Netflix recently released the live-action series Cowboy Bebop, a remake of a classic anime series of the same name. We’re going to review each episode in the series, but thought we would kick off this initial episode review with a bit more info about the original animated series.
Cowboy Bebop - The Anime Series
Cowboy Bebop was released in 1998. It only ran for 26 episodes, but over time has become one of the most beloved anime series of all time. It also won several anime and science fiction awards. It is actually one of the first anime series to make its way to Western countries and introduce the genre to a worldwide audience.
The story takes place in the year 2071 and is described as a neo-noir space western. It follows the adventures of a crew of space bounty hunters (called Cowboys) from the ship Bebop, who chase criminals around the galaxy, trying to take them alive and bring them in for a reward.
The crew grows over time, beginning with the two main characters - Spike Spiegel (an exiled former hitman) and Jet Black (a former police officer). They are later joined by Faye Valentine (a con artist with amnesia), Radical Edward (an eccentric hacker), and Ein (a genetically-engineered Pembroke Welsh Corgi), with human-like intelligence.
The team is involved in one disastrous mishap after another throughout the series, as we learn more about each character’s backstory. The core story revolves around Spike and his rivalry with Vicious, a criminal from the Red Dragon Syndicate (where Spike worked as an assassin). They were once partners who had a falling out over Julia, Viscous’ girlfriend who falls in love with Spike. This led to Spike faking his own death to escape the Syndicate.
Cowboy Bebop - Live-Action Episode 1
The Netflix series kicks off by replicating the highly stylized intro and opening credits from the anime series, suggesting the series is going to adhere to many of style elements of the original show. The episode itself is based on the very first episode of the anime, as we meet Spike and Jet as they are on the hunt for a criminal and his pregnant girlfriend (Asimov and Katerine) who has stolen a powerful drug from the syndicate called Red-Eye.
They head to New Tijuana and Spike starts asking around after the couple. Spike eventually runs into Katerina and strikes up a conversation, before another bounty hunter joins the party.
This gives us our intro to Faye Valentine (a bit quicker than in the anime series) as the two hunters get into a fight while Asimonve and Katerina escape. Spike takes Valentine up to the Bebop to keep her out of his way, but she eventually escapes, only to arrive at the scene where Spike and Jet have been waiting for the fugitives. I
t’s fortuitous that she does show up because the Syndicate shows up too and it’s a bit of a bloodbath. We also see Katerina shot in the stomach, only to learn that she isn’t actually pregnant, but has been keeping the stolen drugs concealed under her dress.
Faye saves Jet, shooting Asimov in the neck, while Spike finishes off the last of the Syndicate thugs and then chases after the fugitive couple into space. But, in a similar ending to the anime series, the couple flies into a hail of bullets from the authorities. No bounty to collect today for the crew of the Bebop.
The Spike Storyline
We also get glimpses of Spike’s past in flashbacks that introduce a woman with a rose tattoo. That woman shows up at the end of the episode when we meet Syndicate leader, Viscous. If the show stays true to the anime, we’ll be seeing a lot more of both of them in future episodes.
Watch it or Not?
Reviews for the Netflix show are mixed. The track record of adapting anime into live-action movies or shows is poor, at best. There are some good things about the Netflix show, including John Cho as Spike. He seems to really inhabit the character, from his funk hair to his futuristic and odd-fitting suits. The special effects are fine and the action is pretty impressive. Adapting a classic show is always a daunting task. Based on the first episode, it looks like Netflix is giving it a good shot. We’ll see how the future episodes stack up.
