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onestowatch · 3 years ago

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Let’s Talk About Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop... and Its Music

The 2021 Cowboy Bebop live-action is… certainly something. It's not a secret that there's a sense of dread that brews for rabid anime fans every time news of a beloved classic getting a live-action adaptation arises. You forebodingly wait in anticipation, hoping for the best (Alita: Battle Angel) and preparing for the absolute worst (Dragon Ball: Evolution). I will say though, nothing has given me more anxiety than the phrase “Netflix's Cowboy Bebop.” Prior to the announcement, Netflix's only stateside live-action project was the Death Note movie, and we all know how that turned out.

Now, a review of the show could quickly turn into a manifesto criticizing all the things it missed the mark on or decided to omit from the timeless anime. But today we're gonna focus, or at least try to, on how the adaptation measures up to fan expectations and one of the defining elements that earned the original its cult following—the iconic score.

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Cowboy Bebop is a show famous for its ability to build an entire universe out of disparate film and music genres. Each episode adopts a different style to suit the subject matter and gives each of the characters and far-off places our ragtag group of bounty hunters visits a distinct identity. The styles of music are incredibly diverse, ranging from straightforward big band jazz, blues, acoustic ballads, hard rock, country, funk, electronic, hip-hop, and experimental compositions and elements. The music often inspires the visual scenes and vice-versa, a direct byproduct of the significant collaboration between Yoko Kanno and Shinichirō Watanabe.

One hallmark of the show is its high-tempo jazz accompanied fight scenes that serve to accentuate the fast-paced action. Although most of the songs are instrumental and play as background music, some numbers are accompanied by singers ranging in Japanese, English, and French. The band also created short compositions called vitamins to enter and exit commercial breaks along with custom title cards.

Let's start with the first episode of the Netflix adaptation. I do think the opening fight scene of the live-action, which is a direct callback to the 2001 Cowboy Bebop movie, was a strong start. The production team did a great job matching the energy of the fight and the "almost sucked into space" chaos by seamlessly transitioning and layering energetic horn sections and whimsical and spacey percussion. Overall, the music in the first episode was pretty much what I had hoped it would be; however, there was one scene that made my stomach sink and audibly ask my laptop, "How could you mess that up?"

The anime's wordless, "Asteroid Blues," sets up the wordless, tragic finale. Spike and Katerina, in a shocking silence, say everything they need to say in a few meaningful looks before she meets her unfortunate demise, evoking feelings of bittersweet loss. The show's first episode, named "Cowboy Blues," has the characters talk over the spacey and sax-fueled track, the first of many crimes this show commits against Kanno's iconic score and the new material she wrote for it.

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At the beginning of episode two, "Venus Pop," as Jet tries and fails to catch Teddy Bomber, the opening notes of "Tank!" begin playing, leading organically to the credits, which then play the opening again for some reason without the spoken word. This sloppy editing mistake could have been an opportunity to make the cold open and OP one cohesive, fluid experience, but it feels like an afterthought. To be fair, that isn't the worst part of the episode; it's definitely Julia and Vicious, but that's an article for another time. Moving on, I will say that another personal highlight was the way the show directly integrated Kanno’s music at Ana's jazz club, even if that was at times the only highlight.

Skipping ahead, in Episode 6, "Binary Two-Step," "Space Lion" was teased as Spike gazed at an old photo of him and Julia, but it was sadly cut short before it could add any weight to the brief scene. It would've been more ideal if it had played out through the credits, letting viewers exist in that state of nostalgia for a moment longer instead of abruptly ending once the credits rolled.

The finale, "Supernova Symphony," in a nutshell, could've been so much more for more reasons than one, but again, this is an article about music. As Spike and Vicious are trading bullets, quips, and out-of-place quotes, it leads to a shot for shot recreation of their legendary standoff, which kicks off with the most generic samurai flute sting to ever hit my ears. After the fight ends and Julia shoots Spike, the scene ends with a stripped and oddly hollow version of "Green Bird" as Spike falls from the church tower into the dark water below.

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So how could it be better? Well, the filmmakers seem to have an undeniable appreciation of the intricate, sonically-crafted world Kanno has created with Bebop but not a full understanding of its effect. Burning each and every song into their minds is just step one, but step two is using the music as an effective leitmotif to instill emotion and motivation in each scene. They can have music say things the characters can't or won't say in order to move the story along, or realize the power of silence, allowing the space for Kanno’s impeccable, emotionally-laden compositions to shine.

When it comes to adapting an anime like Cowboy Bebop, it doesn't matter how hard production works at creating costumes and sets or how accurately the actors bring to life their animated counterparts, or even if they were to somehow retroactively add back in the show's more political and philosophical themes; if the show’s music isn’t at its heart, it's not Cowboy Bebop. The music department and the sound department should be one and the same instead of two separate entities that seemingly don't communicate with each other.

As stated above, Cowboy Bebop is something. It's not a 1:1 adaptation, but it is something I do intend to rewatch, because there were things I did genuinely love about it. Given its weeks-long residency in the Netflix Top 10 ranking, it's likely staying around for at least another season. Hopefully, the show creators can run with the very audible constructive criticism of fans and make what’s to come better than what we’ve seen and heard. And if they don't, oh well, whatever happens, happens.

Want more anime and music? Check out our list of The Best Anime to Watch If You Love Music.

