“Cowboy Bebop” fans know that familiar Yoko Kanno tune to the show’s intro. “I think it’s time we blow this scene/Get everybody and the stuff together/OK, three, two, one/Let’s jam!” We’ve known that Netflix has been preparing for their live-action adaptation of the iconic anime of the same name. Now, for the first time, we have our first look at John Cho as Spike – that hair!-, Mustafa Shakir as Jet, and Daniella Pineda as Faye, and Ein – let’s face it, he’s the only character we should car about. As a part of their Tudum fan event, the streaming platform has released the opening sequence for the live-action “Cowboy Bebop.”
Now we’ve seen how some have attempted to adapt animes and mangas to live-action. Almost all have failed mostly because of the studio’s misunderstanding of the material or the inability to grasp the spirit of the anime because of a miscasting. But whatever their shortcomings, fans will always be the first to express their disappointments.
That being said, Netflix’s “Cowboy Bebop” attempts to change the game by giving us an adaptation that will make everyone happy. And that is a tall order considering that the anime is one of the most beloved. But if we are to judge it entirely on this opening, I’d say that showrunner Andre Nemec nailed the vibe “Cowboy Bebop.” As for the episodes itself, that remains to be seen.
It should be noted that “Cowboy Bebop” creator Shinichirō Watanabe served as a consultant for the live-action adaptation, and Yoko Kanno returns to compose the score. Hopefully, with their help, “Cowboy Bebop” can break the trend of live-action animes not living up to fan’s expectations.
Here’s the official plot synopsis as provided by Netflix:
COWBOY BEBOP is an action-packed space Western about three bounty hunters, aka “cowboys,” all trying to outrun the past. As different as they are deadly, Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), and Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) form a scrappy, snarky crew ready to hunt down the solar system’s most dangerous criminals — for the right price. But they can only kick and quip their way out of so many scuffles before their pasts finally catch up with them.
#TUDUM Exclusive: Check out six amazing new photos from Cowboy Bebop pic.twitter.com/tNfWF3yAfS
— Netflix (@netflix) September 25, 2021
The series also stars Alex Hassell as Vicious Spike’s eternal archrival, and Elena Satine as Julia beautiful and mysterious woman from Spike’s past who has a complicated romantic history with both him and Vicious.
Netflix will release all ten episodes of the live-action “Cowboy Bebop” on November 19, 2021.
