| Cowboy Bebop | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Based on | Cowboy Bebop bySunrise |
| Developed by | Christopher Yost |
| Showrunner | André Nemec |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Yoko Kanno |
| Opening theme | "Tank!" bySeatbelts |
| Composer | Yoko Kanno |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Production location | New Zealand |
| Running time | 39–52 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | November 19, 2021 (2021-11-19) |
Cowboy Bebop is an Americanspace Western television series. It is alive action series based on the 1998 Japaneseanime television seriesCowboy Bebop and the 2001 anime filmCowboy Bebop: The Movie. Set in the year 2071,[1] it charts the adventures of aragtag group of bounty hunters chasing down criminals across theSolar System on theBebop spaceship.[2]
The series was developed byChristopher Yost, withAndré Nemec as showrunner, and starsJohn Cho,Mustafa Shakir,Daniella Pineda,Elena Satine andAlex Hassell. The ten-episode series was released onNetflix on November 19, 2021, and was criticized for its writing, special effects, editing, action sequences and its cast.Shinichirō Watanabe, the original series' director, publicly criticized the show for being disloyal to the source material. Less than a month later on December 9, 2021, Netflix cancelled the series after one season, leaving the series on a cliffhanger.[3]
Additionally,Welsh Corgidog actors Charlie and Harry playEin, a dog with special abilities.[7]
Additionally, Blessing Mokgohloa portrays Santiago, and Molly Moriarty plays Kimmie Black, Jet's daughter.[15]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Session #1: Cowboy·Gospel" | Alex García López | Story by : Teleplay by :Christopher Yost | November 19, 2021 (2021-11-19) | |
In the year 2071, bounty hunters Spike Spiegel and Jet Black thwart an attempted casino heist, leading to a gunfight that severely damages the casino and results in the ISSP deducting the high cost of repairs from the heist crew's bounty. Furious at the botched job leaving them with less money than they had before, Jet picks up a new bounty: hunting down Asimov Solensan and his woman, Katarina, who were last seen heading to New Tijuana to sell a stolen stash of "Red Eye", a lethal sensory-enhancement drug. The pair are also pursued by Spike's old gang, the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate, and rival bounty hunter Faye Valentine, who has been hired by Katarina's abusive father to return her. Ultimately, Asimov is mortally wounded by a bullet from Faye, and Katarina, unwilling to go back to her father, chooses to commitsuicide by flying straight at the police while a distraught Spike watches. A surviving Syndicate gunman reports to his boss, Vicious, who kills him after learning of Spike's involvement and orders him to be hunted down. | |||||
| 2 | "Session #2: Venus·Pop" | Alex García López | Sean Cummings | November 19, 2021 (2021-11-19) | |
While tracking down a terrorist known as the "Teddy Bomber" onVenus, Spike survives an attempt on his life by a Syndicate assassin. Pretending to want noodles, Spike secretly visits Ana, a club owner who raised him as a boy and assumed he was dead, for information. Ana warns him that he needs to reveal his past as a Syndicate hitman to Jet (a former cop) and also informs him that Julia, the woman he once loved, is now married to Vicious. The Elders, who run the Syndicate, discover that Vicious has been dealing Red Eye without permission and force him to take part in a mock execution of Julia as punishment. Julia calls her husband a weak man for not standing up to the Elders, and he violently chokes her and throws her to the ground. Jet and Spike locate Bomber and subdue him while also keeping a bomb from going off; Spike volunteers to stay behind until Jet can collect the bounty. Ana discreetly eavesdrops on Vicious being told by his enforcers, Shin and Lin, that his assassin Gunther is dead at Spike's hand. | |||||
| 3 | "Session #3: Dog·Star·Swing" | Michael Katleman | Story by : Christopher Yost Teleplay by : Christopher Yost & Sean Cummings | November 19, 2021 (2021-11-19) | |
