There’s actually nothing else fairly like Cowboy Bebop. As a stylized, over-the-top galaxy-spanning sci-fi journey, it combines the pacing of an old-school Hong Kong motion movie with the melodrama of classic westerns — all to the tune of a bumping jazz soundtrack. The landmark 1998 anime series specializing in area cowboys and misplaced souls was, merely put, a vibe and a richly eclectic one at that.

It is no secret Cowboy Bebop is amongst one of the extra sacred and influential anime exhibits of the final 20 years, and it is a series that I’ve fond admiration for. That is what made the prospect of a live-action adaptation one thing to really feel a little apprehension about.

Fortunately, Netflix’s debut season of the live-action Cowboy Bebop just isn’t solely a enjoyable and thrilling romp that will get the colourful, soulful gestalt of the unique series, it additionally leaves its personal mark in ways in which generally improves upon the anime from creator Shinichirō Watanabe.

Like the unique, the live-action Cowboy Bebop sees a dysfunctional crew of bounty hunters driving a skinny line between poverty and comfy squalor within the distant future. All through the 10-episode season, the trio of bounty hunters, Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda), and Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), tackle completely different jobs throughout the galaxy. These gigs entangle them with oddball criminals and unnerving villains, and tug at numerous threads related to the tragic pasts of every character.

The spine of the brand new series is the chemistry between the trio of bounty hunters. After they’re not arguing over meals and minor inconveniences, they get caught up in missions throughout completely different planets caught in a culturally stagnated society gripped by late-stage capitalism. John Cho’s portrayal of the aloof however all the time crafty Spike is a incredible flip for the actor. Cho manages to nail Spike’s pure cool and swagger, alongside together with his iconic fluffy hair. When Spike’s murky previous involves gentle, Cho successfully exhibits his character’s darker facet.

Jet Black is the rock of the crew, serving because the unofficial captain of the Bebop — the ship they use to journey throughout the galaxy. Mustafa Shakir’s tackle the character is a useless ringer for his animated counterpart. He completely captures the deadpan nature of Jet whereas additionally displaying his tenderness when bonding together with his crew and family members.

However the clear standout is Daniella Pineda as femme fatale Faye Valentine. Pineda’s take just isn’t solely true to the seductive and ruthless nature of Faye, however provides a much more playful and endearing spin. She’s an absolute blast to observe on display screen and elevates an already nice solid, giving the trio of bounty hunters a charming sense of comradery.

Usually, characters mirror their anime counterparts, however a notable deviation considerations Vicious (Alex Hassell) and Julia (Elena Satine), Spike’s main antagonist and long-lost love, respectively. They’ve higher dimension within the Netflix series, and are given extra to do throughout the plot — which is an attention-grabbing if serviceable dive into the murkier facet of the legal underworld within the far future. The 2 characters have precise pathos and weight within the story. Hassell particularly seems to be like he relishes each scene he is in as Vicious, whereas Satine efficiently casts some ambiguity in Julia’s presence, significantly through the later episodes.

Whereas I usually appreciated what the live-action present does for Vicious and Julia, a half of me felt that their collective climax was underdeveloped, regardless that I appreciated the route it units for future seasons. With an ensemble solid, the present spends a lot of time juggling completely different storylines, and sadly, Vicious and Julia’s arc suffers as a end result.

The live-action present additionally updates some of the extra unsavory elements of the unique series that is higher left up to now. The anime featured a number of antiquated views of sexuality. The live-action present addresses this by revamping characters, corresponding to Gren (Mason Alexander Park), who’s now a recurring, non-binary character with extra relevance to the story. Some episodes from the anime series featured dated stereotypes of homosexual and transgender characters, so it is nice to see the brand new present giving these characters a extra enlightened and significant presence.

Whereas the brand new series makes use of many acquainted characters, storylines and iconic scenes as constructing blocks, its extra serialized plot deviates from the anime in nice ways in which I will not spoil right here. As a substitute of the largely episodic nature of the unique, with many episodes remoted from the bigger plot, the live-action present carries a extra related story thread all through the season. This consistency helps lay out the framework of 2071’s galactic civilization and the numerous unsavory and endearing characters inside.

It additionally dives deeper into the unique series’ lesser-seen and unknown elements, which I discovered tremendous attractive. Early episodes maintain issues easy, however the floodgates regularly open, explaining civilization “post-Earth” and the way life has grow to be difficult following humanity’s pressured enlargement to the celebrities. The live-action present does properly to illustrate the scope of Cowboy Bebop’s universe, and regardless of holding issues low-key, the ambition and craft continues to be there.

There’s a lot of motion to see unfold all through the season, which seamlessly blends collectively fierce martial-arts brawls and John Woo-style gun battles. Whereas nonetheless stylized in its method to motion and set items, the actors cannot contort and bend in the identical not possible methods as their animated counterparts. This leaves some of the extra heightened motion scenes feeling subdued and scaled again, which might come at odds to the pacing of the story. Nonetheless, there are thrilling moments that change between thrilling and funky wanting fights to really grotesque moments.

I did get pleasure from seeing this rearrangement of tales put collectively to inform a extra related plot, and it was good seeing moments and characters foreshadowed. Nevertheless, the Netflix series does generally battle to maintain its momentum going, particularly after a sturdy set of opening episodes. That is particularly felt within the again finish of the season, with some characters and plot threads feeling undercooked. Nonetheless, the reside motion series managed to win me again over with its endearing sense of model and lovable characters, which closed the season out with a good twist and tease for what’s to return.

The anime series was very a lot a present of its period, and the live-action present retains that late-’90s aesthetic, that includes retro know-how like CRT displays and analog computer systems. This provides the sense of the present’s universe feeling uncomfortable and lived-in, with characters clinging to worn down and damaged relics of the previous — each technological and philosophically. It is a visually pleasing and grounded have a look at life in area.

Identical to the anime, there’s an lively ingredient of social commentary in Netflix’s present, casting a gentle on capitalism in area and the way life has been devalued sooner or later. Whereas it is largely within the periphery, there is a compelling anti-capitalist undercurrent all through, with characters decrying the rise of firms and the way the police serve the ruling class. This in turns helps to raise the unique series’ setting and premise, making it really feel all of the extra poignant as a present in 2021.

The brand new series principally succeeds at recreating and increasing upon the unique’s signature model and soulful tone. One of the explanations for that’s authentic composer Yoko Kanno’s work on the live-action series. Classic songs like Rush, Inexperienced Chicken, and The Actual Folks Blues return too. However as a result of Kanno and her band The Seatbelts produced a wholly new soundtrack for the present, the music feels equally nostalgic and recent. If you happen to instructed me these songs have been from a misplaced album from the unique present, I might imagine it.

Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop stays near the spirit of the unique series, nevertheless it really is at its greatest when it does its personal factor. It does not all the time stick with the touchdown, and a few elements of the present could be higher left for animation, but these stumbles do not take away from the truth that I nonetheless had a blast binging by way of the season. It is one of the uncommon profitable live-action diversifications, and Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop succeeds at being a enjoyable and stable first outing that works as a good companion to the unique series. It could not hit each proper notice, nevertheless it’s obtained that spark that’ll maintain the music going.