Recap: Mushroom Samba

Hello everyone. This might be the last recap for a bit. I’m starting school again; and my schedule is going to be workable for some of the Halloween recaps I’ve wanted to do in the past (namely, the first episode of the Blade anime and an episode of Kamisama Dolls); but after this one, I’ll be taking a break until I can determine how my course load will affect my personal time.

In the meantime, I think I shall recap my favorite episode of Cowboy Bebop; in honor of its 15th anniversary! This was among my favorites back in the day; as the anime boom of the early-to-mid-2000s cemented my fandom to this day of both the medium and this series of a band of rogues hunting bounties through space to get their next meal. On top of that, Shinichiro Watanabe not only showed his love for media of the 1970s; but also managed to craft an entertaining space opera in itself, set to an incredible soundtrack and animation worthy of being called some of the best.

In fact, even in the face of Cartoon Network’s infamous network decay; the folks in charge of Adult Swim have always kept the series in and out of rotation, to the point where it’s one of the few series

that has a spot on their office mural as others have come and gone (its latest rerun is slated this season; in order to prep for the DVD and Blu-Ray release).

While the series is definitely well-known for taking a lot of influence from film noir and detective stories in structure, one in particular has stood out at me to this day. So, let’s open up “Mushroom Samba” for purely medicinal purposes. 

Naturally, we open on that awesome theme song, the jazzy tune known as “Tank!” You know what to do, folks. 

I think it's time we blow this thing, better get ourselves together,  OK, 3, 2, 1, let's jam.

Then, we get the show’s vanity plate; yet another example of how the folks at Sunrise have a knack for making their logos as interesting to look at as their works in themselves (Code Geass R2 notwithstanding). 

We open proper on the eponymous Bebop; where it seems the faithful Corgi dog, Ein, has discovered they’re out of food.

Jet, the second-in-command; is wondering what happened, as even the emergency rations are gone.

Spike Spiegel, the captain on the bridge; is curious as well. One thing I admired about Spike is how down-to-earth his characterization is; even when the Earth is surrounded by a massive debris field effectively rendering it uninhabitable, with humanity long having escaped to the stars. 

Then, we get our first glimpse of my favorite character, the primary reason why I decided to do this recap: Edward. An eccentric hacker who stumbled upon the crew of the Bebop; and has an aura every bit as otherworldly as the situations she gets into. Even in the darkest of situations, she greets every mysterious crime and criminal with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. I defy anyone to try and get her down.

She just found out about a certain infamous article about her.

Faye Valentine (no relation to the adult film actress of the same name) is also lamenting the fact that no one has eaten in 2 days. 

I must also note that the Bebop is easily among my favorite spacecraft in any medium. Much like the Enterprise, the Millennium Falcon, the Serenity, and now the Milano; it’s a ship with real heart and soul to it. I vary rarely pay compliment to both the interior and exterior of a vehicle; yet it’s among the few that have both the personality of a weathered warship and the eye candy of a sleek gadget.

Even so, it’s not merely the crew that is low on fuel, the Bebop is as well!

I told you we should have put more than 5 Wulongs in!

Edward feels so hungry that she can barely scavenge a scrap from her shorts.

The one speck of food that was left in her blouse was a crumb that was even too small for a mouse!

As she tries to partake; she makes a face that implies she may be more aware of what’s going on than one might think.

What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a late-night TV audience before?

The Bebop then makes an emergency landing on a small planet that is only referred to as Western World Development Tract 8271. I guess that arranged marriage fell through.

Our title card is displayed as such; being laid out like a .45 single: episodes are referred to as “sessions”, and each one is named for a ‘70s song, movie, or other piece of pop culture. As such, the crew of the Bebop started one factor of my current kick of ‘70s media; spurred further by Quicksilver and Star Lord.

The Bebop then comes to rest in a field, much like what was left of the Enterprise-D in Star Trek Generations. 

Everyone remember where we parked!

Also, it turns out that the rations were expired; as Faye is dismayed to learn the hard way.

I haven't seen a case of the runs that bad since New Montezuma in '68!

So, with two of the crew members too hungry and one having as bad a case of diarrhea as Harry after Lloyd slipped him the Turbo Lax; Ein is one of the few who is in capacity to go out.

Thus, in one of the many reasons this is my favorite episode, it falls to Ein and Ed to save the day. Given the style Ed chooses to go about it: make your own assumptions.

Is Shinichiro Watanabe secretly Quentin Tarantino?

So, they set out in the desert; coming by a plot of land that might make a good summer home.