OnMars, Spike and Jet hunt down a serial murderer, Abdul Hakim, while Jet tries to find an expensive talking doll for his daughter Kimmie's birthday. During their investigation, they discover that Hakim, a refugee from Earth, killed his victims (all of whom were wealthy refugees) because he blamed them for leaving him and his parents to die so they could take their pets with them instead. He stole the dogs to kill them, but ultimately could not bring himself to pull the trigger. Spike and Jet talk Hakim into surrendering, but ISSP officers then shoot him dead to avoid having to pay his bounty. When the doll is accidentally destroyed, Jet instead gives Kimmie one of the dogs, aPembroke Welsh Corgi named Ein; his ex-wife refuses the gift and forces him to take it back due to heavyluxury taxes on pets. Meanwhile, Spike, having located Vicious' drug factory on Mars, sends his enemy a message by firing a sniper rifle into the bulletproof window of his car. | |||||
| 4 | "Session #4: Callisto·Soul" | Michael Katleman | Vivian Lee | November 19, 2021 (2021-11-19) | |
While visiting the opera onGanymede to find a lead on the con artist who cryo-scammed her, Faye encounters an eco-terrorist group, theCallisto Liberation Front, that threatens an industrial corporation to stop their terraforming activities, but inadvertently kills the corporation's CEO with abioweapon that turns people into trees. Spike, Jet, and Faye team up to stop the group on Callisto from launching missiles carrying the bioweapon onto Ganymede's surface. While Spike and Jet stop the missile launch, Faye chases after the group's leader, Maria Murdock, but goes off-course when she receives a call from Whitney Haggis Matsumoto, her scammer. When Murdock launches her final missile, this time towards Callisto, Faye has a change of heart and sacrifices her ship to destroy the missile, saving Spike and Jet. Faced with the prospect of going to prison, Murdock's daughter Harrison uses the bioweapon to kill herself and her mother. Spike and Jet rescue Faye and invite her to join theBebop's crew. Julia asks Ana to set up a meeting with Mao, a Syndicate Capo. | |||||
| 5 | "Session #5: Darkside Tango" | Alex García López | Liz Sagal | November 19, 2021 (2021-11-19) | |
Five years prior to meeting Spike, Jet, then a senior detective with the ISSP, and his partner Fad go after Udai Taxim, a Syndicate associate, hoping to learn the name of the dirty ISSP cop he's working with. Jet gets the drop on Udai, only to be shot several times and left for dead. He survives, but is subsequently framed as the dirty cop and serves five years in prison. In the present, theBebop crew learns that a prison ship fromPluto crashed and dozens of inmates escaped, including Udai. Jet leaves Spike and Faye to pursue the other bounties (although they wind up spending the rest of the day bonding with each other instead of working), while he and Fad reunite to find Udai. Jet finally catches up to him, but Fad kills him and reveals that he was the real dirty cop. Jet kills him in self-defense despite knowing that he will never be able to fully clear his name, and leaves before the police arrive. | |||||
| 6 | "Session #6: Binary·Two-Step" | Michael Katleman | Karl Taro Greenfeld | November 19, 2021 (2021-11-19) | |
Jet learns from his mechanic, Mel, that theBebop needs a new engine part. One of Jet's informants, Radical Ed, sends him information on "Cy-Baba", a legendary bounty that Ed has managed to identify as Dr. Londes, the owner of a clinic devoted to "freeing the mind"; Spike investigates and quickly falls into Londes' trap, getting ensnared in avirtual reality simulation where Julia tries to convince him to give up on her while Londes consumes his mind. Cy-Baba's creator, Dr. Kayback, reveals that the only way to kill Londes, who is really a powerful AI that has become self-aware and psychotic, is to destroy its mainframe on Earth. Mel patches up theBebop's engines and they reach the mainframe, but find it to be impenetrable. Faye uses her newrailgun to pierce the mainframe, saving Spike's life. Mel departs after urging Faye to continue searching for "who she really is". Spike quietly holds a picture of him and Julia, admitting to himself that he will never let go of his feelings for her. | |||||
| 7 | "Session #7: Galileo·Hustle" | Alex García López | Alexandra E. Hartman | November 19, 2021 (2021-11-19) | |
