The Edit List
Cowboy Bebop - ep. 26
by Kyle Pope,
Cowboy Bebop: The Real Folk Blues, Part II
1) As these come too many and too fast to list individually I'll give them a collective listing here. All the Red Dragon thugs who catch bullets during the gunfights bleed.
A lot.
All blood has been digitally removed from these hits.
2) Bleeding from Ann's wound digitally reduced.
3) Blood removed from aftermath of the Red Dragon execution chamber battle.
4) Scene of Vicious running his finger through a pool of blood cut.
5) Blood digitally removed when Shin takes a hit.
6) Pool of blood under Shin's head digitally reduced then subsequently removed during close-up of Shin with Spike.
7) Prolonged spray of blood from Vicious when he's shot digitally removed.
And thus endeth Cowboy Bebop, sans three episodes of course. Reports are that these episodes will be making their appearance in CB's second run so I hope you didn't spoil yourselves by reading those summaries. The things CN didn't edit from this episode were surprising given the pattern established but then this episode didn't leave CN a way out. It was the final episode of the series and the conclusion of a two-parter. CN had to show it despite the violence and particularly graphic scenes of a skyscraper suffering massive bomb damage.
Well all I can say is that I'm pleased. CN put their balls on the line with this one and I think they'll come out winners for it. Despite the many edits, some completely exasperating, and the episode deletions this is a moment in anime history to match that of the airing of Gundam Wing. An anime series geared exclusively for an adult audience was aired on US TV as close to intact as CN was willing to risk. Rumor has it that the second run through may see some of these edits restored as Adult Swim seems to have proven its legs as a serious vehicle for adult level animation. And who knows what the future of Adult Swim may hold for the anime viewer. There is much hope and speculation that Trigun may grace the block. If it does, rest assured that the complete set of DVDs sits comfortably in my library and I will let you know what, if anything, you are missing. See you later, Space Cowboy.
Kyle
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