I finally figured out how to get my friend into anime after like 10 failed attempts
He always said it was too weird or the subtitles were too fast, so last month I just started him on the dub of Cowboy Bebop episode 5, 'Ballad of Fallen Angels'. The noir vibe and the music hooked him immediately, and he didn't have to read anything. Now he's asking me what to watch next. What's a good second show for someone who liked that specific mood?
Sure, the vibe is cool and the soundtrack is great. But the story itself gets pretty loose in the middle, like that weird baseball episode. It's fun, but it's not some deep masterpiece. People act like it changed animation forever.
You're missing the point if you're looking for a tight plot. The loose middle is the whole idea, it's about the journey and the small moments. That baseball episode is a perfect slice of life break that builds the characters. The show absolutely changed things by blending music and style into the story in a way no one did before.