#cowboy bebop #anime #netflix #shinichiro watanabe #yoko kanno

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scorrigan · 3 years ago

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Cowboy Bebop

Never was a fan, Heard of it but when it came out I was too busy or disconnected from anime watching friends to see it. (which would have been ‘99 if they were super nerdy or ‘01 for the american release?). Was always curious about the name tho. The first episode makes it very clear. They save most of the animation budget for backgrounds and layouts and then the fight scene between Spike and the mark at minute 17 out of 24 and OH is that a fun scene to watch. Spike has gotten ahead of the mark, and pulled a classic western ( clint eastwood?) gambit of dressing in a poncho and sombrero of a local to get the drop on the mark, and then when the fight happens they start playing adventure music, big band bebop I guess? So I hope that sets the tone for these- theyre bounty hunters, but theyre not nihilistic bounty hunters who are scored by spaghetti western sergio leone music, but by lively bebop. Jazz baby!

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rom-e-o · 5 years ago

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I was tagged by the ah-mazing @treya-barton to share my fic preferences! (Very fitting, since we collaborate on a Souyo fic together!) It was super fun to read her answers because, well, we have a lot in common.

Thanks so much for the tag! Rules: Copy/paste and bold your fic preferences and tag some more people!

Slow burn or love at first sight?

Slow burn is a safer choice because it plays into the whole appeal of fic writing. It’s an infinite, free forum for fans to correct how their fav pairings meet and interact. And that can happen as quickly or slowly as a writer wants. Love at first sight is more of a ‘call to action’ than it is an incentive for readers to keep reading, imo.

Basically this: if it’s a one shot, gimme love at first sight. If it’s a multi-chapter, gimme slow burn.

Tldr; yes.

Fake dating or secretly dating?

Yes. A la Monica and Chandler in season five (right? I don’t remember).

Enemies to lovers or friends to lovers?

All of my OTPs are literally friends to lovers. All three of them.

“Oh no there’s only one bed” or long distance correspondence?

Bonus points if both of them want to share the bed and know the other one wants to share the bed as well.

Hurt/comfort or amnesia?

Oh man.

Yeah, I write a lot of hurt/comfort fics. I’m realizing now that maybe that’s not a good thing (haha) or maybe it’s a cry for help? EEEHHHHHH...nah. I just love the idea of characters loving each other through their pain/faults.

Fantasy AU or modern AU?

For some reason, the fantasy genre just suffocates me. I feel like I can be more creative and whimsical, oddly enough, in a more modern setting.

Mutual pining or domestic bliss?

I have OTPs in both camps. Usually one leads to the other anyway, SO.

Alternate universe or future fic?

Both! Fix-it fics are also great. But some Band-aids on the plot.

One shot or multi-chapter?

I’ll read anything, but I tend to write more contained fics. I try to steer clear of contained/bathtub fics and make sure there’s at least one pivotal moment (a confession, a kiss, a realization, something) so that the characters change at least a little bit from how they were in the beginning. Hopefully for the better, too.

Reincarnation or character death?

I’d prefer neither, though.

Arranged marriage or accidental marriage?

The only way I can think about accidental marriage is a “drunk in Vegas” scenario, haha. To me, ‘accidental’ implies comedy, while ‘arranged’ implies angst. I don’t enjoy angst personally, so I tend to steer clear of that.

High-school romance or middle-aged romance?

I have OTPs in both.

Or do you mean romance in a Middle Ages setting? If so, all three OTPs are accounted for.

Time travel or isolated together AU?

Two characters depending on each other for survival? Sure! Against, as long as it’s in a touching way and not a...torture p*rn movie/Killer Instinct kind of way.

Sci-fi or magic AU?

I’m bias toward sci-if because of series like Cowboy Bebop, Stellvia and Space Dandy. I just grew up with it more. I like mechs, spaceships, bounty hunters and dark skies.

Body swap or gender bend?

I feel like it can be a fun trope if it’s in the right hands.

Angst or crack?

Are crack fics still a thing? I feel like those were a big thing when I was in middle school. That being said, I used to write crack fics all the time. I’d incorporate inside jokes I had with friends too. I used to have so much fun coming up with the stupidest stuff and getting my friends to laugh.

Apocalyptic or mundane?

If I could make money writing a nonfiction product, it would be a Slice of Life.

Alrighty! I’ll tag @my-name-is-clover. Anyone else reading this can also give it a go! Please tag me if you do. I want to peep your answers.

#tagged #fic preferences #treya-barton

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awkwardanime · 7 years ago

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Awkwardly Watching Anime: Cowboy Bebop Episode Session #2

A super dog. That was enough for me to enjoy the second episode of Cowboy Bebop. Before I go in depth about this 2nd adventure, I want to talk about the fact that these episodes are referred to as “sessions”. I found out from the comments section that the episodes are named as sessions to resemble a band playing a number of different songs in their sessions at a venue. I really like this idea, that the 26 episodes of this series are all different songs sung by the same band. Perfect metaphor which enhances my intrigue about how much thought went into every aspect of the show.

The narrative here is that this pet thief by the name of Abdul Hakim (love the diversity!) supposedly has a dangerous species in a briefcase he carries around and plans to sell it to a buyer all the while trying to stay hidden as he is the most wanted criminal of the week, information that we are told by the hosts of an interesting Bounty Hunter TV show named Big Shot. Abdul has foregone plastic surgery numerous times to keep out of sight from the 300,000 bounty hunters along with the police and it turns out a team of scientists are also after him.

Interesting that the number of Bounty Hunters in the universe are so high, meaning everywhere you look there is a vigilante trying to sell something!

