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Another Otakon photo for today’s Top 200 Photo.

photo #100 is: I previously mentioned how Ranma ½ got me into anime. At the time I also discovered Bubblegum Crisis (the original OAV) although I never got to finish it because the video rental place didn’t have the entire series. After that, other than borrowing Slayers from a friend in HS, I only ever got into two other series – Cowboy Bebop and Trigun.

If you’ve never seen Cowboy Bebop, it is essentially Firefly in anime-form (although Cowboy Bebop came first). Both are westerns set in outer space and both explain the history of the main characters later. Also, both have additions to the crew that cause tension as well as help out. But while Firefly is more like A-Team in that the main characters are on the run from the law, Cowboy Bebop is more like Knight Rider (as I remember it) – the characters go from place to place without anyone after them. In fact, Spike and Jet are bounty hunters and they go from planet to planet in search of people to catch for a bounty. The music on this show is amazing and really adds to a cinematic feel. It often feels like watching a bunch of short films rather than a TV show.

This woman is dressed as Faye Valentine. Faye has a huge gambling problem and, if I remember correctly, has people after her for repayment. That’s why she joins the group to try and collect on bounties. At first she seems to have just been added as a fan service tool, but as you learn more and more of her backstory, she becomes a very sympathetic character. This costume is pretty spot on other than hair colour.
