A live-action adaptation of the hit anime series “Cowboy Bebop” will premiere on Netflix on Nov. 19. The series stars John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, Daniella Pineda, Elena Satine and Alex Hassell. It will join the expanding adaptation selection on the streaming service.
“Cowboy Bebop” is an anime franchise that deals with a rag-tag group of bounty hunters exploring the cosmos as they take down targets on their starship Bebop. The series primarily focuses on two characters, Spike (Cho) and Vicious (Hassell), as they constantly clash over the object of their affections, Julia (Satine). Spike and his friends Jet Black (Shakir) and Faye Valentine (Pineda) deal with various missions and the mysterious Syndicate in between clashes.
“Cowboy Bebop” started as a manga in 1998 and ended in April of 2000. The successful manga has had various spinoffs in video games, a film in 2003, an anime released in Japan and dubbed for English audiences and now the live-action adaptation. It joins the already expanding lineup of adaptations on Netflix.
Netflix announced Bebop’s release late last August, with comments that the show will expand the anime’s canon while remaining unique.
Fans have taken to Twitter and voiced their concerns about the project, specifically with problems that the studio will not stick to the source material that defined a generation of anime fans. While some fans are hopeful that the adaptation does well, others have many concerns about the cast itself and the thematic feel of the show. However, there have been some positive responses to the recent release of the show’s intro during the TUDM event.
“Watching the Cowboy Bebop Netflix intro is bringing me so much joy,” said a Twitter fan.
“Cowboy Bebop” starring John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, Daniella Pineda, Elena Satine and Alex Hassell will be available on Nov. 19 on Netflix.