I want to focus mainly on the Animation this time around and I have to say, I am falling in love with this style so much to the point where I will be disappointed with how the real world looks :/. The shading and lining specifically help the characters stand out against the backdrop. The variety of angles shown in this and the previous session (still feels weird calling it session) tell me that the Director knows how to visually express the personalities of all characters involved, especially the vigilantes.

In session #1, we see Asimov Solensan’s face up-close to show the effects of blood eye, conveying how impatient and suspicious it has made him. You can really see how focused he is as he drives away, the beads of sweat and the never-ending frown epitomises his demeanour: focused, strong willed and suspicious of everyone.

In this second session, as an old man trips and bumps into Hakim allowing his drink to spill just a teeny bit, we see a few frames from a low angle that really reveals the height of this long legged vigilante. I really like this scene as I feel it perfectly put across how he is just as dangerous as he is calm, expressed wonderfully well in the above frame. The frightened look on the old man; Hakim’s arms resting on the counter as all he wanted to do was enjoy his refreshing drink. He didn’t want to get into an altercation, but he must do so to frighten and express his dominance. The “quite yet dangerous” character is somewhat similar to that of Asimov and overall a perfect homage to the 1960 Cowboy Western characters. Fantastic.

“Man, I hate kids and critters! They’re nothing but trouble!”

This episode wasn’t as intriguing to me as the first, but it was full of fun scenes and all animation series always need those types of narratives. Even though it was less character driven, it still looked into Spike’s interesting outlook on anything that is bothersome to his daily life, epitomised by his annoyance with having to take in this energetic Dog. I predict some type of family loss in his past will come up in the following episodes explaining his bitterness towards most people and the Corgi.

My favourite scene was when Hakim stole a newly married couple’s honeymoon car and the husband got punched as he tried to politely retrieve the vehicle. Idk, I just really loved the way the husband popped his down and had his index finger up, trying to be as polite as he could be, only to be met with a punch to his face. Loved that :D

Hope you enjoyed my thoughts on the second session of Cowboy Bebop! Feel free to give your thoughts by sending a message or asking me a Q!

Remember to eat those little trees!

Previous Episode: Session #1 - Asteroid Blues

#awkwardly watching anime #awe #cowboy bebop #spike #jet #bebop #i can't remember if they said the dog's name?#or if they gave him one?#for now i'll call him the super corgi #super corgi #awkwardlywatchinganime #asimov #abdul hakim #hakim #dog #review #anime #analysis #animation

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thejojolands-moved · 11 months ago

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So sad no one is posting Jet Black birthday honestly

#Not thay people don't know #I daw the Bebop Big Bounty Band in ATL and they had us sing happy birthday that was fantastic #but no one hare here so sad

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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Top New Science Fiction Books in January 2021

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Looking for space opera or alternate Earths? Here are some of the science fiction books we’re most excited about and/or are currently consuming…

Join the Den of Geek Book Club!

Top New Science Fiction Books in January 2021

Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor

Type: Novel Publisher: Tordotcom Release date: Jan. 19, 2021 Den of Geek says: Award-winning Nnedi Okorafor brings a mix of science fiction and fantasy with this unique take on the Grim Reaper. Publisher’s Summary: The day Fatima forgot her name, Death paid a visit. From hereon in she would be known as Sankofa—a name that meant nothing to anyone but her, the only tie to her family and her past.

Her touch is death, and with a glance a town can fall. And she walks—alone, except for her fox companion—searching for the object that came from the sky and gave itself to her when the meteors fell and when she was yet unchanged; searching for answers.

But is there a greater purpose for Sankofa, now that Death is her constant companion?

Buy Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor.

Star Wars: Light of the Jedi

Type: Novel Publisher: Del Rey Release date: Jan. 5, 2021

Den of Geek says: One of the first books in the The High Republic series, it introduces the new era with the story of Jedi 200 years before the fall of the Republic. You’ll find no Skywalkers, Solos, or Palpatines here, but rather an ensemble of fun new galactic warrior-monks.

Publisher’s summary: Long before the First Order, before the Empire, before even The Phantom Menace . . . Jedi lit the way for the galaxy in The High Republic It is a golden age. Intrepid hyperspace scouts expand the reach of the Republic to the furthest stars, worlds flourish under the benevolent leadership of the Senate, and peace reigns, enforced by the wisdom and strength of the renowned order of Force users known as the Jedi. With the Jedi at the height of their power, the free citizens of the galaxy are confident in their ability to weather any storm But the even brightest light can cast a shadow, and some storms defy any preparation.

When a shocking catastrophe in hyperspace tears a ship to pieces, the flurry of shrapnel emerging from the disaster threatens an entire system. No sooner does the call for help go out than the Jedi race to the scene. The scope of the emergence, however, is enough to push even Jedi to their limit. As the sky breaks open and destruction rains down upon the peaceful alliance they helped to build, the Jedi must trust in the Force to see them through a day in which a single mistake could cost billions of lives.

Even as the Jedi battle valiantly against calamity, something truly deadly grows beyond the boundary of the Republic. The hyperspace disaster is far more sinister than the Jedi could ever suspect. A threat hides in the darkness, far from the light of the age, and harbors a secret that could strike fear into even a Jedi’s heart. Buy Star Wars: Light of the Jedi.

Persephone Station by Stina Leicht

Type: Novel Publisher: Gallery / Saga Press Release date: Jan. 5, 2021 Den of Geek says: Roguish space opera serves up escapism with a side of criminal glam. Publisher’s Summary: Hugo award–nominated author Stina Leicht has created a take on space opera for fans of The Mandalorian and Cowboy Bebop in this high-stakes adventure.

