Nerd Processor
Cowboy Bebop Is Hollywood’s Best Chance at Doing Anime Right
Netflix’s plans for the TV series may finally give Japanese cartoons a shot at live-action success
Last week, Netflix announced a live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, a Japanese anime series that has been an American favorite since it was imported back in 2000. It might not seem like huge news, since U.S. studios have been grabbing up the rights to hit anime for years now, despite the fact that these movies (such as the recent Ghost in the Shell) have almost totally been horrible. A U.S.-made Cowboy Bebop would almost certainly suck as well — except that Netflix, perhaps inadvertently, might have finally figured out the key to turning anime into live-action success.
This is good, because the world has enough problems without adding a crappy adaptation of the coolest animated series of all time to it. While it’s primarily a science fiction story about four bounty hunters adventuring through the solar system — the laconic Spike Spiegel, his patient partner Jet Black, the beautiful Faye Valentine, and the carefree genius Ed — Bebop perfectly integrates American westerns, film noir, Chinese martial arts movies, and hardboiled detective stories. Then, there’s the show’s critically acclaimed soundtrack by…
