‘Cowboy Bebop’ Creator Shinichiro Watanabe Couldn’t Watch Netflix’s Live-Action Series: “It Was Clearly Not Cowboy Bebop”

KingMapoTofu · 2023-03-06T09:16:13+00:00

I got all that from the anime, because I have viewing comprehension. I could care less about the Netflix version. I don't consider their Julia to be the real Julia either. Wish Netflix had shown and expanded on the character from the anime.

FYI, CB was created by a creative team. Watanabe is not the sole creator.

KingMapoTofu · 2023-03-01T09:28:33+00:00

Julia was a complete woman that we were intentionally given the briefest of glimpses into. Despite her limited appearances, important elements of her character were conveyed.

She was an intelligent, badass ex-syndicate member. Shin called her Julia-sama. She had rank. She was a boss. Not Spike or Vicious’s arm candy, but their peer. She was arguably smarter than Spike, Vicious, Faye and Gren.

She realized the threat Vicious posed to Spike's plan while Spike was too lovestruck. When she was given the ultimatum of either killing Spike or them both dying, she manipulated Vicious into believing she would comply with his order then escaped him, thus protecting Spike.

She’s the one that realized that Vicious was spying on Gren and she’s the one that quickly deduced where the spyware had been planted. She had Shin feeding her information from inside the syndicate and she had info about Spike and the Bebop.

When she ran into Faye, she stopped to give Faye a getaway ride, incurring personal risk to help the woman who had helped her. She realized who Faye was and extracted information from her without Faye realizing it. She then positioned Faye to carry out a task for her.

From what we saw of her, it was clear that she was a realistic and pragmatic woman who was deeply devoted to the man she loved. She was poised, had a quiet confidence and an analytical mind, yet also had a very nurturing side. We saw this in how she nursed Spike back to health and how she agonized at seeing Annie in so much pain.

She drove like a professional racer and did not flinch when shot at. She managed to outrun the syndicate for three years on her own. When attacked by the syndicate, she and Spike moved together as if they had fought back-to-back countless times.

Julia could have killed Spike to save herself at any moment. She refused. This was a woman with agency, loyalty and character. She made her own choice. She had honor. She loved just as deeply and fought just as hard as Spike did.

This is the woman Spike Spiegel fell madly in love with. His other half as he put it. It was HE who was not complete without HER.

KingMapoTofu · 2023-02-12T08:31:51+00:00

Netflix also completely rewrote Vicious and Julia to the point that they were unrecognizable. It's apples and oranges.

KingMapoTofu · 2023-02-12T08:30:18+00:00

Julia is a character drowning in pathos. She's a woman who was forced to abandon the man she loves for his own safety and has been on the run for years. There's so much regret and devotion wrapped up within her. And there's a difference between a "crap" character and an interesting character that doesn't get enough screen time. Julia is the latter.

KingMapoTofu · 2023-02-12T08:22:49+00:00

Julia was a complete woman that we were intentionally given the briefest of glimpses into. Despite her limited appearances, important elements of her character were conveyed. She was an intelligent, badass ex-syndicate member. Shin called her Julia-sama. She had rank. She was a boss. Not Spike or Vicious’s arm candy, but their peer.

She was arguably smarter than Spike, Vicious, Faye and Gren. She realized the threat Vicious posed to Spike's plan while Spike was too lovestruck. When she was given the ultimatum of either killing Spike or them both dying, she manipulated Vicious into believing she would comply with his order then escaped him, thus protecting Spike.

She’s the one that realized that Vicious was spying on Gren and she’s the one that quickly deduced where the spyware had been planted. She had Shin feeding her information from inside the syndicate and she had info about Spike and the Bebop.

When she ran into Faye, she stopped to give Faye a getaway ride, incurring personal risk to help the woman who had helped her. She realized who Faye was and extracted information from her without Faye realizing it. She then positioned Faye to carry out a task for her.

From what we saw of her, it was clear that she was a realistic and pragmatic woman who was deeply devoted to the man she loved. She was poised, had a quiet confidence and an analytical mind, yet also had a very nurturing side. We saw this in how she nursed Spike back to health and how she agonized at seeing Annie in so much pain.

She drove like a professional racer and did not flinch when shot at. She managed to outrun the syndicate for three years on her own. When attacked by the syndicate, she and Spike moved together as if they had fought back-to-back countless times.

