A little more Bebop and 24

I watched Fallen Angels again over the weekend, and I was struck by how similar Wong Kar-Wai's themes are to those of Cowboy Bebop. Both are about cool characters drifting through the world, to a cool soundtrack, trying to connect with others, but hiding their true feelings. It's not that they're both Asian, it's a real thematic connection between the two works. Spike is basically Chow in 2046, someone who's trying to get back to a love he had in the past, but can never have again, and as a result of this, he is unwilling to commit to the people who care about him in the present. What's also notable is that 2046 and Cowboy Bebop both take place after the major events in the character's lives. They're sort of coasting at that point. Plus, the obvious similarity is that both CB and WKW's stuff are incredibly stylish, with cool music, and awesome design work.

On another note, today I watched the sixth hour of the new season of 24. So far, this may be the best season. It's got no weak plot (aka no Kim), and is dealing with a lot of different character types than we're used to seeing on the show. The Araz family are my favorites so far this season because they've got a lot of really difficult moral questions to deal with. I've already been quite surprised by what's happened with them, and hopefully that will continue.

Related Posts
Fallen Angels (12/18/2004)
Cowboy Bebop: The Show Which Has Become a Genre Unto Itself (1/23/2005)