, wtf, is perfect, the whole song is perfect
I listened to it with earbuds for years, then I got headphones and was stunned by the bass.
Love this song, it also tells a story which I really appreciate.
i was hesitant at watching cowboy bebop but after watching the first episode i was hooked... This anime will be in my top 5
A simple song about helping others go through their struggles.... You've just got to knock a little harder to get the truth.
If I ever die, I want this to be played.
I don't know what it is about choirs! Every time I hear song that introduces a choir during the chorus--it automatically makes the song sound more epic.
11 years ago and im still coming there to feed my melancholy
4 years later. I wonder if you still come here. I don't think I'm getting through this door, but as long as I have this song, it ain't so bad.
Damn childhood i miss ya
Love this song!
Are We Living In The Real World?
I'm trying now.
Nope.
Thank you youtube for recommending this. I'm re-watching Cowboy Bebop for the 9000th time.
This song always manages to make me cry...
Loved this series. Fantastic finale.
same here... for me it totally describes my life. It's the song I enjoy singing the most.
While I wouldn't say tragedies are always better then happy endings, I do agree that the ending was quite appropriate for this anime. I honestly think the ambiguity is a much more important factor then the tragedy, as ambiguity is a major point of the show. For me a major point of the anime was the uncertainty of life, and how in all lives there are moments of great happiness and great sadness. I believe Alan Moore said something appropriate but there is no space, so I'll post it a response.
man what a song. And those lyrics.... ufff
:' )
Thanks adding her to spotify now.
Fantastic song. One of the best animes to boot. Just awesome.
Thanks for reminding me of this amazing song Demo.
One-Way ticket to the Feelappines.
Love this damn song
Bebop is like a second family lol
Jupiter Jazz pt1&2 along with Toys in the Attic are my favorites.
BEST SONG EVER
Nicely done.
i don't care what anyone says cowboy bebop is so iconic and is so relatable to life that it'll be here for a long time and a staple of what good anime is
Great lyrics!
great lyrics
those feels
Sorry man I couldn't hear you at the door I had ear buds in, next time "Knock a little harder"
amen to that only anime to touch an influence my life.
This song is Great! This song would also work great with the anime "Welcome to the NHK". An anime where Satō's live is explained by this song
Still love this song
Favorite song dude
This song is very relevant to my life.
perfect song to end the movie with
Great song
still listening in 2017
There will be a day when I am old and will still have this song around some how.
one of the best animes!
There have been times when I've felt like Mai was singing on my behalf while listening to this. Sometimes by the end of the song I feel better, and empowered. Other times, it makes me feel like I've got a lot of work to do.
But no matter what, I love this goddamn song!
Endgame Summary
In Session 1, Laughing Bull foretells of Spike's death being brought on by a woman.
Laughing Bull: Swimming bird will meet a woman. The bird will be hunted by this woman. And then death.
Spike: One more time.
Laughing Bull: What's that?
Spike: I was killed once before by a woman.
Spike is speaking of Julia. Losing her love was so painful as to be considered a form of death. He was left in a detached dream-like purgatory from that day on.
In Session 26, Julia is shot in front of Spike. White doves fly by in slow motion. Horror, shock, and agony are expressed in Spike's left eye. He screams her name, drops his weapon, and runs to her. He takes her in his arms. Hears her last words, which are inaudible to the audience.
Spike looks down at his lost love and then up to the sky. The camera is now focused on Spike's right eye, which is shaking in a disturbing manner. The camera zooms into Spike's pupil and everything fades to black.
The next scene is of Laughing Bull predicting Spike's imminent death.
Holding Julia's coat, Vicious speaks of Spike.
Vicious: A beast that has lost his place. He has nowhere to return to now. He will come.
Vicious is both right and wrong. Spike will come, but he does have somewhere to return to one last time.
Two rose petals are shown blowing away in the wind.
Spike returns to the Bebop and tells Jet a story. An allegory about his life which he uses to explain why he will never return.
