I know Cowboy Bebop is typically considered to be cyberpunk but I just don’t see it. Yes, they’re low-lifes living in space, but is that enough to qualify as cyberpunk?
I guess yes, Jet has a cybernetic arm, and yes Radical Edward is a hacker, but it still just doesn’t feel cyberpunk to me. Part of the problem may be that technology never really feels dehumanizing, and society never feels on the verge of collapse. The show is also considered to be a space western and I can see that more than the cyberpunk label, honestly. For the most part, people don’t seem to be beaten down by society; they seem more like they’re just kinda lazily doing their own thing. That feels more “western” to me than “cyberpunk”. It’s weird how a lot of the tropes (like cybernetic limbs and hackers) can be present but I just don’t think the themes are there.
What do you think? Am I crazy? Would you classify Cowboy Bebop as more cyberpunk or more space western? Obviously I’m referring to the anime classic Cowboy Bebop here and not the mediocre live-action Cowboy Bebop.
I guess here’s a trailer if you’ve never watched it. It’s streaming on Tubi, Hulu, and Crunchyroll.
I didn’t know cowboy bebop was commonly considered cyberpunk. I personally don’t see it that way, it feels more sci-fi to me or as you said in your post more like a space western. Space bounty hunter is basically a genre of its own and while it can contain similar themes to cyberpunk such as capitalism in decay and everything that comes with that it typically lacks the neon grunge vibe that’s so heavily associated with cyberpunk media.
Aside from aesthetic, the hopelessness and brutality that comes with large wealth gaps and an oppressive corporate owned police state is missing from cowboy bebop. You aren’t constantly being confronted with a miasma of despair from an abused populace that must turn to hurting each other and themselves just to keep going. Instead you have someone who is bored, lonely and haunted by his past. While some of the emotions he feels and the problems he faces are rooted in capitalism they aren’t as obviously hostile as what’s seen in cyberpunk. Cowboy bebop is more of an existential journey and less about surviving under or fighting against an owning class.
In regards to the specific genre of cowboy bebop it’s a bit of a unique case that fits into a lot of categories. It has aspects of pulp fiction, westerns, space opera, noir, and a bit of cyberpunk. Most people just call it a space western though because it seems to fit best
Edit: I think the lack of dehumanization associated with cybernetics is a huge mark against it being primarily cyberpunk. It doesn’t make you wonder when someone stops being human which is a HUGE part of that genre. I also wanted to clarify that the settings feels like the beginnings of late stage intragalactic capitalism rather than the fascism typically seen in cyberpunk. The tone is also way more upbeat most of the time.
So basically no your not crazy, cyberpunk has just recently become a popular genre and fans who don’t fully understand it’s distinctions using it to describe aesthetics rather than themes. Aesthetics are important to the cyber part but themes are important to the punk part.
my highschool literature studies courses prepared me for specifically this, thank you Mrs. Lavelle o7