One of the key parts of the animation is how Watanabe managed to give each character a distinct way of moving. In Ed’s case, she rolls along in more ways than one; never letting anything truly get her down. She was like the Yotsuba Koiwai of her generation. 

Rolling on a river!

Honestly, you can never quite tell how Ed will go about doing something. As you can see in these screen caps, the only predictable thing about her is how unpredictable she can be. 

You're under the gun so you take it on the run!

Sure enough, she finds a fruit cart; in yet another homage to the tropes of media from the 1970s. 

The vendor, is not above price gouging or self-deprecating about his line of work. I imagine he’d do well at Cluckin’ Bell.

Then, in comes another fellow Cowboy (note: the series refers to them in the title as a sort of catch-all term for bounty hunters) seeking a melon and information on her catch of the day. 

She shows the vendor a recent mugshot of the perp; and asks if he’s been through these parts.

His jive ass is mine!

Edward, sensing a way to make more money for food and get some; stows away with Ein in the trunk of her car in the vein of Spritle in old episodes of Speed Racer.

Boy, Chim Chim, looks like Speed is in real trouble!

In an effort to show what the planet is like; the look of the cities have a real grit to them; to the point where even instantly recognizable product placement is in bad shape.

You should see what they did to the Pepsi sign.

Another Cowboy enters the stage; and yes, he does talk like he emigrated from Los Santos. 

Don't even listen to slim, y'know, it's bad for you!

The police; who don’t take kindly to the idea of having their job done for them (note: the Japanese are known to frown upon bounty hunting; hence why this series proved more popular in the US); start inspecting Foxy Cleopatra’s car.

This melon customs approved?

They open the trunk, and Ed has dozed off. Adorable.

Nobody here but us motor oil and spare tires!

Ed enters the city with Ein, as if she were just another soul wandering the streets.

I heard it on my radio!

Ed finds the perp; and starts shaking him down for food, paying no heed to his body type.

Give up the food, you big old Snorlax!

Then, the quasi-San Andreas pimp comes up to them. I’m serious; he even has a coffin big enough for them. He’s like that pimp from the first Superman. Unsurprisingly, multi-colored tights are timeless, while pimp suits are not.

Had this built big enough for any fool that crossed me!

The coffin is run over by a truck.

Of course, the perp and Ed are all too receptive to what happened.

Anyway, the man runs off and drops some of the titular mushrooms. Ein eats one, and starts bouncing around like a windup toy.

Each sold separately from Hasbro!

We then get one of our ad bumpers; which tend to be distinct for each episode of the series.

Back at the Bebop; Faye is the first to try one of the mushrooms.

Flavorful, voluminous texture, there's something else I can't put my finger on.

Jet tries it next; and each one of the adult members of the crew has different reactions.

Stand still while I rearrange your brain cells.

They start to take effect on Faye when she gets to the head.

What the? I didn't have any corn!

Jet then goes to his bonsai garden; and starts looking at his trees in a strange way.

I'm not in love...

Spike’s reactions start when he goes to the bridge. As for the uptick in Guardians of the Galaxy references in this recap: I can say that would be a good model to follow for the oft-delayed live-action version of this, what with its similarities in a 70s-influenced space opera revolving around a ragtag bunch of misfits cruising the stars. 

He starts climbing the stairs to the cockpit; but his hallucination makes them endless. Make your own assumptions about the metaphor. 

Faye is still tripping on the can, as shown through the use of the wide-angle shot. Above all, it’s a better use of it than it was on Rolo in “Counterattack at the Gallows.” 

I don't even recognize half the stuff I ate 2 days ago!

Jet starts conversing with his plants; furthering the 1970s influence (apparently that was one of the trends in the 1970s). It’s every bit as amusing as the Groot sapling dance bringing tranquility to the rage-filled Drax the Destroyer. 

I am Groot.

Spike, continuing his journey; sees a frog on the steps.

A great adventure is waiting for you ahead, hurry onward, Spike Spiegel; or you will soon be dead!

That’s not just another one of my South Park jokes, by the way; the frog actually tells Spike he’s on a vision quest. Personally, I think it’s like one of those weird old beer commercials. Something tells me those ad execs have a lot more than a couple brews in their system if they come up that.

Spike, of course, is less than receptive to the idea of finding the stairway to heaven.

This frog thinks he's Robert Plant.

Ed looks on; as any child would in this situation. 

Faye imagines she’s amongst a school of fish. They might look a bit old for school, maybe university. 