Whitney pays Faye a visit and offers her a job in Santo City in exchange for her identikit. Posing as Faye's mother, she convinces Jet to launch theBebop for the job. Upon their arrival, Spike and Jet identify Whitney as a wanted con artist, but they encounter the arms dealer Iron Mink, who threatens them to surrender theBebop for their lives. Using the tracking beacon in Whitney's ring, Spike and Jet roam around the city to lure Iron Mink while Faye and Whitney go retrieve Faye's identikit. Upon their arrival at a storage warehouse, Faye discovers her identikit in the form of aVHS tape before she and Whitney are cornered by Iron Mink, but Whitney uses a safe word to spare their lives. As Whitney and Iron Mink kiss, Faye bails out with Whitney's ship. Meanwhile, Vicious lays down his plans with Mao and Santiago to overthrow the Elders from the Syndicate, but Julia later gives Mao a bigger offer to betray Vicious. Back aboard theBebop, Jet plays the tape, revealing a home video of young Faye. | |||||
| 8 | "Session #8: Sad·Clown·A-Go-Go" | Alex García López | Javier Grillo-Marxuach | November 19, 2021 (2021-11-19) | |
Vicious storms into a medical compound to release Pierrot LeFou, a genetically enhanced but insane assassin that hates dogs, and hires him to kill Spike in exchange for an unlimited supply of Red Eye. LeFou ambushes and seriously injures Spike, but the sight of Ein stops him before theBebop gang escapes. As Spike recuperates, Jet learns from Woodcock that Spike is hiding secrets from him. LeFou hacks into Ein's neural system to send a message to Spike to meet him at Earthland, an abandoned amusement park asteroid.Meanwhile, Vicious has Santiago beheaded and kills Mao before single-handedly taking down the Elders to take over the Syndicate. TheBebop arrives near Earthland, but Spike disables the ship to prevent Jet and Faye from interfering with his fight. Spike confronts LeFou and distracts him with a toy dog before stabbing him in the thigh with a throwing knife, causing the assassin to cry before Spike sends him flying to space. | |||||
| 9 | "Session #9: Blue·Crow·Waltz" | Michael Katleman | Jennifer Johnson | November 19, 2021 (2021-11-19) | |
Prior to the current timeline, Spike and Vicious are underlings of the SyndicateCapo Stax, who assigns the duo to a job negotiating with the Neptune Cartel, but tells Spike to keep an eye on Vicious, who is the son of an Elder. When the main act at Ana's is unable to perform, Julia takes center stage, instantly captivating Vicious and becoming the club's headliner. Vicious botches the Neptune deal, leading to him straining his relationship with Julia and her getting closer to Spike. After Vicious is marked for impulsively murdering a Neptune thug, Spike is ordered to execute him, but feeling indebted to Vicious, Spike goes on to wipe out the Neptune Cartel instead. He then tells Julia he is leaving the Syndicate life and wants to take Julia with him, but his plans are foiled when Vicious' gang ambush and gun him down, sending him falling into a river presumed dead. | |||||
| 10 | "Session #10: Supernova Symphony" | Michael Katleman | Christopher Yost | November 19, 2021 (2021-11-19) | |
Vicious kidnaps Kimmie, holding her hostage at an abandoned church. Jet and Faye learn that, in order to rescue Kimmie, they would have to exchange Spike for her. A reluctant Spike agrees. After a fight in the church, Vicious duels Spike, and the fight ends when Julia betrays Spike by shooting him, causing Spike to fall from the church's stained glass window, and imprisoning Vicious. Jet reunites with Kimmie, later abandoning Spike for putting her life in danger. Faye leaves as well to look for answers about her past life. A battered Spike is later met by a child hacker named "Radical Ed", who offers him a bounty to catch Vincent Volaju, the "Butterfly Man". | |||||
On June 6, 2017, it was announced that an Americanlive action adaptation ofCowboy Bebop was being developed for television by Tomorrow Studios—a partnership betweenMarty Adelstein andITV Studios, alongsideSunrise Inc., which also produced the originalanime[16]—withChristopher Yost as the series writer.[17] On November 27, 2018,Netflix announced that the live action series would be heading to its streaming service.[18][19] One of the Tomorrow Studios' producers,André Nemec, was appointed as the showrunner who previously discovered the anime through his brother around 2011.[20][21] In an interview withVanity Fair on October 26, 2021, Yost said he had already started planning a second season for the series before writing the first season, which is something Nemec also hinted at.[22] However, on December 9, 2021, Netflix canceled the series after one season.[3]
