Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop and the Attention Economy
***Spoilers for the Orginal and Live-Action Cowboy Bebop***
Ok, so I just watched the new Cowboy Bebop live-action Netflix show. I had little to no expectations for the show to be good know the track record for these sorts of things, but since the original is one of my favorite shows of all time I had to give it a shot.
Honestly, I was pretty shocked in the direction that the live-action show went in. While the shot-for-shot matching of the opening sequence would make you think otherwise, the show isn’t a carbon copy of the original with people instead of pictures.
As a result of that, for better or worse, this project stands on its own taking the existing characters and really doing its own new thing. Besides having Yoko Kano returning for the score, the show has a really different tone and experience from the original.
Most of these changes feel Western and Netflix-esque and stick out like a sore thumb to a viewer familiar with the source material. The original’s “story” which exists in like five episodes and is intentionally loose and flashback driven takes the forefront. Faye is introduced in the jump while the original doesn’t include her for five episodes. Vicious and Julia become main characters, given just as much screentime as the Bebop crew. While in the original, the crew is mostly concerned with making some Woolongs and living to see another day, there’s a lot more motivation, growth, and change in their live-action counterparts.
And that’s not a bad thing! Some of these story changes feel fresh and an extension of the existing characters: Jet being a deadbeat dad, Faye wanting to explore her past before things the end of life on earth seem like natural extensions to their character. The biggest character change from the original definitely comes from Faye, who is written more like a “bruh girl” than the femme fatale of the anime. This feels like an intention to dodge hyper-sexualizing the character, a common problem in anime. I thought the new version of Faye was fine and fit it with the rest of the crew just fine. While the original is mainly just concerned with Spike as the lead for most of the show Jet and Fay really take the lead in a few episodes. Frankly, I’m kind of disappointed we didn’t see a lot of Ein, but they set up more for our furry friend at the end of the season when Radical Edward makes their debut in an MCU-style post-credit scene.
With any live-action anime adaptation, there’s a lot of (negative) reaction to pretty much every casting choice. Frankly, I had my doubts given his age, but John Cho is the definitive live-action Spike Spiegal. Full Stop. Mustafa Shakir as Jet is another standout to me: he definitely looks the part and does a good job of capturing Jet’s mellow vibe and fatherlike demeanor from the anime. In the live Daniella Pineda’s Faye Valentine is probably the most polarizing of the main three but I think she does a fine job here and makes Faye her own.
When the live-action is the best the three leads are riffing, arguing about money, and shooting the breeze. However, the live-action sort of “Marvel-izes” these characters The crew goes from roommates to family in this one. While in the anime, convenience is the main reason they are all together and they can (and will repeatedly without regret) screw each other over for a few Woolongs here and there, the live-action really strives to make a Guardians of the Galaxy vibe. Spike’s business in the anime, quickly becomes team operations in the show to the point Jet makes rhymes to explain the plan and even takes the crew bowling. The multitude of breakups and makeups the anime has only existed at the end of the season, to set up the next one of course.
However, the main thing that really doesn't work in the Netflix adaption storywise is the Vicious/Julia/Syndicate storyline. Vicious is so cool in the original in part because we know nearly nothing about him except him and Spike used to be partners before Spike stole his girl and left the Syndicate. He really is a blank slate: a cool anime villain with a sword and little regard for human life. In the show, he’s not cool at all and is just an abusive trust fund baby. Julia’s character is given dramatically more depth but it doesn’t feel earned: she just becomes a Lady Macbeth Girlboss and even the show’s flashback episode explains her sudden street smarts.
The show’s biggest problem is that while I look the part, it doesn’t feel like Cowboy Bebop. The anime is known for stopping and smelling the roses in order to let the viewer appreciate the music and visuals. There’s lots of downtime in space, let’s listen to jazz until the next bounty comes in. The show's loose story (mostly one-shots) and heavy vibes defined the late-night Toonami era of anime in the United States. For many Bebop was the show the symbolized anime growing up: feeling more like an arthouse film than a Saturday Morning Cartoon.
The live-action adaption loses this nuance. There’s rarely time for Spike to take a cigarette break or Faye to sunbathe on the top of the ship. Live-Action Bebop feels less like Blade Runner and more like a Marvel movie in the way it forces the story forward. The audience really loses the sense of just hanging out with these vagabonds. The live-action doesn’t add to any of this and even though it is well made, feels like content for the sake of content
The original isn’t wasn’t made for binging. See You Space Cowboy doesn’t hit the same when The Real Folk Blues is replaced by “Skip Credits”. The Live-Action feels like paint and sip recreation of a Van Gogh- accurate, but shallow.
Even though it doesn’t really do enough to justify its existence, it's fine as its own thing. I enjoyed watching it and will watch season two when it eventually comes out. If you liked the anime, give it a shot.
Here’s the thing: if the show is good, accurate to the source material, or even worth watching doesn’t matter at all to Netflix as long as people are paying attention to it. The show does have cringe, but it’s getting people talking, isn’t it?
Netflix knows making a series or movie based on an established anime or video game is worth buying the rights for more often than not because they have an established fanbase. And if you want to watch the original again before or after the remake? All the better for them.
You’re basically putting money in Ted Seandero’s pocket when you tweet about how Spike would never have a man bun or how Ed’s post-credit appearance was cringe or that one scene when Jet is getting hit on. The same way you are when you complain about how Tiger King doesn’t need a second season. Unfortunately, the same logic applies to the controversy about Dave Chapelle’s latest standup being transphobic.
Netflix as a company doesn’t exist to make great movies and television. It exists to capture the zeitgeist. They make content for the watercooler (Slack chat?) and if they pick up awards along the way that’s just value-added. I’m sure deep down the people angry about this show being made know if they just ignored it there’s a bigger chance for it to get canceled- But they can’t help themselves can they?
See you (Next Season) Space Cowboy…
