Cowboy Bebop: 12 Similar Shows, Movies, and Anime to Watch Next – Den of Geek

Moonbeam City

A one-season animated wonder that aired on Comedy Central back in 2015, there’s likely a good deal of people who don’t even know that Moonbeam City exists. The exaggerated police procedural features an absolutely stacked voice cast that includes Rob Lowe, Will Forte, Elizabeth Banks, and Kate Mara, with Moonbeam City’s very distinct art style and retro electric soundtrack doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

Moonbeam City exists in a nebulous world that embraces futurism, science fiction, and absurdity. This assembly of influences creates a unique world that’s not dissimilar to Cowboy Bebop. The characters in Moonbeam City are inept police officers, not bounty hunters, but the ridiculous episodic criminals that they take on feel like they’re pulled straight from self-contained installments of Cowboy Bebop, like “Venus Pop.”

Kids On The Slope

Slice of life anime series aren’t for everyone, but they can sometimes put a spotlight on the human condition in staggering ways and really culminate in something special. Cowboy Bebop is full of heightened battles and heists in space, but it’s also a really touching character study between the crew of the Bebop and how they heal each other. Kids on the Slope is a 12-episode anime series about a teenage introvert and social delinquent who bond together through a surprising love for jazz music. 

The stakes in Kids on the Slope are incredibly small, but the way in which these characters come into their own and become activated through jazz music is just so touching. Not only is Kids on the Slope directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, but its music also comes from Yoko Kanno, so anyone who’s drawn to Cowboy Bebop for its soundtrack should certainly give Kids on the Slope a shot.

Outlaw Star

Outlaw Star doesn’t just bear a lot in common with Cowboy Bebop, but the operatic space western actually aired at the same time as the original Cowboy Bebop and the two could be seen as sister series. Set far in the future where spaceships freely move at the speed of light, Gene Starwind becomes the captain of the Outlaw Star, which is designed to discover a galactic treasure and vast wonders. Outlaw Star is largely episodic in nature with each installment putting Gene and his odd crew on some new mission so that they can properly cover maintenance costs. The series is full of space pirates, bounty hunters, assassins, and outlaws, which all bring Cowboy Bebop’s similarly cutthroat universe to mind.

Carole & Tuesday

Another anime that comes from Shinichiro Watanabe, Carole & Tuesday feels like the biggest departure from the director’s past work. Carole & Tuesday is set in a futuristic version of space where there’s a healthy criminal enterprise that attempts to assert control over society, but it’s really about a lovable duo’s enthusiastic journey to become musical superstars. Carole Stanley and Tuesday Simmons come from very different backgrounds, but musically they’re able to not just empower each other, but inspire a nation.