Cowboy Bebop (TV Series) The Real Folk Blues: Part 2 (1999) User Reviews

A stunning finale to a brilliant series

[baseballfanjm · 10/10 · 13 May 2006]

What can be said about this, the last episode of Cowboy Bebop? The series, which is so memorable for its combination of great characters, storytelling, and pure fun and action, blends everything into a pot in its finale and goes out with a bang.

It's a show with so many memorable moments, and so many of those moments come in this episode. Just for example; there's a death fairly early on that ends up unveiling the motives of a major character's actions, but not in the sense that you might think by reading these words. The moment his motives are revealed is so well written and executed that it gives one chills.

Another scene has Faye Valentine pleading with Spike not to face his nemesis. In a lesser anime, she'd have fallen in love with him; it'd be force feeding us a motive. This show is intelligent enough, trusts its audience enough, and knows its characters enough to write the scene as it ought to be written; Faye, a character without a past, isn't in love with Spike, but is acknowledging that he and the Bebop crew are all she has. The scene is heartbreaking, and delivered with perfect restraint.

Those are just two moments in this episode. The ending brings even the most jaded fans to tears, and again, not in ways you expect.

A perfect conclusion to a masterpiece series.

Cowboy Bebop is one of the greatest achievements in anime!

[Johnny-the-Film-Sentinel-2187 · 10/10 · 23 July 2018]

This two-part story concludes the series that helped the world cling onto anime as an up-and-coming art-form blossoming its popularity outside Japan. Cowboy Bebop helped broaden the demographics of animation in the West, and showed that anime wasn't always about teenage boys trying to get ultimate-power or trying to beat an all-important tournament. Cowboy Bebop was a space-western that had film-noir elements strung throughout its 26-episodes and it's remembered as a classic for great reasons; it was a show setting standards for the future of its medium and its broad appeal helped overcome any perception of shortcomings from the masses.

The Real Folk Blues is the name of the closing credits song, and it's the perfect title for the series' conclusive chapter. Spike makes ends meet in this final episode; and it adds to an already impressive story that's explosive and fast-paced every step of the way. It's dark, gorgeous, bloody and romantic all at once.

The Real Folk Blues is animated television at its very best.

You're gonna carry that weight.

[Mecces17 · 10/10 · 9 January 2022]

It's strange because I expected to cry, which I actually didn't and have never been close to. But nevertheless the finale touched me a lot and it got me thinkin about Spike and the whole series on and on.

It's a great finale, a great conclusion to a deeply human and philosophical story. There are a lot of amazing reviews, essays and comments on the finale. You can find them with ease across the internet.

Spike had no other chance but to go this path. No other chance for himself. It was always about his fight, his inner fight for living between reality and a dream. In the end, he had to accept that his dream will always be a dream and not come to reality. In fact, he might have known it all the time. He can't let his past behind him and he never has.

Of course Faye and Jet are comrades to him, but in the end it's more about Julia. Spike never promises anything to Jet and Faye, instead he knows his fate will come. He knows that they will understand somewhen. That they will understand why he did what he always had to do. They will carry the weight and move on because they still have a future to come. The will look back and be thankful for what Spike did, because it was also (partly) for them.

The more I think about it the more I understand why the series decided to let Ed go two Episodes before. Ed is still a child and has always been one throughout the series. Aswell as the dog. They couldn't have had a spot in the finale. They, or more Ed, wouldn't have been able to carry the weight. But Faye and Jet can, and so can the viewer.

In the end, it's what the creators and writers expected from us. Spike lived between dream and reality. He did mistakes, he had a past he couldn't change and he had to give it a shot and try to cope with it. Sadly, it failed.

But if we - the viewers - understand, we'll carry that weight and try to make the best out of our dreams, even to let them become real someday.

See You Space Cowboy...

