Summary
Cowboy Bebopturned 25 this year, and the anniversary has been celebrated throughout the entire year with various events, pop-ups, and collaborations. The latest new merchandise is here, and it may surprise you, because it is not your typical anime goods. Taking a more mature turn, the latestCowboy Bebopgoods to be announced is a brand-new line of inspired fragrances, based on the images of the series' iconic main characters.
Cowboy Bebopfirst aired in Japan in 1998, running for 26 episodes in total. Due to its popularity, it was alsodubbed into Englishand released internationally, where the anime found arguably even more fame than it had in Japan.Cowboy Bebopwas successful enough to inspire a full-length animated movie, and more recently, a live-action remake on Netflix. While that remake may not have found the success it was looking for, it did pave the way for other anime to follow suit with English live-action versions.
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Until the anniversary,Cowboy Bebophad virtually gone off the radar in Japan. But though it was gone, it was not forgotten, as thearray of new things to celebrateits 25th anniversary have shown. This new line of fragrances was announced last week by the perfume company FAIRYTAIL, which has a physical shop in the otaku shopping paradise of Nakano Broadway in Tokyo.
In total, three different scents are being released. They are based on the leading main character Spike Spiegel, feme fatale Faye Valentine, and Spike’s old lover Julia. In addition to the scents themselves, FAIRYTAIL is also releasing some special diffusers inspired bySpike’s past and future. The three scents come in three different styles of bottle, each unique to that character, and have character art on the box. Each one costs ¥4,400 ($29 USD).
Spike’s scent is “wild spicy bergamot,” which is meant to capture his strong energy while still having some mystery, much likeSpike’s shady pastthat is only revealed slowly over time. Faye’s is “spicy floral,” which is meant to at first seem hedonistic and sexy like Faye’s initial impression, but finish with a calming musk to represent her search for who she truly is over the duration of the story. Finally, Julia’s scent is “floral floral,” which has a feminine rose smell to show her beauty, and a gentle ending note to show the dream of a life with Spike that she had.
It is no secret that many ofCowboy Bebop’s fans are over 30 years old, especially considering the anime was at its height 25 years ago. It makes sense that, in an effort tomarket to an older group of otaku, companies are looking for products that this demographic would be interested in. Rather than toys and posters, new goods like perfume that can be not only displayed but used are very appealing. Perfume and fancy diffusers also go with the classy but retro vibe that helps makeCowboy Bebop’s atmosphere so special.
The perfumes are already on sale at theCowboy Bebop25th Anniversary Exhibition in Shibuya, which opened last Friday. They will also be available online via Amazon and the shop DREAMING PRINCESS from November 20th, as well as at the FAIRYTAIL physical store in Nakano.
