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View Full Version : The Logistics of Peirrot Le Fou


Danger^Cart
02-01-2006, 03:34 AM
If anyone has seen Cowboy Bebop all the way through, then they know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the crazy, badass assassin with the mind of a child, Pierrott Le Fou.

However, I found some certain aspects hard to grasp, not because of their improbability (If you walk into any anime, especially futuristic ones, expecting something practical and of the norm, then your watching the wrong thing) but because of the lack of explanation.

1) How EXACTLY does his integral forceshield work? At first, I thought it only deflected objects moving at uber-fast speeds, as in subsonic and above, maybe give or take a few measures either way, hence, the deflection of bullets, but his ability to grasp objects without his shield obstructing the act. This would also account for his defeat, in Spike throwing a knife into his leg (moving slower than a bullet, obviously). However, this doesn't account for the scene where Spike rolls a flammable container of some sort (where the HELL did that come from by the way?) and shoots it, hence releasing its contents LITERALLY at Pierrots feet. Well, I'm not exactly sure on the science of this, but a bullet travels just under the speed of sound, and I'm pretty sure that heat travels a hell of a lot slower than that. Not to mention, I really don't see his forceshield deflecting heat in the first place, seeing as how it was obviously designed to deflect fast moving projectiles, and be able to interact with slow moving objects, such as his hands.

2) How the fuck can he fly? While this is cool, and the animators/writers did a good job of making it look practical (that scene where he's bouncing toward the camera/or where he simply lifts off and floats towards spike is awesome, in the sense that it gives you a feeling of clostraphobia, and really conveys the fact that there's nowhere to run) do they ever explain why he is able to do this? They showed, in the origin montage, him getting his forceshield, but never show how he's able to FUCKING FLY.

Once again, I'm not trying to nitpick, its just that a show that's so good at explaining the unbelievable neglects a few important factors. I'm not so much angry or dissapointed that they didn't explain why he can fly, or go over how his shield works, I'm just curious.

*If anyone has any insight, please discuss it and/or post a link to a corresponding interview/article.

Discuss!

Sh8dy Milkman
02-01-2006, 08:41 PM
I was under the impression that his forceshield had to be operated manually. The knife Spike got him with at the conclusion of their fight only reached him because he was distracted. And the only explanation I can give you concerning his ability to fly is that their really is none. As shown to us by his flashbacks, an organization with a lot of money was behind his transformation into Pierrott Le Fou. The series takes place well into the future so his flight technology is not really very unbelievable. Just my thoughts...I'm probably due for a re-watching of Cowboy Bebop about now anyway.

Danger^Cart
02-01-2006, 09:33 PM
I considered the possibility that perhaps he purchased some super awesome flight technology, built into his bulbous suit, but that just brings up all new questions.

What I mean is, I don't suspect he's a particularly easy person to have a conversation with, let alone discuss the transfer of large sums of money. However, it is obvious that he's an assassin for hire, given the lack of motive for knocking off all of the high ranking officials. It's obvious he's targeting certain people, and he has no personal motive to do so, so we must assume someones paying him, however improbable this may be (He'd have to know how to work a computer, given the fact no one who's seen his face has lived to tell about it, and all business would be done digitally. However, he has the mind of a very small child, so I'm a little sceptical he know's how to transfer/withdraw funds over cyberspace).

Sh8dy Milkman
02-02-2006, 01:38 PM
hmm...no idea. Time for a re-watch.

blk_flower
02-07-2006, 06:26 PM
pierrot le fou
the crazy one

the best episode next to real folk blues

Cronos
03-11-2006, 02:15 PM
i just saw the character as being a kind of mutant or something and the organization was experimenting on him to find out about his abilities

Danger^Cart
03-16-2006, 02:50 AM
Hmmm...Kind of a like a Logan/Weapon X type dealio? I honestly never thought of that, and It would suffice as a plausible explanation, were it not for the fact that I don't see why they wouldn't mention that. However, they didnt mention a lot, hence this thread, so I guess it works.

Alright, explanation #1 has officially been submitted. Thank you Cronos.

mindkiss69
04-30-2006, 04:53 PM
You do know that he was a goverment experiment, right? I think you're overthinking this too much. He's able to fly not because he payed the money or is having someone help him to be able to do it after he was transformed. He's able to fly maybe because it's part of the mutation that the goverment scientist implemented in his body.

Pride
06-21-2008, 11:06 PM
I dont mean to resurrect such an old thread (wait, I do), but I just finished watching this episode and it is by far one of my favorite next to Mushroom Samba and the "sessions" with Viscious.

I always thought that the flying capability was just intergrated into his suit and that when he escaped he took the suit with him. Spike managed to get him with his knife because his "forcefield" was broken by his distraction.

Im sure it doesnt matter two years later but just my thoughts.

Danger^Cart
07-16-2008, 01:43 PM
I'd completely forgotten about this shit until you did so, and I enjoy talking about it, so thank you.

The more I think about it, the more the whole mutant idea makes sense. I think the flight and the shield may actually coincide, one being a product of the other.