The original Cowboy Bebop is pretty much perfect. Thereâs a reason it has amassed legions of fans since it debuted back in 1997âwell, several reasons: itâs got instantly likable, compelling characters; itâs action-packed, but also incredibly accessible sci-fi; it absolutely oozes coolness, thanks to the greatest score in anime history, courtesy of Yoko Kanno. John Cho, star of the live-action Bebop TV series, knows the problem with perfection: you canât duplicate it, and you shouldnât, either.
Cho refused to sign onto the series until he learned that the live-action Cowboy Bebop show wasnât going to be a shot-for-shot remake of the anime. In an interview with Vulture, Cho explained the issue: âI was like, âweâre not gonna just remake each episode, are we?â I didnât want to re-stage everything exactly frame by frame. I didnât want to do that artistically, and I also thought that that was a recipe for encouraging unflattering comparisons. How could you do it better? You canât. You have to do something a little different.â
Heâs absolutely right; duplication invites comparison, and if the new show was just going to try to copy Bebop exclusively, it would just be a poor version of the original. It needs to honor what made the animated series greatâthe characters, the premise, the toneâwhile still having its own unique identity. Some changed storylines, or even new storylines, are fine. Some new, less absurd, more practical, and yet still quite sexy outfit changes are even less consequential, despite what some misogynist anime fans might think.
One big change is that Cho is 49, while his character Spike Spiegel is 27 in the anime. Thatâs a large age difference, and a meaningful change for the seriesâbut one that Cho thinks helps him play Spike more accurately: âFirst of all, I couldnât have done [the role] when I was 27. I mean, maybe I wouldâve been better suited athletically, but in terms of my discipline, I am strangely better suited at this age. I donât think I wouldâve done justice to the emotional depth we tried to give Spike. Thereâs always a trade-off. What young men are typically best at as actors is rage. And that mightâve been a more pronounced element in the character. What Iâm better at, being older, is showing weakness and vulnerability and love. Those things are more accessible to me.â
Honestly, itâs a great interview and you can read it in full here. As for the live-action Cowboy Bebop series, it stars Cho, Mustafa Shakir as Jet Black, Daniella Pineda as Faye Valentine, and an adorable corgi named Ein. It premieres November 19 on Netflix.
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