[Edit: There is a cheaper regular edition that'll run you 19,425 Yen. Much more affordable.]

File this one under finally.

When Blu-ray as a format finally beat out HD-DVD, one of the first anime series I was looking forward to grabbing was Cowboy Bebop. I convinced myself that it wouldn't be long before one of the most popular (in the west) series of the last 20 years would hit BD. I ended up waiting for a very long time.

Well it looks like the wait is over; on December 21 of this year, Sunrise will be releasing a super special awesome Blu-ray set for Cowboy Bebop with a load of delicious extras. We're looking at audio commentaries, music videos, live performances, a 32 page production booklet and a hell of a lot more if you preorder/get an early copy. You can check out the full list after the break.

For all the good however, there are a couple of problems with this set, the first of which is that it only includes Japanese audio. As far as I can tell, there's also no English subtitles, which limits this set to a very specific and small audience. The second big problem? The whole shibang is going to cost you 42,000 Yen or more depending on how you order.

Yeah, I threw up a little bit in my mouth too.

On the plus side, now that a BD version of this series exists, there's no doubt in my mind that we'll see a cheaper (hopefully) version of it in English territories sometime next year. Considering the widespread appeal of Cowboy Bebop, it'd be a shame if the rest of the world missed out.

[via Hachima and translation via Mania]