[liammc-73274 · 10/10 · 31 January 2022]

This is a truly exceptional finale. Every underlying plot thread that was present throughout the whole anthology gets a clear resolution. We get clarity in the relationship between Spike, Viscious, and Julia. We explore themes of acceptance, drifting through life, and finding one's place. Faye is a witness to the culmination of Spike's story. She resents Spike for still having a past to return to and confront, while she's left stranded in a present so distant from the past she left behind. Spike's decision to leave is absolutely devastating to Faye, as the Bebop crew is the only semblance of a home she has (whereas it merely served as a resting point on Spike's journey back to face the music of his past). Pieces of dialogue sprinkled in throughout the series take on an entirely new meaning with added context. The illustration of the complexity of Spike and Viscious' relationship is deftly handled. And of course, this fantastic series is capped off with a dynamic and thrilling action scene. This conclusion is beautiful, tragic, and positively dripping with Bebop style. It'll leave you with a pit in your stomach, but you'll know in your heart it couldn't have ended any other way.

Simply amazing

[artasafa · 10/10 · 12 July 2019]

I can say that without a doubt this was one of the best finales I have ever watched. This finale proves that a finale can be sad but great at the same time.

Farewell

[FahimShahriar45 · 10/10 · 5 June 2020]

Tragic and beautifully done,this is one of the most complex finale in anime history

Spike amazing character conclusion

[Mike56_ · 10/10 · 4 September 2021]

A good conclusion to the story and spikes character what I liked a lot about is the symbolism shown in this finale. Spikes fake eye is covered in blood in the fight while his real eye wasn't symbolizing that he accepts the present. Another thing is how bright the area was symbolizing spike has awoken. When he says Bang! His right eye (fake one ) was opened showing that he sees the past and that's his response. He wants to burry it and wake up.

Carrying the weight

[joseandres-56368 · 10/10 · 25 May 2021]

Damn that was pretty good. Actually, what the hell am I saying, it was goddamn perfect.

Bang...

[oliverriordan · 20 January 2022]

This was a great way to end this fantastic series. The remaining members of the Bebop all get such great farewells, and it's sad seeing how this is the last time we will see them. The final battle between Spike and Vicious is not only visually pleasing, but has so much emotional weight that elevates it above all the other fight scenes from the show. While Jet and Faye's farewells are not as heavy, they still carry weight, and make you feel for them, as they exit the spotlight. This is easily the best episode in the show, and yes I'm going to carry that weight.

Simply stunning

[sebastiansarcotext · 10/10 · 11 May 2022]

What a beautiful way to end this character arc. Our lives have meaning simply because we carry a weight. Be proud that you're carrying your weight.

Farewell, Space Cowboy.

20 years old and still great.

[reecerobertson · 9/10 · 23 April 2019]

Not the subjective best episode but my personal favorite and to think it's 20 years old to this day. Love this show and always will.

Fucking amazing and will forever stand as the best finale to a tv series ever

[mabontinney · 10/10 · 3 April 2022]

Words can not explain how good the ultimate climax to the show really was. In my humble opinion it is on par to shows like breaking bad and the wire. The show wraps up on the same note it started with spike being the ultimate victim of the never ending pain and misery his life as been. Unlike many shows it doesn't spoon feed theses answers and you finally realise it all these years later. Many shows do deserve the hype the get but can never stand up to an ending on the same calibur as this one. It really makes me sad to hear people who have never seen or even heard of this show righting it off as another one of thoses animes. But no this show is great than that and has kept my questioning the show all these years later which I can not say for many shows or animes I have ever watched. The usually are a fad that wears of but not this one,for anyone has never seen or heard of this show go watch it because it is a fucking masterpiece and deserves every bit of respect it deserves as preachy as I may be. One of the best shows I have ever watch it's perfection.

Bang

[alberttuovinen · 9/10 · 24 June 2023]

So sad it ended this way i liked the ending so much but it was so sad i almost cried it was very beautiful show and so good ending if im being honest spike spiegel will forever be my favorite protagonist and the last talk between jet and spike was so good i loved the episode the whole show was such a fun to watch but the ending was sad so good conclusion. I love this episode 9.8 out of ten. That episode literally had me and my dad shocked. Part 1 was good this was actually so great i loved every moment of this episode and the bang and the last talk between jet and spike were two of the greatest moments of the episode i wonder how jet is doing this was just almost perfect.