News

While everyone loves a good fantasy film series or franchise, there's no question that Hollywood movies have become more and more reliant on the idea of sequels in recent years. Massive franchises like Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean dominate box offices to the point that out of the 10 highest-grossing fantasy films of all time, every single one is either part of a film series or a remake of an older movie.

That isn't to say that sequels are bad, but there is a certain power to a movie that doesn't need a sequel. Fantasy films that stand alone and tell complete stories can be far more satisfying to watch than ones that are clearly putting far more energy into establishing franchise potential than into crafting a compelling narrative. And, of course, there are fads like Disney's avalanche of 90s direct-to-video sequels, with their shoestring budgets and disappointingly outsourced animation.

Cowboy Bebop is one of the greatest anime of all time. It's just long enough to get a gratifying conclusion, yet not so long that it feels daunting to repeatedly re-experience. At just 26 episodes, Cowboy Bebop manages to fit in origin stories plus plenty of great anecdotal detours that flesh out the characters and universe.

Cowboy Bebop may be short, but a full rewatch can still be somewhat demanding. Fortunately, nearly all the series is made up of standalone episodes. While every Cowboy Bebop episode can be fun to revisit, some of them are better than others. These episodes remind viewers of the anime's immaculate scripts and how easily Cowboy Bebop shifts between self-aware silliness and philosophical commentary on its characters and world.

Related 50 Best Sci-Fi Anime To Watch Right Now Science fiction anime are often out of this world with their ideas, from dystopian nightmares to fun romps through space.