When Netflix announced its Cowboy Bebop live-action adaptation, it also noted creator Shinichiro Watanabe would be involved as a consultant. Now in an interview with Forbes, Watanabe revealed his exact thoughts on the adaptation. He said that after watching the first episode’s opening scene set in a casino, that “It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop…” [Thanks, Forbes!]
Here is the full statement Watanabe gave to Forbes regarding the Cowboy Bebop live-action adaptation.
For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, 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 so 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 Netflix take on the show only lasted for a single season. Back in December 2021, the company confirmed it was canceled. The adaptation adjusted or changed various elements, for example the nature of Ein. It ended on a cliffhanger, which saw Spike Spiegel, played by John Cho, meeting Ed, portrayed by Eden Perkins.
It is still possible to watch the Cowboy Bebop live-action first season on Netflix. You can see the anime on streaming services like Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Netflix.