Persephone Station, a seemingly backwater planet that has largely been ignored by the United Republic of Worlds becomes the focus for the Serrao-Orlov Corporation as the planet has a few secrets the corporation tenaciously wants to exploit.

Rosie—owner of Monk’s Bar, in the corporate town of West Brynner, caters to wannabe criminals and rich Earther tourists, of a sort, at the front bar. However, exactly two types of people drank at Monk’s back bar: members of a rather exclusive criminal class and those who sought to employ them.

Angel—ex-marine and head of a semi-organized band of beneficent criminals, wayward assassins, and washed up mercenaries with a penchant for doing the honorable thing is asked to perform a job for Rosie. What this job reveals will effect Persephone and put Angel and her squad up against an army. Despite the odds, they are rearing for a fight with the Serrao-Orlov Corporation. For Angel, she knows that once honor is lost, there is no regaining it. That doesn’t mean she can’t damned well try.

Buy Persephone Station by Stina Leicht.

Top New Science Fiction Books in December 2020

The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy, 2020 Edition by Rich Horton

Type: Short story collection Publisher: Prime Books Release date: Dec. 22 (Kindle)

Den of Geek says: It’s that time of year. Year’s best anthologies are here. This one draws from stories previously published in the genre’s top magazines, like Analog, Asimov’s, and Clarkesworld.

Publisher’s summary: This eleventh volume of the year’s best science fiction and fantasy features twenty-six stories by some of the genre’s greatest authors, including Marie Brennan, Maurice Broaddus, John Crowley, Theodora Goss, Xia Jia, John Kessel, Kelly LInk, Sam J. Miller, Michael Swanwick, Fran Wilde, E. Lily Yu, and many others.

Buy The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy, 2020 Edition by Rich Horton.

Gallowglass by S.J. Morden

Type: Novel Publisher: Gollancz Release date: Dec. 10 Den of Geek says: We’re taking a chance on this one. It’s one of those SF paperbacks that sometimes get lost in the churn and probably won’t end up with much marketing. But the author’s science background and the sense of a vivid understanding of just how big space is adds to the good vibes. Publisher’s summary: The year is 2069, and the earth is in flux. Whole nations are being wiped off the map by climate change. Desperate for new resources, the space race has exploded back into life.

Corporations seek ever greater profits off-world. They offer immense rewards to anyone who can claim space’s resources in their name. The bounty on a single asteroid rivals the GDP of entire countries, so every trick, legal or not, is used to win.

Jack, the scion of a shipping magnate, is desperate to escape earth and joins a team chasing down an asteroid. But the ship he’s on is full of desperate people – each one needing the riches claiming the asteroid will bring them, and they’re willing to do anything if it means getting there first.

Because in Space, there are no prizes for coming second.It’s all or nothing: riches beyond measure, or dying alone in the dark.

Buy Gallowglass by S.J. Morden.

Doctor Who: All Flesh is Grass by Una McCormack

Type: Novel Publisher: BBC Digital Release date: Dec. 10 Den of Geek says: We’re going out on another limb. Tie-in novels can be tricky recommendations. What if you don’t know the source material? What if you don’t know what happened in 154 other books? But Doctor Who’s episodic nature (the story about the last creature alive on a living world) and fan-pleasing fun (multiple doctors) mean this one might be a good balance for people who love Doctor Who or only vaguely know what a Dalek is and are curious. Publisher’s summary: A wasteland. A dead world… No, there is a biodome, rising from the ash. Here, life teems and flourishes, with strange and lush plants, and many-winged insects with bright carapaces – and one solitary sentient creature, who spends its days watering the plants, talking to the insects, and tending this lonely garden. This is Inyit, the Last of the Kotturuh. In All Flesh is Grass we are transported back to The Dark Times. The Tenth Doctor has sworn to stop the Kotturuh, ending Death and bringing Life to the universe. But his plan is unravelling – instead of bringing Life, nothing has changed and all around him people are dying. Death is everywhere. Now he must confront his former selves – one in league with their greatest nemesis and the other manning a ship of the undead…

Buy Doctor Who: All Flesh is Grass by Una McCormack.

Top New Science Fiction Books in November 2020

From A Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back

Type: Short story collection Publisher: Del Rey Release date: Nov. 10

Den of Geek says: A collection of 40 Star Wars stories spanning The Empire Strikes Back and beyond, this is a smorgasbord of different authors, styles, takes, and genres within the movie saga.

Publisher’s summary: On May 21, 1980, Star Wars became a true saga with the release of The Empire Strikes Back. In honor of the fortieth anniversary, forty storytellers re-create an iconic scene from The Empire Strikes Back through the eyes of a supporting character, from heroes and villains, to droids and creatures. From a Certain Point of View features contributions by bestselling authors and trendsetting artists.

Buy From A Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back.

Stillicide by Cynan Jones

Type: Short story collection Publisher: Catapult Release date: Nov. 17

Den of Geek says: Literary fiction publisher Catapult crosses over into science fiction with this print release of a highly acclaimed series of climate fables written for radio.

Publisher’s summary: Water is commodified. The Water Train that serves the city increasingly at risk of sabotage.

As news breaks that construction of a gigantic Ice Dock will displace more people than first thought, protestors take to the streets and the lives of several individuals begin to interlock. A nurse on the brink of an affair. A boy who follows a stray dog out of the city. A woman who lies dying. And her husband, a marksman: a man forged by his past and fearful of the future, who weighs in his hands the possibility of death against the possibility of life.

