Hanime on Anime’s Character of the Month of September: Spike Spiegel

Well, September is coming to an end this week, so I think it’s time I went on ahead and brought up this month’s Character of the Month.  And I must say, this month’s Character was a given; I had to do it.  Now if you haven’t been keeping up lately, this month I celebrated my birthday.  And to help celebrate, I did reviews on my favorite animes.  And seeing that one of those favorites was in fact Cowboy Bebop, I knew that the Character of the Month had to be the afro haired, gun slinging protagonist himself.  That’s right! This month’s Character of the month is Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop!
Now Cowboy Bebop is generally episodic, but there is an underlying plot.  Much of this plot involves Spike.  Long before Bebop’s plot comes into play, Spike was a former gang member of the infamous Red Dragon Syndicate and a good friend to the show’s main antagonist, Vicious.  But after an affair with Vicious’s girlfriend Julia, Spike is caught in a confrontation and “dies.”  Though the details of this encounter are unknown, all that viewers know well into the series is that there was some incident that allowed Spike to fake his death and come into the plot-which takes place three years later.  Throughout the series, we see bits and pieces of Spike’s past come back.  A few episodes like Ballad of Fallen Angels and Jupiter Jazz all focus on Spike and his past.  And it all comes to a head in the final episode in a duel to the death between Spike and Vicious.
Now aside from being one of the most famous and well-known protagonists in all of anime, Spike is an interesting character.  Part of this has to do with the fact that his past becomes a central part of the plot of Cowboy Bebop.  And even by the end of the series, it may seem that there are still some details about his past that we still don’t know about.  Also, Spike has a two-sided personality.  Much of the time Spike is depicted as lazy and not a quick thinker, and maybe a bit eccentric at times.  On the other hand, Spike also presents himself as a deep thinker.  There are many times where what he says carries a bit of philosophy, and even symbolism in relation to himself.  That is, some of the stories he tells are about him.  Oh, and let’s not forget, he kicks butt!  He’s pretty good with a gun, and he’s also great at martial arts.  So what’s not to love?
Yes, it seems a little sad to end September, but at least it will end with a good pick for Character of the Month.  So go celebrate with a bowl of bell peppers and beef-minus the beef-, Spike Spiegel, cause you’re Hanime on Anime’s Character of the Month!  And with that much said, that’s all I have!  As always, please stay tuned for more.
-Hanime on Anime

P.S.: And for those who would like to know, I had a great birthday this year! J


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