In a few weeks’ time, Netflix’s upcoming live-action adaptation of Shinichirō Watanabe’s Cowboy Bebop will finally drop, and fans across the world will have have a chance to meet new versions of Spike, Jett, and Faye who they’ll undoubtedly want to compare to their animated counterparts. In anticipation of viewers’ needs to compare and contrast, Netflix is gearing up for another drop.
In a move of common sense corporate synergy, Netflix recently announced that all of the Cowboy Bebop anime’s original 26 episodes are coming to the platform just in time for viewers to binge (re)watch in preparation for the new show’s imminent arrival.
While the original Cowboy Bebop has been relatively easy to stream in the West via the different streaming service who’ve acquired the rights over the years, the series’ jump to Netflix stands out considering the new project, which will also feature much of the original Japanese cast. Entertainment Weekly reports that for the Japanese dub of the Netflix show, much of the original anime voice over cast will reprise their roles, including Koichi Yamadera, who voiced Spike, Taiten Kusunoki as Jet, and Megumi Hayashibara as Faye. In a statement to EW, Yamadera said that, as both a fan of the series, and someone who’s been looking forward to a live-action rendition, he “can feel the strong respect [Netflix’s show] has towards the anime.”
“I hope that viewers will see the atmosphere of the Spike character that I previously portrayed in John Cho’s performance, who is skillfully taking on the role in this version,” Yamadera said. “There are also many settings and developments that can only be pulled off in a live-action series. I hope that both people who love Cowboy Bebop and those who are new to the title can enjoy this new series!”
Cowboy Bebop (the anime) hits Netflix on October 21, with Cowboy Bebop (the live action show) debuting on November 19.