Spike: There once was a tiger striped cat. This cat died a million deaths, revived and lived a million lives, and he was owned by various people who he didn't really care for. The cat wasn't afraid to die. Then one day the cat became a stray cat, which meant he was free. He met a white female cat, and the two of them spent their days together happily. Well, years passed, and the white cat grew weak and died of old age. The tiger striped cat cried a million times, and then he died too. Except this time, he didn't come back to life.
Jet is keenly aware that Spike's death looms in the horizon. He is wary of the tale's implications.
When Spike gets up to leave, Jet asks him one last question.
Jet: Is it for the girl?
Spike: [beat] She's dead. There's nothing I can do for her now.
This is true. Julia is dead. There is nothing Spike can do for her. This does not lessen the impact she has on the events that are about to unfold. Jet understands this. Upon hearing of Julia's death, he has a resigned if devastated reaction. He knows exactly what this means for Spike.
Faye confronts Spike while holding him at gunpoint. She knows that he is marching towards his death.
Faye: Where are you going? Why, are you going? You told me once, to forget the past, ‘cause it doesn’t matter, but you’re the one still tied to the past, Spike!
Spike does not deny this. Instead, he explains the truth about his eyes. The camera spans from his left eye to his right eye.
Spike: Look at my eyes, Faye. One of them is a fake because I lost it in an accident. Since then, I've been seeing the past in one eye and the present in the other. So, I thought I could only see patches of reality, never the whole picture.
Faye: Don’t tell me things like that; you’ve never told me anything about yourself, so don’t tell me now!
Spike: I felt like I was watching a dream I could never wake up from. Before I knew it, the dream was all over.
This is not the first time Spike has expressed this sentiment. One of his most revelatory quotes was said in the teaser for Ballad of Fallen Angels.
Spike: The music box is broken, or is it? It starts to play, and a haunting tune fills the air. I wake suddenly from my dream. There is no music box! And yet there it is. A tiny one nestled in my hand. And I awaken from my dream again. As if I were peeling an onion. It’s a dream no matter how far I go. I can never reach reality. Trapped in an endless nightmare.
Spike is so affected by the loss of the woman he loves that even an item she once possessed haunts him. It is her death that has finally woken him from his detached dream-like state.
Faye shares with Spike that her memory has returned. She explains that there was nowhere for her to go back to. She pleads with him to stay.
Spike ignores her please and instead leaves her with these parting words.
Spike: I’m not going there to die; I’m going to find out if I’m really alive. I have to do it, Faye.
Faye is not comforted by this statement. The audience should not be comforted either. Spike's words eerily echo what Jet said to him in session 25.
Jet: Men only think about the past right before their death, as if they were searching frantically for proof that they were alive.
Faye cries and shoots off her gun. An act reminiscent of the 21-gun salute that is used in the military to honor the fallen.
Spike walks away from Faye without looking back. He is never shown thinking about anyone from the Bebop again.
The song "See You Space Cowboy" plays as Spike leaves the Bebop.
"Everything is already over",
You say with closed ears
The words only flow
Towards a tomorrow without peace
"There's nothing that won't change"
Even if my life ends
This love will not disappear
It's something that will live forever
Even if dreams are hidden in darkness
I got a rainbow
Rainbow in your hands...
The camera focuses on Spike's left eye. The eye that sees Spike's past. The lyrics begin as Spike is recalling romantic memories of Julia. He thinks of the first time he saw Julia and was captivated by her beauty. He thinks of a time when he made love to Julia and she cradled him in her arms.
Given that Spike confided to Jet just the previous session that Julia was a part of him, the image shows a moment in Spike's life when he felt whole.
Spike: She was a piece of me I had lost. She is my other half that I had longed for.
The song continues to play as Spike attacks the syndicate. It is a ballad of undying love alluding to lovers being reunited in the afterlife.
When Spike faces off against his hated rival, Vicious makes a proclamation.
Vicious: So, you're finally awake. I told you before, Spike. I'm the only one who can kill you and set you free.
Spike does not deny this. But makes a proclamation of his own.
Spike: Those words apply to you as well, Vicious.
During their fight, there comes a moment where the two disarm each other by swapping weapons. Vicious getting Spike's gun and Spike getting Vicious's katana. It is at this moment that Spike makes a statement of great significance to both men.
