Cowboy Bebop 5 [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] - Region 1 DVD

Director Shinichiro Watanabe uses an impressive array of computer effects to depict a battle in hyperspace in "Boogie-Woogie Feng-Shui," as Jet helps the daughter of an old friend solve a mystery involving gangsters and mysticism. When pirates hit the Bebop with a computer virus in "Wild Horses," Spike demonstrates his skill as a pilot, flying the Swordfish by the seat of his pants. In "Cowboy Funk," Spike almost captures the Teddy Bomber, a fanatic who hides explosives in stuffed animals, but he's interrupted by Andy, a wealthy heir who plays at bounty hunter in cowboy regalia. The near-farcical rivalry that develops between Andy and Spike feels closer in tone to the misadventures of Vash the Stampede in "Trigun" than the gritty hero of "Pierrot Le Fou."

Unrated: suitable for ages 13 and up for violence, profanity, and smoking. --Charles Solomon