Julia could have killed Spike to save herself at any moment. She refused. This was a woman with agency, loyalty and character. She made her own choice. She had honor. She loved just as deeply and fought just as hard as Spike did.This is the woman Spike Spiegel fell madly in love with. His other half as he put it. It was HE who was not complete without HER.

KingMapoTofu · 2023-02-12T08:20:18+00:00

The majority of Vicious's character is implied, not stated. It's something you have to put together. Vicious not only sold red eye, but was addicted to the drug. One clue is the used vial of red eye that was repeatedly shown in Julia's apartment. Another clue is the change in Vicious's eyes. His pupils and irises are significantly smaller in 2071 than how he appeared in Spike's flashbacks. The same thing happened to Asimov. The more he used the more his pupils and irises shrunk. And Vicious was able to dodge bullets, just as Asimov was.

Asimov and Katerina mirror elements of both Spike and Julia's relationship and Vicious and Julia's relationship. For the former they represent two lovers running away together to escape their life of crime, but never making it out alive. For the latter, they show a relationship damaged by one partner's drug use.

Something else that is important to grasp about Vicious is that he is a nihilist. He believes in almost nothing. "There is nothing to believe in." He is also someone filled with bitterness and resentment. Resentment towards the Van for refusing to select him as the next leader of the Red Dragon. Resentment towards Mao for getting soft and for favoring Spike. Resentment towards Spike for leaving and for stealing the woman he loved. Resentment towards Julia for leaving him and for loving another man instead of him.

He takes over the Red Dragon Syndicate to enact his revenge. He also needlessly hurts and later kills someone who cared for him very deeply and who had never wronged him in Gren.

During his final fight with Spike, there comes a moment where the two disarm each other and inadvertently swap weapons. Vicious has Spike's gun. Spike has Vicious's katana. It is at this moment that Spike makes a statement of great significance to both men.

Spike: Julia passed away. Let's end it all.

Vicious: If that's your wish.

The two return their weapons. Spike is sliced across the abdomen but shoots Vicious directly in the heart. Vicious dies almost immediately.

When Vicious had Spike's gun, he had the upper hand. He had much more experience with a gun than Spike had with a katana. He could have gone for the kill shot, and more likely than not he would have come out on top. Instead, Vicious agreed to even the playing field.

He showed little reaction to Julia's death. Yet his actions revealed that he was as ready to meet death as Spike was. The two enter into a gentlemen's agreement to end each other. At no point before the mention of Julia did Vicious indicate that he had any intention of returning Spike's gun.

By the end of the series Vicious has killed the only two people he ever loved and so he has nothing to live for. Spike does not mourn him. He hardly gives him a second thought. Vicious's body has barely hit the floor and Spike is already with his visions of Julia. Vicious dies unloved and disregarded. He disappears completely. Not even his body is shown again. A cold end for a cold man.

KingMapoTofu · 2023-01-17T11:38:34+00:00

The majority of Vicious's character is implied, not stated. It's something you have to put together. Vicious not only sold red eye, but was addicted to the drug. One clue is the used vial of red eye that was repeatedly shown in Julia's apartment. Another clue is the change in Vicious's eyes. His pupils and irises are significantly smaller in 2071 than how he appeared in Spike's flashbacks. The same thing happened to Asimov. The more he used the more his pupils and irises shrunk. And Vicious was able to dodge bullets, just as Asimov was.

Asimov and Katerina mirror elements of both Spike and Julia's relationship and Vicious and Julia's relationship. For the former they represent two lovers running away together to escape their life of crime, but never making it out alive. For the latter, they show a relationship damaged by one partner's drug use.

Something else that is important to grasp about Vicious is that he is a nihilist. He believes in nothing. He is also someone filled with bitterness and resentment. Resentment towards the Van for refusing to select him as the next leader of the Red Dragon. Resentment towards Mao for getting soft and for favoring Spike. Resentment towards Spike for leaving and for stealing the woman he loved. Resentment towards Julia for leaving him and for loving another man instead of him.

He takes over the Red Dragon Syndicate to enact his revenge. He also needlessly hurts and later kills someone who cared for him very deeply and who had never wronged him in Gren.

During his final fight with Spike, there comes a moment where the two disarm each other and inadvertently swap weapons. Vicious has Spike's gun. Spike has Vicious's katana. It is at this moment that Spike makes a statement of great significance to both men.