Spike: Julia passed away. Let's end it all.
Vicious: If that's your wish.
The rivals return their weapons. Spike shoots Vicious but gets sliced across the abdomen.
Vicious's death comes quickly, while Spike lingers as was foreshadowed.
Vicious: Don't forget, a snake's venom poisons slowly after the bite.
Spike watches Vicious's body fall to the ground, spends but a few seconds looking at him, then looks up to the night's sky. The camera is focused on Spike's right eye. Now calm.
Spike sees Julia. This is the first time in the entire series that Spike is shown seeing Julia with his right eye.
In session 13, during an auditory flashback, Spike and Julia discuss his eyes.
Spike: My left eye sees the past.
Julia: What about your right eye?
We do not hear his response.
In the penultimate scene of the series, we are specifically shown what Spike sees with his eye that sees his present. He sees her.
In Spike's vision, Julia is cast in a white light. She says her last words to Spike, this time they are audible to the audience. Spike is shown reflected back in Julia's eye. He glumly concurs with her. Spike is then completely engulfed by a blinding white light. The scene fades to white. This light is reminiscent of the divine light that is cast upon a soul that is ready to ascend to heaven.
Julia: It's all a dream.
Spike: Yeah. Just a bad dream.
From white we transition to the final scene of the series. It is now day. A white light is now cast over the entire syndicate.
Spike smiles, points a finger gun at the remaining syndicate goons and says "bang".
This is a callback to Wen from session 6. As Wen was dying he asked Spike if he understood the relief that came with one's own death. In response, Spike threw Wen's harmonica up in the air, pretended to shoot it while saying "bang", but then said "as if". When Spike says "bang" this time he is acknowledging that he now understands that relief.
Spike falls to the ground. He is never shown moving again. White doves are shown flying over Spike's body. White doves also flew by Julia when she died.
The camera follows an ascension into the heavens, while the song "Blue" plays. The song's lyrics allude to a soul ascending to heaven.
Free
Wanna be free
Gonna be free
And move among the stars
You know, they really aren't so far
Feels so free
Gotta know free
Please
Don't wake me from the dream
It's really everything it seems
I'm so free
No black and white in the blue
Everything is clearer now
Life is just a dream, you know
That's never-ending
I'm ascending
At the end of the credits a star goes out but never falls.
In session 13, Laughing Bull informs the audience to what a falling star truly is.
Child: A star just fell from the sky.
Laughing Bull: That is not an ordinary star, my son. That star is the tear of a warrior. A lost soul who has finished his battles somewhere on this planet.
Child: What warrior is it?
Laughing Bull: A pitiful soul who could not find his way to the lofty realm. Where the great spirit awaits us all.
Given that the star we are shown does not fall, it is reasonable to infer that the soul the star belonged to did make its way to the great spirit that awaits us all.
That soul has broken away from the cycle of death and rebirth and is never coming back. As was foreshadowed to happen to Spike in the fable of the tiger striped cat, who followed his love into death and never returned.
How can I save this comment man
"It's just that, he was all alone. Always by himself. Never anyone to share the game. A man who lived in dreams -- that's who he was."
i love this song it is a 5 out of 5 .
the ending for that anime is kinda sad but was a fantastic anime at that
Happiness is just a word to me
And it might have meant a thing or two
If I'd had known the difference
Emptiness, a lonely parody
And my life, another smokin' gun
A sign of my indifference
Always keepin' safe inside
Where no one ever had a chance
To penetrate or break in
Let me tell you some have tried
But I would slam the door so tight
That they could never get in
Kept my cool under a lock and key
And I never shed a tear
Another sign of my condition
Fear of love or bitter vanity
That kept me on the run
The main events at my confession
I kept a chain upon my door
That would shake the shame of Cain
Into a blind submission
The burning ghost without a name
Was still calling all the same
But I just wouldn't listen
The longer I'd call
The further I'd crawl
The further I'd crawl
The harder I'd fawll
I was crawlin' into the fire
The more that I saw
The further I'd fall
The further I'd fall
The lower I'd crawl
I kept fallin' into the fire
Into the fire
Into the fire
Suddenly it occured to me
The reason for the run and hide
Had totaled my existence
Everything left on the other side
Could never be much worse than this
But I could go the distance
I face the door and all my shame
Tearin' off each piece of chain
Until they all were broken
But no matter how I tried
The other side was locked up so tight
The door it wouldn't open
Give it all that I got
And started to knock
Shouted for someone
To open the lock
I just gotta get through the door
And the more that I knocked
The hotter I got
The hotter I got
The harder I'd knock
I just gotta break through the door
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Break through the door
haven't found another anime that's been this good.
