‘Cowboy Bebop’ anime director quit live-action adaptation after one scene

Shinichirō Watanabe, the esteemed director of the original Cowboy Bebop anime series, has expressed his disappointment and criticism towards the live-action adaptation produced by Netflix, which regrettably only lasted for a single season.

More than a year after the release of the show’s 10-episode debut season, Watanabe shared his thoughts with Forbes, revealing that he decided to stop watching the live-action adaptation after witnessing a single scene that failed to capture the essence of the beloved anime.

Watanabe explained, “They sent me a video of the new Netflix live-action adaptation for review and feedback. 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.” Clearly dissatisfied with the direction taken by the adaptation, he recognized that without his involvement, it could never truly embody the spirit of the original Cowboy Bebop. Reflecting on the situation, Watanabe mused, “I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.”

The Netflix remake featured John Cho in the lead role as Spike Spiegel, known as “Fearless” in the series, alongside Mustafa Shakir as Jet Black and Daniella Pineda as Faye Valentine. However, the adaptation faced fierce criticism from dedicated anime fans, leading to its cancellation after just one season, a mere three weeks following its initial release. Last March, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, John Cho expressed his shock and disappointment over the abrupt end of Cowboy Bebop.

“I was very warmed by the response [to the show],” Cho shared. “I wish I could have contacted everybody and gotten hugs. I’m mystified a little bit about how you can connect with people that you don’t know doing your work, but I won’t question it. I will value it and treasure it. I’m just really deeply appreciative that anyone would care. It’s stunning to me… It was very shocking and I was bummed.”

Watanabe’s criticism serves as a testament to the challenges faced when adapting beloved anime series into live-action formats, as staying true to the original source material and capturing its essence can be a daunting task. The contrasting reception between the anime and live-action versions highlights the deep connection fans have with the original work and the difficulty of replicating its magic in a different medium.

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