Netflix's Cowboy Bebop images are out, and it's not doing it for me

Netflix'due south Cowboy Bebop images are out, and information technology's non doing it for me

(Image credit: Netflix)

The characters in Cowboy Bebop are, as astrophysicist Dr. Adam Frank put it, impossibly cool. From the way Fasten Spiegel lights a cigarette to how Faye Valentine serenely floats in null gravity, animation studio Sunrise's vision melded 50 years of cinematic suave into one bear witness.

It's one of the benefits of animation. Casting is not limited to histrion availability of onerous contract negotiations, simply rather the willingness of the artist. So when Netflix announced that a live-activity Cowboy Bebop evidence was to be made, I knew I had to temper my expectations.

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Cowboy Bebop with John Cho — (Image credit: Netflix)

Netflix doesn't have the best history of adapting animation. It's become and so endemic that "Netflix adaptation" is a meme in and of itself. Regardless, I knew that casting for Cowboy Bebop would exist difficult as perceptions of animated characters tin vary from person to person.

For example, if I drew a simple smiley face, growing up in America I might assume information technology to be white. Describe that same smiley face in Mongolia, and someone in that location would envision it to be Mongolian. The betoken I'm trying to brand here is non linked to race, only rather that our own life experiences can meld and morph what we feel a drawn grapheme might look similar in the real globe.

Cowboy Bebop The Movie — (Image credit: Funimation)

I call back the casting of John Cho was a great call. He's a tremendous actor with dearest for the source material.

But remember, Fasten Spiegel is, as mentioned in my intro, impossibly cool. In the anime, he stands at six'i" tall, with long lanky legs and wide shoulders. There are only a few actors that could nail downward this look, mayhap Bridegroom Cumberbatch or Tom Hiddleston. Keanu Reeves once eyed the role for a live-action moving-picture show, which never got off the basis. And earlier anyone decries me of whitewashing the image of Spiegel, the world of Cowboy Bebop takes place in a space-faring future featuring a wide variety of ethnicities. Plus, Spiegel is a name of German-Jewish origin.

Cho doesn't quite fit this description. But once again, that'due south simply my vision of the grapheme. I'm sure other viewers encounter him as the perfect fit, which, by all means, don't let this cavalcade detract from their excitement.

Cowboy Bebop with Danielle Pineda — (Image credit: Netflix)

Danielle Pineda is taking on the function of Fay Valentine. Over again, this is a difficult role to nail down. In the anime, Faye stands at 5'5", although her model-like frame gives her an unrealistic pivot-up presence. Yeah, the animators at Sunrise gave her almost impossible proportions, and somehow fabricated her shiny vinyl outfit not look totally ridiculous.

Sunrise as well aimed to make Faye a seductress, 1 that would employ her beauty and sexuality to her advantage. This not only came down to her looks, but the way she walked, dressed and flirtedly "smized" at others.

From the images, it's difficult to tell if Pineda nails downward the same charm. I do see why wardrobe decided to make Paneda'due south outfit more tame by comparing. I'm certain if she adorned the skimpy attire constitute in the anime, in that location would exist cause for consternation.

Cowboy Bebop with Mustafa Shakir — (Image credit: Netflix)

I must say, the casting of Mustafa Shakir every bit Jet Black is spot-on. From his bristles to his robotic arm, Shakir seems to embody the original character most fully. And seeing Shakir in shows like Marvel'south Luke Cage, I feel he can nail downward the elderly life-worn attitude and mannerisms of Jet.

I surface area that does worry me is set design. This was a problem in Netflix'south The Witcher likewise. In the Witcher, it was very obvious at times that the cast was filming on ready, with fake plaster castle walls surrounding them. While more than plastic-y materials would have worked in the days of standard definition, in 4K, the textural sheen of certain substances is hard to overlook.

Accept Game of Thrones for example. In that bear witness, the showrunners were able to flick more than in actual real-earth locations, which gave each indoor castle roundtable scene that terminal layer of realism.

From the image above, the Bebop looks like an experiential room yous'd find at Universal Studios. I worry that rust and other deformations in the spaceship might come off every bit painted, which could detract from immersion.

I know it'south difficult non to sound like a condescending malcontent, just I have such reverence for the original source material that my mind rapidly jumps to where things falter over where things succeed. It puts showrunners André Nemec and Jeff Pinkner in a tough position. Expectations for this adaptation will be incredibly loftier, and any misstep will be magnified by social media.

Luckily for them, initial reactions on Twitter and Reddit are positive. Of course, just similar with the concluding flavor of Game of Thrones, it all comes downwards to execution. I still plan on watching Netflix's Cowboy Bebop, simply if it ends upwards disappointing, information technology'll just be some other ill-fated anime adaptation set to rot with Deathnote and Dragon Ball: Evolution.

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Imad Khan is news editor at Tom's Guide, helping direct the 24-hour interval'due south breaking coverage. Prior to working at the site, Imad was a full-time freelancer, with bylines at the New York Times, the Washington Post and ESPN. Exterior of work, you tin can find him sitting blankly in front of a Word document trying desperately to write the showtime pages of a new book.