Cowboy Bebop (TV Series) Pierrot le Fou (1999) User Reviews

Dark

[joshuagahan · 10/10 · 15 August 2019]

This is definitely one of if not the most darkest episode of cowboy bebop but it's balanced out by Faye and Ed's humor at times. I'm not yet finished but this is definitely my favorite so far as is Ballad of fallen angels I can't decide the two are very different, this is more grim and like a horror, ballad of the angels has more action sequences that you would expect from an action movie and intriguing back story for the main character Spike and his nemesis Vicious. This two contrast each other yet are both still great just goes to show how versatile bebop truly is.

The direction is out of this world in this episode it's so intense, and theres truly a spectacular moment were they make you sympathize with the antagonist I won't go too much into that though just watch for yourself.

Overall both great episodes and the best of the series so far for me.

Very very deep

[collt091 · 10/10 · 6 February 2021]

The stand out of this episode was the villain no question ,I love how in the beginning of the episode you see him as this heartless killing machine and slowly over time you see his very tortured history,and you come to realize he is simply a product of the way his life turned out,I love the fear of cats he has ,it makes it seem more like he's a genuinely traumatized person as opposed to just a man with superpowers,absolutely great animation,characters and an fantastic villain,perfect episode

Well That Was the Saddest Thing I've Ever Seen

[jeffgoss-91523 · 10/10 · 16 December 2021]

I've never seen Cowboy Bebop until this year and In seeing all of this through new eyes. The villain in this episode is absolutely terrifying in his obsessive ruthlessness...but then the twist comes and he's suddenly the saddest person you've ever laid eyes on and the only thing that changes is your knowledge of him. It broke my heart to see a maniacal man described as a child that could never be fixed. Spike NEEDS to kill him to save his own skin but the viewer doesn't want him to. That's good writing and excellent direction on par for a legendary show.

A nigh-fantastic, eerie noir horror

[eryknieeryk · 9/10 · 20 May 2022]

This here episode utilises some of the best of Cowboy Bebop's elements and writing: mixing many different genres, using its occasionally stellar animation to create a fantastic atmosphere and suspense and the almost brilliant set-up of a seemingly unsolvable problem that turns out to not be as difficult as it seems, and in a way that makes sense. But the villain is the real star here: supposedly supernatural, seemingly unstoppable, completely demented and with almost no moral qualms to hold on: simply a killing machine. He is genuinely threatening and awesomely written. I think many modern horror movie or series creators can learn a thing or two from this one: no jump-scares, simply suspense, terror and near-complete lack of ideas for the hero's survival with a good hint of the unknown - the driving force of many horrors. Kudos to Shin'ichiro Watanabe and the production team for creating a timeless inspiration for multiple further artists.

Pierrot le Fou

[ithrill04 · 10/10 · 25 July 2022]

This episode feels like a combination of dark themes and action. So I think we might be calling it a thriller episode. The script goes like this: Spike witnesses a homicide by a deranged serial killer who then goes after him.

This episode is a simple one if you only think about the plot. It will be wise to look at the characters, and that's where this episode starts to feel like a masterpiece. I will go through them and describe how they contribute to the story.

The first character is the main character of this episode: not Spike but the villain itself. It's his story we are experiencing. The black, gray, and red colors and the noir atmosphere in the first half exist only to present him effectively, and the second half takes place in an amusement part. I want to remind you that the second half is just after we learn that he has an intelligence level of a child. That is just incredible writing. His phobia of cats, choice of words, backstory, and reaction when he got hit by the blade is more than enough to make him unique and remarkable. In summary: Every aspect of this episode is for making him look like a scary insane man with the mind of a child, and I can easily say they accomplished it.

I also want to talk about Spike and Jet. This episode manages to tell us about their differences when handling situations. Spike rushes into it without thinking about strategies and improvises. Jet, on the other hand, uses contacts in ISSP to get some information. Then, with the help of Ed, he uses that information to discover the truth. It may not look like a lot, but I think it is a great way to show their differences without making an episode about it.

Since this episode heavily contains a dark theme, it can easily be overwhelming. That is where Ed and Faye take part. They provide humor with jokes and dialogues to the episode.

All that combined with great music, little details, and well-organized encounters is how you make a perfect episode.

Could be a 10

[iizjfkt · 9/10 · 8 August 2022]

But this show tragically uses a 20 minute episode format, I've noticed every episode of this show feels cramped and has zero room to breathe. I've never felt such aggravation that they didn't have 40 minute episodes. By the time you get to know the antagonist characters they are already 2 minutes or less from their death scene and it's (of course) rushed and tidied up in 30 seconds. All of the gravitas and emotional power of this show is hobbled by the runtime. It's genuinely depressing. And I'm shocked no one else has noticed this. The main characters are lucky to have a full show to express their personalities but the origin episodes suffer as well. I feel like I'm recounting a memory of an episode when I'm in the middle of actually watching it.