Session 02: Stray Dog Strut
For one month, The Dot and Line is publishing essays, interviews, and discussions about each episode of Cowboy Bebop, which turns 20 this April.
Though I do not own a dog at the moment, I am a Dog Person. Sadly, my Bideawee volunteer application was rejected and most of my friends are in the same dogless boat, so I have to rely on on-screen pups to get my fix. I have carefully curated my Facebook and Instagram feeds to include at least 25% Dog Content at any given time. When I’m feeling particularly sad or anxious, I scroll through the feed of Noodle (@showmenoodz), a chubby 9-year-old pug and a king among canines. Point me toward a video of wagging tails and I’m on board.
To date, I have watched all of two episodes of Cowboy Bebop. I never really had any interest in anime up until recently — for some reason, I spent most of my teenage years firmly believing that you couldn’t be cool and watch anime at the same time. (We were all foolish in high school.) Little did I know that Bebop is dripping in cool, from its sexy jazz soundtrack to its cast of space cowboys who smoke and swear with abandon.
But the thing I really missed out on, which would have sold me on the show all those years ago, is its Grade-A Dog Content, particularly in the second episode, “Stray Dog Strut.” I spent all these years watching other shows when I could’ve been watching one with a sassy cartoon corgi. Honestly, I’m ashamed of myself.
In this episode, Spike tracks down thief-turned-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar–knockoff Abdul Hakim, who has stolen the hyper-intelligent “data dog” Ein from an R&D lab. Hakim gets arrested, but Spike ends up with Ein, much to his dismay. Spike states that he hates pets several times throughout the episode, leading me to believe that we’d probably never get along.
We often see corgis as lovable doofuses, walking loaves of bread, or the pampered companions to Her Majesty the Queen. In reality, they’re quite the feisty little pups. They’re territorial, strong-willed, and need a lot of stimulation or they’ll chew up your entire house. Those fluffy butts are just a distraction. I was happy to see that Bebop gave Ein many of these natural corgi qualities, having him snap at an unknown human and run off on his own when he was able to get free. Of course, they didn’t lose the cute factor. Ein may have an (incredibly enhanced) mind of his own, but he still loves some behind-the-ear scratches at the end of the day.
Maybe it’s just the dog (I’m a woman of simple pleasures), but I’m definitely ready to binge more Bebop after this episode. After what I found to be a disjointed pilot, “Stray Dog Strut” gives us much more of a sense of the world Spike and his compatriot, Jet Black, are operating in while telling a fun, fast-paced, and pretty self-contained story. I also just want to know what the heck a data dog is. Can he talk? Can he drive a spaceship? Can he smell fear? Is that even a thing!?
Needless to say, I’m in. When it comes to getting me to watch a new show, all you need is a dog.
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