Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop may not be the same as the original animated series. However, the live-action version that builds the bebop may have more to do with the animated version than fans think.
During a recent behind-the-scenes tour of the bebop set, which was uploaded to Netflix’s official YouTube channel, it was revealed that a real fishing boat found parts of the group. Soul fans will remember that the bebop was an interplanetary trawler used to catch and transport fish from Ganymede’s garden before it was purchased by Jet Black and equipped with larger engines and mounted systems. “It’s like a fishing boat,” says Mustafa Shakir, who plays Jet Black on Netflix’s live-action series. “A little unreliable, but like a Chevrolet 57, you know?”
In the original anime and the new live-action series, bebop looks like a ship going out to sea, as its exterior should form a V-shape near the bow. In addition to various staff rooms, the resident has a suspended bay, steam room, living room, and workshop, all in artificial gravity that generates a rotating inner shell.
While live-action bebop is a faithful adaptation in itself, the Netflix series has made some changes to its cast. Not only did the live-action series Corgi the Welsh give a darker background story, but it also gave Viciously and Julia – Spike, respectively, more competitive and romantic interest in their characters. Additionally, the live-action versions of Spike and Faye are written with more humorous dynamics, and the insane killer Pierrot with Fou has also changed his relationship with Spike.
Cowboy Bebop follows a diverse group of intergalactic bounty hunters as they struggle to make ends meet in search of criminal and dangerous ghosts from their past. Netflix released all ten episodes of its adaptation earlier this month with live-action versions of Shakir’s Jet Black, John Chos’ Spike Spiegel, and Daniella Pineda’s Faye Valentine. While the second season has not yet been officially confirmed, the live start of a very radical nature at the end of season 1 seems to set the plot for a possible season 2.
Live-action Cowboy Bebop season 1 is now available to stream on Netflix.
