Home > Cowboy Bebop > Series 1 « TV Series Page Cowboy Bebop: Series 1 (2001) Want to see Episode List Series 1 Cowboy Bebop Critics Consensus Blending a head-spinning array of genres and references, Cowboy BeBop is an anime television classic that must be experienced. 100% TOMATOMETER Critic Ratings: 20 95% Audience Score User Ratings: 81 NEW More Info × Close Want to see Super Reviewer Submit Super Reviewer Edit Review Episodes 1 Asteroid Blues Air date: Sep 2, 2001 In the first episode of Cowboy Bebop, the characters Jet and Spike are introduced as two broke and hungry bounty hunters living on a ship called the Bebop. Jet and Spike go to the asteroid Tijuana after the bounty of Asimov Solensen, a villain addicted to the drug Red Eye. Asimov and his girlfriend, Katerina, are on the run heading for Mars when Spike meets up with them and shows off his Bruce Lee-style fighting skills. The reoccurring background characters of Antonio, Carlos, and Jobin make their first appearance. "Asteroid Blues" bears some tributes to the film Desperado. More 2 Stray Dog Strut Air date: Sep 2, 2001 The title being a take on the tune by the Stray Cats, the episode "Stray Dog Strut" marks the first appearance of the data dog Ein and his joining of the Bebop crew. Jet and Spike are after the bounty of thief Abdul Hakim. Hakim is chasing after the valuable data dog while illegal research scientists try to get it back. One of the more lighthearted and funny episodes, it makes some references to Bruce Lee's Game of Death. More 3 Honky Tonk Women Air date: Sep 9, 2001 Named after the Rolling Stones tune, "Honky Tonk Women" features the first appearance of Faye Valentine. Taking a tip from a dream about Charlie Parker, Jet and Spike go to the Spiders From Mars casino. Trying to get money to pay off her debt, Faye works as a blackjack dealer in a scam with casino owner Gordon, and Spike gets involved in the transaction. After accidentally stealing a valuable casino chip, Spike and Jet capture Faye, who soon has a bounty on her head. This episode features Faye doing some crafty flying and dramatic escapes in her ship, the Red Tail. More 4 Gateway Shuffle Air date: Sep 9, 2001 While after a different bounty, Jet and Spike capture Twinkle Maria Murdock, the leader of the Space Warriors, an eco-terrorist group planning to release a virus on Ganymede. Meanwhile, Faye runs out of gas in Jupiter's orbit and retrieves a mysterious vial from a dying ISSP cop. This episode features the first battle team up between Spike and Faye, and a daring escape sequence through the hyperspace gate. More 5 Ballad of Fallen Angels Air date: Sep 23, 2001 One of the most visually striking episodes, "Ballad of Fallen Angels" sets a narrative standard for the episodes to come. Spike and Jet are arguing, both refusing to reveal important events of their past. Jet is apprehensive about going after the bounty of Mao Yenrai, but Spike has personal reasons. Faye goes after him herself and gets captured, calling the Bebop for help; what follows is one of the most beautifully rendered sequences in the series. This episode contains references to John Woo's action classic A Better Tomorrow. More 6 Sympathy for the Devil Air date: Sep 23, 2001 Titled after the Rolling Stones' tune of the same name, "Sympathy for the Devil" is one of the darker episodes, opening with a series of flashbacks from Spike's past. While going after the bounty of a criminal known as Giraffe, Jet and Spike go to a club where a little kid, Wen, is playing blues harmonica. Giraffe goes after Zebra, Wen's companion, and is thrown out of the window of a high-rise building. Spike catches Giraffe, who gives him a gem and a message. Spike holds on to the gem, tries to figure out the message, and battles Wen. More 7 Heavy Metal Queen Air date: Sep 30, 2001 While looking for the bounty of a criminal named Decker, Faye and Spike stake out some locations. Spike encounters a tough-talking truck driver named VT, who travels with her faithful cat, Zeros. Nicknamed "the Heavy Metal Queen," she has a deeply felt resentment toward bounty hunters, but Spike manages to charm her. Faye and Spike both gets their ships wrecked, causing a nagging Jet to have to fix them. With VT's help, Faye and Spike chase Decker into the Linus Mines, an unstable asteroid area. With failing weapons systems on both ships, and Decker hauling a shipload of explosives, VT, Faye, and