A bounty hunter with a shady past. A stern and kind-hearted companion who demands not to lie. A Pembroke Welsh Corgi that becomes a rarity. A memoryless woman with a daring and unpredictable spirit. A cruel and twisted villain. A singer who disappears into the shadows. A tragic love story. The adaptation of Cowboy bebop for Netflix it has everything to be a considerable bill noir. One that could even amaze without coming from a work loved by millions of fans.
What is required of the adaptation of a pop phenomenon? A reinvention, a copy, new stories? Comparisons between source material and its derivative are inevitable for better or for worse. Cowboy bebop from Netflix comes from one of the most influential anime in history. One that managed to achieve classic status due to its formidable ability to create a complex, rich and adult universe. So its live action version has the weight of carrying a heritage from a cultural icon. Since its premiere in 1998, Spike Spiegel, Jet and Faye Valentine’s journey became more than just a great story. Also, in a powerful version about moral good and evil, emotional crossroads and the subversion of the concept of the hero.
23 years after its premiere and an indisputable influence on current science fiction, Cowboy bebop it tells more than a symbolic fiction. It is also the demonstration of the highest point of a genre that takes argumentative and discourse risks. With all its power to amaze, anime – with a movie, video game and a manga version in tow – is a landmark. An elaborate mix between visual style, a soundtrack for the history of the genre and a formidable example of execution.
Can a live action reach a similar point? One of the most surprising elements of the adaptation of Cowboy bebop for Netflix it is their mocking homage to the original anime. There are an obvious and thoughtful effort to translate all the fascinating and dense mythology of anime to television. And while it doesn’t always succeed, it does fully capture the essence of Cowboy bebop by Shinichiro Watanabe when we have the information.
The vibrant visual section is there, also the deployment of script resources to tell a complex story. The music that surrounds each scene, punctuates its most exciting and hard moments. Pinkner’s version is a review of the classic chapters and a lucky synthesis of its best moments. The tour has the ability to show the extent to which the world imagined by Shinichiro Watanabe is capable of unfolding into several different levels. Do it, in addition, with a fluidity that ranges from the unforgettable details of the original, to new elements that expand the proposal in all directions. If something is thanked for the live action of Cowboy bebop it is his thrilling and thrilling journey through the phenomenon. It is not a copy, a recreation, but a vigorous homage with extraordinary points and other dazzling ones.
‘Cowboy Bebop’, the journey into deep space of new ideas
It is evident that Pinkner is a fan and connoisseur of the now classic story. Also that he took seriously the task of translating, step by step, how Spike Spiegel tried to escape from his past. But he does so by making bold decisions that could have turned out badly had it not been for the precision of the visual and plot language. Pinkner takes the anime Cowboy bebop and transforms it into a retrofuturistic noir in which the background narrative is everything. This despite the fact that the production went to all the trouble to recreate the anime’s settings.
But as the characters go from one side to the other of the colonies and pilot ships with a rare hybrid technology, the focal point is their lives. The secrets they hide, the intelligent and intuitive way that the script reels fragments of information. Each chapter is a concrete addition to something larger, although it also works as an independent narrative. The result is a journey through the entire history of Cowboy bebop emphasizing its most important parts. And although some characters are left out along the way and some plot lines merge with others, the essential is there.
The live action from Cowboy bebop avoid making the mistakes of other adaptations and safely take the path of storytelling across a universe. He composes it, adds visions and edges. Delve into some of the anime’s dark spots and become a creature with a life of its own. With a certain air to the franchise John wick, there’s a notion about mystery boxes held up through gunfight and broken loyalties. This is not a story just for fans. It is also a rich narrative, well constructed and of interest to new viewers. Between both things, Cowboy bebop has a strong sense of identity and continuity. At the same time it explodes and builds a dialogue with its own essence.
Pinkner decided to pay an ambitious, thoughtful, and brilliant tribute to one of the most beloved works in pop culture. Of course, the creator was taking a risk by taking such audacity. One that involved facing the elongated shadow of Shinichiro Watanabe, the devotion of fans, and an iconic work. Can you do it? Can you grasp that strange perception about action, symbolism, reviews of existential themes with a good pulse?
He does it in his best moments. In the lowest of Cowboy bebop It is notorious that, with the transition from anime to a different format, the story stumbles at some points. But still, the result is of considerable quality. There is an evident respect for the original material. Plus, a nifty way to reconstruct a narrative with your own patterns and rhythm. If the original was praised for its ability to narrate the contradictions of the nature of violence, the live action boldly take the witness. And it does so with dazzling vitality, its best quality amid a series of strengths that make it an intelligent work.
From Mars to Tijuana, along with Asimov
Spike Spiegel (John Cho) is a bounty hunter with a host of secrets in tow. Cho manages to bring the character goodness, charisma, and a twisted sense of humor. Perhaps the duality of the original is a bit strange; but the actor finds a way to dialogue with Spike’s unpredictable inner world and give it a new luster. Several of the best moments of the series are provided by Cho, with the iconic Spike suit and all his love for jazz.
On the other hand, Mustafa Shakir’s Jet is much more dense, eloquent and profound than his version in the anime. Pinkner makes great decisions to create an endearing character that, beyond being a version of the original, has a weight of its own. The same could be said of Daniella Pineda’s Faye Valentine, so close to anime that it pleasantly surprises. In his case, the script takes alternative paths to tell its story, but especially to achieve greater relevance.
The chemistry between the team is obvious, well built and better crafted. With each chapter, the understanding of the trio – for now, it is – becomes more endearing and fundamental. For its last chapters, the series manages to balance personalities, pains and secrets to build a coherent information board. Of course, there are subtle changes and others more profound, but what is essential is the way you Cowboy bebop stands on its own. As a spinoff production on a pop culture milestone, the series knows what’s expected of it. And it offers it. But also, he manages to create his own personality of considerable interest.
Part of the credit for the cast’s effectiveness is carried by its villain. Alex Hassell is a Vicious with an imposing presence and a poisonous conception of his cruel nature. By his side, the fragile Julia Elena’s Satine is a devious and suffering creature. The plot gives much more space to the mystery behind a disgraceful love story and favors Julia from several aspects. A great success when understanding the great final outcome and its consequences.
And in the end, Let’s Jam!
Of course the live action from Cowboy bebop It can’t compete with the lavish soundtrack of the original. And he doesn’t try: he actually builds an alternate version that, although it makes the anime one strange, does serve its purpose. Music is everywhere, entangled in the colorful scenes and radiates dynamism in all its ways of understanding its importance. At the same time, the staging takes a good deal of effort to recreate the comic without imitating it. The combination of both creates a fundamental insight into Cowboy bebop – as a phenomenon – that is appreciated and that, without a doubt, is its most powerful point.
For the final scene, with the team already complete and what looks like the announcement of a sequel, Cowboy bebopit did its job. He brought a new generation an extraordinary story. He also opened the door to continue telling stories. And with Shinichiro Watanabe we are sure to have more bounty hunter adventures in the future. An open promise to the rhythm of good jazz that remains in the air in the fade to black.