Shinichiro Watanabe: Watching Netflix’s ‘Cowboy Bebop’ Was ‘Difficult’

Right after 3, 2, 1, Shinichiro Watanabe couldn’t go anymore.

The creator of the “Cowboy Bebop” anime has revealed that Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the noir series is “difficult” to watch. The short-lived series starring John Cho was canceled by the streamer three weeks after its November 2021 premiere.

“They sent me a video for the new Netflix live-action adaptation to review and check,” Watanabe said. Forbes. “It started with a casino scene, which made it very difficult to continue. I stopped there and so only saw the opening scene. Obviously, it wasn’t “Cowboy Bebop” and that’s when I realized that if I didn’t participate, it wouldn’t be “Cowboy Bebop.”

He added: “I felt like maybe I should have done that. Although the value of the original anime is somehow much higher now.”

Called not a remake, the series received poor reviews.

“Once you have a successful title, you get a lot of requests to do something similar, in this case something like ‘Cowboy Bebop,'” Watanabe said of his career. “I have been receiving these types of inquiries for more than 20 years. I understand the reasoning behind the requests, but if I were to go down this road, I’d be doing the same thing over and over again. Eventually people get tired and lose interest in my work. I also feel that I can offer more variety in myself. With that in mind, I avoided doing similar things.”

Cho, the star of “Cowboy Bebop,” the 1990s anime series that debuted stateside in 2001, discussed his shared fandom of the live-action remake.

“I was really warmed by the response (to the show). I wish I could have reached out to everyone and gotten a hug,” Cho said, adding the resignation. “I’m a little bit convinced of how to connect with people you don’t know in your work, but I won’t. questions it. I will appreciate and appreciate it. I am very grateful if anyone is interested. It’s amazing to me… It was very shocking and I was stunned.”

Shortly after the cancellation in December 2021, more than 145,000 fans signed a petition to bring back “Cowboy Bebop” for a second season. However, the show’s limited fan base wasn’t enough to convince Netflix to reverse the decision.

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