On April 4, 2019,Variety reported thatJohn Cho,Mustafa Shakir,Daniella Pineda andAlex Hassell were cast in lead roles asSpike Spiegel,Jet Black,Faye Valentine andVicious in the series.[23] On August 22, 2019, it was announced thatElena Satine was cast asJulia.[24] On November 19, 2020,Deadline Hollywood reported thatGeoff Stults,Tamara Tunie,Mason Alexander Park,Rachel House, Ann Truong and Hoa Xuande have been cast as Chalmers, Ana,Gren, Mao,Shin andLin.[25]James Hiroyuki Liao had joined the cast by August 2021,[14] along with Blessing Mokgohloa as Santiago and Molly Moriarty as Kimmie Black. On September 25, 2021,Jan Uddin and Lydia Peckham,Adrienne Barbeau,Josh Randall, Rodney Cook, and Ira Munn and Lucy Currey were officially cast as Asimov and Katerina Solensan, Maria Murdock,Pierrot Le Fou, Teddy Bomber, andPunch and Judy.[26] Cali Nelle was also confirmed to play Abdul Hakim.[10]
When Cho came across the project, he remarked about the anime, "It's really interesting and smart and funny... All the characters are coming from places of loss, and there are a lot of defense mechanisms to deal with that sense of loss that informs the whole show." He continued, "I investigated the anime and just thought this was the most unique piece of entertainment I had seen in a long time: the combination of genres, characters, the music." He later calledAneesh Chaganty, his director onSearching (2018), to talk about the project. Cho remembered that Chaganty encouraged him saying, "You have to do it.”[27]
On October 27, 2021, in an interview withSyFy Wire, Nemec explained he purposely cast older actors and defended his choice that it would build richer stories for the characters, saying, "I think that really became clear to me that to really feel for these characters, to really want to track and live with them, they needed real depth of life experience in their soul. And that was something that John brought. I can't imagine anyone being Spike Spiegel but John Cho because John brings a depth to the character. He's incredibly facile with humor. He's quick-witted. He can be laconic like Spike Spiegel. I think the anime had true moments of ennui, and true moments of dramatic pain that really did require someone, again, with that depth that John brought. While in the anime, it's okay to sort of play the younger version. But in today's world and in live action, the actor needed to be able to bring that essence as well. And that just required a more mature actor."[28]
Several of the original Japanese voice actors from the anime were involved in the live-action adaption, reprising their roles for the Japanese dub of the show.[29][30] The Japanese voice actor for Spike,Kōichi Yamadera said, "I have long anticipated a live action version. I can feel the strong respect it has toward the anime. I hope that viewers will see the atmosphere of the Spike character that I previously portrayed in John Cho's performance, who is skillfully taking on the role in this version. There are also many settings and developments that can only be pulled off in a live action series. I hope that both people who loveCowboy Bebop and those who are new to the title can enjoy this new series!"[29]
The casting of newcomer Eden Perkins as Radical Ed was announced on the day of the series' release to Netflix, though only appears in the final scenes of the tenth episode. According to Nemec, "To keep the mystery around the character was to not necessarily want to promise that this was going to be a season that was inclusive of Ed, to not necessarily put something that many may find is disappointing out into the world. But in fairness, Ed doesn't show up in the anime until many episodes in, maybe about a third of the way through the entire series. So, it felt fair to also keep Ed from showing up [in live-action]."[31]
Nemec and the writers also looked beyond the source material to the movies that influenced the original anime director,Shinichirō Watanabe, when he devoted the anime with studio Sunrise in the 1990s. To bringCowboy Bebop to the reality of cinema, the Netflix team drew inspiration from such films asThe Big Sleep (1946),The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966),Bonnie and Clyde (1967),2001: A Space Odyssey (1968),Dirty Harry (1971),Lethal Weapon (1987), andThe Crow (1994). "We put a pretty extensive and expansive list together, and we spent a lot of time really looking at the inspirations," Nemec said.[32] The showrunner did not watch much other anime or even live-action anime adaptations in preparation for the show.[33]
