Netflix anime-related efforts continue as the streaming giant has just unveiled exclusive first look images for its Cowboy Bebop adaptation. The new photos feature Spike Spiegel, Faye Valentine, Jet Black, and the cute Welsh corgi that will be playing Ein.
To this day, Cowboy Bebop remains one of the most accomplished and recognized anime from the '90s, especially within the sci-fi genre. The series followed the adventures of a group of space bounty hunters and borrowed western themes from the perspective of Japanese anime writing. Considering Cowboy Bebop’svast legacy, it wasn’t too surprising that Netflix picked up the series for a 10-episode live-action adaptation that’s scheduled to premiere in November 2021.
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A tweet posted by @NetflixGeeked showcased just how much work has gone into transforming Hajime Yatate and Shinichiro Watanabe’s masterpiece from its original anime art style to a darker real-life scenario that certainly does look like Cowboy Bebop. The pictured cast members are John Cho (Spike Spiegel), Mustafa Shakir (Jet Black), and Daniela Pineda (Faye Valentine), with these photos going as far as recreating specific shots and moments from the anime.
The costume department seems to have gone to great lengths to transform Faye Valentine and Jet Black’s respective outfits, though Spike’s blue double-breasted suit and light yellow shirt are practically a carbon copy of his animated look. There are at least a couple of missing characters here, mainly the main antagonist Vicious (Alex Hassell) and Spike’s former lover Julia (Elena Satine), although androgynous super-coder Ed is confirmed to show up in the series too.
Considering past anime to live-action adaptations such as Ghost in the Shell and Netflix’s own Death Note have bombed so badly, Cowboy Bebop will have a lot to make up for. So far, Cowboy Bebop seems to be doing things right in one way or another as Netflix has brought back the series’ original composer Yoko Kanno, whose song “Tank!” is widely considered to be one of the greatest anime openings of all time, so much so that fans of The Mandalorian and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate can’t resist the urge to use it.
This early glimpse at the kind of aesthetics the producing team is going after should ensure that live-action Vicious doesn't end up looking like a Final Fantasy 7 Sephiroth cosplay. Whether the script and the rest of the show will be able to live up to the original 26 Cowboy Bebop episodes is an entirely different ordeal.
Cowboy Bebop will be exclusively available on Netflix starting November 19, 2021.
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Source: @NetflixGeeked
