It's ok for a live-action remake if you don't expect it to be good. Since the live-action is not proper to its original, I guess this is an alternative. The fight scenes are a bit off, the dialogue between characters is wacky, the casting is a bit of a problem for Faye and Jet but casting "John Cho" was a perfect idea, and the art and the special effects are outstanding at best. There are some problems with the alternative cowboy bebop through with the theme of it. The original was darker and more depressing than the live-action. The anime consists of loneliness, corruption, destruction, and most parts relating to the modern aspect in 1998. While the live-action version is more child-friendly with the bebop crew being less aggressive and plays the bounty game like "Hungry Hungry Hippo." idk why Julia is introduced too soon into the series.
live-action series is a bad idea. idk why people still do it. I think it will actually be better using CGI like "The Adventures of Tintin" or 3DCG like "Lupin III: The First."
This is a very unpopular opinion but I really like this series. You could see how much effort they put into it, not only musically but also cinematography. The camera shots were distinctive, outstanding fight choreography and funny dialogues. I know many people would disagree with me since it wasn't purely accurate to the anime... But you have to think of this: If it was a full copy of the Anime, it would be quite boring. Besides, not everything that is animated you can shoot on screen. People always neglect that! Therefore, you have to consider this series as separate from the Anime, then you can probably enjoy it.
For me, I enjoyed it a lot and hope they make a second season despite of the stigma
Edit: Unfortuneately, the second season got cancelled. But there is also a petition for it. So if you want more of Cowboy Bebop, you can support them on the following link:
https://www.change.org/p/netflix-save-the-live-action-cowboy-bebop
There's something just not connecting for me here. It's a tonal shift from the original that I haven't been able to get past that I'm not sure I'd like even if I wasn't comparing it to its predecessor. It's corny, tongue in cheek presentation rather than stylized cool and fluid. I'm not sure that was intentional. It doesn't feel like it. It feels more like a lot of independently well made parts just not coming together to make a cohesive whole. That's unfortunate, as there are a lot of good design decisions made.
Edit after finishing season 1:
Normally, I try to separate the source material as much as possible from an adaptation or remake. But in a case like Cowboy Bebop, that's a lot easier said that done. The original isn't just a story or characters in a particular setting. It's a collective ensemble of music, tone, style, and writing that set it apart as something unique and inseparable from its parts. That's why people love it. All of those individual pieces are often chaotic, but riff off of one another like a jazz ensemble to make one of kind experience.
It's a tall order for anyone to try and replicate that into something new. If they pulled it off, it would have been amazing, but sadly, this series never hits that stride. The greatest strengths of this adaptation are the pieces of the original. The changes are questionable. The original content is mediocre at best.
I wouldn't have wanted a straight copy. So, I applaud them for making some bold decisions, but, at the end of the day, they just aren't good decisions. The injection of campy humor makes it feel like the best dialog is written by Michael Bay instead of something Tarantino-esque. Vicious feels more Viserys Targaryen than Deacon Frost. The best casting of all in Jet goes from being a disgruntled cop to an absentee father at the butt of jokes. The mystique of the characters' background is filled out with underwhelming and frankly boring rambling that takes away far more than it adds. Less is more would have gone so far here.
It's not completely awful. There are redeeming factors, but at the end of it. I'm questioned wondering do I like what's left because it's good or simply because of the echos of the original. That's a rough position for any content to sit in. Hopefully, they can find a different tempo that better matches their choices in season 2. That is if I can get over the new ending.
The problem with Cowboy Bebop The Series and why a good series feels bad:
The original Cowboy Bebop anime is a masterpiece, one of the best pieces of animation ever made, with its unique style, great animation, memorable characters and great writing, it won its place on the list of the best entertainment to ever exist, the problem with the new netflix series is that it is... Good, just good... when you make something based on a masterpiece and that something turns out to be only good... You failed.
The minimum fans were expecting and the minimum they would accept is something either exceptional or unique, being good is just not enough.
