''Cowboy Bebop'' is a 2021 American
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
television series. It is a
live action
Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ga ...
series based on the 1998 Japanese
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series of the same name and the 2001 Japanese anime
film of the same name. Set in the year 2171, the series focuses on the adventures of a
ragtag group of bounty hunters chasing down criminals across the
Solar System
The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar S ...
on the ''Bebop'' spaceship.
The series was developed by
Christopher Yost
Christopher Lee Yost (born February 21, 1973) is an American film, television, animation, and comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Studios' Marvel Cinematic Universe with '' Thor: The Dark World'' (2013) and '' Thor: Ragnarok'' ( ...
, with
André Nemec
André Nemec (born 1972) is an American writer, showrunner and producer.
His screenplays include '' Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol'' and ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles''. He is also the co-creator of CBS's summer hit series ''Zoo'', as ...
serving as showrunner, and stars
John Cho
John Cho (born Cho Yo-Han; June 16, 1972) is an American actor known for his roles as Harold Lee in the ''Harold & Kumar'' films, and Hikaru Sulu in the ''Star Trek'' rebooted film series.
Early in his career, Cho also starred in the Asian Ame ...
,
Mustafa Shakir
Mustafa Shakir (born August 21, 1976) is an American actor known for his portrayal as Bushmaster in ''Marvel's Luke Cage'', Big Mike in ''The Deuce'' and Jet Black in ''Cowboy Bebop'' (2021).
Biography and career
Shakir was born in North Caro ...
,
Daniella Pineda
Daniella Pineda (born February 20, 1987) is an American actress. She has had major roles in several films and TV series, including '' The Originals'', Netflix's live-action '' Cowboy Bebop'', and multiple films in the ''Jurassic Park'' franchise ...
,
Elena Satine
Elena Satine (born November 24, 1987) is a Georgia (country), Georgian-American actress and singer. On television, she has been featured as a series regular on the Starz period drama ''Magic City (TV series), Magic City'' (2012–2013), the Ame ...
, and
Alex Hassell
Alexander Stephen Hassell (born 7 September 1980) is an English actor. He is co-founder of The Factory Theatre Company.
Early life and education
Hassell was born in Southend, England, the youngest of four, to a vicar. He trained at the Central S ...
. The 10-episode series was released on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
in 19 November 2021, and drew criticism from both fans and critics for its writing, special effects, editing, action sequences and cast. On 9 December 2021, Netflix cancelled the series after only one season.
Cast and characters
Main
*
John Cho
John Cho (born Cho Yo-Han; June 16, 1972) is an American actor known for his roles as Harold Lee in the ''Harold & Kumar'' films, and Hikaru Sulu in the ''Star Trek'' rebooted film series.
Early in his career, Cho also starred in the Asian Ame ...
as
Spike Spiegel
is a fictional character introduced as the protagonist of the 1998 anime series '' Cowboy Bebop''. Spike is a former member of the criminal Red Dragon Syndicate, who left by faking his death after falling in love with a woman named Julia. He is ...
(aka "Fearless"): a bounty hunter born on Mars with a history of violent gang activity and extensive fist-fighting and marksmanship abilities. For the role, Cho grew out his hair to mimic Spike's look from the anime. The anime director,
Shinichirō Watanabe
is a Japanese anime television and film director, best known for directing the critically acclaimed and commercially successful anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'' and ''Samurai Champloo''. An auteur of the industry, Watanabe's work is characterized ...
, explained in ''Cowboy Bebop: The Movie'' DVD extra that Spike was originally based on
Yūsaku Matsuda
was a Japanese actor. In Japan, he was best known for roles in action films and a variety of television series in the 1970s as well as a switch to a wider range of roles in the 1980s. His final film appearance was as the villain Sato in Ridley ...
, a Japanese-Korean actor.
["Spike: A Complex Soul". ]
*
Mustafa Shakir
Mustafa Shakir (born August 21, 1976) is an American actor known for his portrayal as Bushmaster in ''Marvel's Luke Cage'', Big Mike in ''The Deuce'' and Jet Black in ''Cowboy Bebop'' (2021).