From one of the most celebrated writers of his generation, Stillicide is a moving story of love and loss and the will to survive, and a powerful glimpse of the tangible future.

Buy Stillicide by Cynan Jones.

Nucleation by Kimberly Unger

Type: Novel Publisher: Tachyon Publications Release date: Nov. 13

Den of Geek says: Virtual reality meets aliens in a space opera packed with ideas about wormhole travel and first contact.

Publisher’s summary: Helen Vectorvich just botched first contact. And she did it in both virtual reality and outer space.

Only the most elite Far Reaches deep-space pilots get to run waldos: robots controlled from thousands of lightyears away via neural integration and quantum entanglement. Helen and her navigator were heading the construction of a wormhole gate that would connect Earth to the stars . . . until a routine system check turned deadly.

As nasty rumors swarm around her, and overeager junior pilots jockey to take her place, Helen makes a startling discovery: microscopic alien life is devouring their corporate equipment. Is the Scale just mindless, extra-terrestrial bacteria? Or is it working―and killing―with a purpose?

While Helen struggles to get back into the pilot’s chair, and to communicate with the Scale, someone―or something―is trying to sabotage the Far Reaches project once and for all. They’ll have to get through Helen first.

Buy Nucleation by Kimberly Unger.

Top New Science Fiction Books in October 2020

The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

Type: Novel Publisher: Orbit Release date: Oct. 6

Den of Geek says: Robinson’s intricate eco-thriller-flavored SF novels have proved prescient in a world of droughts and fires. His latest novel leans in to make a statement about both humanity and science in the face of climate change.

Publisher’s summary: The Ministry for the Future is a masterpiece of the imagination, using fictional eyewitness accounts to tell the story of how climate change will affect us all. Its setting is not a desolate, postapocalyptic world, but a future that is almost upon us — and in which we might just overcome the extraordinary challenges we face.

It is a novel both immediate and impactful, desperate and hopeful in equal measure, and it is one of the most powerful and original books on climate change ever written.

Buy The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson.

To Hold Up The Sky by Cixin Liu

Type: Short story collection Publisher: Tor Books Release date: Oct. 20

Den of Geek says: Cixin Liu engages with both hard science and the human heart in a short story collection from a master novelist.

Publisher’s summary: In To Hold Up the Sky, Cixin Liu takes us across time and space, from a rural mountain community where elementary students must use physicas to prevent an alien invasion; to coal mines in northern China where new technology will either save lives of unleash a fire that will burn for centuries; to a time very much like our own, when superstring computers predict our every move; to 10,000 years in the future, when humanity is finally able to begin anew; to the very collapse of the universe itself.

Written between 1999 and 2017 and never before published in English, these stories came into being during decades of major change in China and will take you across time and space through the eyes of one of science fiction’s most visionary writers.

Buy To Hold Up The Sky by Cixin Liu.

Seven of Infinities by Aliette de Bodard

Type: Novella Publisher: Subterranean Release date: Oct. 31

Den of Geek says: Aliette de Bodard’s Xuyan series is a creative blend of hard science fiction and space opera based on a network of space stations. A story from the point of view of a living starship who is also a trickster sounds like it’ll fit right in.

Publisher’s summary: Vân is a scholar from a poor background, eking out a living in the orbitals of the Scattered Pearls Belt as a tutor to a rich family, while hiding the illegal artificial mem-implant she manufactured as a student. Sunless Woods is a mindship and not just any mindship, but a notorious thief and a master of disguise. She’s come to the Belt to retire, but is drawn to Vân’s resolute integrity. When a mysterious corpse is found in the quarters of Vân’s student, Vân and Sunless Woods find themselves following a trail of greed and murder that will lead them from teahouses and ascetic havens to the wreck of a mindship and to the devastating secrets they’ve kept from each other.

Buy Seven of Infinities by Aliette de Bodard.

Top New Science Fiction Books September 2020

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

Type: Novel Publisher: William Morrow Release date: Sept. 22

Den of Geek says: This next-level meta take on superheroes looks witty and biting. But what really makes it stand out is the character’s predicament: she’s a laid-off henchman going from bad job to worse, struggling with her own moral code along the way.

Publisher’s summary: Anna does boring things for terrible people because even criminals need office help and she needs a job. Working for a monster lurking beneath the surface of the world isn’t glamorous. But is it really worse than working for an oil conglomerate or an insurance company? In this economy?

As a temp, she’s just a cog in the machine. But when she finally gets a promising assignment, everything goes very wrong, and an encounter with the so-called “hero” leaves her badly injured. And, to her horror, compared to the other bodies strewn about, she’s the lucky one.

So, of course, then she gets laid off.

With no money and no mobility, with only her anger and internet research acumen, she discovers her suffering at the hands of a hero is far from unique. When people start listening to the story that her data tells, she realizes she might not be as powerless as she thinks.

Because the key to everything is data: knowing how to collate it, how to manipulate it, and how to weaponize it. By tallying up the human cost these caped forces of nature wreak upon the world, she discovers that the line between good and evil is mostly marketing. And with social media and viral videos, she can control that appearance.

It’s not too long before she’s employed once more, this time by one of the worst villains on earth. As she becomes an increasingly valuable lieutenant, she might just save the world.

A sharp, witty, modern debut, Hench explores the individual cost of justice through a fascinating mix of Millennial office politics, heroism measured through data science, body horror, and a profound misunderstanding of quantum mechanics.