Nemec also said that while it was important to be faithful to source material, they wanted to craft their own story—that "there were so many things that work [in the anime], but at the same time, not wanting to do a one-to-one translation because I wanted to be served, if I were a fan, a different meal."[34]
Regarding Faye Valentine's wardrobe changes, Pineda said: "You know, we tried with the original. But in the original outfit, which is so lovely, it's hard to hide stunt pads and gel pads and back plates and things you need when you're falling and kicking and doing stunts." She worked with head of costume design Jane Holland to design a functioning outfit for the live-action character.[35] Holland said: "…As a woman, I felt resistant to the idea of the lead female character being gratuitous or overtly sexualized. It's not about it not being revealing, it's not about any of that, it's actually got all of those elements. But my take on it is that it's designed by a woman and it was made by a lot of women, and it's worn by a woman. So the same elements are there but they have just manifested in a different way." She also explained it would be easier for Pineda to work in this outfit than if she were dressed how Faye was in the anime: "It's definitely aesthetically driven but there's a practical element as well...There's a lot of action. we filmed over a long period of time through different seasons. We had a lot of night shifts in Oakland so Jet and Spike were fine, because they had practical, much more practical clothing, in the anime. [Pineda] needed that as well."[36]
The cast initially trained with stunt team 87eleven Action Design,[37] then with New Zealander stunt coordinator Allan Poppleton of Cunning Stunts.[38]
Filming took place in 185 locations aroundAuckland, New Zealand, between July 2019 and March 2021, including theBastion Point Reserve,Auckland War Memorial,Auckland Harbour Cloud, the formerAuckland Railway Station,Ardmore Airport,St Matthew's Church,Spark Arena,Waitawa Regional Park,Karangahape Road andKingsland railway station.[39][40] 150 locals were involved in the art and construction teams. According to production manager Clayton Tikao, Auckland was picked since its urban environment fitted the series' "grottier" aesthetic.[39]
In October 2019, Cho sustained a knee injury, setting back production by about eight months.[41] The delay gave the showrunners extra time to bring some of the planned second-season elements into the first season, such as introducing characters and casting them, includingMason Alexander Park as Gren, who originally was introduced in the series' thirteenth episode.[42]
On April 17, 2020, it was revealed that episodes would be one hour in length, allowing more in-depth storytelling; and that second-season scripting had already begun to be explored.[43] On May 19, in an interview withSyFy Wire, Adelstein revealed that three episodes had already been completed, and that they had shot at least six before Cho's knee injury. He also said that the anime series' director,Shinichirō Watanabe, would be involved as acreative consultant.[44] Watanabe later said in November 2019: "I read the initial concept and provided my opinions, but I'm not sure if they will be reflected in the final product. I have no choice but to pray and hope that it will turn out good. Also, forCowboy Bebop, I don't have any right to stop it. Those rights are in the hands of Sunrise, so if you have a complaint, please send it to them."[45] In October 2021,Entertainment Weekly confirmed that Watanabe had served as a consultant for the series,[29] providing earlyCowboy Bebop concept art for reference.[46] Sunrise provided original character concept drawings, ships, props, sets, and locations as references.[35] Watanabe said: "For me, it's a great surprise and honor that theCowboy Bebop universe has thrived for over 20 years and will continue onward."[29] When Nemec has subsequently been asked about Watanabe in interviews, he has mentioned only the Sunrise staff.[35]
Production resumed on September 30, 2020, when the New Zealand government gave the green light to continue followingthe nation's COVID-19 shutdown.[47] Filming officially wrapped on March 15, 2021.[48] In August 2021, it was revealed that original show creatorHajime Yatate, actually a pseudonym for the collective Sunrise animation staff, was interested in writing episodes.[15]