I'd say this is the best anime I have watched. Indefinably top 5 always.
her voice melts my butter
Your butter?
wtf
'bang' (enter epic end song)
...I need to go re-watch the series and the movie now...excuse me fellow cowboys and cowgirls.
........ perfect
Best Manga Ever in many terms.
I disagree, Cowboy Bebop isn't some anime that needs some shocker and/or death ending to bring it up. Cowboy Bebop is truly a masterpiece.
Still listening 2021
Chilling ^^
I like the pictures :DD And I like this song *-* it`s so beatiful (?)
Very White Stripes ... very good ... love Cowboy Bebop.
As much as I loved the series, the movie felt like such a pale contrast to me at least.
During the series we got to see them at the best and worst but in the film I felt like we only got to see them at their worst or least capable. I had wished the movie had been used to explore some things the series didn't get to perhaps...but it is what it is and doesn't negate the fond memories I have of the series.
thcollegestudent Its different developing characters during a movie compared to a whole series. If you look at it as a long episode you might judge it differently.
CowBe was always about people having a bad time...
That's what make it original. An anime about ordinary people with bad pasts, trying to live in a decadent universe.
ive always viewed it as just another episode. one last adventure with the gang.
"Life isn't divided into genres. It's a horrifying, romantic, tragic, comical, science-fiction cowboy detective novel. You know, with a bit of pornography if you're lucky."
-Alan Moore
P.S. I meant I'll post it as a response.
If not THE best
RIP, Illeana. See You, Space Cowboy.
Still makes me wanna cry everytime i think about Spike dieing.
Best damn song.
No complaints with that statement.
@misterioso929 the music and the story made it, had to be one of the tops.
Cowboy Bebop stay the best
@SMU198901 The singer is suffering from loneliness, apathy, and possibly depression because she locks herself away from the rest of the world, creating a "door" to separate herself from the world. Everything inside her tells her that this is bad for her, but she keeps "stalling" and "crawling" into self-destruction (the fire). Eventually midway she realizes that she needs to confront the world and deal with the problem. So she summons all her strength and courage to break through that "door"
I'd love to hear them use this on Sons of Anarchy.
@ladycharmer12 well his star faded at the end of the credits, it didnt fall which was what happened when someone dies, so who knows - by some miricle he might still be some how alive. I mean he is Spike
A falling star is a pitiful soul who could not find his way to the lofty realm, where the great spirit awaits us all. A star that goes out belonged to a soul that did make his way to the great spirit that awaits us all. That soul has broken free from the cycle of death and rebirth and is never coming back. As was foreshadowed to happen to Spike in the fable of the tiger striped cat, who followed his love into death and never returned.
this is basically me at the moment ahaha I'm so lonely
gotta knock a little harder !!!!
Dig it. Hard.
exactly
@misterioso929
You mean "THE best anime", right?
We're still carrying it, you cool tiger-striped cat.
Cowboy Bebop Beats !
ostia mola mil!
Just break trought the damn door!!
@564KnockOnDeathsDoor yes last episode
fucking awesome.
i love listening to this song.
see you space cowgirl, somewhere someday
See you, space cowboy
@raysetiger285 If Spike hadn't died in the last episode, then the Cowboy Bebop would just be another no name anime lost in the turn of the century. The tragedy makes it a phenomenon.
piano, wah, flanger, soul
Where are the pictures from?
The best*
@Sparbossa It's all a dream.
See you space cowboy