Cowboy Bebop (2021)

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Nov 19, 2021
User Score
4.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 253 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 102 out of 253
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 253
  3. Negative: 135 out of 253
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  1. MrN0Nam3
    Nov 21, 2021
    3
    New: after finishing can truly say that this is sht and plot is really terrible Old: Awesome serial, as a fan of the original i can truly say that they did amazing work. You can’t fond anything like this on tv nowadays
  2. Kai82
    Nov 25, 2021
    3
    The best I could say is that it will made you appreciate the original show far more. Basically it is lacking the hearth, charm and soul of the original. Atop of this the characters are also far weaker versions of themselves and they made some harmful changes to them. I think the team behind this show did not understood what made the show so good and well liked or were fully convinced byThe best I could say is that it will made you appreciate the original show far more. Basically it is lacking the hearth, charm and soul of the original. Atop of this the characters are also far weaker versions of themselves and they made some harmful changes to them. I think the team behind this show did not understood what made the show so good and well liked or were fully convinced by their own ideas in a way that made them ignore all (valid) criticism. The Cowboy Bebop Anime show is a masterpiece. It is nearly universally loved, has great characters with deep backstories, style, humor, fascinating worldbuilding / lore and great writing. It is the best space western out there and I would recommend this even for people that do not like or ignore Anime shows. Back to this review. Sadly there were many warning signs. The director of the Anime Shinichiro Watanabe warned us that he is unsure if Netflix can do justice to the show, the trailer did not look convincing too and they ranted about the fans which are their main target group. If you liked the original it is hard to watch. There are some changes to the story and characters that will anger you. I must say I blame not the actors as hey are limited by the script and direction or re-imagination to be honest. For example Vicious was one of the best villains of his time. He is a smart, deadly, mysterious and puts fear into all his enemies. If he appeared you did know it gets serious and intense. Here he is ruined. Alone his look made me laugh and he is not intimidating or in the realm where I can see him as menacing villain. Lets go to Julia and I say the changes they did would made a lot of fans rage quit if shown in the first episode. You have been warned spoiler free. Spike and Faye are also more shallow and this is a shame as both actors John Cho and Daniella Pineda are really good. I even think they could work but not as these characters in a Cowboy Bebop adaption. I will praise Mustafa Shakir as Jet. He is awesome. Another point is a character that was missing in the trailers. I think it counts as spoilers so I only say this is the poster-child that not everything can be adapted into a live show. The story itself has some good moments and ideas but also many WTF moments, boring parts, angering parts and is underwhelming. Visually I like the sets and that they try to recreate some shots and moments of the show. However the costumes are annoying. I often heard the remark that they look like badly done cosplay and I see the validity even if it is not garbage. The music is fine for me but did not get as awesome as in the original. Overall I would say do not watch this show and watch the original instead. Sometimes you create something that you cant reach or recreate and the original sets the bars really high.… Expand
  3. LatinCritic13
    Nov 19, 2021
    3
    So Netflix has decided to live adapt Shinichiro Watanabe's space western magnum opus, Cowboy Bebop, and the live adaptation of Cowboy Bebop sucks - literally. The start this off, the story sucks, the cinematography sucks, the writing sucks, and everything about this adaptation freaking sucks! The biggest honorable mention that made this show very poor in quality is the VFX and you'llSo Netflix has decided to live adapt Shinichiro Watanabe's space western magnum opus, Cowboy Bebop, and the live adaptation of Cowboy Bebop sucks - literally. The start this off, the story sucks, the cinematography sucks, the writing sucks, and everything about this adaptation freaking sucks! The biggest honorable mention that made this show very poor in quality is the VFX and you'll probably see why how bad it is if I was comparing the show's cheap budget to a CW show. Forgive me for my juvenile written review but I had to vent because it's the worst thing I've ever seen since Adam Windgard's Death Note and boy that film adaptation is dumpster fire right there. The two things that feel profound in this show is the casting of these beloved characters and the soul that this show portrayed thanks to the influence that the anime had featuring Yoko Kanno. Everything else on the other hand is embarrassing and a slap to the face to the source material. If this was on HBO, it would've been good, but too bad it was on Netflix and it didn't worked at all. John Cho and the rest of the Bebop crew deserved better.… Expand
  4. TheParrradox
    Nov 19, 2021
    3
    Episode 1 review: Feels fan made. Direction, editing, action choreography and acting is terrible. Strong B movie vibes.
  5. snorkiss
    Dec 1, 2021
    3
    Oh dear Netflix - The makers of this disappointment thought they knew better than the fans, maybe next time they'll listen to the actual people who love the original anime - 3 stars
  6. thewolf565
    Nov 19, 2021
    3
    I give it a three just because the sets looks good, but the rest is just cheesy and not even a good show from an objective standpoint without considering it a remake of the original anime.
  7. VipernationTV
    Nov 25, 2021
    3
    I think the Cowboy Bebop live-action series is trying a bit too hard to be like the original anime series. The problems that I have are the poor writing, the design change of Faye Valentine, & the way the live-action series introduced Edward. The thing that I did like was the action scenes.
  8. Bobzzz
    Nov 19, 2021
    3
    Right you dipsticks that all hating on it because it’s not to your expectations or is a “Sin” within itself.