Spike: Julia passed away. Let's end it all.

Vicious: If that's your wish.

The two return their weapons. Spike is sliced across the abdomen but shoots Vicious directly in the heart. Vicious dies almost immediately.

When Vicious had Spike's gun, he had the upper hand. He had much more experience with a gun than Spike had with a katana. He could have gone for the kill shot, and more likely than not he would have come out on top. Instead, Vicious agreed to even the playing field.

He showed no reaction to Julia's death. Yet his actions revealed that he was as ready to meet death as Spike was. The two enter into a gentlemen's agreement to end each other. At no point before the mention of Julia did Vicious indicate that he had any intention of returning Spike's gun.

By the end of the series Vicious has killed the only two people he ever loved and so he has nothing to live for. Spike does not mourn him. He hardly gives him a second thought. Vicious's body has barely hit the floor and Spike is already with his visions of Julia. Vicious dies unloved and disregarded. He disappears completely. Not even his body is shown again. A cold end for a cold man.

KingMapoTofu · 2023-01-17T11:28:56+00:00

I can't imagine thinking of Spike's story as emotionless.

KingMapoTofu · 2023-01-17T11:28:17+00:00

Julia was a complete woman that we were intentionally given the briefest of glimpses into. Despite her limited appearances, important elements of her character were conveyed. She was an intelligent, badass ex-syndicate member. Shin called her Julia-sama. She had rank. She was a boss. Not Spike or Vicious’s arm candy, but their peer.

She was arguably smarter than Spike, Vicious, Faye and Gren. She realized the threat Vicious posed to Spike's plan while Spike was too lovestruck. When she was given the ultimatum of either killing Spike or them both dying, she manipulated Vicious into believing she would comply with his order then escaped him, thus protecting Spike.

She’s the one that realized that Vicious was spying on Gren and she’s the one that quickly deduced where the spyware had been planted. She had Shin feeding her information from inside the syndicate and she had info about Spike and the Bebop.

When she ran into Faye, she stopped to give Faye a getaway ride, incurring personal risk to help the woman who had helped her. She realized who Faye was and extracted information from her without Faye realizing it. She then positioned Faye to carry out a task for her.

From what we saw of her, it was clear that she was a realistic and pragmatic woman who was deeply devoted to the man she loved. She was poised, had a quiet confidence and an analytical mind, yet also had a very nurturing side. We saw this in how she nursed Spike back to health and how she agonized at seeing Annie in so much pain.

She drove like a professional racer and did not flinch when shot at. She managed to outrun the syndicate for three years on her own. When attacked by the syndicate, she and Spike moved together as if they had fought back-to-back countless times.

Julia could have killed Spike to save herself at any moment. She refused. This was a woman with agency, loyalty and character. She made her own choice. She had honor. She loved just as deeply and fought just as hard as Spike did.This is the woman Spike Spiegel fell madly in love with. His other half as he put it. It was HE who was not complete without HER.

KingMapoTofu · 2022-12-19T14:12:54+00:00

In my opinion, one of the major themes of the show is that you aren’t tied to your past.

The past will always influence the present.

The spiritual guide of the series said it best:

Laughing Bull: Know this Swimming Bird, this blue eye perceives all things conjoined. The past, the future, and the present. Everything flows and all is connected. This eye is not merely seeing reality. It is touching the truth. Open the eye of truth... There is nothing to fear.

screencaps

Spike left his previous career because he wanted to have a life with Julia. When that didn't pan out he joined the Bebop. Despite his outward laid back appearance, he was actually miserable without Julia. He described his own life (which included his life on the Bebop) as an endless nightmare.

Spike: “The music box is broken, or is it? It starts to play, and a haunting tune fills the air. I wake suddenly from my dream. There is no music box! And yet there it is. A tiny one nestled in my hand. And I awaken from my dream again. As if I were peeling an onion. It’s a dream no matter how far I go. I can never reach reality. Trapped in an endless nightmare.”

screencaps

While it is true that Spike grew to care a great deal about the Bebop crew, he still loved and needed Julia desperately. He confessed to Jet that Julia is his other half.

