Cowboy Bebopis hailed these days as one of the greatest anime ever made, but it turns out that anime was never series creator Shinichiro Watanabe’s original passion. His first dream, which he never really achieved, does provide some insight into why his work is the way it is, however.
Shinichiro Watanabe is a man who’s had an immeasurable influence on anime as a medium. Responsible forhit series likeSamurai Champloo,Space Dandy, and, of course,Cowboy Bebop, Watanabe has made his career creating highly original works which all have one thing in common: brilliant use of music, which is heavily incorporated into the tone and atmosphere of these series. It’s hard to imagine what any of these series would be like with a different soundtrack, and lots of careful consideration was put into the music in a way that other directors aren’t always capable of. Watanabe’s connection to music goes far deeper than any of these series, though, and dates all the way back to his youth.
Shinichiro Watanabe Originally Wanted to be a Musician
Watanabe’s Dream Explains Much of his Directorial Work
In an interview hosted on Forbes, Watanabe spoke up about his lifelong love of music, revealing that his original dream had nothing to do with anime. Watanabe said, “Originally, I thought about becoming a musician when I was young, but when I tried to make my own music or songs they were terrible. The result was thatI dropped music and picked up movies as something I could do as a job, with music being just a hobby.”
It’s an interesting insight into a director whose use of music is often sublime compared to his peers, and the fact that music is so close to his heart certainly explains why it plays such a big role in so many of his works. Watanabe himself seemed to be aware of this, adding, “When I became a director, I thought about what my strengths would be.What differentiates me from other directors? The answer for me was that [I] knew music and that I loved music. Maybe I can make the best use of music as a director.”
The music inCowboy Bebopis almost like another character, essential to setting the tone and mood of the series, and the unusual combination of space and jazz came together to create something completely unlike what had come before. Music has also played a more direct part in many ofWatanabe’s best works, such asCarole & Tuesday, which revolves around two down-on-their-luck girls who come together over a shared love of music, orKids on the Slope, which is about high school students bonding over jazz music. No matter what Watanabe works on, he makes sure that the music is not only inescapable, but a necessary part of the story.
Watanabe may not have achieved his childhood dream of becoming a musician, but his musical influence is almost as powerful as if he had. As the man himself noted, his love for music is what sets him apart as a director, and there are few who can compare when it comes to incorporating music into a work.Cowboy Bebopcertainly wouldn’t be what it is without Watanabe’s love of music, and it proves that just because one’s first dream doesn’t come true, that doesn’t mean you have to abandon it, offering inspiration to fans of music around the world.
Cowboy Bebop
Cast
Cowboy Bebop is a 1998 animated series set in 2071, where humanity has colonized the Solar System following a catastrophic event. As crime surges, bounty hunters known as “Cowboys” are employed by the Inter Solar System Police to capture criminals in exchange for rewards.
