Netflix Cowboy Bebop review – Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop oozes style and cool
Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop is indisputably cool. This applies to the tone, the characters, the story, and even the color palette. It is the coolest show streaming on any platform. Netflix has done the impossible and made a great live-action adaptation of an anime. For those still traumatized by the complete piece of excrement that was Dragon Ball: Evolution, or Netflix’s horrible Death Note, Cowboy Bebop is for all accounts the exact opposite. By opposite means the creators/producers of the adaptation actually know the original property, there is whitewashing, and it respects the fans. It is apparent, even if for some reason someone doesn’t like the series, that the team behind the series loves the original and made something to celebrate it and entertain the fans. Before going into detail, this Cowboy Bebop review will be largely positive.
Cowboy Bebop is a thrilling action series about three rambunctious bounty hunters, Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda), and Spike Spiegel (John Cho). Each bounty hunter, or cowboy, has a very large personality, a troubled past, and personal goals that aren’t always known to the other two. This often puts them at odds with each other leading to grand misunderstandings and let downs, yet through a string of odd connections and frequent saving of each others’ lives, things tend to work out.
For fans of the anime, the series will be instantly recognizable, if not a carbon copy, with the shot-for-shot recreation of the openings title sequence and theme song Tank! performed by the Seatbelts. It is a visual marvel that was done very well and captures the spirit of its source without feeling like a lazy copy. The lighting, the tone, and the style of the series are perfectly prefaced and tease the incredible editing the series has in store. Continuing on the copy train, the first episode “Cowboy Gospel” also follows the story of Spike and Jet chasing down Katerina and Asimov Solensan as the pilot episode of the anime “Asteroid Blues” did. While the influence of the anime is apparent, the live-action series has hour-long episodes. The extra time gives the series more time to expand the stories a bit as well as differentiate and focus on the uniqueness of the series. Story-wise, fans of the anime will love this series’ story as it is perfectly influenced by the source. Without sharing any specific details, the series is decidedly not a carbon copy of anime and offers plenty of surprises. Cowboy Bebop has found the perfect balance of giving fans exactly what they want in a remake while also giving them something new.
In addition to the story, another thing the series brilliantly recreates is the style and aesthetic of the anime. The soul of anime vibes resolutely throughout the series in every aspect. The music, the sounds, the sets, the shots, the editing, the story beats, and sound beats, emanate the cool jazz of the anime while still feeling unlike anything ever before. It is a beautiful mash-up of practical and digital effects combined with ambitious and bold cinematography and editing that brings the space western opera anime to life. It is breathtaking to see these vibrant colors and antics brought to life. The practical effects really bring all of the genre-crossing elements of the anime together in a way that has never been done in live-action series. The world(s) of Cowboy Bebop feel like they are simultaneously old and new with vintage vehicles and dusty spaceships that make it seem like Westerns have spread across a galaxy of Neon Noire civilizations. Netflix and Tomorrow Studios provide a series truly worthy of Yoko Kanno’s legendary composition.
Lastly, the performers bring provide the heart of the series and make it feel real. John Cho as Spike Spiegel is the embodiment of cool. He is perfectly cast as the haunted bounty hunter and effortlessly performs incredible feats of deadly violence and hilarious quips and observations. Daniella Pineda as is the perfect rambunctious and unapologetic Faye Valentine. Pineda gives a genuinely brilliant performance that magnificently translates the extreme cartoony aspects of Faye into a believable real person. The two unruly cowboys are perfectly balanced out by steadfast and personification of swag, Jet Black played by Mustafa Shakir. Shakir drips swag and authority that grounds the crew and the series. The chemistry of the trio is explosive, metaphorically and literally. It is a well-balanced triangle of ebbs and flows that is destructive and heartwarming. A trio that hates that they love each other. In opposition to the three “heroes” of the series, is Alex Hassel’s Vicious. Vicious is terrifying and ruthless and driven to continually become more heinous in order to compensate for his extreme vulnerability. Hassel brings an empathetic evil to Vicious that, while not exactly likable, makes him a resonating villain. In between the protagonists and antagonist, is the center point of Spike and Vicious’ love triangle, Elena Satine’s Julia. Julia has an incredible arc, but can’t really be covered without spoiling anything. It’s awesome, with emphasis on the jaw drop of the awe. Satine’s Julia is incredibly layered and complex. The supporting cast is also brilliant, but far too many to cover.
The one aspect of the series that isn’t flawless is the action. In general, the action sequences are amazing and incredibly choreographed. This goes for the physical confrontations and the gunfights. The series also expertly recreates cuts where the before and after-effects of the violence are witnessed and without any of the action. It creates visually stunning contrast that heightens the emotion of the scene. But there just sometimes that the action seems too choreographed and the impacts land like dance beats. The blocks and blows feel overly emphasized and don’t quite align with the otherwise smooth fluidity of the rest of the series. Its somewhat awkward presence is heightened because there are numerous scenes that do not feature the over-emphasized impacts. It feels deliberate like action films from the 70s and 80s, which does fit the tones of the genres, but a bit unnecessarily. It does not break the series, but it is the only recognizable weakness of the entire series.
Cowboy Bebop is one of the most ambitiously creative shows ever. Though obviously influenced by the anime, it still carves out a truly unique experience that will please fans of the original and undoubtedly garner an entirely new audience. The tone, style, and aesthetic of the series are bold and unapologetically cool. The use of practical and digital effects in combination with pioneering cinematography and editing bring the anime to life. That life is given heart by the incredible performances and chemistry of the cast. Cho, Shakir, Pineda, Hassel, and Satine will without a doubt forever have the characters of Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, Vicious, and Julia associated with them from now on. All of it is brought together and given a soul by Yoko Kanno’s composition and scoring. The only thing offbeat are a few of the series over emphasized beats in some action scenes, but otherwise, Cowboy Bebop is a flawless and courageously unique series. Netflix and Tomorrow Studios has done what many thought impossible and created a truly great live-action adaptation of an Anime. Fans of the original will be able to enjoy the series and languish in the similarities but also experience an original story. For its obdurate uniqueness, stellar cast, and accomplishment of the impossible, this Cowboy Bebop gets a 4.5/5.
Cowboy Bebop premieres on Netflix on Friday, November 19, 2021
Cowboy Bebop Review
TLDR
Cowboy Bebop is one of the most ambitiously creative shows ever. Though obviously influenced by the anime, it still carves out a truly unique experience that will please fans of the original and undoubtedly garner an entirely new audience. The tone, style, and aesthetic of the series are bold and unapologetically cool. The use of practical and digital effects in combination with pioneering cinematography and editing bring the anime to life. That life is given heart by the incredible performances and chemistry of the cast. Cho, Shakir, Pineda, Hassel, and Satine will without a doubt forever have the characters of Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, Vicious, and Julia associated with them from now on. All of it is brought together and given a soul by Yoko Kanno’s composition and scoring. The only thing offbeat are a few of the series over emphasized beats in some action scenes, but otherwise, Cowboy Bebop is a flawless and courageously unique series. Netflix and Tomorrow Studios has done what many thought impossible and created a truly great live-action adaptation of an Anime. Fans of the original will be able to enjoy the series and languish in the similarities but also experience an original story.