    I for one agree wholeheartedly that the anime is the best, the greatest etc etc HOWEVER- The live action did a pretty decent job. The special effected weren’t even bad give me a break you’re making it sound like it’s a bloody power rangers special when in actual fact the CGI and    Right you dipsticks that all hating on it because it’s not to your expectations or is a “Sin” within itself.

    I for one agree wholeheartedly that the anime is the best, the greatest etc etc HOWEVER-

    The live action did a pretty decent job. The special effected weren’t even bad give me a break you’re making it sound like it’s a bloody power rangers special when in actual fact the CGI and the mise en scene is excellent to say the least. The first episode where you’re virtually panned out to see the planets etc I think that’s movie level right there not bloody awful CBS superman flying level smh. This ain’t smallville     … Expand
  9. MrDingDong
    Nov 23, 2021
    3
    I really wanted to love this show, but as a big fan of the original this just misses the mark. Where the original was slick and effortlessly cool and stylish, this show is cheesy and tries too hard. It feels like the budget was spent all on the production quality, but not the creative talent behind the camera. Visuals from the original series are recreated and reimagined well, but thoseI really wanted to love this show, but as a big fan of the original this just misses the mark. Where the original was slick and effortlessly cool and stylish, this show is cheesy and tries too hard. It feels like the budget was spent all on the production quality, but not the creative talent behind the camera. Visuals from the original series are recreated and reimagined well, but those beautiful scenes are filled with characters who aren't compelling the way the characters in the original show were. Tweaks made to the original storyline are questionable at best, and much of the dialogue would play better with a laugh track in the background. Yoko Kanno is back with a new original score... that sounds almost exactly the same as the original original score. I really wonder how much she was payed to just come back and re-record the same old tracks with a few tiny tweaks. It feels like the main cast could have been great if they had better material to work with (esp John Cho!), but as-is it all feels like the writers did not understand the characters. Overall, I think it would have been much wiser for Netflix to fund the original creators of the anime to create a new spin-off set in the same universe with a new cast of characters to explore. They recently produced 'Carole and Tuesday' from those original creators, and that show was full of the kind of passion and heart that I missed so much from the original bebop. It makes me really sad to think many people will try out this live-action bebop and get a negative impression of the whole story. If you're curious about bebop, do yourself a huge favor and just stick with the original anime.… Expand
  10. BrainB
    Nov 22, 2021
    3
    I cannot binge watch this series... it's just that bad.

    Many will complain that this isn't true to the anime, which they would be correct. If you've watched the anime first, than you may not enjoy this version as much. However, this isn't the anime and if you can separate the two, the series isn't too bad. Just bad enough that you feel frustrated that they're pulling back on so    I cannot binge watch this series... it's just that bad.

    Many will complain that this isn't true to the anime, which they would be correct. If you've watched the anime first, than you may not enjoy this version as much.

    However, this isn't the anime and if you can separate the two, the series isn't too bad. Just bad enough that you feel frustrated that they're pulling back on so much of the acting.

    John Cho - He plays a respectable Spike. You can see how this was a passion project for John Cho as he tries to bring Spike to live-action. The wittiness and interactions he has with his cast mates feel real. My gripe with Cho is his action scenes. In the first eps. it should be the prelude to what you're about to see. However, the action is weak, limp, no impact (which they kind of fix in the 2nd eps.) The use of CG was cheap and feels badly done. First episode was generally a disappointment.

    Mustafa Shakir - His portrayal of Jet was pretty spot-on. I actually enjoyed his character and his chemistry with John Cho. They play the buddy cop duo pretty well together and it's apparent on screen.

    Daniella Pineda - One sore spot in the series. I cannot get behind her character in this show. She's portraying a caricature of Harley Quinn instead of Faye Valentine. Or maybe that's the comedian behind her, but it feels like a cheap knock-off Harley.