As Ed observes; we’re getting more and more scenes of how the mushrooms are affecting the crew. 

Jet continues to talk to his plants; under the influence of a fungi that’s often served in mining colonies in hollowed-out asteroids. 

He even displays a bit of memory loss. Isn’t that something?

Daddy, my shoes went swimming in the carburetor!

After Ed decides all they can do is wait till they stop; we cut to the bounty hunter’s favorite show, Big Shot! 

Their hosts; a couple fellow Cowboys, then show off the next bounty waiting to be rounded up on your steel horse. 

We've seen a million faces and we've rocked them all!

The perp is called Domino Walker; who is dealing the magic mushrooms. As for a similarly-named colleague of mine who shares my enthusiasm for the series: make your own assumptions, as I pointed out in my recap of “A Moon Star is Born.” 

Favors the Burger Shot on Morningwood!

Ed sees the bounty; and now you have another one of the key reasons why this is my favorite episode: while everyone else is tripping on mushrooms, it falls to Ed to save the day.

Ed then sets off on her scooter to chase after the bounty; and everyone can eat without resorting to something out of Trainspotting or Requiem for a Dream. 

As the not-quite Jackie Brown is interrogated; it turns out the officer, Sgt. Jeffly (sic) Frank, just left the keys to her hot rod on the table and didn’t even cuff her. I think I know why he hasn’t been promoted to lieutenant.

The other perp is venting over a cup of shaved ice about his dealings.

That jive-ass cracker! I said raspberry, not cherry!

Also, it seems one of the old folks at the restaurant resembles an elder version of Ash Ketchum. I guess after he finally became the best, he decided to retire to the stars. 

I remember when I was a young'un. I got me a Pikachu at age 10 and mah first gun at age 12!

Edward continues to search the plains, as if she were searching for clues to Lenora Johnson’s murder.

She finds the ship (which crashed into the Bebop at the start of the episode, FYI); and it once again has some real appeal to it. The ships of this universe are every bit as detailed to every nook and cranny as the Millennium Falcon. 

Ed finds her way into the ship; and by proxy, finds Domino.

Hello, Mr. Walker!

She is an unconventional weapon user, as she prefers gas guns.

Next time, I'll use mustard!

A chase ensues that is leaps and bounds above any of the ones in my Code Geass recaps.

Domino actually ends up stealing the fruit truck from earlier to try and jump the train.

The other perp, of course, is hot on his tail for deceiving him.

Ed just keeps on motoring along, without a care in the world and the wind in her hair.

Go, Maggot Brain....

Ein manages to grab one of the bags of Domino’s “product.”

Ein, I don't think that's what they mean when they say to chase the chuck wagon.

Edward then leaps along the train cars; nothing on her mind but catching that stiff. 

Better than CJ!

Then, she makes a face that still convinces me that she is much more aware of what’s going on than others might think.

Don't try anything funny, Mr. Walker! I took down a satellite with a keyboard, you should be no trouble!

As the train stops; Domino then agrees to turn himself in and give up the goods. That’s something I really enjoyed: this little hacker girl managed to get him to go straight without even throwing a punch!

I wanted to be a botanist, but they expelled me for abusing my hydroponics rights!

It turns out Spike is somehow on the roof of the Bebop. How did he get up there?

Later that evening; the police come, and Ed even puts her hands up. How adorable.

If this is about those Dragon Ball eps, I'll buy the DVD when I have the cash!

The police officer tests the mushrooms; while Spike still hasn’t fully sobered up the way Faye and Jet have. 

Did I miss something? When did we get to Disneyland?

As such, the Bebop is refueled and back on her way. I only wish all missions could go this smoothly. 

I don't know, fly casual.

As it turns out, they have enough mushrooms to last till the next leg of their journey. Eat up, everyone!

Even Ein has some; and a little woof he lets out might tell everyone those may not be shiitake mushrooms.

Then, rather than the usual sign-off phrase of “See you space cowboy” (which I have co-opted for this blog and my YouTube channel); we close on the phrase “Life is but a dream.” Under the right situations, it’s actually quite profound. 

I am well-versed in the classics.

“Mushroom Samba” is a delightful experience in terms of how the series is handled. In addition to all the bizarre imagery that comes about when everyone gets wasted; I simply love how Ed was able to take care of everything. Nothing could ever really get her down. It is simply impossible not to like her. She is a textbook example of a cloudcuckoolander done right; and as a result, she does the simplest things in a way that never stops surprising you. That will be all for now; I will be going back to school this week and determining what I want to do for Halloween recaps. Bang.