Elena Satine, who played Julia, was pregnant during filming.[49]
Yoko Kanno composed the series' music, while"Tank!", the original anime series' opening theme, was used in the opening credits. In an August 2021 interview withVulture magazine, Cho talked about accepting his role and Kanno's involvement with the live action adaptation: "I made sure that she was locked in before saying yes. I didn't think the show should go forward without her involvement. [She is] too integral to the show. Our iteration minus her would suffer too much."[50] On September 8, 2021, Nemec said in aPolygon interview: "Yoko's involvement in this show to me was paramount to almost everything else."[32]
A first look video, from the point-of-view ofEin, was released by Netflix in October 2019. Set to music from the original series, the clip showed off some of the sets and the main cast, with the trademark sign-off phrase "See You Space Cowboy..." appearing at the end.[51] Netflix resumed the show's marketing campaign in June 2021 with a new teaser set to the original show's opening theme, "Tank!", to announce that Kanno would be scoring the series after having previously provided the soundtrack for the 1998 anime.[52] In August 2021, along with the reveal of a November release date, Netflix released first-look preview images for the show, including pictures of Spike, Jet, Faye and Ein in various environments recreated from the anime, including theBebop spaceship and thecathedral where Vicious and Spike had their first confrontation.[53] During Netflix'sTUDUM event, they revealed the show's opening credits which replicate the anime's opening incorporating "Tank!" and including live action recreations of the original.[54] It took 3 days to film.[55]
A special standalone teaser called "The Lost Session", shot separately from and not including any footage from the actual show, was released by Netflix on October 19, 2021, in anticipation for the trailer release. Directed by Greg Jardin, the short featured Cho, Shakir, and Pineda as their respective characters.[56][57][58] The first official trailer was released by Netflix on October 26, 2021.[59]
The series was originally slated to release in 2020,[60] but was delayed due to Cho's injury and theCOVID-19 pandemic. It was released on November 19, 2021.[61][62][63]
The series was canceled after one season on December 9, 2021, less than three weeks after its release. According to insiders, Netflix's renewal rate for a scripted series is at 60 percent and their decision is based on balancing the show's viewership and cost. AlthoughCowboy Bebop was on Netflix's Top 10 with almost 74 million viewing hours worldwide since its debut, viewership dropped by 59 percent the following week from November 29, 2021, to December 5, 2021.[3]
InThe Bebop Beat podcast interview, showrunner André Nemec discussed what would have happened during a second season, including the reveal of the Cosmonaut; Ed finding out the true meaning of family; Jet's mechanical arm tripping out (while Jet is tripping out, his arm is unusable and plays the saxophone with one hand); Spike's demons of the Blue Crow massacre being put to bed; Faye finding out who she is; Julia discovering "Heavy Is the Head That Wears the Crown"; Vicious being reborn; and Ein saving the day.[64]
Critical response to the series was described as "mixed"[a] and "negative".[b] On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 46% based on 85 critics, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Maybe next time, Space Cowboy – this live-actionBebop has a fun enough crew to spend time with, but it disappointingly replaces the soulfulness of the source material with kitsch."[80] According toMetacritic, which calculated an average score of 47 out of 100 from 28 reviews, the series received "mixed or average reviews".[81]
Total Film's Bradley Russell gave the series four stars out of five, stating that the show is "overflowing with charm, personality, and style – becoming a worthy companion piece to the original series".[82] Matt Kim ofIGN felt that the show "whole-heartedly embraces its source material and succeeds more often than it fails."[83]Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall described the series as "a hangout show as much as it is a thriller, a space opera, and so on", ultimately giving it three-and-a-half stars out of five.[84] Nina Metz of theChicago Tribune felt that "if you're able to watch [the series] with eyes unencumbered by comparisons, it's a hoot".[85]