Biography and career
Shakir was born in North Caro ...
as
Jet Black
Brian John Duffy (26 August 1938 – 6 December 2022), professionally known as Jet Black, was an English drummer and founding member of punk rock/ new wave band The Stranglers. He last performed with the band in 2015, and officially retired in ...
: Spike's partner, former ISSP detective, and captain of the ''Bebop,'' who has a cybernetic arm. He spent 5 years in prison over a wrongful conviction.
*
Daniella Pineda
Daniella Pineda (born February 20, 1987) is an American actress. She has had major roles in several films and TV series, including '' The Originals'', Netflix's live-action '' Cowboy Bebop'', and multiple films in the ''Jurassic Park'' franchise ...
as
Faye Valentine
The following is a list of major and minor characters from the anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'', directed by Shinichiro Watanabe and written by Keiko Nobumoto, its manga series adaptation, written by Kuga Cain and Yutaka Nanten, and its live-a ...
: a bounty hunter who woke up without her memories after being revived from cryosleep.
*
Elena Satine
Elena Satine (born November 24, 1987) is a Georgia (country), Georgian-American actress and singer. On television, she has been featured as a series regular on the Starz period drama ''Magic City (TV series), Magic City'' (2012–2013), the Ame ...
as
Julia
Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e.g. ...
: a
femme fatale
A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of ...
who is as smart as she is beautiful. She has a complicated past with Spike and Vicious and is the object of both of their affections.
*
Alex Hassell
Alexander Stephen Hassell (born 7 September 1980) is an English actor. He is co-founder of The Factory Theatre Company.
Early life and education
Hassell was born in Southend, England, the youngest of four, to a vicar. He trained at the Central S ...
as
Vicious: Spike's nemesis, a power-hungry gangster from the
Red Dragon Crime Syndicate who was Spike's closest friend before they had a falling out.
Additionally,
Welsh Corgi
The Welsh Corgi ( or Corgi, plural Corgis, or occasionally the etymologically consistent Corgwn; ) is a small type of herding dog that originated in Wales. The name ''corgi'' is derived from the Welsh words and (which is mutated to ), meani ...
dog actor
Following is a list of animal actors. Those listed should have either a substantial number of performances or, in rare cases, a high-profile role.
, c. 1907–?
,
* '' The Kid Brother'' (1927) (uncredited)
* ''The Cameraman'' (1928) (uncredited ...
s Charlie and Harry play
Ein, a dog with special abilities.
Recurring
*
Tamara Tunie
Tamara Tunie (born March 14, 1959) is an American film, stage, and television actress, director, and producer. She is best known for her roles as attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS soap opera ''As the World Turns'' (1987–1995, 2000–2007, 2009 ...
as Ana: The proprietor of an underground jazz club on Mars who acts as a surrogate mother to Spike.
*
Mason Alexander Park
Mason Alexander Park (born July 12, 1995) is an American actor. They gained prominence through their stage work, earning a Helen Hayes Award. On television, they are known for their roles in the Netflix adaptations of the anime '' Cowboy Bebop ...
as
Gren: A jazz musician working for Ana, who is also Ana's right-hand. The character was reimagined as
non-binary
Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically ...
for the show.
* Ira Munn and Lucy Currey as
Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy is a traditional puppet show featuring Mr. Punch and his wife Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically Mr. Punch and one other character w ...
: The duo hosts of ''Big Shot'', a bounty hunter public program.
*
Geoff Stults
Geoffrey Manton Stults (born December 15, 1977) is an American actor. His first regular roles on television included '' 7th Heaven'', '' October Road'', and '' Happy Town''. He went on to star as Major Walter Sherman on '' The Finder'', Sgt. Pete ...
as Chalmers: A detective in the Intra Solar System Police (ISSP) who is married to Jet's ex-wife.
* Carmel McGlone as Woodcock: Jet's informant.
*
Rachel House as Mao: A crime boss who leads the Syndicate's "White Tigers" family.