    The other cast of chars. are re-imagined and while some of them work seamlessly. Others are not as well received.

    I absolutely cannot Binge Watch this show, it doesn't hold my interest enough and that's the frustrating part. They show glimpses where the show is funny and interesting, but than they pull back and it feels restrained. For that reason, while I would dance around a 4-5, let's be honest. If I have to force myself to watch this show, it cannot get any higher than a 3.    … Expand
  11. Higira
    Nov 23, 2021
    3
    This is BAD. But let me tell you about the good. The music, beautiful. The sets, wonderful. The VFX, decent. The only good actor was Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir). That's about it. You know John Cho is a good actor, but whoever wrote his story sucks. Faye, Let's not even talk about her. Her acting is so bad, it makes me want to vomit. Why is she acting like some punk girl, that is in aThis is BAD. But let me tell you about the good. The music, beautiful. The sets, wonderful. The VFX, decent. The only good actor was Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir). That's about it. You know John Cho is a good actor, but whoever wrote his story sucks. Faye, Let's not even talk about her. Her acting is so bad, it makes me want to vomit. Why is she acting like some punk girl, that is in a rebellious phase? I cant tell if its the story writers that screwed her, or her acting.
    Julia became a princess that needs help? Vicious looks like some emo kid. The wardrobe looks like someone took it from the anime and turned it into real life.. It's like cosplay, but worse. In general whoever wrote this pile of crap needs to get fired.

    Seriously, why did they change the characters so much? If they were going to do this, they should have just started a new IP. What's the point of using an existing IP and then going, we're gonna change 90% of it to our ideal and then call it Cowboy Bebop.    … Expand
  12. Beaoudix
    Nov 20, 2021
    2
    The good performances, the awesome music by Yoko Kano and the sci-fi madness of a setting made by Shinichiro Watanabe now brought back to wondrous live action are all overwhelmingly silenced by the visual fiasco of cinematography and the poor teleplay made for this Netflix series.

    Blueprinting something from an anime is difficult and rarely accomplished. This definitely was not    The good performances, the awesome music by Yoko Kano and the sci-fi madness of a setting made by Shinichiro Watanabe now brought back to wondrous live action are all overwhelmingly silenced by the visual fiasco of cinematography and the poor teleplay made for this Netflix series.

    Blueprinting something from an anime is difficult and rarely accomplished. This definitely was not accomplished. Not worthy of a rewatch.    … Expand
  13. Lantern42
    Nov 23, 2021
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have to imagine it takes a lot of arrogance to do a live action version of a beloved story and decide to “fix it”. The lack of noir, the awful treatment of characters and unnecessary marvel-esque banter ruin the experience. What does this live action version give us over the original? Just disappointment.… Expand
  14. Paper_Kay
    Nov 26, 2021
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I cannot for the life of me understand why they changed the characters. As if the people writing and directing this never even saw the anime, they just heard it has cowboys and guns and space in it. The actors were fine, they did a good job and the camerawork is nice, with the budget they had, but to change women into thirsty botox bimbos and the villains into hysterical whiny little b*tches ... Vicius was one of the rarest characters in creation all-bad on paper, whom you still felt really sorry for. Here he's just ... cringe. And what the F is supposed to be Gren?? What is that?? Gren was one of the saddest characters of them all. But hey, at least we got 10 seconds of Ed, right?… Expand
  15. mert_au
    Nov 21, 2021
    2
    Redeeming factors can't overcome the barrage of Joss Whedonesque humor and a truly terrible Vicious/Julia/'Fearless' arc.
  16. Steyraus
    Nov 20, 2021
    1
    What an embaresing show...It's an insult to the origional Anime...The worst thing is the main characters, all the acting is just horrendous..The way they interact is cringe and nothing like the anime..Next worst thing is the fight scenes. Itvlearthe only one that did any training or even cared about the roll was the guy that played Spike, but the actor is just to old so even his moderateWhat an embaresing show...It's an insult to the origional Anime...The worst thing is the main characters, all the acting is just horrendous..The way they interact is cringe and nothing like the anime..Next worst thing is the fight scenes. Itvlearthe only one that did any training or even cared about the roll was the guy that played Spike, but the actor is just to old so even his moderate attempt come off strange.
    The girl that plays Faye is by far the worse part..I've seen the actress in other things and she plays the same iritating smart arse in every movie..She is probably just playing herself cause she can't act...She is nothing like Fay should be.. Faye in the anime is a highly skilled and trained hunter, she used every asset she had to achieve her goal..Netflix Faye is a clumsy joke, that just succeeds cause she's the wahmen..
    Only good thing about this show is Visual effect, they are great, like everything these days.    … Expand
  17. Agronomatos
    Nov 23, 2021
    1
    This thing is a insult to the intelligence of the original product. Don't waste your time on it, just watch the original. Unless you want to see the difference between a good serie and a bad one with the same material. love
  18. echelon998
    Nov 27, 2021
    1
    Terrible. True garbage. Everyone looks like they are wearing cheap Halloween costumes. Humor is bad. I think it gave me brain damage.
  19. CraigEchols
    Nov 20, 2021
    1
    This hurts. Like really hurts me.

