The original “Cowboy Bebop” director didn’t even watch Netflix’s live-action adaptation in its entirety, with the opening scene not fitting the anime universe.
The live-action adaptation of Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop (2021) was a failure: canceled after 10 episodes, it was supposed to launch a new hit series for the streaming platform.
As Variety reports, Shin’ichirō Watanabe, the original director of the Japanese anime series, said in a recent interview with Forbes that he stopped watching the remake after just one scene because it didn’t look like the classic. anime he had helped create.
For Netflix’s new live action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check out. It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very difficult for me to continue. I stopped there so I only saw that opening scene. It clearly wasn’t Cowboy Bebop and I realized at that moment that if I wasn’t involved, it wouldn’t be Cowboy Bebop. I felt maybe I should have. Although the value of the original anime is somehow much higher now.
Critics have not been kind to the series developed by Christopher Yost featuring John Cho in the cult role of Spike Spiegel. However, having obtained good ratings during its first week with 74 million hours of viewing, it experienced sharp declines in the days that followed. Viewership fell by 59% in its second week. And yet its cancellation had shocked its main actor, John Cho.
“I was very touched by the reactionshe said then.. “I wish I could contact everyone and receive hugs. I’m a little confused as to how you can connect with people you don’t know while doing your job, but I won’t question that. I will appreciate it and cherish it. I’m really deeply grateful that everyone cares. It’s amazing to me… It was very shocking and I was disappointed.”
Cowboy Bebop is available to stream on Netflix.