I would say that because it is a live action series and not an animation, it is impossible to make it truly unique and to stylize it, but Blade Runner 2049, Mad Max Fury Road, Altered Carbon and many others would prove me wrong on that statement, so its just a matter of what does this series lacks, and i think i narrowed it down to a couple factors:
1 - The characters: One of if not the most important thing about the original Cowboy Bebop is its characters, and while the characters in the netflix series are not bad, they are not as good.
Spike feels like he is just an asshole with good intentions, he doesn't feel like the laid back guy with a broken heart who hides away his pain with witty remarks and justified violence.
Jet feels too stiff with his movements and line delivery, he feels like the actor is trying his best to look tough and invulnerable, even when he talks about his daughter he feels more like he is angry about it instead of desperate to make her happy, the original Jet is a really tough and imponent figure, yes, but he also has a heart made of butter and is always caring and kind, even when he jokingly insults someone it is always followed by his trademarked laugh.
and finally Faye, she feels so distant from her original character... The Faye we get here seems really lost and desperate, seems like she is making joke after joke trying to look cool and not trying to hide her feelings and worries like the one from the original anime, Faye in the original sounded much smarter and more grounded, while still emotional and witty, this one feels more like the secondary character that is there to make the others look cooler.
2 - The styling: The sceneries in the series are really good, and the clothing, weapons and everything else also look ok, the problem is... Nothing feels unique, the camera angles look boring and used a million times before in any other series, the color grading is very normal and bland... nothing really tried to be unique, they only tried to reproduce the places and clothes from the original on the real world, but they completely forgot the styling that makes it unique.
The series would be vastly improved with more bold color grading and more creative camera angles and photography direction, maybe even some creative uses of vignettes, ANYTHING that would make it feel more unique and memorable.
So, after all that what is my verdict? How i feel about the series? Its a good series, i had a lot of fun watching it, but i cant help feeling like i just want to go back and watch the original for the 100th time after finishing this... And deep down i know that in some years, maybe even some months, my only memory from this series is that it exists, and not anything more than that, in the end, its not unique enough to be great or memorable, is just a good show based on an absolute masterpiece, a new forgettable version of a series that most of us will remember and love for the rest of our lives.
I did not watch the original anime in full, just know it in general here and there. So i do not know whats the difference (story/characteristic wise) from the original
this series is actually fun to watch.hooked on each episode never bored. The pacing is good.
each of em are likeable, memorable and have great chemistry. Light/heavy moments are balanced.
neat and on point production value of the world inside it. The steampunk scifi visuals and jazz soundtracks are conveyed well. Made me want to watch the original
main weakness is the hand to hand combat sequence. Too tacky, memorized and slow. Quite awkward to watch. Need improvement. Also a need abit more action sequences to spice it up.
also the guy who plays Vicious the main villain tries too hard to be vicious but his face is like a comedian. I cant take him seriously. Kinda looks like Dr.House too.
7.5/10
It's like they didn't bother to watch the source material.
Dutch angled, Shallow focused, Room Spaced, Messy Trash.
Vicious's subplot is patetic and Julia is ruined. an amateurish parody of the original. bleah!
It's better than expected (from Netflix) I thought Cho would be a miscast, he's not. Sadly Faye is.
this was so bad but i expected it would be worse
see you space cowboy...
Before I write anything, I just want to say the original anime was my favorite cartoon as a kid. I watched this on Adult Swin when I was seven years old back in 2001. I hated anime, but this had a character who smoked cigarettes, wore a tie, and used a gun. So it was my favorite! That being said, when this was announced I remained pessimistic since the it feels impossible to adapt the series onto film and let alone the small screen where the level of CGI won't be as big (this will soon change with Halo and other GoT offspring vying for the epic TV vibe). So how was it?
It's a fun show but in no way compares to the ambition and sophistication of the original series. From what I've heard in the past week, those who haven't seen the anime are fans and I think that's the case due to how this series was made. It's taking the campy B-list film vibe of Robert Rodriguez or Joss Whedon, where they made something that didn't take itself too seriously (hence the Grindhouse film aesthetic used for the Lost Session short released last month). Even something like the original Star Trek was known for being a cheap sci-fi show with many non sci-fi elements (barely any aliens and planets with mobsters). But Cowboy Bebop was Blade Runner mixed with The French New Wave, not the Death Race 2000.