    The original Cowboy Bebop wasn't just a show to me, it was an inspiration. Ever since I watched Spike when I was 10, I began modeling myself after him. The characters in the show were learning experiences. People who went through strife, struggle, growth, adaptation, loss, love, and self-reflection. To this day, this is my go-to anime. For any person    This hurts. Like really hurts me.

    The original Cowboy Bebop wasn't just a show to me, it was an inspiration. Ever since I watched Spike when I was 10, I began modeling myself after him. The characters in the show were learning experiences. People who went through strife, struggle, growth, adaptation, loss, love, and self-reflection. To this day, this is my go-to anime. For any person who has thoughts about getting into anime, I immediately point them to this one. I still watch it frequently. If I were trapped on an island and had to watch the anime on replay for the rest of my life, I would never get bored.

    The casting was there (kinda), the CGI was there, the music, the budget, the basis of the story...was there. Where as detractors complain the anime was too serious, this show tries to be too funny. Its cheesy, cringy, bad acting, bland character development (if at all) and too much silliness. But worst of all, it just lacks the soul of the anime.

    I wish I never watched this, but I can't unwatch it now. And I feel lesser as a person now that I have.    … Expand
  20. JIATNSA
    Nov 23, 2021
    1
    They ruined it. Too obsessed with "correcting" the original while also clinging onto any crumb of nostalgia it can. Please, please, please, just watch the original show.
  21. agg8877
    Nov 21, 2021
    1
    Era difícil hacerlo mal y lo hicieron peor, no esperaba nada y aún así me decepcionó, le pongo esta nota porque los pocos efectos especiales fueron pasables pero como fan del anime, esto es un insulto
  22. dangyosabyss
    Nov 21, 2021
    1
    It is the exact cancer we expected it to be. A supreme example of how american tv studios can take anything and strip it of its charm, pump it full of politics and make it indistinguishable from what it used to be. It brings to mind the quote 'Evil cannot create anything new, they can only corrupt and ruin what good forces have invented or made.' Stop accepting garbage like this. If theyIt is the exact cancer we expected it to be. A supreme example of how american tv studios can take anything and strip it of its charm, pump it full of politics and make it indistinguishable from what it used to be. It brings to mind the quote 'Evil cannot create anything new, they can only corrupt and ruin what good forces have invented or made.' Stop accepting garbage like this. If they can ruin Cowboy Bebop like this then they don't deserve your money. It's a mockery and an FU to fans.… Expand
  23. coyotefromkyoto
    Nov 29, 2021
    1
    Начнёшь сравнивать сериал, и получится не столько анализ различий, сколько грустная эпитафия новой версии. Любое сюжетное и стилистическое изменение в «Бибопе» 2021-го летит мимо цели. Вместо уникальной эстетики, где соединяются «твёрдый» сай-фай а-ля Филип Дик, старые вестерны, гонконгские боевики, гангстерские триллеры, полицейские бадди-муви и куча другого «палпа», — стандартнаяНачнёшь сравнивать сериал, и получится не столько анализ различий, сколько грустная эпитафия новой версии. Любое сюжетное и стилистическое изменение в «Бибопе» 2021-го летит мимо цели. Вместо уникальной эстетики, где соединяются «твёрдый» сай-фай а-ля Филип Дик, старые вестерны, гонконгские боевики, гангстерские триллеры, полицейские бадди-муви и куча другого «палпа», — стандартная нетфликсовская пластмасса, цветастая и безжизненная цифровая картинка, совершенно не подходящая миру, застрявшему в поп-культурных образах далёкого прошлого.… Expand
  24. prayformojo33
    Nov 19, 2021
    1
    La serie es un insulto a la obra original, como la mayoria de los live actions no cumple con ser fiel a la historia.
  25. DamienDutch
    Jan 20, 2022
    1
    Dear Netflix, I am very glad that you closed this show. The fact is that once again you have not understood anything and, it seems, do not draw conclusions from your past failures at all. One of the most important rules of any adaptation is not to break what others have done before you. You made the characters look similar on the outside, but not on the inside. Could not or did not want toDear Netflix, I am very glad that you closed this show. The fact is that once again you have not understood anything and, it seems, do not draw conclusions from your past failures at all. One of the most important rules of any adaptation is not to break what others have done before you. You made the characters look similar on the outside, but not on the inside. Could not or did not want to consider their content. You have greatly distorted the plot and characters. For some purpose known only to you, brought in so much extraneous **** that its flows broke everything else, which was quite acceptable. It's a shame.
