Cowboy Bebop – Live Action

Cowboy Bebop is a 2021 American sci-fi tv show. It is a live action series based on the 1998 Japanese anime series of the same name. The series follows the adventures of a band of ragtag bounty hunters who chase down criminals for the reward, with each of both running from and actively seeking out their mysterious pasts. I will admit that I am not a massive anime fan, however that being said one of the few anime I am a genuine fan of is Cowboy Bebop. So, hearing about a live action adaption didn’t exactly make me over the moon. Although the show is by no means great, I wouldn’t call it awful. At the end of the day Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop is just a mediocre sci-fi show especially compared to arguably one of the greatest anime ever made.

The direction of the show is ultimately a mixed bag. Whilst some of the stylisation really works within the show some of it all feels distracting. The result is a mixed bag of visuals that on one hand complement the crazy over the top nature of the work but at the same time feels at odds with itself. The overall gritty nature that the original show had feels a bit fifty-fifty here as well. The original Cowboy Bebop had a very gritty lived-in world. Everything felt real and believable with a dirty scuzzy atmosphere that matched its dystopian setting. In this latest adaptation the over stylisation robs the series of some of its much-needed grittiness. The show feels less like a dystopia as a result with the rough around the edges feel of the original world is missing from this live action adaptation.

The acting in the show is a mixed bag. John Cho does a decent job as Spike Spiegel. He captures Spikes laid back lackadaisical nature well. However, I find what is missing from Cho’s Spike was the mysterious nurture of the original. The dark brooding nature of spike is somewhat gone and what we are left with his laid-back comedic side which is deftly a strong defining charter trait of Spike but does make the character see a little lacklustre. Mustafa Shakir is great as Jet Black. He really captures the rough nature but also caring and father like nature the character had in the original. Of all the actor in the show he does the best of creating a live action version of their anime counterpart. Daniella Pineda also does a decent job as Faye Valentine. She carries herself well enough as sleazy con woman that Faye is. Although it does feel at points as if she is trying too hard to be cool and ultimately the performance comes across as ok but not the best. Elena Satine’s performance as Julia is an interesting one. She adds more overt personality to the character than in the anime, however this again does get rid of the ambiguity that made the original great. Also, whilst her reveal at the end episode does on one hand make sense, also feels a bit out of nowhere and does dampen some of the sympathy for the character. The weakest link in the whole show however is Alex Hassell as Vicious. Although again giving the character move backstory was interesting it very much negates the mysterious nature of the original stripping away a lot of the subtly and subtext. As well as this his interpretation of Vicious is just not threatening or menacing. The charter doesn’t have the quite menace of the original so supplements that with angry rage. However, this comes across as less as a dangerous psychopath and more like a bratty child that just so happens to be a criminal making the lead villain in the series ultimately unthreatening.

The back-stories of Spike, Jet and Faye have also been changed and expanded upon to various levels of success. Staring with Spike his backstory with vicious is ultimately what drives this new series of the show. One on hand this really does flip the core of Bebop being about weird fun space adventures with a group of bounty hunters with their backstory’s primary playing the background. Although it does make sense that to change this remake up narratively putting more meat one the bones this story line does seem to be the most logical option. On one hand it is interesting to see more character to both vicious and Julia within this show. On the other hand, however, the way that these characters are portrayed especially Vicious really do more damage than if they were just left ambiguous. As well as this the final of the show which is effectively the Balled of Fallen Angels episode from the original show has a redone ending that kind of ruins the character of Julia however, I won’t spoil it.

Jets backstory has also been changed somewhat from the original show. Jet now has a daughter a plot point I am in two minds about. On one hand Jet being a family man does make sense with his charter effectively being the farther figure of the ship in both versions of the show. However, it does dappen the weight of his backstory with his ex-lover has it goes against the original where it shows his inability to form a meaningful connection with the women in his life leading to his life as a bounty hunter. Also, the way that the anime episode Black Dog Serenade is handled in the show strips away this idea of as corrupt police system and just blames it all on one corrupt cop against getting rid of a lot of weight the original had. Finally, the idea of Jet having a daughter does seem a bit like a cheesy way of tugging at audience’s heart strings.

Finally, there is Faye’s backstory. Her backstory revolves more around her trying to find out who she is than sorting out her dept. Although this was defiantly an aspect to the original, it again strips the character of her added depth and the political ideas around bebop concerning privatised healthcare. The way that a lot the Faye’s and the other characters backstories are rushed in the show gives less weight and depth to them the scene of Faye watching the Beta Max recording of herself Similar to the amines episode Speak Like a Child is effective, although still feels slightly rushed within bebops grander narrative. Also, the changing Whitney Haggis Matsumoto to a woman and Faye’s fake mum was an interesting choice. On one hand it certainly added an interesting dynamic to the character and created as new sense of friction within her backstory. Her being a woman changes the essential femme fatale aspect of Faye. Faye was an innocent naive lady tricked by seemly well-intentioned but ultimately a scumbag of a man. Him tricking her and leaving her with his depth is what helped to form her femme fatale persona showcased by the way she can manipulate men in the original series. Dropping this element really damages a core aspect of Faye’s character.

The cinematography of the show is a bit hit and miss the show is very stylised witch to some degree does fit in with Cowboy Bebops aesthetic of being a stylised melting pot of genres and references. However, this stylisation does make the show loose some of its gritty realism ironically becoming more cartoon like than its original anime counterpart. As well as this the special effects are fairly good for the most part. All the practical effects are well done, however the CGI in the show whilst not terrible isn’t exactly brilliant either making for a mixed bag when it comes to special effects.

Overall Cowboy Bebop is average. Although there are generally good elements to the series there is nothing in this series that the original doesn’t do better. Ultimately my thoughts are skip this adaptation and watch the original.