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.