3 Cowboy Bebop stories we hope to see in the Netflix series

With every piece of information we’ve been getting about the upcoming Cowboy Bebop live-action series for Netflix, there’s so much to anticipate.

Typically, when it comes to a coalescence of live-action and anime, fans aren’t always sure what to expect from Hollywood. We’ve seen the massive, big-budget attempts with properties like Ghost in the Shell and Dragon Ball, but now the timeless title Cowboy Bebop will be spearheading Netflix’s upcoming anime roster.

Fortunately, Cowboy Bebop is already off to a spectacular start with the recent announcement that the iconic Yoko Kanno has signed on to return as the series composer decades later. The news regarding Kanno’s return gave Bebop fans a second wind, backed by the notion of a fall 2021 release has us ready to see a few different ideas transpire in the Netflix adaptation. Surely we’ll be getting some fun new takes on the world of Cowboy Bebop, but that doesn’t mean we can’t hope to see a few particular episode concepts return in live-action form either.

So what episodes do we hope to see find their way into the fray?

3 must-have episodes in Cowboy Bebop on Netflix

My Funny Valentine

It’s hard to imagine Cowboy Bebop getting a live-action treatment that disregards the plot of an episode from the anime, but let’s be practical, it has to happen. For this series to maintain that strange, unique Bebop energy, there has to be a few deviations, but also a few consistencies.

However, one episode that would fit a narrative around world-building would be the Faye-centric chapter, “My Funny Valentine”. The episode not only gives a great entry point for the ambiguity surrounding Faye’s character, but we see the futuristic world through the eyes of an amnesia-stricken character who quickly hardens herself and operates on survival instincts.

Faye is one of the most reputable characters in anime, and getting such a human story from the medium, told in live-action could have a great effect on casual viewers. For those more committed to the source material, a nod to Faye’s past could become a respectable inclusion.

Jupiter Jazz

Ok, so Jupiter Jazz is technically a two-parter, but regardless, an obvious choice. When you look at some of your favorite series in television or anime, there’s almost always an unforgettable two-parter. Bebop has two, mind you, but the first of the season is genuinely one of a kind.

In “Jupiter Jazz”, we get to see a little involvement from all the series players, with the main focus on Spike and Faye, digging into Spike’s past. A mysterious lead takes Spike to a new setting in search of the woman he believed to be dead and sheds light on the series villain Vicious. The story gives Vicious different dimensions and opens the door to introduces an LGBTQ+ character that has already been confirmed to appear in the series.

All in all, Jupiter Jazz is some of the best work from Shinichiro Watanabe and Cowboy Bebop, so it seems like a no-brainer that we’d get to see that decided in some capacity.

Ballad of Fallen Angels

If the rivalry between Spike and Vicious is going to be as central to Cowboy Bebop as fans expect it to be, there’s little to no reason not to include “Ballad of Fallen Angels”. The fifth episode of the series is a fast introduction to how heavy the series is able to get, and sends the newly formed team into the face of real danger.

The episode had such a grand, cinematic appeal to it, there’s plenty to find inspiration from. The episode is also the first segue into the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate, with bloodshed, slight nods to horror, and everything that Cowboy Bebop is able to achieve when it casts its fun lighthearted ways aside for some heavy lifting.

“Ballad of Fallen Angels” remains one of the best anime moments of all time, so with all the characters in place, it’s just a matter of making it a reality.

What Cowboy Bebop stories are you hoping to see in the Netflix series?