Image: TV Tokyo, Wowow
About This Quiz
For some Westerners, "Cowboy Bebop" was their first taste of Japanese anime -- and what a place to start! This series, created by Sunrise Animation studio and first aired on Tokyo TV, has won raves from reviewers and fans, whether they were new to anime or longtime watchers. And just like Earth's inhabitants have spread out over the Solar System, "Cowboy Bebop" has spread from a 23-episode series to several other media.
"Cowboy Bebop" is set in a future in which Earth has been destroyed (an accident with a temporal-spatial "gateway" was involved) and humanity has traveled to the rest of the solar system, colonizing Mars and some of the more terrestrial moons. The Solar System has a police force, but the extent of crime in this new world requires the use of bounty hunters -- and that's where the gang of "Cowboy Bebop" -- Spike, Jet, Faye, Edward and Ein -- come in. Theoretically, they're working together to track down "bountyheads" and get the money that comes from turning them in. However, put five diverse personalities in one spaceship. and there's bound to be some conflict. One of the series' taglines was, "What's a little money between friends? Who says they're friends?"
However, they've become friends to a legion of fans. So settle in and return to the world -- er, interplanetary system -- of "Cowboy Bebop."
In what decade did "Cowboy Bebop" premier in Japan?
the 1980s
the 1990s
The series debuted in 1998. It's still being watched in reruns all over the world.
the 2000s
this decade
In what future year does "Cowboy Bebop" begin?
2018
2023
2071
The series premiered in the 1990s, but within the timeline, it was 2071. Fortunately for the series creator, he didn't pick an earlier year, as choosing 2023 would make the show dated, sooner rather than later!
3000
What is the series's nickname for bounty hunters?
cowboys
In the future, bounty hunters are casually referred to as "cowboys." This emphasizes their maverick approach to the job.
field agents
mercs
trackers
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Where does the name "Bebop" come in?
everyone on the crew likes jazz
it's the name of the dog
it's the name of the spaceship
The crew of bounty hunters travels on a ship called the Bebop. Jazz music, incidentally, is an important part of the series's score.
this is unexplained
What kind of dog travels with the crew?
a corgi
a beagle
an artificially-intelligent dog
both #1 and #3
The crew's dog is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, technologically modified to make him smarter. If you ask us, corgis don't need to get any smarter ... they can already outthink the average human!
What is the dog's name?
Darwin
Ein
"Ein" naturally makes you think of Einstein. This is appropriate, because he is unnaturally smart.
Madoc
Hachiko
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What is the name of Spike's former criminal organization?
Blue Sun
Intergalaxy Initiative
Red Dragon
Spike left the Red Dragon Syndicate after falling in love with his partner's girlfriend. We occasionally see flashbacks to his life of crime with the organization.
Mars Mafia
What kind of last name does Spike have?
Chinese
German
Spike Spiegel is a former criminal who rarely shows much emotion. Does he have a past full of misfortunes that have made him the way he is? Do you even have to ask?
Japanese
we never learn his last name
Which character comes from Ganymede?
Edward Wong
Jet Black
Jet Black is set up as Spike's opposite in many ways, responsible and hard-working. He is originally from Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter.
Spike Spiegel
Vicious
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What is the name of Spike's lost lover?
Carmen
Julia
Julia was the reason that Spike wanted to leave his criminal syndicate. She is also the reason that he and Vicious, his onetime friend and partner in crime, fall out.
Stasia
Megumi
What is the ISSP?
a chip that tracks everyone
the re-formed Soviet Union
the solar system's police force
ISSP stands for Inter Solar System Police. Jet Black used to work for them.
the solar system's public transit system
Who is oldest?
Faye
Jet
Spike
it depends how you count
Faye was born in 1994 (wow! our era!) but was cryogenically frozen to save her life. When she wakes up, she is 77 years old, but functionally, 22 or 23.
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What is Faye's last name?
Dumas
Monet
Rasputin
Valentine
Faye's real last name is unknown. The name, "Valentine," was given to her in the hospital where she was kept in cryogenic sleep.
What kind of ship was the Bebop in its previous life?
a luxury cruiser
a fishing ship
This marks it as Jet's "baby" more than anyone else's. He's from Ganymede, which is mostly covered with water, and he has a smaller craft that is equipped with a harpoon, a fishing tool/weapon.
a passenger shuttle
a mining ship
Which of the crew has an artificial eye?
Edward
Spike
Spike's eyes don't quite match up in color. Often, the series would use a close-up of Spike's real eye to signal that a flashback to his past was about to occur.
Jet
Faye
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Which of the crew is amnesiac?
