5/5 Near perfect series, excellent DVD
  by Skye Knighton (Los Angeles, CA United States)
Cowboy Bebop is, by far, one of the best TV series to come from Japan. Just don't take it too seriously, it is, after all, the '70s and the Wild West mixed into one (someone beat me to that punch already, damn!) One just needs to watch the Low-Rider/Horseback care chase to see that.

But it doesn't come out the worse for wear mixing two wildly different genres, and the fifth DVD shows this off. Even after 21 episodes this show is more than fun to watch. Basically, if you're wondering whether to pick up this or something new, don't worry: This has more of the same fun of the series.

4/5 Not a highlight in this six-disc series
  by (Prattville, AL United States)
Cowboy Bebop is, in this reviewer's opinion, the finest series that anime currently has to offer. The animation is top-notch, the writing is consistently excellent, the English voice work is amazingly good, and the soundtrack (provided by Yoko Kanno) is absolutely brilliant throughout the entire series. It's a pity that the series had such a short run-- what's available in these six DVD volumes constitutes the entire twenty-six episode series. Nevertheless, this is one series every anime fan must have, and a series I would also recommend to fans of TV shows such as Miami Vice.

Cowboy Bebop's basic structure allows each episode to be a full-fledged story all its own, with the main characters-- Spike, Jett, Faye, and Edward-- serving to connect them all. While there is a consistency to the entire series outside of the characters-- mainly concerning each character's exploration of his/her identity-- this is a more episodic anime series than something such as Evangelion, and yet far less formulaic than Dragon Ball Z and its brethren. I cannot stress how incredibly good the writing is here-- each episode is a self-contained story full of integrity: sometimes dramatic, sometimes sad, sometimes funny, but always effective each time without sacrificing any of the show's core values.

Each DVD disc in this series is a bargain-- five episodes per disc for Volumes One and Two, and four episodes per disc thereafter. Extras are limited, but the video quality is outstanding, and both Japanese/English tracks are provided, with English subtitles. The English voice acting is very impressive-- dialogue is still intelligent following the translation, lip synching is dead-on, and the voice actors are almost as endearing as the characters they portray.

While Volume Five is as much worth a purchase as the other discs in this series, it has some low points that manage to drag it down a bit. The main one that should be addressed is the "Pierrot le Fot" episode, which concerns a man bred as a perfect killing machine. While this episode contains a remarkable fight scene, it's one of the more flawed episodes of Cowboy Bebop; a backstory sequence serves to remove the viewer's disdain for this episode's villain right before said villain is killed and never mentioned again-- similar to the case of an imprisoned criminal who is found to be innocent right before he is executed, yet this information is judged to be insignificant afterwards because the criminal is already dead. ... "Boogie Woogie Feng Shui" and "Wild Horses" are entertaining but largely forgettable relative to the other episodes in this series. "Cowboy Funk" is definitely the highlight of this disc: the character of Andy is hilarious, as is the Teddy Bomber.

5/5 The Best Anime Ever!!!!
  by
By Far the Best Anime EVER!!!! And I do not say this lightly. The animation quality is just above average, but the charactors and the stories are truly unpredictable and enjoyable. The series flows in the way that real Jazz Music does, cool and free. It is true that Cowboy Bebop does not break any new ground in the animation, character development, or the plot, but it does break new ground in the feel, or the "Style" of animation. If you like Jazz, "Sit Back and Enjoy the Vibe.....", but if you don't, stay away from this one.

5/5 A bit of a stumble, but refuses to fall from grace.
  by (Oklahoma City, OK United States)
It was inevitable: after an exceptional run of superb episodes that entertained us to no end, Session 5 provides us with a couple of episodes that sadly do not live up to the excellence that "Cowboy Bebop" had built. And yet despite these couple of episodes' lower-than-expected quality, they aren't completely terrible, and Session 5 does give us a couple of other episodes that do live up to the expected standard.

With eighteen episodes so far completed and all of them considered classics, it should be no surprise to see that the show's creators had probably run out of ideas near the end. Whereas previous episodes were unique and innovative, two episodes in Episodes 19-22 feel more formulaic than anything else. Episode 19, "Wild Horses", tries to intrigue us by telling us about Spike's prized starship but fails to build up enough attraction in its story. Episode 21, "Boogie-Woogie Fen-Shui", is considered the worst "Cowboy Bebop" of all, and with good reason, thanks to its well-meant but shoddily executed story. These two episodes sadly remind us that even great shows like "Cowboy Bebop" can fall from grace every now and then.

Thankfully, right after falling from grace, "Cowboy Bebop" gets back on its feet with the other two episodes of Session 5. "Pierrot Le Fou" and "Cowboy Funk", in fact, are perhaps the two episodes that showcase the series varying appeals. While "Pierrot Le Fou" has a dark, sinister atmosphere and gloomy premise, "Cowboy Funk" shows off a gullible and lighthearted story that alone almost makes up for the two less stellar episodes. While all four episodes work the magic of the "Cowboy Bebop" series, only episodes 20 and 22 work the magic right. Of course, episodes 19 and 21 aren't entirely horrible; however, they are the only two episodes that have dared to defy the quality that this anime demands.

Other than the quality of the episodes, everything else remains top notch. Visuals are as eye-catching as ever, and Yoko Kanno's genius still shines through with her unclassifiable brand of music. And the dubbing cast, even through these episodes, still puts their heart and soul into their characters.

All in all, Session 5 is the low point of the "Cowboy Bebop" series, even though the lowest point is still remarkably high. While a couple of episodes stumbled, they aren't enough to weaken the overall quality that this anime series has given us. Skipping Session 5 would be ridiculous, as you'd be missing out on two wonderful episodes amidst the lower-quality ones. Of course, you'd have to watch all other episodes to truly appreciate these four, but if you're this far in the series you already knew that.

5/5 another set of fantastic episodes.
  by Peter Servais (Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada)
I must say I'm quite relieved to find that Cowboy Bebop is rebounding back after the slight dip in episode quality I noticed in DVD3 and to a lesser extent in DVD4. I'm happy to report that 3/4 of this DVD is top-quality Bebop material, and it definitely deserves to be a part of every anime fan's library.

Episode 19 - Wild Horses
If there is any episode on this disc which didn't quite live up to the Bebop name, it was Wild Horses. The plot is decent enough, but things just seem to move along a bit too slowly.

Episode 20 - Pierrot Le Fou
Unquestionably the best episode of the group, Pierrot has comedy and action but most of all, it reeks of creativity. I always enjoy the unique episodes the best, and this one hooked me right from the start.

Episode 21 - Boogie Woogie Feng Shui
A decent episode marred only by the fact that the new guest character is almost as annoying as Ed. Otherwise, the space firefight was cool.

Episode 22 - Cowboy Funk
Another great episode, obviously intented for some comedic relief after the somewhat emotional end to Boogie Woogie. Andy is a cool character, and the bounty here is a really funny guy.

This DVD is a worthy member of the Cowboy Bebop library.