* Ann Truong and Hoa Xuande as
Shin
Shin may refer to:
Biology
* The front part of the human leg below the knee
* Shinbone, the tibia, the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates
Names
* Shin (given name) (Katakana: シン, Hiragana: しん), a Japanese ...
and
Lin
Lin or LIN may refer to:
People
*Lin (surname) (normally ), a Chinese surname
*Lin (surname) (normally 蔺), a Chinese surname
* Lin (''The King of Fighters''), Chinese assassin character
*Lin Chow Bang, character in Fat Pizza
Places
*Lin, Iran, ...
: Twin siblings employed as Vicious' enforcers.
*
John Noble
John Noble (born 20 August 1948) is an Australian actor. He is known for his roles as Denethor in the ''Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, Dr. Walter Bishop on the science fiction series ''Fringe'', Henry Parrish on the action-horror series '' ...
as Caliban: One of the three Elders who control the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate.
Guest
*
Jan Uddin
Jan Uddin is a British actor of Bangladeshi descent, now living in Los Angeles. He is best known for his lead roles in independent film '' Cliffs of Freedom'' (2019) and British thriller ''Lies We Tell'' (2017). Jan is the first person of Bang ...
and Lydia Peckham as Asimov and Katerina Solensan: A romantic couple on the run from the law hoping for a big score to secure their future.
* Cali Nelle as Abdul Hakim: A thief and killer who uses a "face-changer" to hide his true appearance.
*
Nathaniel Lees
Nathaniel Lees is a New Zealand theatre actor and director and film actor of Samoan descent, best known for film roles in ''The Matrix Reloaded'', ''The Matrix Revolutions'' and '' The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' and for starring in ''You ...
as the Sushi Chef: Spike's informant.
*
Adrienne Barbeau
Adrienne Jo Barbeau (born June 11, 1945) is an American actress, singer and the author of three books. Barbeau came to prominence in the 1970s as Broadway's original Rizzo in the musical '' Grease'', and as Carol Traynor, the divorced daughter o ...
as Maria Murdock: An
eco-fascist
Ecofascism is a term which is used to describe individuals and groups which combines environmentalism with fascist viewpoints and tactics. Originally, the term "Ecofascist" was considered an academic term for a hypothetical type of government ...
mastermind who will go to extremes to protect nature.
* Matthias Luafutu as Udai Taxim: A fugitive connected to Jet's past career as a detective.
*
Wade Williams
Wade Andrew Williams (born December 24, 1961) is an American actor. He is known for his various character roles, and for a major supporting role as correctional officer Brad Bellick on the Fox television series '' Prison Break'' and Father Cronin ...
as Fad: Jet's ex-partner in the ISSP.
* Jade Harlow as Mel: A mechanic hired by Jet to repair the ''Bebop'' and its aging engine, who has a brief romantic fling with Faye.
* Sinead Fitzgerald as Holo-Beatrice: A computer generated receptionist who is the face of The Londes Centre
*
Josh Randall
Joshua Reeve Randall (born January 27, 1972) is an American television actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. Mike Burton in the 2000–2004 NBC sitcom '' Ed'' and the recurring, later main role of Fire Captain Sean Beckett from 2021-2 ...
as
Pierrot Le Fou: An assassin whose sanity was damaged from intensive scientific experimentation, leaving him with the mindset of a sadistic child.
* Rodney Cook as the voice of the Teddy Bomber: A terrorist who uses explosive teddy bears to rebel against the government and what he views as a corrupt capitalist society.
*
Christine Dunford
Christine Dunford is an American actress from the Bronx, New York.
Life and career
Christine Dunford was born in the Bronx. She graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1979, the year that she played a featured role in the school's ...
as Whitney Haggis Matsumoto: A con artist posing as Faye's "mother", who found her while she was still in cryo-sleep. The character was originally male in the anime.
*
Tyson Ritter
Tyson Jay Ritter (born April 24, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and model. He is best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, pianist, and songwriter of the multi-RIAA certification, platinum selling American alternative ...
as The Iron Mink: A notorious intergalactic arms dealer who is secretly married to Whitney.
