How Cowboy Bebops Space Travel Works Compared To Star Wars & Star Trek

How Cowboy Bebop’s Space Travel Works Compared To Star Wars & Star Trek

Cowboy Bebop’s universe uses a method of space travel that is similar to Star Wars and Star Trek in some ways – but also has some crucial differences.

You Are Reading :[thien_display_title]

How Cowboy Bebops Space Travel Works Compared To Star Wars & Star Trek

How does Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop deal with space travel, compared with sci-fi giants Star Wars and Star Trek? The original adventures of Spike Spiegel in the gritty sci-fi universe Cowboy Bebop details are regarded as a cornerstone of both anime and sci-fi, with the show taking clear inspiration from a wealth of predecessors in the genre. Though Netflix’s reimagining takes many of these beats from the original anime, it’s clear from the trailer alone that the live-action show also is a love letter to science fiction in its own right, as well.

This is especially true when it comes to technology, as Cowboy Bebop balances futuristic technology with the noir-esque semi-dystopia the universe is set out to be, and that is vital in establishing its unique atmosphere. Much of the various plots hinge on this technology, covering the likes of the technologically advanced corgi Ein or a steroid capable of improving people’s reflexes and perception, helping them turn into killing machines. Interestingly, though, one of the most vital technological advancements – space travel – isn’t a focal point of the franchise, instead largely shown to the audience as an experience the crew finds deeply boring because of the bureaucratic process required when docking at a new planet.

Cowboy Bebop’s space travel – in both the anime and Netflix live-action adaptation – works via a series of devices known as Astral Gates. Entering an Astral Gate allows a ship to travel in what is essentially another dimension known as hyperspace, allowing them to complete journeys in a much faster time than would otherwise be possible – but only to other Astral Gates. While there are a few exceptions to this Cowboy Bebop rule – for example, sunstones work like miniature portable Astral Gates – attempting to leave an Astral Gate route while in hyperspace either damages or destroys the ship attempting to do so, as it is only with the technology used in the Gates that hyperspace can become hospitable.

See also  Start Work On A Mac Pick Up On iPhone & Finish On iPad

The concept of hyperspace also exists in Star Wars – arguably the franchise to popularise the term, although its first usage in sci-fi is thought to have been as far back as the late 20s. This said, the way space travel works around hyperspace is vastly different in the two universes, as where Cowboy Bebop’s space travel is limited to the paths set out by the Astral Gates, Star Wars has no such limitation, with the ability to enter hyperspace instead being dependant on the specific ship and its hyperdrive – although specific routes through hyperspace are still established in the universe.

Star Trek’s initial pilot also refers to a hyperdrive, but this would change hereafter, becoming instead a warp drive. Warp Drives operate via warping the fabric of space around a ship in order to propel it on this distortion to the spacetime continuum. This is similar to Cowboy Bebop in the sense they both involve messing with reality in order to make space travel much faster, but Star Trek’s method is also dependant on the ship itself. It’s also worth note that both Star Wars and Star Trek involve varying speeds of their main methods of space travel, whereas Cowboy Bebop seems to suggest this is a little less of a variable. This is likely because – despite the name including Jet and Spike’s ship name – space travel is carefully portrayed as another modern advancement that the people of society have gotten used to, much in the way contemporary society regards planes, cars, and trains. Though it’s not as whimsical as the two sci-fi giants in this regard, it does add a grounded aspect to both the anime and Netflix versions of Cowboy Bebop and their use of futuristic technology, which actually helps to make the franchise feel unique in the long run.

See also  One Piece Volume 100 Cover Revealed

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/owboy-bebop-space-travel-star-wars-trek-comparison/

Movies -