Kara Dennison
September 18, 2024 
Cowboy Bebop is, without a doubt, one of the most famous and beloved anime ever made. It’s also one of the most complex, with references from across film, music, television, and literature. Even attempting to document the show in full would be an undertaking of hundreds of pages and thousands of annotations. And someone has done it.
Three, Two, One: Let’s Jam! The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to the Original Cowboy Bebop comes out October 1 from Telos Publishing. This massive volume by Satoru Stevenson dives into every corner of the Bebop anime universe. And we were sent a copy to peruse before the release date!
The Basics
Clocking in at 636 pages, Three, Two, One, Let’s Jam! is no small undertaking to read, let alone to write. This extensive volume doesn’t start at the beginning, but rather before the beginning: filling us in on everything it took to get Cowboy Bebop into production. From the team to the inspirations to the many roadblocks, it’s all covered… and often in the showmakers’ own words. Stevenson, acknowledging that translations are a tricky thing, opts to supply his own translations from the original Japanese interviews. This alone would make the book a treasure trove of information for anime fans.
But the book goes on, offering a deep dive into the world of Bebop, acknowledging both the fictional history of the setting and how these ideas came to be. This is followed by an episode-by-episode breakdown of the series: cast notes, plot points, media references, and an exhaustive list of Easter eggs and background references.
Shooting Star
Cowboy Bebop fans will also find information on extra-series materials. Both PlayStation games get a spot on the timeline, as well as Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door and even the infamous Session XX. While the live-action Netflix adaptation gets some coverage, Stevenson acknowledges that this is outside the scope of the volume. 3, 2, 1, Let’s Jam! strives to explore the ethos of the series, and the Netflix adaptation was very much its own entity. There’s also time given to manga adaptations and other film projects, as well as a discussion of the fictional (and real) history of Seatbelts.
Even if you’re not familiar with everything this volume references, Stevenson helps the reader along. If anything, you’ll come away with a deeper appreciation of everything Cowboy Bebop pulls from, from avant-garde film to previous works like Lupin the 3rd and Tantei Monogatari. You’ll also discover how a certain staff member kept hiding references to Shinohara Tomoe in the background of certain scenes.
Why It Shines
Giving pop culture (and geek culture) the scholarly treatment is nothing new. Telos itself offers guides to Sapphire & Steel, Stranger Things, and ThunderCats, to name a few. But modern media criticism and interpretation can often get muddled, with some writers overlooking production while trying to make sense of the fiction. Stevenson addresses this right out of the gate, taking the stance that he is approaching Cowboy Bebop as a work of fiction first and foremost. Sometimes, the answer to a question about the universe is “the writers wanted to make a cool show.” Nowhere is this truer than in the world of Bebop.
Stevenson’s love for the fiction, combined with his respect for the people who crafted it, make 3, 2, 1, Let’s Jam! uniquely insightful. Most interpretation stems from the artists’ own words, but the author’s insights are just as valuable. Frankly, this book does the impossible: it will make you love Cowboy Bebop more than you already do.
Three, Two, One: Let’s Jam! The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to the Original Cowboy Bebop is now available for pre-order. For buyers outside the UK, Telos recommends looking for the book on Amazon starting October 1 to save on shipping.
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