*
James Hiroyuki Liao
James Hiroyuki Liao (born February 6, 1976) is an American actor. Liao is known for his television roles as Roland Glenn in the Fox serial drama ''Prison Break'' (2008); Jay Lee in the CBS, and later A&E, police procedural series ''Unforgettable ...
as Tanaka
* Eden Perkins as Radical Ed: A hyperactive child prodigy skilled in hacking.
Additionally, Blessing Mokgohloa portrays Santiago, and Molly Moriarty plays Kimmie Black, Jet's daughter.
Episodes
Production
Development
On June 6, 2017, it was announced that an American
live action
Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ga ...
adaptation of ''
Cowboy Bebop'' was being developed for television by Tomorrow Studios—a partnership between
Marty Adelstein
Martin Bruce Adelstein is an American television producer. Before becoming a producer, he was a partner at the Endeavor Talent Agency, where he was one of the founding members. As of 2019, Adelstein is the CEO and founder of Tomorrow Studios, a joi ...
and
ITV Studios
ITV Studios is a British multinational television production and distribution company owned by the British television broadcaster ITV plc. It handles production and distribution of programmes broadcast on the ITV network and third-party broadcas ...
, alongside
Sunrise Inc.
, previously and still famously known as Sunrise Inc., is a Japanese animation studio founded in September 1972 and is based in Ogikubo, Tokyo. Its former names were also Soeisha, Nippon Sunrise and Sunrise Studio.
Its primary division, , is re ...
, which also produced the original
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
—with
Christopher Yost
Christopher Lee Yost (born February 21, 1973) is an American film, television, animation, and comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Studios' Marvel Cinematic Universe with '' Thor: The Dark World'' (2013) and '' Thor: Ragnarok'' ( ...
serving as the series writer.
On November 27, 2018,
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
announced that the live action series would be heading to its streaming service. One of the Tomorrow Studios' producers,
André Nemec
André Nemec (born 1972) is an American writer, showrunner and producer.
His screenplays include '' Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol'' and ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles''. He is also the co-creator of CBS's summer hit series ''Zoo'', as ...
, was appointed as the showrunner who previously discovered the anime through his brother around 2011. In an interview with ''
Vanity Fair'' on October 26, 2021, Yost said he had already started planning a second season for the series before writing the first season, which is something Nemec also hinted at. However, on December 9, 2021, Netflix canceled the series after one season.
Casting
On April 4, 2019, ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' reported that
John Cho
John Cho (born Cho Yo-Han; June 16, 1972) is an American actor known for his roles as Harold Lee in the ''Harold & Kumar'' films, and Hikaru Sulu in the ''Star Trek'' rebooted film series.
Early in his career, Cho also starred in the Asian Ame ...
,
Mustafa Shakir
Mustafa Shakir (born August 21, 1976) is an American actor known for his portrayal as Bushmaster in ''Marvel's Luke Cage'', Big Mike in ''The Deuce'' and Jet Black in ''Cowboy Bebop'' (2021).
Biography and career
Shakir was born in North Caro ...
,
Daniella Pineda
Daniella Pineda (born February 20, 1987) is an American actress. She has had major roles in several films and TV series, including '' The Originals'', Netflix's live-action '' Cowboy Bebop'', and multiple films in the ''Jurassic Park'' franchise ...
and
Alex Hassell
Alexander Stephen Hassell (born 7 September 1980) is an English actor. He is co-founder of The Factory Theatre Company.
Early life and education
Hassell was born in Southend, England, the youngest of four, to a vicar. He trained at the Central S ...
were all cast in lead roles as
Spike Spiegel
is a fictional character introduced as the protagonist of the 1998 anime series '' Cowboy Bebop''. Spike is a former member of the criminal Red Dragon Syndicate, who left by faking his death after falling in love with a woman named Julia. He is ...
,
Jet Black
Brian John Duffy (26 August 1938 – 6 December 2022), professionally known as Jet Black, was an English drummer and founding member of punk rock/ new wave band The Stranglers. He last performed with the band in 2015, and officially retired in ...