Edward
Faye
Faye awakens from her long cryogenic sleep with amnesia. While this might seem like a horrifying situation to us, it might have cushioned Faye from the realization that everyone she loved is dead, and her home planet of Earth has been destroyed.
Jet
Spike
Which character is almost always seen barefoot?
Edward
Edward, the preteen girl who gave herself a boy's name, dislikes shoes. This is one of many odd mannerisms the genius hacker exhibits.
Faye
Spike
V.T.
What is the name of Faye's ship?
Aphrodite
Io
Red Tail
Faye flies a ship called the Red Tail. It has two prominent guns in front, which make it look bipedal.
it's just called her ship
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Whose weapon of choice is a katana?
Ein
Faye
Jet
Vicious
No, Ein does not use weapons. Though, it should be said, he's seen as able to drive a car.
Who or what is Alisa?
a sentient computer
Faye's real name
Jet's ex-girlfriend
Alisa features in the series's 10th episode, in which Jet reunites with her. Unfortunately, she's dating a wanted murderer. Darn the luck!
a vampire from India on Old Earth
Vicious enlisted and fought in the _____ War.
Phobos
Io
Second Earth
Titan
Titan is a moon of Saturn. Vicious fought there, betraying one of his immediate comrades in the end. He's not a trustworthy guy.
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Most episode titles included what?
a reference to an Old Hollywood film
a musical genre or song title
Titles included "Mushroom Samba" and "Ganymede Elegy." (Yes, samba is better known as a dance, but it's also the kind of music that accompanies the dance).
a Mandarin word
a reference to 1970s television
What does "V.T." stand for?
Vicious Tenacious
Victoria Terpischore
"V.T.'s" real name is a mystery for much of the series. It's Spike who cracks it, with a glimpse at her pocket watch.
Violet Tenebrae
Very Tired
Who or what is "Tomato"?
Edward's computer
"Tomato" is Ed's computer. In the accompanying manga, it's suggested she named it after a childhood friend.
Spike's private ship
Spike's pet name for Faye
Jet's drone
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On which U.S. network did "Cowboy Bebop" episodes air?
Cartoon Network
"Cowboy Bebop" aired on the Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" block. Reruns still air on that channel.
CW
Syfy
Bravo
Who goes with Ed when she leaves the Bebop?
Ein
Ein has become attached to the oddball preteen. Their departure comes only shortly before the series, as a whole, bowed.
Faye
Jet
Spike
What ultimately happens to Julia?
she and Spike elope to parts unknown
she opens an orphanage on Callisto
she leaves Spike for an ISSP investigator
she is shot and dies
Julia and Spike are trying to escape the Red Dragon's assassins across a roof when she is killed. This sets up Spike's ultimate, death-wish mission.
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Is Spike dead at the end of the series?
yes
no
it's not clear
Spike collapses at the end of his final battle with Vicious. The series creator has said it's up to the viewer whether he is dead or merely unconscious.
What was Spike's last word on the regular series?
"Bang."
Spike, possibly fatally wounded, makes a gun with his forefinger and thumb. Then he collapses, surrounded by Red Dragon gangsters.
"Goodbye."
"Never."
"Shoot."
The series director was Shinichiro ______.
Abe
Kurosawa
Asakawa
Watanabe
Watanabe is known for mixing up genres in his anime. This includes his other popular series, "Samurai Champloo."
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Which has "Cowboy Bebop" not been done as?
a video game
a live-action movie
a live-action TV series
both #2 and #3
There are talks of doing both a movie and a series with live actors. (Well, the voice actors are *alive*, but you know what we mean). Both projects are still in development.
"Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star" was the name of the ______.
animated movie
manga
The first manga series (of two) was subtitled "Shooting Star." This broke from the tradition of referencing songs or musical subgenres in the titles.
tie-in novel
video game
What subtitle is sometimes attached to the "Cowboy Bebop" movie?
.22 Caliber Destiny
Life on Mars
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
In most markets, it was just called "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie." But in Japan, it had the "Heaven's Door" subtitle.
To Infinity and Beyond
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Where in the series timeline does the movie fall?
before its start
after it ended
between two episodes
The movie takes place between episodes 22 and 23. It deals with a terrorist threat on Mars.
this isn't made clear
Officially, the creator of "Cowboy Bebop" is Hajime Yatate. Who is this?
another name for director Shinichiro Watanabe
another name for writer Keiko Nobumoto
the CEO of Sunrise Animation Studio
the entire staff of Sunrise Animation studio
"Hajime Yatate" is a pseudonym for the combined efforts of Sunrise Animation's creative staff. It is taken from a line from the poet, Basho.
You Got:
/35
TV Tokyo, Wowow