Netflix’s latest live-action adaptation of the classic anime series that is called Cowboy Bebop has been cancelled after just one season. The series, which was somewhat anticipated prior to release reportedly had such decent viewership figures of 74 million hours worldwide during its first week and this is after its launching on the 19th November 2021. Unfortunately, those numbers went through the floor the week after, dropping 59%. Netflix looked at those numbers, looked at the cost of the show and decided to pull the plug. That is why a particular decision is made for the series.
While the cancellation of the live-action adaptation will break a few hearts, it must be frustrating for fans to see once again a beloved anime given the adaptation treatment by a major Western studio or platform, only for that new take to fall flat and disappoint fans. The show, starring Jon Cho as Spike Spiegel, will not be renewed for a second season.
Reviews of Cowboy Bebop generally criticized the own show’s weak pacing and also all the cheap-looking costumes and sets, while it also failed to capture the essence of what made the anime of the year 1996 to be one of the very best examples of the specific genre. All these comparisons make a lot of fans of the anime series to be very disappointed.
Based on the anime, Cowboy Bebop starred John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, and Daniella Pineda as a trio of bounty hunters aboard the spaceship Bebop. The show, like the anime, mixed-and-matched different genres like noir, crime, slapstick, and more. While the anime is considered a classic, reception to the live-action series was far more tepid.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter.