Cowboy Bebop is a beloved anime series from the late 1990s that blends various genres -- from neo-noir to space opera to Western -- all into one single story.
The original anime follows protagonists Spike Spiegel, Faye Valentine, Jet Black and Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV as a motley crew of bounty hunters and a computer hacker who barely get along with one another. Part of the anime's humor is stemmed from the fact they all have clashing personalities. While that dynamic is still present in both The Lost Session and the official Netflix series trailer, there is one thing that is noticeably different from the anime: Jet Black wants an actual team!
In the new trailer, viewers are introduced to Spike Spiegel (John Cho) and an old acquaintance of his named Ana (Tamara Tunie) at her nightclub. During a conversation between them, Spike's dark past with the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate is alluded to, with the show even hinting that he went by a different identity when he was with the syndicate. Spike discloses to Ana that he has a new partner, Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), to which Ana asks if his new partner is aware of his past.
From just those first few seconds, it's immediately understood that Spike and Jet are once again amicable partners, but not necessarily in the same way as in the anime. Whereas Spike and Jet in the anime have a more casual business partnership, in the live-action Cowboy Bebop series they seem to value each other more as friends than business partners. This additionally hints at a desire from both men to restart their lives in a more positive way, which includes redefining their relationships. Their plans, of course, get challenged the moment Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) is thrown into the mix.
Anime fans familiar with Faye's character know she's an opportunist with a penchant for gambling and conning men. Since she's heavily in debt and constantly strapped for cash, she's always looking to get the lion's share of any bounty she works on with Spike and Jet, which is often a source of conflict between them. In the anime, Spike is not particularly fond of Faye and Jet is mostly apathetic towards her.
From what can be observed in the live-action trailer, opportunist, gambler and con artist appears to still be a part of Faye's character. Spike is once again not fond of Faye, but Jet appears to be more accepting of her, which is a refreshing departure from the anime. While the trailer doesn't reveal much about the new series story-wise to help contextualize some of these changes, it is, however, clear Jet vouches on Faye's behalf. Whenever Spike feels tempted to kill Faye in the trailer, Jet is always the person who stops him from doing so.
Whether Jet is "Team Faye" from the get-go or this is a role he eases into as the series progresses, only time will tell. From both The Lost Session and the trailer, there is evidence it can go either way. All the same, however, it appears that the bounty hunting trio is looking to become something more than the mere ersatz family they are in the anime. And that, if played correctly, can be a good thing.
Cowboy Bebop will be available to stream on Netflix Nov. 19.
0 Comments