Many reviewers felt the series did not live up to the original series. Kambole Campbell ofEmpire gaveCowboy Bebop two stars out of five, declaring it "a hollow re-enactment" of the anime.[86]Entertainment Weekly's Christian Holub described the series as "a lot less embarrassing" than previous live-action anime adaptations, while also noting that "it still doesn't quite live up to the power of the original series".[87] Mike Hale ofThe New York Times also said the show can't live up to the original because of its "resolute ordinariness".[88] Maureen Ryan ofVanity Fair however said that "This version ofCowboy Bebop, in many ways, improves on the original."[89]
The series was widely criticized for its writing and pacing. Cecilia D'Anastasio writing inWired described the writing as "corny" with "muddled subplots".[33] Russell felt that many of the supporting characters' motivations were "glossed over and occasionally undercooked", while "a handful of episodes feel rushed to meet its runtime". He also noted that the Vicious–Julia subplot was "by far the weakest element" of the show".[82] Several reviewers noted how the increased episode length did not translate into better episodes, but instead bloat.[90][33] Judy Berman writing inTime magazine called the decision to expand the show from 25 minutes to an hour "baffling".[91]Variety's Caroline Framke opined that the series suffered from "Netflix bloat", where the story is "stretched past [its] limits seemingly for the sake of retaining eyeballs for more minutes at a time."[92] Rob Owen of thePittsburgh Tribune-Review wrote, "When the show leans more heavily into Spike's serialized plot –Cowboy Bebop loses its sense of fun and bogs down in tired soap operatics."[65]
The show's visual aesthetic divided critics. Rohan Naaha ofThe Indian Express wrote that the show "apes only the most obvious aspects of the cartoon – the aesthetic. But funnily enough, it never comes across as a show that is mimicking Westerns or noir films; it comes across as a show that is mimicking another show's impression of what Westerns and noir films are." He criticized the excessive use ofdutch angles.[90] D'Anastasio was critical of the sets and described them as "cheap-looking".[33] Russell, meanwhile, noted that "some sets clearly need a more sizeable budget, but the sheer attention to detail by the production designers helps overcome that handicap".[82] Graeme Virtue ofThe Guardian described the show as a "visually amped-up space western that feels stylised and swaggering to near saturation".[93] Sepinwall wrote, "The visual palette is a blend of high and low elements, blending modern special effects with Fifties-style green screen in a way that looks simultaneously primitive and cool, so even the sequences that seem cheap pop off the screen in appealing ways."[84] Conversely,The Hollywood Reporter's Angie Han described the show as "a knockoffFirefly, made for a fraction of the budget", with "muddy CG" and "shoddy-looking sets".[94] Hale compared the show's visual effects toDoctor Who, calling them adequate but cheesy.[88]
Several reviewers also criticized the action scenes for their cinematography, editing and fight choreography.[95][96][97] However, Brian Lowry ofCNN described the action sequences in the series "stylishly choreographed" despite the fact that the overall series was lacking and dull.[98]
The performances of the cast received particular praise. Naaha described the cast as the "only saving grace" of the series in an otherwise critical review.[90] Francisco stated, "If there's a high mark the show hits, it's the fact that its all-star main cast was successfully assembled to begin with."[99] Shirley Li ofThe Atlantic wrote, "The trio of protagonists aboard the Bebop have an electric chemistry: The actor John Cho embodies Spike's swagger, Mustafa Shakir captures Jet's stoicism, and Daniella Pineda suffuses Faye with endearing candor."[100]GameSpot's Mason Downey wrote, "absolutely everyone feels perfectly cast".[101]
The cancellation of the series garnered mixed reactions from fans.[102] However, this also prompted a petition called "Save the live actionCowboy Bebop", with authorWesley Chu tweeting a link after comparing the show toFirefly.[103] The petition gained over 150,000 signatures[104] includingSteve Blum, the English voice actor for Spike in the anime, who has been very supportive of the live action and cast.[105]
