Cowboy Bebop voice actors name the best episodes for their characters

If Cowboy BebopThe series exploded on TV screens with a frenzy of guns and jazz music. It left an indelible impression on many anime enthusiasts and has been regarded as one of the most important animes of that era. This reputation can be attributed in large part to the English voice cast that dubbed the series in 2001 on Adult Swim’s late-night animated block. Many fans love the English dub. The Final version; vocal performances by Beau Billingslea, Steve Blum (Spike Spiegel), Wendee Le (Faye Valentine) and Melissa Fahn(Edward Wong Hau Tivrusky IV). This was the last element that brought the anime to its peak of popularity and critical acclaim.

Polygon spoke to the original voice cast after the 26-episode original anime was made streamable on Funimation. Cowboy BebopThey will be discussing their favorites episodes as well as moments during production.

“Toys in the Attic,” “Mushroom Samba,” and Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

Steve Blum: Strangely, I had to go through the whole series, and then do the movie, before I could identify Spike professionally. Spike was in jail with Electra at one point in Cowboy Bebop, and he had no choice but to feel his pain and vulnerability. This was what felt missing from Spike. It was obvious that there was something there, and was mentioned throughout the series. That was the moment I realized who he really was. That underlying sadness and the confusion he seemed like he was walking through his life, were what caused that deep-rooted pain. This made all the other things go smoothly and forced me to go back in time and revisit my past. This insight almost makes me wish I’d had it from the start.

However, it did happen when it was supposed. And it affected me on a very profound level as an actor, as a person, and as a man; being able to express vulnerability while playing this badass dude who really didn’t seem to care about anything. I wasn’t that badass in real life, but I did have shields up to protect myself against getting hurt. And accessing that through Spike’s pain actually helped me on a personal level and made everything else gel for me. That one scene in the movie was what did it for me.

Image: Sunrise/Bones

[If I had to pick one episode,] “Mushroom Samba” was just pure fun from beginning to end and just really weird. “Toys in the Attic” also because that kind of accessed my science fiction fandom, the weirdness of it all and its comedy, and it’s the one thing that we’ve been able to perform live together because it was basically just the main cast. This episode also holds a special place in mine.

“Ganymede Elegy” and “Mushroom Samba”

Beau Billingslea: My favorite memory in Cowboy Bebop is in “Mushroom Samba,” when Jet is talking to his bonsai trees. He’s stoned and talking to his bonsai trees and just goes, “Who am I anyway?” [laughs]

But overall, I’d have to say “Ganymede Elegy,” when he goes back to Ganymede, when he talks with his ex-girlfriend and they resolve their issues and he finally tosses the watch in the water and puts that part of his life to rest.

Sunrise

Because we took the time necessary to record it, I enjoyed that episode. Mary Elizabeth McGlynn was my voice director and guided me throughout the recording process. This episode was very emotional. It was a great experience, as so many things we do are not like this. We’re usually doing voices for loud monsters or whatever else we’re doing. It was a privilege to play that role, which is a legitimate challenge for actors. I really appreciate having the opportunity to do that, so that kind of balances out “Mushroom Samba” as one of my favorites.

“Speak Like A Child”

Wendee Le When I performed Faye, I felt like I had a natural ability to hit the ground running. It was like I had a good idea of who she was. However, I was very interested in uncovering the layers. I knew that something was beneath the surface. She was either wounded or hiding something. That was obvious to me from the very beginning. But when we were recording, I had no idea we would get into her backstory with “Speak Like A Child,” any of that stuff. It was quite shocking. That’s the richest backstory I’ve ever had for a character, especially after being with her for so many episodes and having no warning that this was coming. It was clear that she had suffered real trauma, as well as disaster. Instead of succumbing to the temptation of becoming a wreck of herself, she rose from her grave and rebuilt herself. It was a great lesson for me.

Sunrise

She raised the bar for me and any other actor who plays her. It brought an entirely new level of nuance to every scene. Once you were aware of that, there was no turning back or seeking safety in the naïveté. She had to bring her backstory and a significant footprint into her present. This became part of her DNA. I found myself more protective over Faye as a result.

“Jamming With Edward” and “Mushroom Samba”

Melissa Fahn: Ed has so many wonderful moments throughout his life Cowboy Bebop. I mean even just her introduction in episode nine, “Jamming With Edward,” how she comes forth to the Bebop crew, as annoying as she might be to the characters, how she still melds in with them. All of them are coming from the same place, where they need one another. Ed is in desperate need of them. You can look at Ed and she’s effervescent and childlike. She brings a completely different energy to the Bebop, and it’s needed. But she’s also a wounded character in a lot of ways herself, trying to find her own way as well.

Sunrise

We were talking about this earlier and Wendy brought it up, about how there’s a musicality to Ed and to all of our performances working together, but especially with Ed. As someone who comes from musical backgrounds, I was able to bring both the childlike wonder and the hacker genius. Edward has many layers. There’s a lot going on underneath the surface, and I was so proud to be able to bring those moments of vulnerability and depth. In her last episode, “Hard Luck Woman,” she leaves in the end to find her own path. Maybe she’ll find her father, or maybe she’ll go back to the orphanage to find something to eat. It’s hard to pinpoint my favorite moment, but “Mushroom Samba” is my absolute favorite episode.

Cowboy BebopIt is now available for streaming Funimation NetflixAnd Hulu