Eva or Bebop: If You had To Choose

[cyharding]

Also, I've never heard anyone ever mention the manga, I sometimes forget they exist. They're just one of those manga that exist because everything has to have one. The anime has notable crew on every front, the manga were borth drawn by virtual nobodies.

Yeah, I have both the mainline manga as well as Shooting Star and when I do think about Bebop, I usually think more about the episodes than any story from the manga, even though they're not that bad.
Also, I get the feeling that the stories in the mainline manga were based on ideas for the show, but were scrapped for the episodes we got.
Fun fact: the magazines the two manga appeared in were shojo mags of all things.

[Axx°N N.]

Fun fact: the magazines the two manga appeared in were shojo mags of all things.

Yeah, I was looking into them a little bit and saw that for one of them the artist did some BL even.

It kind of makes sense, given that Bebop's writer has some of those tendencies. You could say some of them come out in Bebop, but they're very present in Wolf's Rain. Tokyo Godfathers is notable here too since it's one of (if not the) best example of a trans character in anime.

EDIT: I had no idea she worked on the first Kingdom Hearts. There you go!

[BernardoCairo]

I wonder how they even made a Cowboy Bebop manga. In my experience, the animation and music of the original are very important to the overall feel of the story. I mean, "Bebop"... It's in the name.
The same could apply to Evangelion and it certainly did. But Sadamoto changed the story so much it almost didn't matter. It's like reading something new. Is Bebop manga the same?

[cyharding]

As stated above, there are two manga. One is the mainline manga where the chapters can fit in between the TV episodes. The stories range in my opinion from meh to me wishing it was actually part of the TV show (Like I said above, I have a feeling these stories were considered for the TV show, but were scrapped for the episodes we got). They also keep with the musical themes despite it only being a manga. For example, I think there was one story where a plot point hinged on the song "Nowhere Man" by the Beatles.

The second manga is called Shooting Star Bebop or Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star in the West. This manga is in it's own universe with its own character designs, stories and even characters and I think it was written during the show's abortive first run in 1998.

[BernardoCairo]

That's interesting. I strongly prefer a fresh story that fully leverages the strengths of the manga medium over a weaker retelling of existing anime material. So maybe I'll start with Shooting Star (awesome name, by the way). But it's good to know that the original manga is also good in its own way. I love when stories diverge like you described.

[IpPo2911]

Honestly? Both are excellent and stand on the same level of artistic/cinematic quality. Oh, and I’m not considering End of Evangelion or the Cowboy Bebop movie here, because EoE is just unfair competition (not sure if I mentioned it before, but EoE is one of the best things CINEMA has ever produced, not just anime).

THAAAAAT SAID, Evangelion has nuances that Cowboy Bebop doesn’t need to have in order to be great—things like nihilism, Freud, and so on. But it’s precisely those elements that make me love Evangelion. When it comes to the protagonists, Spike is definitely the one I like more, but Shinji—by a reasonably small margin—is the better-written character.

As for the "secondary" characters, Evangelion wins in my book, and Asuka absolutely carries the show here. However, Cowboy Bebop offers a more cohesive plot, a more intriguing world-building, and overall more likable characters.

In the end, it really comes down to personal preference. For me? NGE.

[brandneweyes]

Both deserve lauding for sure. Admittedly I can't give nihilism any serious thought, no more then I will anarchy or atheism. I consider all three in the same category, that being satire. E.g HE'S A NIHILIST, HE BELIEVES IN NOTHING. Lol. Statement is inspired by The Big Lebowski, a fictitious quote I've manufactured for myself. Eva's motives are clearly defined, especially so regarding Misato, whose voice acting (non-dubs), like Tetsuo & Kenshin (OVA 4-parter), transcend their respective animations. Bebop is comparably lackadaisical, save for the Spike's instance or two of emotional outbursts. E.g. Julia & Lin's death. Steve Blum on the other hand just doesn't have a voice that can be taken seriously when reacting similarly; sounds scripted, and not at all off the cuff. I consider Jet Black's Japanese more so by the book when compared to his fellow crewmates, unlike Spike & Faye, whose sound is inseparable.

As stated, EoE & Bebop theatrical is no contest, despite being separate titles; unlike Bebop's film, you cannot decouple EoE from its series. I will say however, EoE Shinji is even more polarizing than t.v.'s finale. OKAY. SCREAM. IN. 1, 2, 3 & AHHHHH! Lol. Seriously. *Sigh Okay, let it out. Aaand go: *Inhales AHHHH! Asuka remains true to her character, love it or hate it.

I agree with your comment regarding Spike & Shinji.

Asuka, Misato, & Rei I give equal praise, neither one outshining the other. My gripe with Bebop when talking world building, is the same complaint I have with examples whose characters aren't exclusive to Japan. You see, unlike live action presented in the United States for example, when an individual is introduced as being, *Insert nationality, they often do, speak the language. This is significant, keeping you immersed with what's happening onscreen. R2J animation on the other hand, using GiTS, Stink Bomb, & Porco Rosso as examples, has the opposite effect/affect? An American Scientist & General- perfect Japanese; not an American trying their best at speaking a foreign language, or an interpreter repeating back information. A meaning distinction I'd argue. Jarring.

Chi-Chi Goku anyone? Ugh. The former, what I'd imagine a blow-up doll to be. The latter- literally sounds like a crying baby when in bouts of pain. I can rationalize my criticism when characters remain stationed in Japan for obvious reason. But Bebop, which spans our galaxy? Even when leaving planet earth, it can't be helped.

[Godai]

I actually finished Bebop yesterday and today I see this post lol. (haven't seen the movie yet though)

Overall I find Cowboy Bebop's world (or worlds) creation and design extremely fun and versatile. The cyberpunk-ish details and overall sci-fi look of the 90's anime with a great work from the animation team. Though, only watching the anime and still enjoying the heck of it, it doesn't feel as deep as Evangelion to me.

Evangelion on the other hand has a huge place in my heart. The deep story, dark and gloomy affect of it will never make me hate it nor any other anime that might follow its similar story and physiological path. Such deep story, so much detail, and still the amazing sci-fi and cyberpunk-ish style of it with great animation and psychology. Like heck, you still see all the evangelion characters when you walk around akihabara in all those pachinko and anime shops, or in your happy meal.

Both are amazing, with a rich story that gets you hooked up. If I have to chose, it will be Eva but both are still truly amazing creations.

[Diego the Lego]

I actually saw Bebop first and was the first anime I actually really got into. It's an amazing show but Evangelion's characters and themes have always resonated with me more. In a way watching a fantastic movie or show is kind of like a curse because once you get that high nothing else really does it for you the same way. Evangelion is one of those shows for me.

[penguintruth]

Both are favorites of mine, in my top five. Bebop is a bit higher because of its more compelling emotional core and its more complete conclusion. Evangelion is missing even basic elements of its lore in its narrative at times, you have to consult secondary material. But I can probably talk more on Eva in the long run, because it has more of a psychological edge to it and I relate to its characters more.

[dzzthink]

Bebop and Eva were both great for their time and both are still considered classics. I guess if you were to debate their timelessness, it might be Eva that comes out on top. Right now, we are in a time when the eva rebuild has resolved, and the netflix bebop was cancelled, so we no longer have any updates on future projects. I mean, if you were to ask me which one to resurrect from the grave for a sequel or other project, I'd actually say bebop, given the potential for more world-building and character analysis, whereas eva seems done to death, and Anno might take another decade to get anything done.