    I've seen a lot of controversy about original anime characters not being found in the real world, but how did it happen that they stopped being human and turned into an unfunny caricature?    … Expand
  26. MrGenji
    Nov 22, 2021
    1
    Just watch the anime if you don't want a horrible, disastrous and messed up version of a butchered masterpiece.
  27. Dumblegus
    Nov 20, 2021
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This remake of a much loved classic is visually well done, but misses the mark in every other category. The reshaping of the story, awful (seriously bad) dialogue, casting of supporting characters, loss of music themed structure, and being packed with (now) classic Netflix ideologies takes a perfect source and bastardizes it into a joke of a reimagining. Spike, Jet, and even Fay are tolerable shadows of excellent characters, but the side cast is where it falls apart. Vicious, the mysterious antagonist to Spikes quippy laissez-faire attitude, is an overexposed quivering coward when he should be silent, dark, and intimidating. Ana, who should be posing as a simple shopkeeper is a loud angry club boss. Gren, a sullen and gentle War on Titan veteran/jazz musician was one of the best characters in fiction history and is now presented as a loud idiot in a dress. Gren’s feminine form was an important part of the Jupiter Jazz story arch and is just a prop in this bastardized version of Bebop. The list goes on… In this version of the classic, the episodes repeat the same “type” of bad guy with little variation. Hakim is still awesome, but that’s about it. Overall this could have been a decent version of Bebop if the writing and characters could have been given a bit more respect. Making Vicious a fragile coward was a huge mistake that takes the wind out of the story immediately. If I told you this show sucks, I’d expect you to respond with a jubilant “seems that way”.… Expand
  28. AlchemistsNoir
    Nov 22, 2021
    1
    There have been bad adaptions in the past but this is the worst I've ever experienced. Pleaae cancel this so as not to bring more shame upon such a great series. Dont warp a series beyond recognition to make a show you think would be better to express your view points. Just create an original rework. Dont bring down the name of another work. I'm not anti woke or antiprogressive but i amThere have been bad adaptions in the past but this is the worst I've ever experienced. Pleaae cancel this so as not to bring more shame upon such a great series. Dont warp a series beyond recognition to make a show you think would be better to express your view points. Just create an original rework. Dont bring down the name of another work. I'm not anti woke or antiprogressive but i am against terrible media that tries to blame hate for bad writing.no one cares baout there being gay, trans, non binary etc characters in fhe show... Or atleast no one should and most reviews ive read dont even mention it as an issue. The writing however islazy and poor. Like bad fan fiction.… Expand
  29. gaypony1488
    Nov 21, 2021
    0
    There was no reason to do that, it's descusting like watching someone you love bieng humiliated
  30. psuedospike
    Nov 20, 2021
    0
    This live action Bebop adaptation is somehow way worse than I anticipated. It's like a bad cosplay mashup of the source material with none of the drama or heart that at times feels overly goofball and grotesque. The saddest part is some day some kid is going to watch this and not the 10 out of 10 anime.
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Most Discussed TV Season of 2021

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
47

Mixed or average reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 28
  3. Negative: 9 out of 28
  1. Salon
    Reviewed by: Melanie McFarland
    Dec 7, 2021
    60
    Somewhere between affection and disappointment sits the willingness to commit, helped along by Kanno's infectious score. The dancing jazz swells alone are enough to persuade diehards to saddle up through its 10-episode mission, such as it is.
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  2. Radio Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Kelly
    Dec 3, 2021
    40
    More generally, a lack of rhythm permeates much of the Cowboy Bebop remake, including the lead performance. Cho looks the part but can often struggle to muster the charisma and screen presence needed to sell Spike as an effortlessly cool rogue. Although, as already mentioned, he’s hardly helped by the show’s limp direction and scripting.
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  3. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Mike Hale
    Nov 19, 2021
    50
    The series has a routine professionalism that serves it well in its lighter moments but doesn’t alleviate the drudgery of its later episodes. ... In its resolute ordinariness, the main value of this new “Bebop” would be to drive you back to watch the old one.
    Read full review
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