Will Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop remake live up to the original?

Last week, Netflix announced the first actors cast for their Cowboy Bebop remake. The series will be a 10 episode live-action remake of the anime classic. With Cowboy Bebop being one of the most loved and well-reviewed anime of all time, will this remake be able to live up to the original material?

When Netflix first announced its plans to shoot a live-action remake of Cowboy Bebop, I wasn’t too excited. In fact, I was extremely nervous. Cowboy Bebop is one of my favorite anime. With its complex cast and existential themes, it deeply struck a chord with me when I first watched it.

American remakes of anime do not have a good track record. Netflix previously attempted a live-action remake of another anime classic Death Note, which both critics and fans panned. Rupert Sanders directed a live-action Ghost in the Shell film, which was also a critical failure and caused great controversy with the casting of Scarlett Johansson as the lead role.

My anxieties about the Cowboy Bebop remake are rooted in these previous failures. However, the recent news of the casting of key characters such as Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, and Faye Valentine gave me a glimmer of hope. Perhaps the series will not be as disastrous as previous anime remake attempts. Could it maybe even live up to its source material?

The cast so far

Last week, Netflix announced John Cho will play the lead Spike Spiegel. In addition to Cho, Mustafa Shakir will play Jet Black and Daniella Pineda will play Faye Valentine. (Thankfully, there’s no mention of ScarJo joining the cast). Just based on appearances alone, the cast so far are a perfect fit. They embody either the essence or the look of their anime counterparts.

John Cho as Spiegel is especially well-casted. He not only looks the part, but has the acting talent to back it up. After gaining rave reviews from his performance in the recent thriller, Searching, I trust him to do justice to the iconic character. If Netflix continues to cast the series well, it will give me more hope for the show. With such intricate characters, Cowboy Bebop is a series that demands excellent actors.

The director of the anime will serve as a consultant

Shinichiro Watanabe, director of the original anime, will consult the remake’s production team. This brings some comfort to my worried mind about the production. Hopefully with Watanabe as consultant, the remake will be able to successfully capture what made the original anime so special.

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It is also important to note that Tomorrow Studios will co-produce the show with Netflix. The production company doesn’t have much actually out yet, so it is hard to gauge whether this is a good or bad fact. However, it recently released Hanna, a series based on the film of the same name. Hanna has received generally positive, but not outstanding reviews. At least the company has shown once they are competent enough in remaking material.

Netflix ordered only 10 episodes so far

It is unclear yet what Netflix’s long-term plan for the series will be. Will there just be one season or multiple seasons? Will they release the first season in parts? However, what we do know is Netflix has ordered 10 episodes so far.

For starting out the project, 10 seems like the perfect number. The original anime is 26 episodes long, with each episode running for about 25 minutes. However, Netflix’s dramas often run about 40 to 60 minutes. If the remake’s episodes run that long it is possible for them to fit everything in one season, depending on how they approach the remake.

Ten episodes also does not leave a lot of room for filler, which is a blessing. Adaptations and remakes can sometimes be padded with and drawn out with unnecessary and uninteresting filler plot. (I’m looking at you, Hobbit trilogy.)

It is often a rarity for remakes to live up to their original source. Honestly, I’m not expecting Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop to resonate with me as much as the original did. It is hard to capture lightning in the bottle twice.

However, after my initial misgivings of the idea, the news of the cast so far, and production details have raised my hopes. Though Netflix’s version most likely won’t be as fantastic as the original, I am expecting the live-action series to be great, or at least decent by its own accord.

Do you think Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop will live up to the original? Comment below!