,
Faye Valentine
The following is a list of major and minor characters from the anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'', directed by Shinichiro Watanabe and written by Keiko Nobumoto, its manga series adaptation, written by Kuga Cain and Yutaka Nanten, and its live-a ...
and
Vicious in the series. On August 22, 2019, it was announced that
Elena Satine
Elena Satine (born November 24, 1987) is a Georgia (country), Georgian-American actress and singer. On television, she has been featured as a series regular on the Starz period drama ''Magic City (TV series), Magic City'' (2012–2013), the Ame ...
was cast as
Julia
Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e.g. ...
. On November 19, 2020, ''
Deadline Hollywood
''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, with ...
'' reported that
Geoff Stults
Geoffrey Manton Stults (born December 15, 1977) is an American actor. His first regular roles on television included '' 7th Heaven'', '' October Road'', and '' Happy Town''. He went on to star as Major Walter Sherman on '' The Finder'', Sgt. Pete ...
,
Tamara Tunie
Tamara Tunie (born March 14, 1959) is an American film, stage, and television actress, director, and producer. She is best known for her roles as attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS soap opera ''As the World Turns'' (1987–1995, 2000–2007, 2009 ...
,
Mason Alexander Park
Mason Alexander Park (born July 12, 1995) is an American actor. They gained prominence through their stage work, earning a Helen Hayes Award. On television, they are known for their roles in the Netflix adaptations of the anime '' Cowboy Bebop ...
,
Rachel House, Ann Truong and Hoa Xuande have been cast as Chalmers, Ana,
Gren, Mao,
Shin
Shin may refer to:
Biology
* The front part of the human leg below the knee
* Shinbone, the tibia, the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates
Names
* Shin (given name) (Katakana: シン, Hiragana: しん), a Japanese ...
and
Lin
Lin or LIN may refer to:
People
*Lin (surname) (normally ), a Chinese surname
*Lin (surname) (normally 蔺), a Chinese surname
* Lin (''The King of Fighters''), Chinese assassin character
*Lin Chow Bang, character in Fat Pizza
Places
*Lin, Iran, ...
.
James Hiroyuki Liao
James Hiroyuki Liao (born February 6, 1976) is an American actor. Liao is known for his television roles as Roland Glenn in the Fox serial drama ''Prison Break'' (2008); Jay Lee in the CBS, and later A&E, police procedural series ''Unforgettable ...
had joined the cast by August 2021,
along with Blessing Mokgohloa as Santiago and Molly Moriarty as Kimmie Black. On September 25, 2021,
Jan Uddin
Jan Uddin is a British actor of Bangladeshi descent, now living in Los Angeles. He is best known for his lead roles in independent film '' Cliffs of Freedom'' (2019) and British thriller ''Lies We Tell'' (2017). Jan is the first person of Bang ...
and Lydia Peckham,
Adrienne Barbeau
Adrienne Jo Barbeau (born June 11, 1945) is an American actress, singer and the author of three books. Barbeau came to prominence in the 1970s as Broadway's original Rizzo in the musical '' Grease'', and as Carol Traynor, the divorced daughter o ...
,
Josh Randall
Joshua Reeve Randall (born January 27, 1972) is an American television actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. Mike Burton in the 2000–2004 NBC sitcom '' Ed'' and the recurring, later main role of Fire Captain Sean Beckett from 2021-2 ...
, Rodney Cook, and Ira Munn and Lucy Currey were officially cast as Asimov and Katerina Solensan, Maria Murdock,
Pierrot Le Fou, Teddy Bomber, and
Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy is a traditional puppet show featuring Mr. Punch and his wife Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically Mr. Punch and one other character w ...
. Cali Nelle was also confirmed to play Abdul Hakim.
When Cho came across the project, he remarked about the anime, "It's really interesting and smart and funny...All the characters are coming from places of loss, and there are a lot of defense mechanisms to deal with that sense of loss that informs the whole show." He continued, "I investigated the anime and just thought this was the most unique piece of entertainment I had seen in a long time: the combination of genres, characters, the music." He later called Aneesh Chaganty, director of
''Searching'''','' to talk about the project. Cho remembered that Chaganty encouraged him saying, "You have to do it.”
