"Jupiter Jazz (Part 1)" is the twelfth session, or episode, of Cowboy Bebop.
Credits[]
Written by:
Cast:
Cast (uncredited):
Animation Director:
Mechanical Animation Director:
- Masami Goto
Plot[]
Laughing Bull and his son watch a star fall from the sky. Bull explains it is the tear of a warrior who has finished his battle on this planet, and could not find his way to the Great Spirit.
Elsewhere, on a ship of the Red Dragon crime syndicate, Vicious meets with the Van and asks to make a lunar Red Eye deal on the moon of Callisto. They are skeptical, wondering why the buyer relies on Vicious, and he explains they were in the Titan War together and the moon is now in a depression. They turn the conversation to Vicious personally, subtly stating that he feels he doesn't have the authority to make the deal. They also state those who go against the Van will be punished, but Vicious denies he killed Mao. Then, one of the Van, Wang Long, agrees, to the surprise of the other two, and requests that Lin accompany Vicious. As he goes, he hints that if he tries to go above the authority of them, he will be stopped. As Vicious and Lin leave, Vicious tells Lin he'll have to betray him at times to survive, but Lin, acting in old-fashioned honor (according to Vicious), promises his unwavering loyalty.
On the Bebop, Faye Valentine has ran off with all the money and the antifreeze from the cooling system, causing the ship to become humid and muggy. Edward searches the net for Faye but instead finds a signal for Codename Julia coming from the Blue Crow on Callisto. She gets cut off before she finds out who sent the signal, but Spike knows who they're talking about, and he flies off to look for her. Jet goes after him and cautions him, saying it's a common name and they really need to find Faye (or, rather, the money she took). Spike is determined to find out if it is Julia anyway, and Jet has had enough. He argues with Spike over how they've arranged their partnership together and declares there won't be a place for him if he leaves now. Spike is all right with that and, as after Jet leaves exclaiming he doesn't understand him, Spike says to himself that he doesn't understand either.
On Callisto, Faye, who has caught a cold, gets drunk at the Blue Crow, which is a jazz bar. Elsewhere, Spike starts his search and, taking the advice of a junkyard worker, looks for a Julia outside Tony’s. Instead, he finds a transvestite named Julius. Julius suggests that Spike goes to find a sax player named Gren at the Blue Crow who is sometimes seen with women.
At the bar, Gren strikes up a conversation with Faye, who thinks he is flirting with her, but he admits that he isn't interested in women. He warns her that there are no women in this town and other men may be very interested in her. She isn't worried, and then dismisses his attempts to help her and leaves.
Eyecatch
Spike asks around for Gren. One man claims he doesn't know who that is, however, Spike soon finds himself trailed by a gang led by that man. The man mistakes Spike for Vicious, who they know is also looking for Gren and has plenty of money they want to steal. Spike gets enraged at the sound of Vicious’ name and attacks the gang. He beats up and scares them all off. Holding down the leader, he learns about the Red Eye deal between Gren and Vicious, as well as that Julia is not involved – only her name.
Jet, meanwhile, goes down to Callisto looking for Faye. He first stops in at a bar and orders a Cowboy. Big Shot is playing on the TV where they reveal the bounty on Gren. The bartender reveals that the bar is a popular hideout for bounties, implying that Jet is also on the run. Jet starts to correct him, but the bartender is convinced. Jet nearly calls Spike to inform him about the info he's just seen on the screen, but remembers their fight and stops.
Faye, walking the streets, encounters the gang Spike had just beaten up. She takes them on but suddenly is stopped by Gren who pulls her away from the fight to protect her, rushing her to his apartment. There, they talk. He wonders why she's alone and afraid to be alone, but Faye says it's better to be alone. Faye finds it therapeutic to talk to Gren, but often challenges what he says. Gren then goes to take a shower, leaving Faye to spot a photos on his wall. Oddly, she thinks she sees Vicious in one of the photos. She then hears the answering machine pick up a message from Vicious about wanting to meet. She remembers the last time she was with Vicious when he kidnapped her and tried to kill Spike.
Spike finally finds Vicious on a snowy field and confronts him while greeting Lin, who he hasn't seen since he left the syndicate, by acknowledging that he's grown. The two square off for battle when suddenly Lin steps in between Spike’s gun and Vicious’ katana. Spike is surprised at this loyalty and demands he move away. Lin refuses and draws his gun.
Faye draws her gun and breaks into the shower, determined to get the upper hand before Gren harms her. Shockingly, she discovers that he has breasts and wide hips, but male genitalia. She questions him about this, and he informs her that he is both, and neither, while backing her against a wall.
Spike yells at Lin to move, but Lin, resolute, shoots him in the chest and he falls down. Vicious and Lin leave Spike lying down in the snow.
Quotes[]
- “A star just fell from the sky.”
- — Laughing Bull's Son
- “That is not an ordinary star, my son. That star is the tear of a warrior.”
- — Laughing Bull
- “What warrior is it?”
- — Laughing Bull's Son
- “A lost soul who has finished his battles somewhere on this planet. A pitiful soul who could not find his way to the lofty realm where the Great Spirit awaits us all.”
- — Laughing Bull
- “Callisto’s a frigid planet, Vicious. You’ll need special clothing for the arctic conditions.”
- — Wen Lon
- “Cold climates do not concern me.”
- — Vicious
- “True. Your heart is colder than any planet. Colder than the eye of a snake about to strike.”
- — The Van
- “Vicious. Remember, a snake cannot eat a dragon.”
- — The Van
- “If someone sneezes and no one says 'take care' that person will turn into a fairy, that what they say around here.”
- — Gren
- “Then there’s no problem. I’m already a fairy, don’t you know that?”
- — Faye Valentine
- “They say humans are social animals, they can't live alone. But you can live pretty well by yourself. I tell ya, instead of feeling alone in a group, it's better to have real solitude all by yourself.”
- — Faye Valentine
- “You're just afraid they'd abandon you, so you abandon them...You distance yourself from the whole thing.”
- — Gren
- “You are a strange one, aren't you?”
- — Faye Valentine
Songs[]
- Tank! (TV Edit) – Opening titles
- "Laughing Bull" – [Unreleased] Laughing Bull sings to his ancestors
- "Space Time" – [Unreleased] Vicious talks to The Van
- Goodnight Julia – Establishing shots of Callisto, and into the Blue Crow
- Piano Bar II – Faye meets Gren at the Blue Crow
- Vitamin "E" – Eyecatch card II
- American Money – Jet at the Blue Crow, "Big Shot" is on in the background
- Goodnight Julia (Solo Saxophone) – [Unreleased] Gren takes Faye back to his apartment
- Goodnight Julia (Solo Saxophone) – [Unreleased] Spike confronts Vicious in the snow, while Faye gets a pair of surprises (Note - beware confusing "Goodnight Julia" cues with those of "Space Lion")
- The Real Folk Blues – Closing titles
- Piano Bar II – Preview for Jupiter Jazz (Part 2)
Background[]
Themes and Motifs[]
- When Jet comes in the bar for a drink, the Three Old Men can be seen in the back.
Trivia[]
- The city on Callisto seems to be mainly Russian, or at least influenced by Russian culture, as most of the street signs are written in Russian. The people on Callisto often wear parkas and ushankas, and the climate is cold and snowy, all images often associated with Russia.
- Faye calling herself a fairy is a reference to her name. Faye comes from the Middle English word faie, meaning "fairy".