Cowboy Bebop was first aired on Japanese television back in 1998. It quickly became one of the most popular series ever to air. The animation is done very well with smooth movement, and bright colors. The character design is also far superior to anything i've seen before.
The plot of the series doesn't get going until episode 6. The action scenes and sub-stories until this point haven't had much to do with story wide plot, but mainly just introduct characters, and give you a feel for the series.
As the series progresses the plot and story become a major issue in the series. The backgrounds of each character is analyzed and different clues are left to hit at things. Meanwhile, the story contines to progress.
The main themes of this series is friendships, and personal identity. The characters are running from their past, and continually run into them. This makes them grow from their experiences.
Cowboy Bebop also has new and insperational cinematic effects. From the non-tratitional camera angles, to the focusing of the camera. The way music and video are mixed, and the way it is edited. These are all new and cutting-edge ways of film. It is not only a superb anime, but also a great movie for "good movie lovers". There is a large element of "western style" cowboy movies involved, from the title, to the unemotional personalities of the characters trying to hide from their sad pasts.
I also highly reccomend this to anyone who likes anime, or tv, or good entertainment, or high quality artistic expression.