On October 27, 2021, in an interview with ''
SyFy Wire
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Launc ...
'', Nemec explained he purposely cast older actors and defended his choice that it would build richer stories for the characters, saying, "I think that really became clear to me that to really feel for these characters, to really want to track and live with them, they needed real depth of life experience in their soul. And that was something that John brought. I can't imagine anyone being Spike Spiegel but John Cho because John brings a depth to the character. He's incredibly facile with humor. He's quick-witted. He can be laconic like Spike Spiegel. I think the anime had true moments of ennui, and true moments of dramatic pain that really did require someone, again, with that depth that John brought. While in the anime, it's okay to sort of play the younger version. But in today's world and in live action, the actor needed to be able to bring that essence as well. And that just required a more mature actor."
Several of the original Japanese voice actors from the anime are involved in the live action adaption, reprising their roles for the Japanese dub of the show and there will be an addition of a few new voice actors.
The Japanese voice actor for Spike,
Kōichi Yamadera
is a Japanese actor, voice actor, narrator and singer from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with th ...
said, "I have long anticipated a live action version. I can feel the strong respect it has toward 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. 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!"
The casting of newcomer Eden Perkins as Radical Ed was announced on the day of the series' release to Netflix, though only appears in the final scenes of the tenth episode. According to Nemec, "To keep the mystery around the character was to not necessarily want to promise that this was going to be a season that was inclusive of Ed, to not necessarily put something that many may find is disappointing out into the world. But in fairness, Ed doesn't show up in the anime until many episodes in, maybe about a third of the way through the entire series. So, it felt fair to also keep Ed from showing up
n live-action"
Pre-production
Nemec and the writers also looked beyond the source material to the movies that influenced the original anime director,
Shinichirō Watanabe
is a Japanese anime television and film director, best known for directing the critically acclaimed and commercially successful anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'' and ''Samurai Champloo''. An auteur of the industry, Watanabe's work is characterized ...
when developing the anime with studio Sunrise in the 1990s. The Netflix ''Cowboy Bebop'' team researched Howard Hawks'
''The Big Sleep'' (1946), the classic Sergio Leone spaghetti Western ''
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
''The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'' ( it, Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo, literally "The good, the ugly, the bad") is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood as "the Good", Lee Van Clee ...
'' (1966), the New Hollywood classic
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (October 1, 1910May 23, 1934) and Clyde Chestnut (Champion) Barrow (March 24, 1909May 23, 1934) were an American criminal couple who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. The co ...
(1967), Stanley Kubrick's
''2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968), the neo-noir action thriller ''
Dirty Harry
''Dirty Harry'' is a 1971 American neo-noir
Neo-noir is a revival of film noir, a genre that had originally flourished during the post-World War II era in the United Statesroughly from 1940 to 1960. The French term, ''film noir'', translates ...
'' (1971), as well as buddy cop comedy ''
Lethal Weapon
''Lethal Weapon'' is a 1987 American buddy cop action comedy film directed and co-produced by Richard Donner, written by Shane Black, and co-produced by Joel Silver. It stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover alongside Gary Busey, Tom Atkins, Darle ...
'' (1987), and even the macabre action drama
''The Crow'' (1994) to represent ''Cowboy Bebop'' through the reality of cinema. "We put a pretty extensive and expansive list together, and we spent a lot of time really looking at the inspirations," Nemec said.
The showrunner did not watch much other anime or even live-action anime adaptations in preparation for the show.
Nemec also stated that it was important to be faithful to source material and also carve their own story for the live action adaptation. He mentioned, "I think a lot of it was that there were so many things that work
n the anime
N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''.
History
...
but at the same time, not wanting to do a one-to-one translation because I wanted to be served, if I were a fan, a different meal."
Regarding on Faye Valentine's wardrobe changes, Pineda stated, "You know, we tried with the original. But in the original outfit, which is so lovely, it's hard to hide stunt pads and gel pads and back plates and things you need when you're falling and kicking and doing stunts." She worked with head of costume design Jane Holland to figure out a functioning outfit for the character in real life.
