We were so excited for this series to come out, as we said in the past review of the anime, (Find our review of the original Anime Here), we here at Nerd News Social loved this series as children. Because we loved the show, I jumped at the chance to review the live-action series from Netflix based on Cowboy Bebop.
We originally watched the new series, relying only on our nostalgia, without it fresh in our mind, and then we re-watched the Anime so we could appropriately talk about a fair comparison. BEST OF BOTH WORLDS! As always we break down the critiques of the three categories: Story, Acting, and Overall.
STORY: 10/10
So there is a lot the show doesn’t want us to spoil for you, so we won’t be delving into any specific points or characters in this session. I will say specifically though that the series corrects one of our biggest issues looking back at the Anime. The show flows perfectly. The series and the world within it are told in a linear way. Story points are built up from the beginning, and not specifically used as a surprise, but told to build-up to the series’ amazing conclusion.
Some of the stories are retold, but slightly different, some are turned around or shortened, and a lot of characters are modified to fit better with the consideration of telling a complete story.
One thing I want to talk about a bit more in story. The original Anime did a good job showcasing things that were a bit advanced for its time, same-sex relationships, non-conforming gender figures, and trans people. Usually in the anime, while they were included and perfectly normal in the world, the main characters themselves were still a little “eh” about them. This was pretty progressive for the 90s unfortunately. In this new live-action series the show does a great job not only including characters of different lifestyles but also not shunning or looking down on them.
ACTING: 9/10
People talking trash about the cast of the live-action are a bunch of soulless trolls.
John Cho may be older than the original version of Spike Spiegel, but he is still able to perform the stunts, or enough for camera effects, to play Spike. Additionally, as John Cho says, the additional years of his life allowed him to have a better understanding of the character, and portray the depth needed for a great performance. He has come so far from just trying to get to White Castle while high.
Mustafa Shakir, who you may know from his time as Bushmaster in the second season of Luke Cage, plays Jet Black. His character has been changed a bit, but a lot has stayed. I don’t want to ruin the reveal, but a little more depth and a little less stoic nature have played into it. Shakir does a great job and feels like he literally walked out of the Anime and just showed up for filming. While you feel for Spike, and want to be him, you fall in love with Shakir’s Jet.
Like John Cho, people gave Daniella Pineda shit for not having the exact dimensions of Faye Valentine, but let’s be honest unless you remove a bunch of ribs, no one can look like Faye Valentine. What Pineda lacks in being an actual real-life Anime character, she makes up by taking the often annoying character of Valentine, and making her feel more layered out the gate, and more fun. Also, she has made me want to go out and get a loofa on a stick to rip shit up.
Without these amazing actors, the series would feel like more parody, but they help breathe life into the insane, beautiful, and storied world of Cowboy Bebop.
OVERALL: 10/10
There is something weird about this show in comparison of the original Anime. The world for some reason feels small in the live-action series when considering the world of Anime. I don’t know if it was the choice to limit the musical stylings of the live-action series to Jazz, but it would make sense. It just feels a little flat, in world-building.
That being said, I really hope that they continue this show, and get a second run, there are stories from the original series that could still be told in a second season, and even more that they could delve into. If anyone at Netflix is listening, you’d be stupid to not continue on the story… hell you already have my money!
Conner’s Final Thought(s):
As I said in our review of the Anime, (Find our review of the original Anime Here), this live-action series not only can stand as a substitute for Firefly, it really is an amazing and engaging replacement. No hate to the staff of the original series, we love all those actors, but with all the stuff in the world spreading about Whedon, it’s nice to have a guilt-free series to jump into!
Make sure to watch the live-action series Here on November 19, 2021 when it arrives on Netflix!
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