Leaps and bounds have been made in creating visually believable space sci-fi shows and movies in the last decade. Cowboy Bebop, on the other hand, looks to be standing on shaking legs. While some of the larger backdrops and cityscapes are passable to look at in a wide shot, closer shots look fake. Characters often appear to be walking through a staged set. The opening episode features a casino shaped like a roulette wheel floating in space, nearly identical to the casino ship seen in the anime. Inside the casino, rather than a sprawling high ceiling floor, the live action opted for a disappointingly small room with a few slot machines and a bar. This issue reoccurs throughout the show such as in New Tijuana which again, obviously appears to be a staged set that breaks the immersion of the show. Luckily, the set for the Bebop is a different story. Some of the best believable moments of the show happen aboard the ship, and it was incredible how much detail they were able to pack in.
Looking at the characters, Spike Spiegel's defining profile includes his poofy hair and long legs. While John Cho got the hair down and his height is above average at 5’10, he looks awkwardly short in his oversized suit. A shorter jacket and tighter pants would help accentuate his legs. Vicious played by Alex Hassell with his hair and scowl laughably reminded me of Jason Isaac as Lucius Malfoy from Harry Potter for better or for worse. Jet Black, played by Mustafa Shakir, works pretty well with his beard, and Ein (the dog), is just adorable. Faye Valentine, played by Daniella Pineda, is a bit complicated. As a bounty hunter, her new modern and practical outfit allows her to fight and move realistically. Replicating the costume exactly to the anime would only result in a cosplayer rather than a believable character on screen. Faye does change into more appropriate attire on the show when a womanly approach is required. I would have liked to see brighter colors such as matching yellow shorts or even including Faye’s signature headband to match her personality.
While Pineda doesn’t exactly fit Faye’s profile or silhouette, she more than makes up for it with her acting. Some of the best and most enjoyable moments include her on screen. Her demeanor, the tone of her voice, the sassiness, a lot of it resembles Wendee Lee’s performance in the American localization of the anime. Pineda acted a bit too much like a kid occasionally, which might be a positive given Faye's backstory. John Cho, on the other hand, brings some subtleness to his character. Cho tones down most of the exaggerated movements of Spike Spiegel from the anime but still manages to capture the character’s nonchalant mannerisms. I felt he lacked the charisma and coolness of Spike from the anime, which may also be partially because of a bias based on his previous comedic roles. Cho really shines as Spike when he’s bantering with other characters or involved in a humorous scene. There’s a real chemical reaction that sparks when Cho, Pineda, and Shakir are together on screen that screams Cowboy Bebop.
Appearances and acting are one thing, but what about the fighting? Fairly awkward. Actor movements are stiff, and fight scenes are often riddled with hard-to-follow jump cuts. Despite this, there were a couple of standouts. One, that was unfortunately relegated to the background, and the second featured a one-shot camera pan reminiscent of the late 80s and early 90s Hong Kong action movies. Thankfully the saving grace is that these fight scenes play out to the tunes composed by the legendary Yoko Kanno, the original composer for the anime.
For the most part, the stories from the anime are present but have been mixed and matched. This was also likely done out of necessity as each episode is nearly an hour long, which often leads to pacing issues. Some episodes are overwhelmingly dense, with three different concurrent plots being told in the same episode. Notably, there’s a new story featuring Vicious and Julia (played by Elena Satine) throughout the series that’s fairly forgettable.
Despite its shortcomings that are easily correctable in a second season, newcomers to the series will certainly enjoy the live action. Fans of the anime will appreciate the attention to detail and easter eggs that were spent on the show; however, there are some changes that were fairly significant that may upset some that will be discussed in a full review after the show releases. Cowboy Bebop is a fun ride and whether fans will embrace it or not, I am interested to see where this new direction will go in a followup.
Cowboy Bebop releases on November 19, 2021 on Netflix.