Buy Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots on Amazon.

Divergence (The Foreigner Universe) by C.J. Cherryh

Type: Novel Publisher: DAW Release date: Sept. 8

Den of Geek says: Why, you might rightly ask, would we recommend #21 in a series? This is because C.J. Cherryh is a master at what she does: slow, meticulous space opera with engaging characters and a transporting sense of completeness to its world of diplomatic clashes between humans and aliens. Really, we recommend you start at #1, Foreigner, if you haven’t read the series before. And if you have, this September is a real occasion. Publisher’s summary: The overthrow of the atevi head of state, Tabini-aiji, and the several moves of enemies even since his restoration, have prompted major changes in the Assassins’ Guild, which has since worked to root out its seditious elements—a clandestine group they call the Shadow Guild. With the Assassins now rid of internal corruption, with the birth of Tabini’s second child, and with the appointment of an heir, stability seems to have returned to the atevi world. Humans and atevi share the space station in peaceful cooperation, humans and atevi share the planet as they have for centuries, and the humans’ island enclave is preparing to welcome 5000 human refugees from a remote station now dismantled, and to do that in unprecedented cooperation with the atevi mainland.

In general Bren Cameron, Tabini-aiji’s personal representative, returning home to the atevi capital after securing that critical agreement, was ready to take a well-earned rest—until Tabini’s grandmother claimed his services on a train trip to the smallest, most remote and least significant of the provinces, snowy Hasjuran—a move concerning which Tabini-aiji gave Bren a private instruction: protect her. Advise her.

Advise her—perhaps. As for protection, she has a trainload of high-level Guild. But since the aiji-dowager has also invited a dangerously independent young warlord, Machigi, and a young man who may be the heir to Ajuri, a key northern province—the natural question is why the dowager is taking this ill-assorted pair to Hasjuran and what on this earth she may be up to.

With a Shadow Guild attack on the train station, it has become clear that others have questions, too. Hasjuran, on its mountain height, overlooks the Marid, a district that is part of the atevi nation only in name—a district in which Machigi is one major player, and where the Shadow Guild retains a major stronghold.

Protect her? Ilisidi is hellbent on settling scores with the Shadow Guild, and her reasons for this trip and this company now become clear. One human diplomat and his own bodyguard suddenly seem a very small force to defend her from what she is setting in motion.

Buy Divergence by C.J. Cherryh on Amazon.

An Unnatural Life by Erin K. Wagner

Type: Novella Publisher: Tor Release date: Sept. 15

Den of Geek says: Putting a robot on trial is an old concept in science fiction: just look at Star Trek. This novella looks like an entry in the contemporary conversation with this pleasingly retro concept. Publisher’s summary: The cybernetic organism known as 812-3 is in prison, convicted of murdering a human worker but he claims that he did not do it. With the evidence stacked against him, his lawyer, Aiya Ritsehrer, must determine grounds for an appeal and uncover the true facts of the case.

But with artificial life-forms having only recently been awarded legal rights on Earth, the military complex on Europa is resistant to the implementation of these same rights on the Jovian moon.

Aiya must battle against her own prejudices and that of her new paymasters, to secure a fair trial for her charge, while navigating her own interpersonal drama, before it’s too late.

Buy An Unnatural Life by Erin K. Wagner on Amazon.

Top New Science Fiction Books August 2020

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Type: Novel Publisher: Tor Release date: Aug. 4

Den of Geek says: Muir’s necromancers in space have gained an enthusiastic following for their irreverent tone and wild gothic magic.

Publisher’s summary: She answered the Emperor’s call.

She arrived with her arts, her wits, and her only friend.

In victory, her world has turned to ash.

After rocking the cosmos with her deathly debut, Tamsyn Muir continues the story of the penumbral Ninth House in Harrow the Ninth, a mind-twisting puzzle box of mystery, murder, magic, and mayhem. Nothing is as it seems in the halls of the Emperor, and the fate of the galaxy rests on one woman’s shoulders.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, last necromancer of the Ninth House, has been drafted by her Emperor to fight an unwinnable war. Side-by-side with a detested rival, Harrow must perfect her skills and become an angel of undeath ― but her health is failing, her sword makes her nauseous, and even her mind is threatening to betray her.

Sealed in the gothic gloom of the Emperor’s Mithraeum with three unfriendly teachers, hunted by the mad ghost of a murdered planet, Harrow must confront two unwelcome questions: is somebody trying to kill her? And if they succeeded, would the universe be better off?

Buy Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir on Amazon.

The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Type: Novel Publisher: Orbit Release date: Aug. 18

Den of Geek says: Portal fantasy of a sort, backed by hard science fiction from the author of the award-winning Children of Time, this novel looks inventive, rigorous, and adventurous.

Publisher’s summary: They thought we were safe. They were wrong.

Four years ago, two girls went looking for monsters on Bodmin Moor. Only one came back.

Lee thought she’d lost Mal, but now she’s miraculously returned. But what happened that day on the moors? And where has she been all this time? Mal’s reappearance hasn’t gone unnoticed by MI5 officers either, and Lee isn’t the only one with questions.

Julian Sabreur is investigating an attack on top physicist Kay Amal Khan. This leads Julian to clash with agents of an unknown power – and they may or may not be human. His only clue is grainy footage, showing a woman who supposedly died on Bodmin Moor.

