Cowboy Bebop Show Isn’t Trying to Be a Direct Adaptation of the Anime

Cowboy Bebop Show Isn’t Trying to Be a Direct Adaptation of the Anime

André Nemec, showrunner of Netflix’s upcoming live-action Cowboy Bebop series, says that the show is not a direct adaptation of the original anime.

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Cowboy Bebop Show Isn’t Trying to Be a Direct Adaptation of the Anime

Netflix’s upcoming live-action adaptation of the acclaimed anime series Cowboy Bebop might not actually be as much of an adaptation as was once thought. The original series, which is the brainchild of industry legend Shinichiro Watanabe, originally aired in 1998 and has since remained a cultural touchstone in the world of Japanese animation. A live-action adaptation of the show has always been a topic of discussion within the fandom and will finally come to fruition this November when the series releases on Netflix.

What sets the original show apart from other similar caliber anime of the era is its bombastic big band score. Thanks to the popularity of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, Watanabe has earned a reputation for utilizing unorthodox soundtracks that rely on jazz and hip hop styles over the typical orchestral style. When Netflix announced their live-action reimagining with composer Yoko Kanno returning to score, many fans assumed that the streamer’s series would lazily retread material from the original show. These worries aren’t totally unfounded considering the fact that Hollywood has consistently struggled to adapt anime into a live-action cinematic medium for decades. Fortunately, Netflix’s series will forge its own path with entirely new adventures set in the familiar world.

In a recent interview with Polygon, showrunner André Nemec says that the show’s storylines will be self-contained. However, “while no one episode of the anime may get a direct adaptation,” Nemec insists that each episode will “nod to the anime in subtle ways.” Check out the full excerpt below:

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And while no one episode of the anime may get a direct adaptation, Nemec and his team spent time drawing up lists of their favorites, then considering how they could “build out the continuing stories of Spike Spiegel and Jet Black and Faye Valentine while also mining their past stories from the anime” He says every episode of the Netflix series will nod to the anime in subtle ways, be it through props, names, or visual references to Sunrise’s original animation. “I would challenge almost any superfan on this show to see if they can find [all the references] in the frame,” Nemec says. He adds that the original Japanese and English voice actors will also be “properly homaged.”

Nemec’s clarification will hopefully assuage some fans’ concerns. The most common pitfall that unsuccessful anime adaptations (like Ghost in the Shell and Dragonball Evolution) succumb to is in superficially rehashing the original storyline while prioritizing spectacle over depth. If Nemec’s comments are to be believed, Netflix’s adaptation will sidestep these issues by featuring all new stories. This will give the writers an opportunity to naturally flesh out their characters without the added pressure of hitting iconic benchmark scenes and moments that take place within the original anime. Comparisons between the two versions are inevitable, but at least the stories will be judged on their own merits.

There is, of course, always the chance that the show misses its mark – Netflix’s adaptation of Death Note certainly isn’t the strongest indicator of success. However, Nemec’s series has a number of factors going for it that the former did not, such as the luxury of multiple episodes as well as the active creative input of crew members from the original show. Hopefully the stars align so that Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop can be the first great live-action anime adaptation.

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Link Source : https://screenrant.com/cowboy-bebop-netflix-adaptation-anime-different-how/

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