There's Something About Blue
WARNING: This article contains ENDING SPOILERS!!
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I rewatched the Cowboy Bebop series for the umpteenth time recently, and while I was doing so, I began to notice something. That something was the recurring use of the color blue (and yellow, but I’ll get to that later). Blue is a very important color in the Bebop series, whether it be as simple as Spike’s blue suit, the shade of his memories, or even the final ending theme that is actually about the color and is entitled with the same name, “Blue.”
Crystal-Cure.com defined the meaning of the color blue as “the coolest color – the color of the sky, ocean, sleep, twilight. The ancient Egyptians used lapis lazuli to represent heaven. Blue symbolizes the Virgin Mary. A pure blue is the color of inspiration, sincerity and spirituality. […] Blue is the calming color. […] Dark blue is the color of truth and moderation. A blue iris means your friendship is very important to me. […]”
Crystal-Cure.com defined the meaning of the color blue as “the coolest color – the color of the sky, ocean, sleep, twilight. The ancient Egyptians used lapis lazuli to represent heaven. Blue symbolizes the Virgin Mary. A pure blue is the color of inspiration, sincerity and spirituality. […] Blue is the calming color. […] Dark blue is the color of truth and moderation. A blue iris means your friendship is very important to me. […]”
I found it interesting when I read this. The fact that the ancient Egyptians use the color to represent heaven, just as in a way we Americans somewhat do since the sky is blue, may be related to the foreshadowing of Spike’s death. Spike also is a very calm individual (they say that wearing blue calms you and is good for relaxation), especially when he fights. He even explains to Rocco Bonnaro in episode eight, Waltz for Venus, “You’re tense, I’m calm. You apply excessive force and I control that force through fluid motion. So that means relaxing the whole body so it can react instantly without resistance, you know, without thought.” Blue is a calm color, and it is also associated with water. Spike’s fighting style is fluid — “like water” as he says.
Of course, the color blue is also associated with sadness and depression, which is a very apparent theme throughout the show. I came to notice that Spike’s memories are always either hued in yellow or blue. All of his “blue memories” are unhappy ones: waiting for Julia who never came, Julia destroying his note, and him being shot at by the yakuza, for example. Everything in Spike’s past that went wrong are shown in blue. When his past catches up with him in Real Folk Blues (note the relation to the Blues in the title; a music style that is generally characterized by depression), the background is most often washed out in blue, whether it be the graveyard where he meets Julia, Annie’s store, or during Spike and Vicious’s fight on the roof.
Of course, the color blue is also associated with sadness and depression, which is a very apparent theme throughout the show. I came to notice that Spike’s memories are always either hued in yellow or blue. All of his “blue memories” are unhappy ones: waiting for Julia who never came, Julia destroying his note, and him being shot at by the yakuza, for example. Everything in Spike’s past that went wrong are shown in blue. When his past catches up with him in Real Folk Blues (note the relation to the Blues in the title; a music style that is generally characterized by depression), the background is most often washed out in blue, whether it be the graveyard where he meets Julia, Annie’s store, or during Spike and Vicious’s fight on the roof.
Now, I can’t write this article without mentioning two of my favorite episodes, and that is the Jupiter Jazz parts 1 and 2. Gren, obviously, is the big character in these two episodes, and he’s living in the city of Blue Crow. Most of the backgrounds outside, and Gren’s bathroom, are all blue-themed. His apartment building is blue. Even his eyes are blue (which is also the case for characters like Julia, Vicious, and Jet), and there are several close-up shots of these blue eyes. Gren has a very sad life, obviously, and once again, blue is associated with him catching up with his past and ultimately meeting his fate. The color is related to Gren enough to make Faye complain when Edward is painting her toenails, “Oh, Ed, anything but blue."
Crystal-Cure also claims that the color blue is associated with the Throat Chakra, which deals with the communication of how we feel and think. The Bebop characters have the tendency to not really express their feelings or thoughts in words but are often indirectly explained through the colors of the scenes.
I think I’ve covered enough on that subject, so I’d just briefly like to talk about the color yellow, a color that is not used quite as much, but still seems to be significant in the series. The color is seen in Spike’s shirt, underneath his blue suit, and more apparently in Faye’s outfit. It is the color of Edward’s eyes, and is also used in Spike’s memories. Julia’s hair is also yellow.
Once again, Crystal-Cure.com explains yellow as, “Yellow symbolizes wisdom. Yellow means joy and happiness. People of high intellect favor yellow. Yellow daffodils are a symbol of unrequited love. Sunday’s color is yellow-gold.”
I think I’ve covered enough on that subject, so I’d just briefly like to talk about the color yellow, a color that is not used quite as much, but still seems to be significant in the series. The color is seen in Spike’s shirt, underneath his blue suit, and more apparently in Faye’s outfit. It is the color of Edward’s eyes, and is also used in Spike’s memories. Julia’s hair is also yellow.
Once again, Crystal-Cure.com explains yellow as, “Yellow symbolizes wisdom. Yellow means joy and happiness. People of high intellect favor yellow. Yellow daffodils are a symbol of unrequited love. Sunday’s color is yellow-gold.”
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The fact that yellow symbolizes joy and happiness, which is the complete opposite of the sadness that blue tends to represent, helped me to realize something. While all of Spike’s sad memories are hued in blue, all of his good ones are hued in yellow: Spike’s first meeting with Julia, Julia rescuing and singing to him, and Spike and Vicious’s partnership. All of Spike’s “yellow memories” are happier times before things fell apart.
Yellow is also associated by the Solar Plexus chakra, which deals with identity. This was something I found very interesting, since Faye, who is dealing with her lack of identity, covers herself in yellow clothes.
Yellow is also associated by the Solar Plexus chakra, which deals with identity. This was something I found very interesting, since Faye, who is dealing with her lack of identity, covers herself in yellow clothes.
Well, that’s all I’ve got for now. I may come back to this and revise it someday when I realize “Hey, I totally forgot something!” You can feel free to add your own opinions and completely shoot down mine as poppycock. I just felt like maybe my random ramblings might just have some sort of significance.
[by Jessica "Yahikochan" K.].
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