The Bebop Beat: A Cowboy Bebop Rewatch Podcast

Much of Cowboy Bebop went over our heads when we saw it for the first time (we were so young!) The greatest example of this is Brain Scratch, a haunting commentary on real-life cults. Our guest Sarah Hightower knows just how bold Bebop got concerning Heaven's Gate and Aum Shinrikyo, but the story doesn't end in the 90's...

Now that we've gotten all of our fandom flailing out of the way, it's time to REALLY tackle Knockin' on Heaven's Door, The Cowboy Bebop Movie. Was this film actually good? Virus and vaccine expert Chise leads a fascinating discussion on Vincent's terrifying mission. Plus, we ask our friends to tell us about sakuga!

We can hardly believe it, but Knockin' on Heaven's Door, The Cowboy Bebop movie, was released 20 years ago! To celebrate, the legendary Jennifer Hale joins the party this week. Hear Electra herself discuss the film, her character's inner feelings, and what it takes to be a Disney princess, Jedi, and Commander of the Normandy.

We went on a board game game bounty hunt and purchased every Cowboy Bebop title we could find: Board Game Boogie, Space Serenade, and the Spike and Vicious UFS card game. A whole crew of real-life friends joined us to play and review the games. Then, we got the pleasure of meeting Eric Price, CEO of Japanime Games! Let's play, cowfolks.

Son of a gun, did somebody say podcast collab?? Dennis, Garrett, and Kate from the Vintage Anime Club podcast join us this week for Cowboy Funk. The studio may be full of fans with strong opinions, but we promise, we get along way better than Spike and Andy.

Boogie Woogie Feng Shui is a unique Cowboy Bebop episode that drops spirituality into a sci-fi setting. It is notoriously not a fan favorite, but with a character named Kimmie Black in the upcoming Netflix show, we're all SORTS of interested in Jet as a father figure! We ask an astrologist and a cultural consultant all the important questions, from "What's your sign?" to "Who's your daddy??"

Before Five Nights at Freddy's, there was this OG theme park animatronic terror: Pierrot Le Fou. Illustrator, author, and designer Sean Dove joins us this week to talk French New Wave, Batman villains, and how everyone seems to have a story about killer carnival rides. Buckle in and keep your arms and legs safely inside the car, bounty hunters. This is a scary one!

When the creative minds behind Cowboy Bebop start referencing NASA, who ya gonna call? Our friend Travis Sauder, a former engineer for the Space Shuttle program! We draw a line from real-life aeronautics straight to the Swordfish II. Did today's billionaire space race cause the future seen in Cowboy Bebop?? ... probably not. We also reflect on the Columbia disaster, and whether Wild Horses can still be watched the same way.

Our favorite bounty hunters dive deep underground and into Faye's past, but you don't need a Betamax player to hear an incredible interview! Voice artist Wendee Lee has given life to hundreds of characters, including Lady Luck herself, Faye Valentine. Her career precedes the Adult Swim era, making her the absolute expert on anime cons, women in the industry, and Cowboy Bebop's impact on the world.

Mushroom Samba is a fan favorite episode, but does it hold up? We tackle two major topics: psychedelics and Blaxploitation films. Dr. Austin Lim joins us to unbox just how much society's views have changed since the 1970s. Let's kick the beat!