Cowboy Bebop director criticizes Netflix remake, calling it a departure from the original

Shinichirō Watanabe, the director of the original ‘Cowboy Bebop’ anime series that aired from 1998 to 2000, has recently voiced his discontent with Netflix’s ill-fated live-action remake of the beloved show. The original Japanese series, characterized as a neo-noir space western, gained a dedicated following in the late 2000s and 2010s, spanning three volumes and a theatrical film titled ‘Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’ released in 2001.

The Netflix adaptation, announced in 2017, premiered four years later but received limited involvement from the team that worked on the original anime. In a recent interview with Forbes, Watanabe shared his perspective on the show’s reception and the reasons behind its critical failure.

Watanabe revealed, “They sent me a video to review and check. It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop, and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be Cowboy Bebop. I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.”

The director’s disappointment with the remake resonates with many fans of the original anime who were left dissatisfied with the live-action adaptation. Critics also widely panned the Netflix series, with NME, in a two-star review, referring to it as “another sacrifice to the relentless churn of the streaming machine.”

Netflix ultimately made the decision to cancel the series just three weeks after its first season premiered. However, the cancellation prompted an enthusiastic response from fans, and a petition to revive the show garnered over 120,000 signatures. Even John Cho, who played the lead role in the remake, expressed shock upon hearing the news of the series’ cancellation.

“I put a lot of my life into it,” Cho remarked. “I’d gotten injured shooting that show, and so I took a year off because of the surgery and devoted myself to rehab, came back, and finished the show. It was this huge mountain for me to climb, healing from that injury. I felt good about myself as a result. We also shot the show in New Zealand, so my family moved there. It was just a huge event in my life, and it was suddenly over.”

Despite the disappointment surrounding the live-action adaptation, the original ‘Cowboy Bebop’ anime continues to hold a special place in the hearts of fans, solidifying its enduring value and significance in the realm of anime storytelling.

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