As in they both have tubey bits in their made up tech? Steampunk to my understanding is an aesthetic first, second, and third, and a "genre" 4th so unless space westerns have a lot of wood-boiler powered warp gates I didn't know about... I'm skeptical of this statement 😅
I fucking loved the oriental or wuxia inspirations from outlaw star, there really isnt enough sci fi that takes from chinese folklore and apparently i heard it was based on water margin and the warring states period
@@notthis9586they’re both sci-fi concepts with historically inspired aesthetics. One with a Wild West style and the other with an industrial revolution style
As someone who has given a number of panels on space operas and space westerns and their relationship, I appreciate how extremely thorough your sources are.
Found this randomly one night not having heard about it before. I played it expecting and wanting to watch a bad cheap scifi movie. I felt like my dog died when this movie was over. Haven't felt that about a show in a long time.
The soundtrack was also absolutely spectacular, and captured the feeling of space exploration incredibly well. It is a heart breaking movie, but the lore, not fully understanding everything of that universe--wish they would make more movies set in Prospect's universe, as I feel their is a lot of potential in it.
I share the love for space westerns. Akira, Blade Runner, Star Trek, Trigun, Firefly, Cowboy Beepop, just to mention my favourites, were masterpieces. If it wasn’t for the Mandalorian I would have forgotten about this genre entirely. As always Lextorias, absolutely excellent video, well documented and passion. Thank you for sharing! 👍❤️
Chronicles of Riddick is Conan the Barbarian in space, which is appropriate for this video because a some of the original Conan stories shared a lot with Westerns.
Having discovered Firefly only as a result of it's cancellation, it was a bitter realization of how out of touch the networks and studios can be. Despite or because of growing up with Star Wars original trilogy and the Spaghettie Westerns, Firefly was and has been one of the most impactful series I've ever seen, only recently challeged by Andor. While I agree that it plays to it's trope, it goes so deep into the characters, environment, and personalities, that it rises above the more popular and less nuanced treatments in actually bringing you into the world and all of it's grit. Not to say that many others, particularly on the Japanese front don't also aohieve that. I just really lament not having seen where that story could have gone.
I agree with you man. I wanted a deep dive into Book. I wanted to see some more flashbacks to Mal at the end of the war. There was a lot of stories to tell in that 'verse
@@717UT Firefly never worked for me, as I felt that the series revolved too much around Mal, other times I felt that only one joke per episode was funny, the aesthetics tended to clash with one another, a lack of conflict insofar as it felt that there was a mouse, but no cat to really make for a compelling thriller, and that the series felt like it was spinning off of a series but with nothing to spin off of. That is, I felt the backstory was really lacking in the pilot, and that everything in it was crammed, especially the character intros of which I couldn't remember the names of whom. No offense, but I didn't feel a real connection with the characters or the situations. As for Farscape, it had everything that I felt Firefly was lacking as listed above imo. Though another series that I prefer over Firefly is Starhunter, which came out 2 years before, and has concepts and situations that Joss Whedon took a few cues from.
@@CosmoShidan See, and everything you listed is the opposite for me. I would have love half a dozen seasons to tease out more stories and characters. I'll have to look up Starhunter. This is the first time I heard of it.
I am so glad you’re giving respect to Tri-gun’s name. It’s surprisingly niche among the broader pop culture despite it being just as impactful to the genre as bebop.
The journey of exploration and struggle on the frontier of human civilization is timelessly fascinating. Match that up with smart but flawed characters, novel discoveries, and tense action, and I'll always be hyped for more.
I think it's more fundamental than frontier life. When you look at the rise and fall in popularity, you can see thay occurred in the midst of turning points in society. Eras of politcal, social and economic upheaval where the "you vs life" themes of westerns (space or otherwise) became very relatable. In the 30s you had the fallout of WWI and the build up to WWII, in the 60s you had the Cold War and in the late-80s to 90s you had a social shift towards antiestablishmentarianism which caused civil unrest and uncertainty about the future. It's no surprise then to see The Mandalorian gain significant traction during a global pandemic,which reignited the vs life sentiment, but to then see it lose appeal as people forget how fragile society is and return to the self-delusion that they're not actually living on the frontier day after day.
