![]() I don’t think it’s reasonable to say, “If it’s not like the original, it’s crap.” Is it, though? Wouldn’t an exact match just be… boring? I feel like this type of criticism is short-sighted and not open to the idea of allowing the story to evolve or be told in a different way. The most common thing I’ve heard negative about the Netflix series is that it’s “not Cowboy Bebop.” What they really mean is that it’s not the anime series. In contrast, I think this evolution from Netflix makes it easier for a new audience to get into Bebop and to engage with the characters and story. I liked the story of Spike, Julia, and Vicious, and I cried at the end of “Hard Luck Woman.” But it took asking friends questions and rewatching the episodes a few times to understand the world and to follow everything they talked about. This is where I have to admit that I didn’t connect to the Cowboy Bebop anime when I first saw it. ![]() The cross-connected stories also make this new series much easier to follow than its anime counterpart. Faye (Daniella Pineda), Spike (John Cho), Jet (Mustafa Shakir), and EinĪ flashback of Julia and Spike (a.k.a. And Daniella Pineda as Faye works perfectly for how this series has evolved that character, making her more grounded and sensible than her anime counterpart. Mustafa Shakir as Jet is perfect, with Jet’s character being the most faithful to the anime. John Cho absolutely rocks as Spike Spiegel, and his performance is easily my favorite part of the series. The music sparks nostalgic feelings throughout each episode. While I’m still only about 80% happy with how the story has evolved from the anime, the overall experience has me enthralled. Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop hits all the right notes for me. The result now that I’ve seen it? I’m in love. It freed my mind to experience the new creation as its own experience that’s inspired by the original work but not seeking to duplicate or replace that work. That’s the approach I’ve taken with Dune recently, too. But, it will be its own thing, and its quality and value should be evaluated independently, not held in comparison to the anime. It may tell some of the same stories and have many of the same characters. It is an honest crime when Pineda isn’t on screen, as the dynamic of the Bebop instantly improves when she’s added to the mix.I adopted the mindset that the live-action Bebop would be an evolution, not a retelling. Pineda, who has been the center of a lot of conversation ahead of the premiere, will likely shut up critics and garner fans immediately with her foul-mouthed turn as Faye Valentine. You can’t accuse Cho of trying too hard and there’s humor (even kinkiness) there that you won’t see in the trailers. But Cho’s experience, it turns out, adds a layer of world-weariness to his cool demeanor. “People will be… very delighted when they watch the season.”Ĭho, too, channels Spike’s coolness, even if you can’t help but wonder if the role might not be better served by someone more youthful. “Ed - everybody wants to know about Ed!” he said. Throughout the lead-up for Netflix's Cowboy Bebop, there's been one very prevalent question: where's Radical Edward, the eccentric young hacker who becomes the fourth pillar of the Bebop? Rest assured, showrunner André Nemec told Polygon that fans needn't worry. It’s uncanny, and if you close your eyes it’s impossible to tell whether you’re hearing Shakir or accidentally put on the anime again. Shakir sounds and acts so much like Jet Black he may have walked straight onto the set from a 1998 storyboard. There are moments when Spike (John Cho), Jet (Mustafa Shakir), and Faye (Daniella Pineda) look like they stepped out of a cosplay contest, but these moments of unreality are saved by how natural Cho, Shakir, and Pineda embrace the personalities of their characters. ![]() This high-wire balancing act between endearment and ruin extends to the main trio too.
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