“After getting shortchanged on fee for a bounty, Spike and Jet head to New Tijuana on the trail of another mark – but they're not the only ones.”

The whole series starts in the aftermath of a massacre that happened in a casino. The leader is ranting about the control the corporations have, to the few survivors. He talks about getting fired for stabbing a Pit Boss in the eye, and the Pit Boss getting fire because he only has one eye. All the while, they're waiting for a program to finish decrypting the funds they're after. A lot of the look came over once we start seeing Spike. And when the music kicks in, with a newer version of “What Planet is this?” from the original show. The music followed the fight through its ebbs and flows. The thing goes sideways in a fairly Bebop fashion. Both Spike (John Cho), and Jet (Mustafa Shakir), almost get pulled out into space before getting the shielding back in place. When asked who they are, Spike replies, “Just a humble bounty hunter.” This all is just the opening before things move to the title sequence with those iconic notes of “Tank!”

Watching the intro, it shows a lot of great moments from the anime brought to life. The Space Warriors can be seen, Jet trimming his Bonzai, as well as Pierrot le Fue. The teddy bear and the detonator for the Teddy Bomber were a particular favorite. There was a lot crammed into the intro. Plus having it set to “Tank!” just hits the right notes (if literally) for me. It alludes with a lot of promise toward what the show can have in its future. It'd take a paragraph to cite all the stuff I noticed. But I will say that having the musicians at the end of the title sequence is something I'd always wanted from the original show. So it re-trends ground, but does go off in its own direction. It offers something unique while keeping at least some of what made the original.

For live-action to match up, it has a high bar to meet. A lot of the aesthetic stayed in the show itself. The clothes of the Spike and Jet were straight out of the anime. Faye's outfit is made more realistic and functional. The humor is a bit different, not being afraid of being a little more bawdy. That was not so much a thing in the original. Otherwise, the does come from the same places: usually the situation, sometimes the dialogue, and sometimes just Faye, Jet, and Spike being themselves. These moments help with the story and keep us buoyed up while the story takes its darker turns or reveals.

I do need to talk about them getting Yoko Kanno on board with this series. That is a blessing in so many ways. She gets to refresh the classic soundtrack that come from Cowboy Bebop. While a LOT of the original music is there, the world has more of it infused directly into it. You hit the Red Eye sequence, it takes boost with its horn, and chanting. When it changes to BeBop getting close to New Tijuana, the shift in music does a good job of getting us back to a grounded state from the high octane fight. It draws from the same influences and brings new life to a soundtrack that's 23 years old (as of writing this in 2021). There are stronger music themes throughout as well, like the sax when Spike is thinking about Julia. As the episode goes on, it has a more Latin flavor than the original episode ever did.

Cowboy Bebop, the anime, was defined by its style, strong characters, isolated stories, and amazing music. The Bebop crew seemed to generally have just enough money to keep functioning from the bounties they'd collect. Just enough to keep to the sky, and keep on chasing bounties. There would be super-science escapades occasionally, but it was a very grounded show for the time it came out. It works mostly as a character study as we saw the changes happen slowly with Faye, Spike and Jet (plus Ed and Ein as well when they came in).

While I do want some faithfulness to the source material, I do want the Netflix series to ultimately go in its own direction. There is still a lot to the world that the crew of the Bebop inhabits that could be explored. This show takes advantage of the longer run-time. The sequences are more built out. There's more time to see the relationship between Asimov (Jann Uddin) and Katerina (Lydia Peckham). A little bit more punch when the truth about her “pregnancy” is revealed. Also, it is more just a relationship than the marriage implied in the original. Just more build and pay-off overall with the scenes. There are two more character added as well to great effect. The final scene makes for a great lead toward what is likely coming in the future with those mysterious characters.

Here's a good example: The Red Eye Sequence. This sequence is something I enjoyed a lot more in this series. It borrows from the anime, but doesn't follow it to a T. Once the drug kicks in, and Asimov stops screams, we get to see in the first-person perspective tinged with red. As well as something more distinct about the changes to the eyes the Red Eye makes. It isn't just them getting blood-shot, but some shifts to the iris as well. While it plainly is boosting the dealer (and helping him ignore the pain of getting shot), it doesn't give him the full super-human reflexes Red Eye gave in the anime. With its jump cuts between attacks while first person, it does give the fast feeling that you'd expect. It is a solid fight scene in general with a good build, play, and end.

In regards to episode 1, “Cowboy Gospel”, it does take the show into different places just by its new medium. Spike and Jet have a similar relationship here. The clothes, most of the tech, and the ships are straight out of the anime (and looking great for it). The guns have been updated to reflect the modern times this show has been remade it. It does build out the world, with Jet having some family he's in touch with, and something more of a tie with ISSP. In the anime, it was a loose tie that he called on from time to time. Now, Jet's ex-wife is getting him the odd lead now and again on an upcoming bounty. Spike remains more aloof and mysterious this early on. When we see him training on the Bebop, he's got the scars to show he's been in a lot of scraps and not always come out unscathed. We learn that the Gate incident that happened over Earth is possibly more recent than 50 years ago. Faye comes in after Katerina (who is helping Asimov sell the Red Eye) because of a bounty on her that wasn't there originally. Those were the bigger changes from what I know of the anime, which I just finished rewatching yesterday. Jet is more forth coming about the past. We can assume Spike knows what we're learning, that Jet was married (now divorced) and has an 8 year-old daughter. And he's determined to get a good present for once while, hopefully, out of the red. It also seems Spike owes a lot to Jet (or has some moral debts to pay back). Faye enters into the series a LOT sooner as well. She appears with everyone else in episode one. Her outfit is less revealing, taking on a more particular approach. She does look good with the “purple” hair. It was purple, but it looked more like highlights of purple with the lighting being what it was. Much like the original, when Fate gets caught by Spike, she gets locked in the bathroom. She breaks out and does help the boys in the final gunfight.

Overall, it does want I want for a live-action ADAPTATION. It gives the characters a new life with different people behind them. John Cho and Mustafa Shakir as Spike and Jet played off each other well. It seems playfully antagonistic than the partnership of the original. They help balance each other out, somewhat. Spike is very free-flowing, while Jet is more for a plan and executing that. Daniella Pineda as Faye Valentine didn't get a lot of screen time, but she does show a much different character than the one in the anime, a little less femme fatale. She offers a good mix of being focused, but also very quick to try to cut a deal when she's not in the best position (like being handcuffed to a toilet). But who she is remains largely unknown beyond those bits. The next episode might just have some answers. I'll know when I watch it soon.

We'll see how this develops over time with the 10 episodes of the live-action series. These episodes run longer, going between 40-50 minute run times. So far, it's a lot like the intro sequence with “Tank!” It knows what it was, will nod to it, but understands that this show needs to have its own plot and developments, not just retreading the ground we saw broken back in the 1998. It's a decent first impression. But for now...

See you Space Cowboy.