Given Kurosawa's influence on westerns, you can throw every space samurai film in there as well. In fact, I'd say that because the tropes that define this identity are both few and specific, you can see it spread in everything from Fantasy to Cop Drama to Teen Dystopia.
One of the best random bargain bin purchases I ever made was picking up a Kurosawa DVD set with Seven Samurai in it. Wow. Shame I don't have a DVD player anymore, but at least I still have it on the shelf.
Vampires get seziures when they see right angles not due to the holy cross but they are confused by geometric shames, its like when elipsy happens in humans etc
@@NeostormXLMAX so when they need your permission to enter your home, they’re really distracting themselves from…geometry?..with…social formalities? I’m down for that head cannon, it’s stupid but, so is twi-shite.
This is just an amazing love letter to counter culture's envelope pushing of traditional values and shows the serendipity behind the unlikely emergence of multiple genres and how their tropes cross pollinated eachother and the seamless line threading through Wagon Train, Star Trek, Bladerunner, Akira, and The Expanse. The narrator is great, very knowledgeable and upbeat, with clear love of the subject matter and a wistful enthusiasm to share the knowledge without being dry or lecturing. Probably the most interesting and nostalgic feeling video I've seen in months.
I have no problem with a space western being about nothing but a cowboy out in space or on an alien planet fighting robots and aliens. One thing I loved about BraveStarr were the background paintings. Still some of the most beautiful and wondrous to this day.
Thank you for making this video. There is so little talk online about Space Western, it's hard to find people seemingly interested in it. I'm about to launch my massive Space Western book series, 'The Raoke Gang', it's good to see some people out there still care about Space Western. And yes, all those films you mentioned are clear influences. You could add 'Cobra' an 80's anime which was extremely popular in Japan and Europe
watch outlaw star, it's almost criminal to not mention it alongside cowboy bebop and trigun when all three aired on adult swim. i believe outlaw star was the first to be aired out of these series in japan, but i don't know what the adult swim timeline was.
Outlaw Star premiered on Toonami in January of 2001, and Bebop started in September. (The home video releases were produced at the same time. I know because I was given the choice of translating either Outlaw Star or Bebop, and I picked Outlaw Star.) Trigun didn't premiere until 2003.
Your style of videos, while not new, are very well put together and very enjoyable considering the range of media you cover. Excited every time I see one of your videos drop! Don't stop man!
Thank you for the FANTASTIC siting of all the music used in this video! I'm compiling mood playlists for a space western TTRPG and part way through this I knew I needed to listen to the whole list to add more! Thanks for collecting so many and cataloguing their use so well! I'm honestly about as excited about that playlist as I was this video! Great work!
I'm a little more staunchly in the camp of listing Cowboy Bebop are more of a space noir more than a space western, though as your video's detailed, it would be difficult to tease out any single genre thinking from it and still have the same great show.
love space westerns and it was super cool seeing clips of prospect in the background! that movie is super underrated and a great work of space western fiction
I have always loved anything with a space western feel to it, but i had never thought too much about what i really liked about it, or even what makes a space western! Really enjoyed the video and learnt a lot. Thank you :)
you cant have such a big section on cyberpunk without name dropping the book that invented the term!! Neuromancer, Gibson's 1984 sleeper hit, invented the term cyberpunk, cyberspace (and that whole concept, 10 years before the internet was a thing) and the matrix (the movie being basically blade runner to electric sheep for this book). That said, great video man!! on my (second) favorite genre!! :D Also, i know Cowboy Bebop is a work of art but why is Trigun not mentioned more??? its such a fun romp!