Dr Khan’s research was theoretical; then she found cracks between our world and parallel Earths. Now these cracks are widening, revealing extraordinary creatures. And as the doors crash open, anything could come through.

Buy The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky on Amazon.

Seven Devils by Laura Lam and Elizabeth May

Type: Novel Publisher: DAW Release date: Aug. 4

Den of Geek says: This ensemble cast space opera fits nicely into the “Expanse” model of adventure stories with enough political detail and blood to make you feel like you could walk into the far-future world. An early review calls it “epic, if occasionally bumpy.”

Publisher’s summary: When Eris faked her death, she thought she had left her old life as the heir to the galaxy’s most ruthless empire behind. But her recruitment by the Novantaen Resistance, an organization opposed to the empire’s voracious expansion, throws her right back into the fray.

Eris has been assigned a new mission: to infiltrate a spaceship ferrying deadly cargo and return the intelligence gathered to the Resistance. But her partner for the mission, mechanic and hotshot pilot Cloelia, bears an old grudge against Eris, making an already difficult infiltration even more complicated.

When they find the ship, they discover more than they bargained for: three fugitives with firsthand knowledge of the corrupt empire’s inner workings.

Together, these women possess the knowledge and capabilities to bring the empire to its knees. But the clock is ticking: the new heir to the empire plans to disrupt a peace summit with the only remaining alien empire, ensuring the empire’s continued expansion. If they can find a way to stop him, they will save the galaxy. If they can’t, millions may die.

Buy Seven Devils by Laura Lam and Elizabeth May on Amazon.

Top New Science Fiction Books July 2020

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The Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott

Type: Novel Publisher: Tor Books Release date: July 7

Den of Geek says: Kate Elliott’s long career in fantasy has proven her a master of world-building. It has a heck of a tagline: “female Alexander the Great in space.” This series promises strong science fiction action.

Publisher’s summary: Princess Sun has finally come of age.

Growing up in the shadow of her mother, Eirene, has been no easy task. The legendary queen-marshal did what everyone thought impossible: expel the invaders and build Chaonia into a magnificent republic, one to be respected―and feared.

But the cutthroat ambassador corps and conniving noble houses have never ceased to scheme―and they have plans that need Sun to be removed as heir, or better yet, dead.

To survive, the princess must rely on her wits and companions: her biggest rival, her secret lover, and a dangerous prisoner of war.

Take the brilliance and cunning courage of Princess Leia―add in a dazzling futuristic setting where pop culture and propaganda are one and the same―and hold on tight:

Buy The Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott on Amazon.

Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis

Type: Novel Publisher: St Martin’s Press Release date: July 21

Den of Geek says: Lindsay Ellis is known primarily as a YouTube pop culture critic. She excels at explaining why pop culture works or doesn’t work, as well as adding context to day’s top headlines. Her first book sounds like a mix between Arrival and The X-Files, set in the early 2000s.

Publisher’s summary: The alternate history first contact adventure Axiom’s End is an extraordinary debut from Hugo finalist and video essayist Lindsay Ellis.

Truth is a human right.

It’s fall 2007. A well-timed leak has revealed that the US government might have engaged in first contact. Cora Sabino is doing everything she can to avoid the whole mess, since the force driving the controversy is her whistleblower father. Even though Cora hasn’t spoken to him in years, his celebrity has caught the attention of the press, the Internet, the paparazzi, and the government―and with him in hiding, that attention is on her. She neither knows nor cares whether her father’s leaks are a hoax, and wants nothing to do with him―until she learns just how deeply entrenched her family is in the cover-up, and that an extraterrestrial presence has been on Earth for decades.

Realizing the extent to which both she and the public have been lied to, she sets out to gather as much information as she can, and finds that the best way for her to uncover the truth is not as a whistleblower, but as an intermediary. The alien presence has been completely uncommunicative until she convinces one of them that she can act as their interpreter, becoming the first and only human vessel of communication. Their otherworldly connection will change everything she thought she knew about being human―and could unleash a force more sinister than she ever imagined.

Buy Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis on Amazon.

The Relentless Moon (Lady Astronauts) by Mary Robinette Kowal

Type: Novel Publisher: Tor Books Release date: July 14

Den of Geek says: The Lady Astronaut series tackles sexism (lots and lots of sexism) in an alternate world where the space race is hurried along by the arrival of a meteor strike. It has gained a lot of fans for its determined characters and convincing alternate history.

Publisher’s summary: The Earth is coming to the boiling point as the climate disaster of the Meteor strike becomes more and more clear, but the political situation is already overheated. Riots and sabotage plague the space program. The IAC’s goal of getting as many people as possible off Earth before it becomes uninhabitable is being threatened.

Elma York is on her way to Mars, but the Moon colony is still being established. Her friend and fellow Lady Astronaut Nicole Wargin is thrilled to be one of those pioneer settlers, using her considerable flight and political skills to keep the program on track. But she is less happy that her husband, the Governor of Kansas, is considering a run for President.

Buy The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal on Amazon.

The post Top New Science Fiction Books in January 2021 appeared first on Den of Geek.

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recentanimenews · 4 years ago

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FEATURE: What Are Your Favorite Musical Cues in Anime?

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Why It Works. Sometime last week, while scanning through recent anime news, I learned that the soundtrack for Cowboy Bebop, along with several other classic anime, had just popped up on streaming music services. If you’ve seen Cowboy Bebop, I’m sure you’re aware of the power of its music — but for those who haven’t, you should know that the show’s soundtrack is an incredible achievement, and easily as impressive as its writing or animation.