The casting is solid for what we were given, but the characters were re-tooled in ways that makes it hard for me to even talk about casting since its not the fault of the performers for why they aren't true to their animated counterparts but the sin of the writers. Mustafa Shakir is perfectly cast as Jet, he's everything I'd want from a live action character. John Cho isn't tall or agile enough to be Spike, but he's great with what he has, same goes for Daniella Pineda who isn't the Faye from the series (not Pinedas fault, the writers). Viscious and Julia are portrayed as cartoonish and not mysterious like they were in the series, their actors did what they could but it's distracting and one of the ways this series just looks weak compared to the original.
Is this worth checking out? It's fun, but like Sin City fun. If anything I'd expect this to get a cult following (for some reason I feel like it'll most likely get cancelled since unlike viewer hits like The Witcher that are panned by critics, the fans aren't happy). People will look back at this like they do of the Wachowskis Speed Racer movie, as cute. Nothing else.
I was afraid the series would be bad, but it turned out okay
It’s a good show till you get to the end. And it’s like what the fuck kind of stupid ass ending was that. Looks like the show got COVID towards the end. Can’t think of any other reason for that horrible ending.
It's a really good show.
Unfortunately allot of fanboys come in with unrealistic expectations.
Honestly, I'm disappointed that the show has been cancelled already.
Yes, it might miss quite a lot of the themes and tones of the original anime (which I only saw for the first time a few days before this LA one - 10/10 tough). But I do think if you stop comparing it this show is quite a entertaining watch on it's own (well, except for the ending where they badly try to set up a second season which we now already know won't happen).
And…..it’s canceled before I had a chance to even watch it. Yeah, Netflix blows. Probably will do the same with the Last Airbender live action show.
PLEASE STILL DO A SEASON 2. (Without Ed or at least a brown one) It is so rare. Unheard of even for an american live action to be better than the anime. This is truly a gift. Faye was constantly sexualized and useless in the anime even when unconcious so they made her gay and useful. That mess from the anime turned into a canon trans char played by a real trans person that doesnt die. Julia is an actual char and gets a better ending. Like not sorry if you hate this version because it was made specifically for me. Making Jet a dad and changing monkey disease to deadly premonition and all. Please im begging you
I hate Netflix cancelled this after one season. It showed so much promise. You can’t make live action scene by scene from the original anime but this show was awesome. Maybe someone will rekindle it in the future.
First off, I (like a lot of others watching this) am a huge fan of the original anime series. If you go into watching this series with the expectation that it's going to be as good as the original, you'll be disappointed. However, if you can step back and take it on its own, I really didn't think it was a bad show.
I had the expectation that they were going to work new bounties/cases as part of this but a lot of it is more retellings of some of the original show's stories. Most of these had enough of the original to immediately recognize it but also included some changes or twists to the original as well.
I really liked John Cho as Spike. I wasn't sure it was going to work but it did (for me at least). I even liked Mustafa Shakir as Jet (although the whole family man storyline felt a little off).
The only part of this new series that I really didn't like was what they did with Vicious. In the original material, Vicious was a real badass, modern-day samurai psycho that felt dangerous. In this version...well, another commenter said it best. He felt more like Viserys Targaryen...more of a joke than a real threat. I also wasn't thrilled with all the changes to the Julia story. That storyline was integral to who Spike is as a character and it felt completely minimalized in this version...
All things considered though, I did enjoy this take on the source material and really would've liked to see it get a second season.
Perhaps those who have seen the anime will judge this series severely, but in my opinion it is a serious mistake. If you look at it without making comparisons, it is a beautiful steampunk series, with characters of great depth, excellent acting, the right balance between violence and irony. The series takes off in a decisive way when Faye officially becomes part of the Cowboy Bebop, they become a family. And the finale, magnificent, very hard, bitter, a worthy conclusion to a superb show.