When asked what he thought of the live-action adaptation, Watanabe responded, "For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check. It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly notCowboy Bebop and I realized at that point that if I wasn't involved, it would not beCowboy Bebop. I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now."[106]
The series was nominated forOutstanding Main Title Design at the74th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in 2022.[107]
In August 2021, it was announced that Netflix had partnered withTitan Books to publish several books based on the series, with the first book, a prequel novel entitledCowboy Bebop: A Syndicate Story: Red Planet Requiem, released on December 7, 2021. An art book,Cowboy Bebop: Making The Netflix Series, which has concept art, behind-the-scenes photography, and cast and crew interviews, was released on June 21, 2022.
Titan also published a four-issue comic miniseries based on the show from January 26 to June 22, 2022, with a trade collecting all four issues released on November 15, asCowboy Bebop: Supernova Swing.[108][109][110] The story is byDan Watters and art by Lamar Mathurin. First issue art cover is by Artgerm (Stanley Lau) with variant covers by Claudia Ianniciello, Afu Chan, andYishan Li.[111] The following issues continued to have different cover artists.[112]
Critical reactions to Netflix's live-actionCowboy Bebop have been a mixed bag.
Netflix's live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop has received a divisive reception since its premiere, and one line in particular has already taken the internet by storm, and probably not for the right reasons.
Reviews have been mixed at best if not leaning toward the negative, with many wondering what purpose this update serves when the original anime can be streamed on the very same service.
The implication, of course, is that Ed will return in season two with a much bigger role, assuming that Netflix even renews Cowboy Bebop following all those mixed reviews.
The early reaction to Netflix's live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop has been mixed, but there's one thing that everyone seems to agree on: the soundtrack is killer.
It'd be an understatement to say that Cowboy Bebop, Netflix's long-awaited live-action remake of the beloved anime classic, has received a mixed reception from critics and fans.
The live action adaptation of the well-renowned classic anime was recently released on the streaming service, and the reception has been generally mixed. The critic and audience score for Cowboy Bebop is mixed, with anime fans in particular unsure of how to feel about the new reboot.
The live-action Cowboy Bebop has had a mixed reception from critics, with many finding it an unnecessary adaptation that simply remakes the original minus much of its charm and appeal. Fans have similarly been split, with many praising the performances but questioning the point of the show.
Still, critics have largely panned the new series, arguing that what changes it did make were much for the worse, drastically weakening the show's sophisticated center by losing itself in its self-aware glitz – simultaneously a paint-by-numbers copy of the original and not faithful enough.
The reception from sites such as Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic is somewhat mixed, though it's definitely more negative than positive.
Cowboy Bebop reviews are in, but unfortunately for fans of the original anime series that were hoping Netflix's live-action adaptation would live up to their expectations, they're mostly negative.
Reviews are in for Netflix's Cowboy Bebop, and unfortunately, they've been skewing largely negative. [...] With reviews for Netflix's Cowboy Bebop being largely negative, that skepticism appears to be largely justified. Critics have felt that the show tried too hard to stick to the original Cowboy Bebop anime while failing to capture the magic of what made it work, and at the same time, its attempts at doing something new ultimately fall flat for how they undermine the parts of the show people are invested in.
(1) FOR US, THE LIVING. The announcement that Cowboy Bebop won't get a second season prompted Ryan Proffer to start a "Save the live action cowboy bebop" petition at Change.org.
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