The soundtrack for Cowboy Bebop was written by Yoko Kanno, a brilliant artist and composer who actually assembled a band known as “The Seatbelts,” purely to record this particular show’s music. Ranging from jazz to funk to country and far beyond, I think it’s fair to say that Cowboy Bebop simply would not be the phenomenon it is without Kanno’s musical support. Every scene of Cowboy Bebop is elevated by its soundtrack, from the big band blitz of the show’s opening, "Tank!," to the moody horns of its concluding "The Real Folk Blues," to the countless uses of music both big and small throughout the series. Would "Ballad of Fallen Angels" strike as painfully without its somber use of “Green Bird?” Would "Waltz for Venus" work without the tender, fragile melody of its signature music box?

A good musical cue — the term for when a song begins to play or is "cued" up — can do more than just set the tone for a scene. It can lead a story through a major narrative shift, close the distance between audience and action, or serve as a pure emotional articulation of the drama on-screen, lingering in your mind long after the action has passed. Great musical direction can elevate narrative drama into an emotionally tangible experience, and most of our favorite shows would feel empty without the music shifting, directing, and amplifying our response to the action. But a great example is generally more useful than a rambling explanation, so without further ado, here are some of my absolute favorite musical cues in anime!

First off, if I had to pick just one musical cue from Cowboy Bebop, it’d actually be a different "Ballad of Fallen Angels" song — “Rain,” which plays as Spike approaches his confrontation with former partner Vicious. Renowned as one of the show’s very best episodes, "Ballad of Fallen Angels" has to work extremely efficiently to set up its final battle; the episode compresses reflections on Spike’s past and a full bounty investigation by Faye into its first two-thirds, meaning it has little time to reset its mood for the melancholy, nostalgic final act. Fortunately, the opening organ keys of “Rain,” combined with the violet hues of the church, instantly transport the audience into Spike’s somber headspace. Simultaneously a nostalgic reverie and a funeral march, "Rain" gracefully leads the audience into the mood of the "Fallen Angels" finale, and the episode would be far less memorable without it.

Shinichiro Watanabe is one of the most impressive directors when it comes to integrating music into his productions, but there are other directors who have an equally sharp ear for music and a similar understanding of its importance in drama. Masaaki Yuasa, for one, always manages to integrate music into his shows in a compelling, emotionally impactful way. All of his shows use music in a variety of interesting ways, but I think my favorite example is the diegetic Christmas song that one of Ping Pong’s stars, Wenge Kong, sings at karaoke.

After half a season of fruitlessly trying to integrate into his new Japanese team, the Chinese-born Kong only finds peace and companionship when his mother comes to visit. Through the process of making traditional dumplings, he bonds with his new teammates, and at last finds a source of confidence and joy apart from his victories in ping pong. That joy, along with his still-present longing for his home, is elevated into epic theater through his karaoke song, as the show pans over a medley of its stars, all bearing the loneliness of the holidays in their own way. It’s a transcendent moment, and another shining example of the power of song to elevate narrative drama.

Musical cues can do more than just set or elevate the tone of a scene, though — they can actually contribute to the narrative directly, either through discordant musical contrast, repeated musical motifs, or songs that shift from one form to another in order to illustrate the changing tides of a story. So it goes for the Monogatari franchise, where each new arc focuses on a different character, with a different opening song used to establish both that character's personality and the narrative they’ll be experiencing. In Monogatari’s first season, the introduction of Nadeko Sengoku is accompanied by “Renai Circulation” — an upbeat, lighthearted song about Nadeko’s crush, accompanied by goofy images of her prancing around, waving hello, and halfheartedly trying to study.

"Renai Circulation" is a fun song in its own right, but it actually gains far more significance in retrospect, after Nadeko’s second arc is introduced with the new “Mousou Express.” Leaning on ominous piano keys and featuring actress Kana Hanazawa singing in a menacing whisper, "Mousou Express" inverts both the melodic tone and visual imagery of "Renai Circulation," viscerally implying Nadeko’s two-faced nature and selfish desires. It’s one of the few examples I’ve seen of a character arc literally illustrated through music, and also just a really great pair of songs.

Finally, my own all-time favorite musical cue in anime comes from, unsurprisingly, my all-time favorite anime: Neon Genesis Evangelion. Specifically, the concluding film End of Evangelion, which turns the series’ slow-building exploration of isolation and self-loathing into a cathartic scream of “I am here.” And yet, when that scream erupts, it’s through the almost tender descending keys of “Komm, süsser Tod” (German for "Come, Sweet Death"). Set against a scene of intimate violence between the show’s principal pilots, "Komm, süsser Tod" acts as a stark counterpoint to the on-screen chaos, like a lullaby set against the end of the world.

The song encapsulates the feeling of transcendent surrender to the infinity that characterizes End of Evangelion’s last act, while its lyrics speak to the regrets of its cast, who only wish they could spend these moments with the people they love. Annihilation, nostalgia, loneliness, belonging, and rebirth, all at once, all captured in song — through "Komm, süsser Tod," End of Evangelion reaches a peak of emotional catharsis I have never seen repeated.

Those are my own favorite musical cues in anime, but there are countless more shows that are elevated through their thoughtful use of song. I hope you’ve enjoyed this exploration of music’s power, and please let me know all your own favorite musical cues in the comments!

Nick Creamer has been writing about cartoons for too many years now and is always ready to cry about Madoka. You can find more of his work at his blog Wrong Every Time, or follow him on Twitter.

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

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