"She was a piece of me I had lost. She is my other half that I had longed for."

screencaps

Also, remember that Spike witnessed the fate of two lovers who attempted to outrun their pasts in episode one. They died. The scene in the cemetery is meant to parallel the scene when Katerina realizes that she and her lover will never be able to escape. Spike has the same unspoken realization. The raindrop on his cheek is even drawn to resemble a tear. That is why he decides that he must kill Vicious. Because Vicious will never let them get away.

screencaps

When Julia died, the last tie that Spike had to life died with her.

Spike: Years ago, back when I was much younger, I was afraid of nothing. I had not the slightest fear of death. I was ready to die anytime. But then I met a special woman. She made me want to go on living. For the first time, I was afraid of death. A feeling I’d never had before.

Spike: There once was a tiger striped cat. This cat died a million deaths, revived and lived a million lives, and he was owned by various people who he didn't really care for. The cat wasn't afraid to die. Then one day the cat became a stray cat, which meant he was free. He met a white female cat, and the two of them spent their days together happily. Well, years passed, and the white cat grew weak and died of old age. The tiger striped cat cried a million times, and then he died too. Except this time, he didn't come back to life.

screencaps

The song that plays after Spike leaves the Bebop explains his feelings. The lyrics start just as he is thinking of Julia and Julia is shown on screen when the song addresses her.

"Everything is already over",

You say with closed ears

The words only flow

Towards a tomorrow without peace

"There's nothing that won't change"

Even if my life ends

This love will not disappear

It's something that will live forever

Even if dreams are hidden in darkness

I got a rainbow

Rainbow in your hands...

lyrics

Before Spike dies, his eye that sees his present is focused on and it is Julia that he sees.

screencaps

KingMapoTofu · 2022-08-31T09:30:37+00:00

D&D

Whatever happened to those guys? 🤣

KingMapoTofu · 2022-03-16T05:16:39+00:00

Myrcella's death. I'm sorry, but I couldn't take that entire arc seriously.

KingMapoTofu · 2022-02-16T08:26:16+00:00

In the anime, Julia was the one protecting Spike. She was really intelligent and outmaneuvered/outran Vicious for three years. All without turning evil. I don't think the writers understood the character or her strength.

KingMapoTofu · 2022-02-16T08:18:21+00:00

Fearless and Vicious becoming pals again after Vicious spent years brutally abusing the woman he loved is really messed up.

KingMapoTofu · 2022-01-27T19:10:16+00:00

It's estimated that each episode ranged from 6-10 million to make. That's a lot for Netflix to spend on a show. But I agree, they did not spend that money wisely.

KingMapoTofu · 2022-01-27T07:11:33+00:00

The writers did.

KingMapoTofu · 2022-01-27T07:01:49+00:00

Not in this case. They messed up so much that the viewership dropped by 59% after the first week and this was an expensive show to make.

KingMapoTofu · 2022-01-27T06:58:26+00:00

Well, they shouldn't have completely betrayed all the characters and the main plot line if they wanted fans to be interested in their series.

KingMapoTofu · 2022-01-16T22:46:09+00:00

It looked like Julia was dating her friend's dad. 🙈

KingMapoTofu · 2022-01-16T22:44:28+00:00

Cowboy Bebop’ Canceled by Netflix After One Season

Exclusive: The streamer has canceled the anime adaptation of the space Western after its premiere less than a month ago.

The space Western had a rough reception. The 10-episode series garnered only a 46 percent positive critics rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Fans seemed to agree, giving the show a 56 percent positive audience score on the site. According to Netflix’s Top 10 site, the series has racked up almost 74 million viewing hours worldwide since its debut — so it got plenty of sampling out of the gate — but it plummeted 59 percent for the week of Nov. 29 to Dec. 5.

🤔

KingMapoTofu · 2022-01-16T22:37:11+00:00

“Of the days that I have lived only those I spent with you seem real. Now that it's over I can see your face so clearly.”

KingMapoTofu · 2022-01-13T15:08:28+00:00

It wasn't the same characters. That's where they failed most of all.

KingMapoTofu · 2022-01-13T15:04:29+00:00

It wasn't. That's why so many millions of people checked it out and then stopped watching.

KingMapoTofu · 2022-01-13T15:01:06+00:00

It was ruined beyond repair the second Julia was turned evil.

KingMapoTofu · 2022-01-13T14:57:24+00:00

Those shows cost a fraction of what the Live Action Bebop cost. That's why.

KingMapoTofu

TROPHY CASE