A few will even make shrines to the goofy yet undoubtedly charismatic Ed, and the loveable, genetically-enhanced Corgi Ein. However, almost no one will make any shrines to Jet! How can that possibly be, especially considering that he's the second lead????
Easy, my friends: Jet's too dependable. He's like your Mom, you never appreciate what they do until they're gone, when you realize that you now have to cook your own dinner and you don't know how to use the stove. While Faye captivates viewers with her yellow hotpants and smart mouth, and Spike takes down the bad guys with his insidiously cool martial arts and piloting skills, Jet can usually be found back home on the Bebop cooking everyone's dinner, fixing their broken ships, and generally bailing everyone out of trouble. And he gets no appreciation from anyone for it! Never mind that he's one of the best-written and sympathetic characters in the history of anime. Never mind that he's the most loyal and trustworthy soul in the Bebop universe, or any universe for that matter. No sir, all anybody wants to see are Spike and Faye strutting their stuff on every poster, artbook, and CD cover that ever sees print. Where's the love for Jet?????
That's why I decided that the time had come for a Jet Shrine. Sure, Spike and Faye are cool and all, but without Papa Jet they would both have starved to death or suffered some other cruel fate long before the end of the series.
Finally, even if you ignore the fact that he's completely neglected, Jet is a pretty cool character in his own right. He's a complete paradox: A super-macho, gruff, jaded character who cooks, does the laundry, tends bonsai, is an incurable romantic, and plays surregate father to a group of ne'er-do-wells who continually take advantage of him. Finally, with his funky beard and cybernetic enhancements, he looks pretty badass too ^_^
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