Spike have to make a daring escape. More 8 Waltz for Venus Air date: Sep 30, 2001 "Waltz for Venus" opens with Spike and Faye teaming up to successfully earn a bounty against some airplane hijackers. Faye gambles away her winnings at the casino, while Spike gets harassed by a kid named Roco, who wants to learn his technique. Spike reluctantly offers him some bits of wisdom in keeping with his Bruce Lee-style fighting skills. When some gangsters show up, Roco takes off and Spike unwittingly gets stuck with a mysterious healing plant called gray ash. Spike meets Roco's sister, Stella, who has been blinded from the spores that fall on Venus. Jet discovers that Roco has a bounty on his head, along with the gangsters who are after the gray ash. More 9 Jamming With Edward Air date: Oct 7, 2001 This episode, "Jamming With Edward," is the first appearance of Radical Edward, the 13-year-old girl genius computer hacker, whose trademark is a smiley face. An artificial intelligence satellite carves cave drawings on the surface of Earth, and a huge bounty is placed on the mysterious culprit, believed to be Radical Edward. Thinking hackers are boring, Spike stays on the Bebop while Faye and Jet go to Earth searching for clues. Edward makes contact with the Bebop, and Faye makes a promise to her in exchange for information about the bounty head. Spike gets involved and the crew embarks on the dangerous task of downloading a copy of the A.I. satellite. Due to Faye's promise, Ed officially joins the Bebop crew. More 10 Ganymede Elegy Air date: Oct 7, 2001 The crew is heading to Ganymede, a fishing planet and Jet's home, to cash in on the bounty of thief Baker Panchorero. Jet talks to the authorities on Ganymede and Faye realizes he used to be a cop for ISSP. Jet goes into a bar to visit his ex-girlfriend, Alisa, and find out why she left him eight years ago. Alisa's shady boyfriend, Rhint, gets a bounty on his head and Jet chases after them in his ship, the Hammerhead. More Show More Episodes Cowboy Bebop: Series 1 Photos View All Photos (46) Tv Season Info Bounty hunters roam the final frontier of outer space in this anime series. Genre: Anime & Manga Network: Cartoon Network Premiere Date: Sep 2, 2001 Cast Steve Blum as Spike Spiegel Megumi Hayashibara as Faye Valentine Beau Billingslea as Jet Black Wendee Lee as Faye Valentine Unshô Ishizuka as Jet Black Aoi Tada as Edward Koichi Yamadera as Spike Spiegel Yuzuru Fujimoto as the Doctor Melissa Fahn as Ed Yurika Hino as Katrina Takehiro Koyama as Bull Paul St. Peter as Vicious Kirk Thornton as Asimov Joe Romersa as Abdul Hakim Show More Cast Episodes 1 Asteroid Blues Air date: Sep 2, 2001 In the first episode of Cowboy Bebop, the characters Jet and Spike are introduced as two broke and hungry bounty hunters living on a ship called the Bebop. Jet and Spike go to the asteroid Tijuana after the bounty of Asimov Solensen, a villain addicted to the drug Red Eye. Asimov and his girlfriend, Katerina, are on the run heading for Mars when Spike meets up with them and shows off his Bruce Lee-style fighting skills. The reoccurring background characters of Antonio, Carlos, and Jobin make their first appearance. "Asteroid Blues" bears some tributes to the film Desperado. More 2 Stray Dog Strut Air date: Sep 2, 2001 The title being a take on the tune by the Stray Cats, the episode "Stray Dog Strut" marks the first appearance of the data dog Ein and his joining of the Bebop crew. Jet and Spike are after the bounty of thief Abdul Hakim. Hakim is chasing after the valuable data dog while illegal research scientists try to get it back. One of the more lighthearted and funny episodes, it makes some references to Bruce Lee's Game of Death. More 3 Honky Tonk Women Air date: Sep 9, 2001 Named after the Rolling Stones tune, "Honky Tonk Women" features the first appearance of Faye Valentine. Taking a tip from a dream about Charlie Parker, Jet and Spike go to the Spiders From Mars casino. Trying to get money to pay off her debt, Faye works as a blackjack dealer in a scam with casino owner Gordon, and Spike gets involved in the transaction. After accidentally stealing a valuable casino chip, Spike and Jet capture Faye, who soon has a bounty on her head. This episode features Faye doing some crafty flying and dramatic escapes in her ship, the Red Tail. More 4 Gateway Shuffle Air date: Sep 9, 2001 While after a different