There are movies that come along in anime that leave their mark. Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Jin Roh, Blood: The Last Vampire, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, and Patlabor: Wasted XIII, all raise the awareness level of an anime watcher from the generic serial stories that are watched on a regular basis. It is a reminder of what can be accomplished in this medium, and a very poignant one at that.

The story starts off with Faye trying to track down a bounty that has stolen a large tanker. Suddenly the tanker explodes into a fiery mess, with those close to the attack suddenly coming down with a mysterious illness that leaves no trace. The only witnesses to this event are Faye and the driver of the tanker, who seemed to be unharmed by the disease, even though he stood at almost ground zero to the blast. After taking the information back to the ship, the group split up in typical loner fashion to track down bits of the leads, with Spike gaining ahead of the trail. As Spike traces down the winding road to the truth behind the explosion and the sickening agent, he stumbles across someone far worse than the shallow criminals he normally deals with.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie delves far more seriously into the lives of everyone's favorite set of bounty hunters, especially Spike. This is a journey, where the road is as important as the destination. This isn't about just collecting the bounty on a man who is threatening to destroy the world, it is to face someone who it seems has been stripped down to nothing in his soul, and has left behind a psychopathic clarity. Someone who has no memory, nor feels who they are is anymore real than a dream. Someone, who in very disturbing ways, is very much like Spike at heart. It is those elements that draw Spike into the chase and keep him there, even into the realm of fear and death. It is to face that which could consume him at any moment, if he let it.

The story is introspective but not heavy; it is woven with wide swaths of events, being held loosely but unslipping from their designated place. Each of the characters interact with the full glory of their personalities without being overboard; Faye's pure claw-up-the walls-determination, Ed's stream of consciousness searching, and Jet's grumbling patience and worry are all there. There is even room for Electra, a newer but less played upon character. The action in the series is fantastic and the pacing excellent. Scenes such as the fight on the tram and the one on the tower are carefully animated and timed. Rarely is there in animation a fight scene that can carry the emotion of live action; Spike's martial arts are done justice and in a beautifully fluid manner. The dogfight in the desert is another example of good choreography. However not all of the best scenes are battles or fights, even the small details of reflected water or the holographic images in the arcade a testament to the time that went into this movie.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is being released dubbed, with all of the actors from the Cartoon Network dub resuming their roles. A testament to the advancements in dubbing, there are no unnecessary pauses, flat lines, nor lost moments. If there could be an example held up for regular dubbing to achieve in the future, this could be it. The music, done by Yoko Kanno, is brilliant as ever, choosing to spin her own brand of Jazz tunes in the series. In the end, this movie is worthy of touting the anime banner into the mainstream theatre. Hopefully, this too will be a smashing hit.