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Earlier this week Netflix unveiled an excellent new teaser for 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Cowboy Bebop. It featured an ample amount of dialogue between the three main characters as they took part in a selection of combat sequences that felt like they were pulled straight out of the original series, or something even more meta, like Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs The World. It exemplifies the style, char🦂m, and weight of the original series in a way I wasn’t expecting, but at times it still comes across as a fan film with an overblown budget that understands the aesthetic of Bebop, but perhaps not the wider thematic elements and world building that make it such a beloved classic.
You can look the part, and this Netflix adaptation certainly does, but if you don’t feel, act, and believe you’re worthy of standing alongside the original vision then it will inevitably fail. This week’s short - known as The Lost Session - will not be a part of the series proper, 💎with Netflix making it clear that it is instead designed to be representative of the show’s tone and atmosphere, while also paving the way for an upcoming teaser trailer. Knowing this, perhaps all of my concerns are unfounded and I’m placing too much importance on the original anime, but this is Cowboy Bebop - almost every facet of its execution needs to be perfe🍃ct or it risks being torn apart by salty fans who lament its existence in the first place.
The Lost Session being a completely standalone experience means that the full series might be a different beast altogether, although part of me is hopeful it maintains the campy, almost self-aware attitude seen here that recognises the legacy it is playing with. It would be impossible to create a live action series that lives up to the anime, so it’s important to craft something that exists happily alongside it instead of attempting to replace what doesn’t need replacing. So many adaptations like this have sought to reinvent t♋he existing narrative or toy with characters that are universally adored. It ends in disaster, and it seems like Cowboy Bebop understands the expectations that come with such a reputation.
We know everything t✅here is to know about Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, and Faye Valentine, so retelling those existing stories with new interpretations could be a recipe for disaster. In the eyes of many, the original anime is impossible to live up to. Shows like this are always stronger when they seek to build upon existing ideas instead of reinventing them, risking potential bastardisation if they take a wrong foot somewhere or the performances fail to nail down the nuance that is only really possible in the world of animation. John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, and Daniella Pineda are clearly smart casting choices, with The Lost Session showcasing a level of playful chemistry that feels like quintessential Bebop.
They laugh, bicker, and fight before inevitably nailing their bounty, all while finding time to munch on noodles and ruminate over past stories in the process. This is a team that has been together for years, fighting back against societal systems with their own brand of monetary justice🐼. Part of me doesn’t want to see that origin story exploring again, only referenced and enhanced with additional ch🃏aracter development and narrative depth. Reinventing set pieces and pieces of dialogue will only serve to draw comparisons to the anime, and that will not go down favourably. It can be faithful, gorgeous and perfectly executed - but it’s still something we’ve seen before.
The Lost Session also appears to be a flashback, with key motifs from the anime being teased alongside major villains and locations. Our trio of lead characters are thinking about the past, meaning many of these moments might have already happened and the Netflix series is more of a continuation than recreation. This has been suggested to be the case already, and I🔯 hope it’s true. The show would be so much stronger if it tapped into the existing storyline while piecing together its own unique tale. It’s like watching Peter Parker become Spider-Man over and over - something the MCU’s Spidey took care to avoid. Spare me the details and get to the jazz, that’s what we’re all waiting to see.
I’d love to see these characters be built upon further, reflecting on pas🐽t conflicts and the trauma that accompanied such events as they embark on new adventures that we’d not seen before. It’s a greater challenge for the actors too, having to represent the weight of existing development while putting their own spin on things. The original Japanese voice actors are returning for the dub, so there’s clearly a lot of faith being placed in this project, and I hope all of its ambition pays off. We’ll see, but if the presentation and attitude of this ballsy teaser is any indication, Cowboy Bebop could be the adaptation we’ve been waiting for.