bounty, Jet and Spike capture Twinkle Maria Murdock, the leader of the Space Warriors, an eco-terrorist group planning to release a virus on Ganymede. Meanwhile, Faye runs out of gas in Jupiter's orbit and retrieves a mysterious vial from a dying ISSP cop. This episode features the first battle team up between Spike and Faye, and a daring escape sequence through the hyperspace gate. More 5 Ballad of Fallen Angels Air date: Sep 23, 2001 One of the most visually striking episodes, "Ballad of Fallen Angels" sets a narrative standard for the episodes to come. Spike and Jet are arguing, both refusing to reveal important events of their past. Jet is apprehensive about going after the bounty of Mao Yenrai, but Spike has personal reasons. Faye goes after him herself and gets captured, calling the Bebop for help; what follows is one of the most beautifully rendered sequences in the series. This episode contains references to John Woo's action classic A Better Tomorrow. More 6 Sympathy for the Devil Air date: Sep 23, 2001 Titled after the Rolling Stones' tune of the same name, "Sympathy for the Devil" is one of the darker episodes, opening with a series of flashbacks from Spike's past. While going after the bounty of a criminal known as Giraffe, Jet and Spike go to a club where a little kid, Wen, is playing blues harmonica. Giraffe goes after Zebra, Wen's companion, and is thrown out of the window of a high-rise building. Spike catches Giraffe, who gives him a gem and a message. Spike holds on to the gem, tries to figure out the message, and battles Wen. More 7 Heavy Metal Queen Air date: Sep 30, 2001 While looking for the bounty of a criminal named Decker, Faye and Spike stake out some locations. Spike encounters a tough-talking truck driver named VT, who travels with her faithful cat, Zeros. Nicknamed "the Heavy Metal Queen," she has a deeply felt resentment toward bounty hunters, but Spike manages to charm her. Faye and Spike both gets their ships wrecked, causing a nagging Jet to have to fix them. With VT's help, Faye and Spike chase Decker into the Linus Mines, an unstable asteroid area. With failing weapons systems on both ships, and Decker hauling a shipload of explosives, VT, Faye, and Spike have to make a daring escape. More 8 Waltz for Venus Air date: Sep 30, 2001 "Waltz for Venus" opens with Spike and Faye teaming up to successfully earn a bounty against some airplane hijackers. Faye gambles away her winnings at the casino, while Spike gets harassed by a kid named Roco, who wants to learn his technique. Spike reluctantly offers him some bits of wisdom in keeping with his Bruce Lee-style fighting skills. When some gangsters show up, Roco takes off and Spike unwittingly gets stuck with a mysterious healing plant called gray ash. Spike meets Roco's sister, Stella, who has been blinded from the spores that fall on Venus. Jet discovers that Roco has a bounty on his head, along with the gangsters who are after the gray ash. More 9 Jamming With Edward Air date: Oct 7, 2001 This episode, "Jamming With Edward," is the first appearance of Radical Edward, the 13-year-old girl genius computer hacker, whose trademark is a smiley face. An artificial intelligence satellite carves cave drawings on the surface of Earth, and a huge bounty is placed on the mysterious culprit, believed to be Radical Edward. Thinking hackers are boring, Spike stays on the Bebop while Faye and Jet go to Earth searching for clues. Edward makes contact with the Bebop, and Faye makes a promise to her in exchange for information about the bounty head. Spike gets involved and the crew embarks on the dangerous task of downloading a copy of the A.I. satellite. Due to Faye's promise, Ed officially joins the Bebop crew. More 10 Ganymede Elegy Air date: Oct 7, 2001 The crew is heading to Ganymede, a fishing planet and Jet's home, to cash in on the bounty of thief Baker Panchorero. Jet talks to the authorities on Ganymede and Faye realizes he used to be a cop for ISSP. Jet goes into a bar to visit his ex-girlfriend, Alisa, and find out why she left him eight years ago. Alisa's shady boyfriend, Rhint, gets a bounty on his head and Jet chases after them in his ship, the Hammerhead. More Show More Episodes Critic Reviews for Cowboy Bebop Series 1 All Critics (20) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (20) | Rotten (0) Each of the 26 episodes of Cowboy Bebop exemplify a concerted