The space western endures despite decades of critical panning and derision because it appeals to the frontiersman in all of us who wants to make a life beyond the borders of "civilization," and the little kid in all of us who wants to run away from this middle point in history. It paints complex characters into fantastical renderings of accomplishments that we genuinely hope to achieve, while keeping us grounded in familiar trappings and nuance, allowing us the freedom of imagination coupled with the comfort of the known and beloved. It reminds us that, should we venture into the stars, it will be real men and women-and perhaps androids-who do it, and the reality will be as harsh and multifaceted as human nature. It teaches us that, despite the flaws in that nature there is courage, compassion, fire and fortitude to be found in it.
Space Westerns have always been one of favorite setting next to cyberpunk. Also, good choice on Hard Space Shipbreaker ost! Their ost really hits hard and perfectly matches Space western.
Great video! I would definitely add Vampire Hunter D to the list. It’s a unique mix of western, sci-fi and a gothic vampire story. A really good anime too. A must watch for sure
Had a great feeling about this one when I heard the shipbreaker music, one of my favorite OSTs of all time. Excellent video, really captures the genre c:
This was a great analysis of the genre and why it was so impactful when it was. I think that The Mandalorian, as a recent outlier in popularity, is interesting. The show seems to be moving away from its space western premise as the cultural conditions that you described that made space westerns popular are starting to show up again. The discontent with traditional institutions that drove the popularity of space westerns in the '80s and '90s has flared back up with a vengeance in the wake of COVID. The specific cultural anxieties are a little different, with climate anxiety being something relatively new to the popular zeitghiest, but distrust of government and powerful corporations has resulted in a resurgance of related genres like cyberpunk. I know you made this video almost a year before it came out, but the popularity of the Fallout show gives me hope that we might see a second "golden age" of the space western beginning.
ive definitely seen a resurgence in affection for space westerns in tandem with cyberpunk, ESPECIALLY ones with anti-government and anti-corporate sentiment, as it is rapidly becoming closer to reality. i wonder where people will innovate on this new wave of interest.
I'm a big fan of Westerns and Sci-Fi, so Space Western is one of my favorite sub genres. It's always fun to see which side a project leans into more. See you, Space Cowboy.
Just started watching the clip, so will have to edit my comment later, but I really liked the Trigun rebootmakeprequel - maybe even more than the original - but yeah, hopefully we get a bit more of the space western genre
I’m sure this comment will get buried, but I just wanted to share my appreciation for your channel. When I started my RU-vid channel, one of the first videos I watched as part of my research for one of my vids was your video about horror games not being scary anymore. I was so impressed by the quality and passion poured into it that I ended up watching every single one of your videos, even ones where I wasn’t even interested in the topic. When your channel blew up because of the Elden Ring video and you mentioned how your earnings helped you pay for rent, I felt so inspired. Like one day maybe I can achieve the same with my channel. Please keep doing what you’re doing, you are so awesome. Looking forward to the next video!
An excellent enthralling thesis on pretty much all the genres I love. ❤ thanks a bunch showing the origins and whys and evolution of modern storytelling and society self reflection. 👍🏻
i remember not hating cowboys and aliens when it came out, but i also remember seeing the trailer at the movies and the entire theater laughing when they flashed the title card at the end of the trailer lol
I've always been influenced by the genre, esp while growing up, and i'd be silly to say that Trigun, Bebop, and the hand full of sci-fi shows on the sci fi network didnt stay with me to this day That said, the genre impacts my work greatly, (I make webcomics!) and what I've decided to do with it instead of the usual blanket comment on the world more recent stories of the genre do, is to embrace its roots with character centred stuff. I wanna see how they navigate it, and how it effects them personally, and how these people are just... people, with this intriguing back drop! The world and its people stick with me the most, and the characters it chews up and spits out to lead the narrative are my fave. Thanks for such an insightful video on this genre!
Hearing Bastion music over "The Mandalorian" title screen was surreal. Anyway I've been a diehard fan of Space Western content and will always take more. Firefly, Bebop, Outlaw Star and The Expanse are all so goddam good and deserve more love.
Space and the wild west are the perfect pairing if you genuinely think about it. They're practically the same. Space is the last frontier. It's discovery, danger, and adventure all in one. Throw in some outlaws and pirates and you've got the same thing
Well done these were all fantastic works! Some nowadays don't vibe with the older stuff whole loving the new, never knowing what they are missing out on.
