Cowboy Bebop is an anime treasure. The 26 episodes are diligently animated and meticulously assembled into a cohesive, visionary story. With a soundtrack and voice cast as top-notch as its animation team, Cowboy Bebop established itself as the premier example of the potential of the medium of anime. Following the adventures of bounty hunters Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, and the hacker Radical Edward aboard the interstellar spacecraft, the Bebop, Cowboy Bebop is a mesh of science fiction settings and western themes—Ridley Scott meets Sergio Leone. Philosophical and provocative, the show examines the ethics of human hunting, laws, and responsibility through its characters. They outshine the typical anime archetypes through development via backstory and through persistent character evolution.
It was only a few years ago that Netflix announced a live-action television adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, one of the most cherished anime series of all time. After their lackluster adaptation of Deathnote, many fans questioned the integrity of the project. Since then, excellent casting, vibrant and stylish set photos, and a promotional poster have stirred cautiously optimistic curiosities. For the curious, here’s even more to tease the appetite.
When Does Cowboy Bebop Arrive on Netflix?
Cowboy Bebop is set to arrive on Netflix on November 19. The show was delayed after John Cho, playing Spike Spiegel, tore his ACL while filming in 2019. Surgery and Rehab somewhat overlapped the coronavirus epidemic that ensured production stayed shut down for a time before Bebop was given clearance by New Zealand to return to the country for filming in 2020. Shooting wrapped in March 2021, according to an Instagram post by Faye Valentine actress, Daniella Pineda.
Who’s Who in Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop?
As stated previously, John Cho, Lt. Sulu in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot film series, hops into Spike’s blue suit and shoes. In an interview with Vulture, Cho said he doesn’t think he’s taken a role more seriously than that of Spike Spiegel—in part because of his love of the script, and in part because felt he owed to the production, which was delayed by the better part of a year due to his injury on set. They get into Spike’s look for the show, that everyone would get to fawn over later.
Daniella Pineda (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) takes on the role of doe-eyed con-artist gambler Faye Valentine—who’s received a tasteful costume update. All three main members of the Bebop crew received a showcase in these early looks at the live-action look of Cowboy Bebop. Mustafa Shakir (Brawl in Cellblock 99) dons the sideburns and animatronic arm of Bebop captain and pilot, Jet Black.
No information is available for Radical Edward, the teenage hacker who joins the team a few episodes into the season of the anime, in terms of casting or if the character will appear in the show. All promotional material has only featured Spike, Jet, and Faye aboard the ship.
Acting as Spike’s nemesis, Vicious, is Alex Hassell, who also snagged a role in Joel Coen’s, The Tragedy of McBeth, which also arrives later this year. Netflix released a few new pictures showing off the live-action look at a few characters, including Vicious, Julia (Elana Satine), Ein, and more.
What Storyline Will Cowboy Bebop Follow?
At less than half of the episode count of the anime, Cowboy Bebop appears to be reshaping the events of the narrative to tell more a succinct story. Early images reveal Spike and Vicous’ first on-screen showdown happening well before Vicous is introduced in the animated show. Julia’s credited appearance in each episode suggests a similar application of flashback, a technique heavily utilized by the original production. What side stories or fan-favorite characters might make it in is a mystery so far, but one of the writers suggested the show is meant to stay true to the source material, stating, “you can’t look at Bebop and say, ‘Well, it’s just a jumping off point…’ If you’re doing Cowboy Bebop, you’re doing Cowboy Bebop. It’s kind of like doing Star Wars.” But he also elaborated on the reduced episode count saying, “We’re not going to go one-to-one on all of those stories because we’re also trying to tell the broader story of Spike Spiegel and Vicious and The Syndicate, Spike Spiegel and Julia, Spike Spiegel and Vicious, and all that. But we are looking at the show and saying, ‘who are some of the great villains...and how can we put them into this broader narrative?’”
He elaborates on how TV today presents new opportunities for creators and more during an interview with Gizmodo last year, emphasizing that the cast and crew approached this project as fans first.
For a deeper look into the world of the live-action production, keep an eye out for Cowboy Bebop: A Syndicate Story: Red Planet Requiem, which is set to release within the same month as the show and is written by Sean Cummings, one of the writers for the show. The novel is centered around Spike and Vicous towards the end of Spike’s time in The Syndicate, depicting predicated motivations and events in the show. And stay ready for Cowboy Bebop: The Comic Series, the four-issue series set to debut in December. It’s written by Dan Watters, and it will follow the crew of the live-action Bebop as they pursue a man in possession of an item that allegedly brings him infinite luck.
Cowboy Bebop Trailer
In September, Netflix released the opening credits sequence and song featuring music by the OG Bebop’s composer, Yoko Kanno. They also released a side by side comparison of both versions of the show’s opening set to the beloved Tank theme (and check out this fan-made Bebop-style opening for The Mandalorian.) More recently, viewers received the first bonafide trailer for the live-action adaptation. It's dripping with attitude and flair, siphoning inspiration from 1970s martial arts pictures and the manga origins of the source material. Humorous, colorful, and action-packed, the trailer provides a comprehensive look at the characters in their element hunting bad guys, kicking ass, and arguing along the way.
Yoko Kanno isn’t the only progenitor production party involved in the project, as the anime series director Shinichiro Watanabe holds a producer’s credit. Cowboy Bebop (1998) is currently streaming on Netflix and Hulu. On Hulu, subscribers have access to both the original Japanese voice cast version with subtitles and the English voice cast. It’s not mandatory viewing for the upcoming series, it’s mandatory viewing because it’s a masterpiece of storytelling and animation. Alongside Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Shinichiro Watanabe’s other anime masterwork, is also available on Hulu.
Watanabe also produced a new Blade Runner animated series called Blade Runner: Black Lotus, that’s due out in November as well. The 13 episode series is being created by Alcon Entertainment by Crunchyroll and Adult Swim, and is directed by Shinji Aramaki, and Kenji Kamiyama. Aramaki and Watanabe worked together previously on the Blade Runner 2049 prequel short titled, “Black Out.” Blade Runner: Black Lotus follows a replicant in the wake of the blackout, the loss of nearly all digitally stored material.
And don’t forget, Cowboy Bebop (2021) coming to Netflix on July 19. Now get streaming. See you in space, cowboy...