effort to create artwork, music, plot, and character that best play off one another, establishing subtle but consistent series-long themes and arcs. Feb 22, 2019 | Full Review… Jean-Luc Bouchard and Anjali Patel BuzzFeed News Top Critic Cowboy Bebop is the greatest anime series ever. May 7, 2018 | Full Review… Renee Graham Boston Globe Top Critic One of the all-time great anime series, this romp set in the year 2071 features plenty of action, but never skimped on character development. May 4, 2018 | Full Review… Liz Shannon Miller indieWire Top Critic The show ultimately features so many cross-ranging influences and nods to other famous works it's almost impossible to keep track. It's Sergio Leone in a spacesuit. It's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with automatic weapons. May 4, 2018 | Full Review… Alex Suskind The Atlantic Top Critic Its tightly-wound narratives, gorgeously three-dimensional characters, vast original universe, and distinctly mesmerizing visual style help it stand apart from the crowd. Feb 26, 2019 | Full Review… Meghan O'Keefe Decider For all its superbly detailed backgrounds, funky jazz/hip-hop soundtrack and Philip K Dick-esque story, it's let down by stiffly drawn characters and some annoying supporting players. Feb 26, 2019 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review… Total Film Staff Total Film The characters in Cowboy Bebop are engaging, mysterious, and likable misfits one can easily sympathize with... Having one of the best English dubs out there, Cowboy Bebop is an excellent first anime. Feb 26, 2019 | Full Review… Irina Curovic CBR The jazz used for the intergalactic-western setting is smart. It gives it an old-timey noir feeling and it meshes well with the way the characters are written and the way they're animated. Feb 26, 2019 | Full Review… Allyson Johnson The Mary Sue The show's greatest asset is its ability to look cool and be smart in ways that other anime only strive for. Feb 26, 2019 | Full Review… Simon Abrams AV Club Top Critic The stories, dialogue, action, setting, and music all had to be in absolute harmony and they were. It's an amazing feat of creativity. May 4, 2018 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… Kyle Anderson Nerdist View All Critic Reviews (20) Audience Reviews for Cowboy Bebop: Series 1 2d ago A CLASSIC MUST WATCH! Thomas C Jul 20, 2019 Most stylish anime must watch Nikunj A Jun 27, 2019 Watched it back when I was in my teens, and it really left a lasting impression. It's also one of the few Anime series that you can watch over and over because the music, story, message and the art style are just gorgeous. The only personal negative is the fact that every time I watch it I get hit by the nostalgia like a train and it makes me realize that the last almost 20 years went bye like a snap. Philip L Jun 09, 2019 simply put, its the best. Keith C Apr 15, 2019 The most important T.V. series of our time. Kit B Mar 08, 2019 Such a shame they stopped making it peter S Dec 05, 2018 Best anime to jerk off to. William D Nov 16, 2018 A classic anime. Great art that holds up. Good pacing and good story lines. One of the few anime that a regular person can watch and enjoy and understand without having to be into anime. One of the few where the DUB is superior to the SUB. If you have to share anime with a regular person not into it this is a good one to start with. Brad L Oct 30, 2018 Not only best anime ever, but the soundtrack and music were phenomenal. Yako Cano and the Seatbelts wrote some amazing, eclectic tunes, best ever in an animated series. joe o Oct 03, 2018 I love the world and concept of Cowboy Bebop. If that was all that mattered, this would be a 10/10 anime. The problem here is that the episodes are wildly inconsistent in quality. Several times while watching this series, I'd absolutely love an episode, but then it was followed up by a mediocre or uninteresting episode. Some of the bounties that they hunt are just better than others, and that's what leads to the inconsistency in quality. But, overall this was still a blast to watch, and the music used throughout the series is worth the watch on its own. Grant D See all Audience reviews News & Features 150 Erotic Movies Ranked worst to best! 2019's Most Anticipated 63 movies coming up this year 200 Essential Movies Chosen by RT staff! 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