You absolutely 120% just got a new subscriber and I’d love to see you tackle the topic of Cyberpunk like you had mentioned in the video. This is phenomenal 👌🏾
I prefer to think of it in a broader sense as sci-fi westerns so we can include things like Gene Autry's Phantom Empire all the way back in the 1930s, which ever actually got into space.
It's wild that this came up on my feed because I'm currently trying to sell my TTRPG group on playing a space western. Great minds think alike I guess.
I love genre mixes. No matter which genres and which medium. Be it movies, music, comics, novels, it doesn't matter. Infinite possibilities and stories that can be told in a new way.
Your video reminded me of The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. which is more Western with hints of Science Fiction, but easily a weirdo cousin to the Space Western.
Since we're on the topic of the interesting, the pulp, and the niche, I have to shill The Mechanisms. They're a band that specialized in wacky genre-mixing story-telling. Each album follows a structure of plot/exposition followed by a song. If anyone reading this is still interested I can't recommend their mainline albums more. The most relevant to this video would be 'High-noon over Camelot.' I'm not a big critical thinker, so I wouldn't be surprised if their works aren't that thought provoking, but there is something special in each of them. If nothing else, they have an unprofessional messiness about them that I find really enjoyable and creatively inspiring. If you check it out, expect silly and indie; not bladerunner or Frankenstein. :)
The last Space Western I enjoyed wasn't even a film or show, it was Destiny 2's Forsaken expansion. It revolved around avenging the Hunter Vanguard, Cayde-6. It devolved into a science fiction story right at the end with the Dreaming City, but the rest of the story took place on the Tangled Shore and hunting down Uldren Sov's barons. Sadly, they sunset Forsaken years ago. A real shame actually because Forsaken is undoubtedly what saved Destiny 2 and was the golden age of Destiny 2 itself. Forsaken was the most fun I've ever had in Destiny 2
Excellent vid. Subbed. Been a fan of sci fi all my life. Sad there was no mention of Space Adventure Cobra, as any iteration of it rocks but the 82-83 series is stopping good.
This was a great vid. I have to think the enduring love for all these show they aren't done yet the space western like Firefly, or a more spacey like the Expanse keep it cooking. The star wars shows I think can grow to excellence with careful writing and focus.
Cowboy Bebop is the anime I first suggest to anyone I talk to that mentions any interest in the topic. Everything about it is amazing, from story, characters, animation (considering its age), and of course the soundtrack. I listen to the music by itself on a regular basis, it's all good. Firefly was my first love for live-action in the subject (outside of Star Wars), and I was one of those that bitched and moaned until we got a movie :) Great video here through and through
Space Westerns are just the perfect combination there genres have so much thematic overlap it's almost criminal how little of it we receive. But I guess because we currently live in a cyberpunk dystopia it's the only fantasy we're allowed to have anymore.
I love this genre. It is so much fun. I have a soft spot for westerns in general, I watch the dollars trilogy at least once per year, but I have always loved sci fi. The melding of the two is fantastic.
Ah, yes, from the first seconds the music is from one of the games which I feel could have been in the Firefly universe easily, this has to be a good one! Edit: It was good! Thank you so much for making this!
Been binging you off and on this last week. You asked why make a new, lower quality Cowboy Bebop? A sorry answer, but truthful nonetheless, is that because I had Netflix at the time, I got curious about the live-action, so naturally watched the original first. I don’t hate anime, but it fails to get my tastes so often that I generally shy away until something bubbles up. So even with my preference being live action and/or Western animation, I had the same findings as you, the original is a much better narrative and even visual representation. But now I see that Space Westerns trump all formats! Or so it seems fresh off of your essay. Because Cowboy Bebop did push me to watch Akira and a few others. I’ve never even heard of Trigun but see that it’s streaming on Hulu. So, thanks to Netflix botching the job, I wind up liking and subscribing to your channel, incidentally fishing for worthwhile titles to watch. Thank you.
