Cowboy Bebop's creator, ShinichirÅ Watanabe, didn't even get past the first scene of Netflix's live-action adaption before he stopped watching. Cowboy Bebop is an anime series that ran for just one season from 1998 -1999. Despite consisting of just 26 episodes, it has grown to be considered one of the greatest anime series of all time. The show takes place in 2071 and follows Spike Spiegel (Koichi Yamadera) and his team of fellow bounty hunters as they navigate a post-apocalyptic world in their spaceship named "Bebop." Watanabe had always intended for the anime to be 26 episodes, so the series ended after 1 season. However, Netflix recently made a live-action adaption of Cowboy Bebop that received mixed-to-negative reviews and was subsequently canceled after one season.
During an interview with Forbes, Watanabe revealed what he thought about Netflix's Cowboy Bebop. ​​​​​
It turned out he didn't have many thoughts on the series because he ultimately opted not to watch the adaption. With him being the creator of Cowboy Bebop, Netflix sent him a video of the series to review. However, the opening scene immediately disagreed with him, and he realized that no Cowboy Bebop adaption would be true to the original unless he was involved. Still, the quality of the Netflix remake actually made him reconsider his decision to not be directly involved in the remake.
Was The Cowboy Bebop Netflix Show THAT Bad?
Watanabe's reaction to Netflix's remake may sound a bit harsh, but it is understandable. Cowboy Bebop hit Netflix on November 19, 2021, and stars John Cho in the lead role of Spike. While the series was supposed to run for multiple seasons, it was canceled after the first due to negative reviews and low viewership. While its reception wasn't great, it wasn't all negative either. Some audiences and critics praised the show for being solid entertainment with humor and charm. However, where Cowboy Bebop really failed was in properly adapting the series.
The original Cowboy Bebop is very beloved by viewers and critics alike, who praised the show's nuanced characters, voice-acting performances, and storyline. Hence, when Netflix changed or stumbled on all these aspects, it certainly wasn't well received. The characters were rewritten to be given much simpler backstories and motivations, thus, washing away the political commentary Watanabe had imbued in them. Their personalities were also rewritten, such as Spike turning from a likable, easygoing, and morally-conscious bounty hunter, to a cold calculated killer. Even though the actors in Cowboy Bebop weren't necessarily bad, the writing and character changes gave them little to work with.
The source of Netflix's Cowboy Bebop's shortcomings seems to be that it failed to incorporate the original heart, themes, political commentary, and maturity of the original series. As a result, as Watanabe pointed out, it really wasn't Cowboy Bebop. This is likely the major reason for criticism, as viewers were expecting a faithful adaption. However, the series may be perceived as worse than it actually is, simply because the original was so beloved. Anything lesser when compared with one of the greatest anime shows of all time would have an uphill battle. Hence, Cowboy Bebop's criticisms from viewers and even Watanabe are understandable, but the show does hold some bit of entertainment appeal for those not so aware of the original series.
Source: Forbes