I've taken my time watching it and I enjoyed most of it for what it is. It's only from episode 8 onwards that I think it's disappointing. In hindsight, the storyline with Vicious and Julia never really fit with the tone they set for the main story - which is the part I have little to no notes on, mostly about soundtrack and general pacing. Perhaps the best move would have been to delay the introduction of those characters, maybe even most of the Syndicate storyline (aluding to it here and there instead) and focus on our main cast. Then if that show was renewed they could have come up with a way to merge these storylines, along with Radical Edward... Oh well, it was fun nonetheless.
I went in expecting nothing above good and wasnt disappointed. It isnt bad per se, but, of course, it isn`t to the same standards to the anime. It is sillier and focuses more on the comedy to deliver an excuse for a cliched drama, missing the point of the character development and the philosophical aspects of the original work. There is a feeling of wonder and reflection watching the anime, while here that feeling is lost. Small differences in the original characters come together to deliver a lesser story.
While the Spike from the anime was funny, he wasn`t exactly silly, at least not silly in such western-way. There was a certain serenity and a need to put himself into danger that made Spike stand a good-to-great MC. That scene at the beginning of the anime was THE PERFECT introduction of the character and they took that and shitted all over. Him playing the gunman trying to use the old lady as a hostage was to show that Spike plays with his cards but he cares at least more than this live-action version, well, at least based on what is shown comparing that first scene.
I was ready to give this a 7 and call it a good job. But then at the last minute they bring Ed and make her the worst character of the just even with just a sec left to end the last episode. One can say it is not enough to determine if the character is bad with just a first impression, well, it depends entirely, but in this case I think you can.
Now, what I liked about the live-action:
A 1 already? Haters gonna hate i guess....
It's not a great show, but still watchable. I didn't like the Anime, too long for me and I didn't finish it. I like this show because, all the character are not all white as in the anime, the main cast is acting good. The only character not well played is vicious, he remind me Anakin Skywalker played by Hayden Christiansen : BAD OVERACTING !
It’s a very toned down reimagining of the originals much heavier and layered tone. My biggest complaint would be how much of the bulk of what made Grens story in the original animated series so impactful was stripped. Even Viscious as a character was pretty stripped down from the source material along with it the story between he and Spike.
I’d still say it’s worth the watch and a great way to dip your toes into the Cowboy Bebop universe if you have never seen the Source Material. Definitely still entertaining with some cool callbacks and nods.
Haven't watched the anime, have no real desire too. If you're like me and enjoy a slick, fantasy scifi with a lot of humour you'll probably enjoy this. Shame it's not cut it for fans of the original and we're not getting a follow up live actions.
what I only just realised this was cancelled what the fuck :(
It’s very disappointing we’re not getting a season two
I like the original anime veeery much. Not as fanatic as most hardcore fanboys. Most likely the reason why I appreciate this adaption here alot. Very good atmosphere, attention to detail and good cast as well. Give it an unbiased try!
A poor imitation of David Lynch's steampunk style
:heart:x7
Did I like this series? Obviously, I did, but it could have been better. The stylization should have been better. The visuals are OK, but just OK. Visually there's really nothing that sets it apart from any other Syfy show in space.
If only the actual series had employed the style of the proof of concept teaser "Cowboy Bebop: The Lost Session". Now THAT would have been awesome.
For me there might have been a little too many backstory episodes - I think all the backstories could have been done a little quicker.
But overall, I did enjoy the show and am looking forward to a new season....
How I rate:
1-3 :heart: = seriously! don't waste your time
4-6 :heart: = you may or may not enjoy this
7-8 :heart: = I expect you will like this too
9-10 :heart: = movies and TV shows I really love!
Shout by Kelly WeddleVIP 2BlockedParent2021-11-26T03:15:28Z
When the story is focused on the crew of the Bebop chasing bounties, it’s an absolute delight. I would love more episodes of this. I only have one complaint: Spike’s sorrow from the anime doesn’t translate. All in all, I had a blast watching it and find myself wanting more bounty hunting.