Holland stated, "I do have to say, as a woman, I felt resistant to the idea of the lead female character being gratuitous or overtly sexualized. It's not about it not being revealing, it's not about any of that, it's actually got all of those elements. But my take on it is that it's designed by a woman and it was made by a lot of women, and it's worn by a woman. So the same elements are there but they have just manifested in a different way." Holland also mentioned it would be easier for Pineda to work in this outfit than if she was dressed how Faye is in the anime. The costume designer said, "It's definitely aesthetically driven but there's a practical element as well...There's a lot of action. we filmed over a long period of time through different seasons. We had a lot of night shifts in Oakland so Jet and Spike were fine, because they had practical, much more practical clothing, in the anime.
inedaneeded that as well."
The cast initially trained with 87eleven Action Design, the same stunt team of the film franchise, ''
John Wick
''John Wick'' is an American action thriller media franchise created by Derek Kolstad and centering around John Wick, a former hitman who is forced back into the criminal underworld he had abandoned.
The franchise began with the release of ''J ...
''. They later worked with New Zealander stunt coordinator Allan Poppleton of Cunning Stunts on ''Cowboy Bebop''.
Filming
Filming for the series took place in 185 locations around
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
, New Zealand between July 2019 and March 2021 including the former
Auckland Railway Station
The Strand Station, also referred to as Auckland Strand Station, is a railway station located on the eastern edge of the Auckland CBD. It serves as the long-distance railway station for Auckland. It is the northern terminus of the Northern Ex ...
,
Ardmore Airport,
St Matthew's Church,
Spark Arena
Spark Arena (also known as Auckland City Arena, and formerly as Vector Arena) is a multipurpose arena in Auckland, New Zealand. The venue is located at Quay Park, Parnell, very close to Britomart Transport Centre and The Strand Station. The ar ...
,
Waitawa Regional Park
Waitawa Regional Park is a regional park situated on the coast of Tamaki Strait, east of Auckland, New Zealand. It is located in Franklin in the Auckland Region, near Kawakawa Bay and Clevedon, about from central Auckland.
The park was one of Au ...
, and
Kingsland railway station.
150 locals were involved in the series' art and construction teams. According to production manager Clayton Tikao, Auckland was picked since its urban environment fitted with the series' "grottier" aesthetic.
In October 2019, Cho sustained a knee injury, which set back production by about eight months. Cho's injury and delay also gave the showrunners extra time to bring in some of the planned second season elements into the first season, such as introducing characters and casting for them. This included introducing
Mason Alexander Park
Mason Alexander Park (born July 12, 1995) is an American actor. They gained prominence through their stage work, earning a Helen Hayes Award. On television, they are known for their roles in the Netflix adaptations of the anime '' Cowboy Bebop ...
as Gren, who originally was introduced in the thirteenth episode of the series.
On April 17, 2020, further news was provided about the project, that episodes would be one-hour in length allowing for more in-depth storytelling, and second season script has been noted as a possibility. On May 19, 2020, in an interview with ''SyFy Wire'', Adelstein revealed that three episodes had already been completed, and that they had shot at least six before Cho's knee injury. During the same interview, it was also revealed that the director of the anime series,
Shinichirō Watanabe
is a Japanese anime television and film director, best known for directing the critically acclaimed and commercially successful anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'' and ''Samurai Champloo''. An auteur of the industry, Watanabe's work is characterized ...
, would be involved as a
creative consultant. Watanabe later stated in November 2019, “I read the initial concept and provided my opinions, but I'm not sure if they will be reflected in the final product. I have no choice but to pray and hope that it will turn out good. Also, for ''Cowboy Bebop'', I don't have any right to stop it. Those rights are in the hands of Sunrise, so if you have a complaint, please send it to them.” In October 2021, ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' confirmed that Watanabe had served as a consultant for the series.
He provided production with early ''Cowboy Bebop'' concept art for reference. Sunrise provided books, which are original character concept drawings, ships, props, sets, and locations for the team to use as references.
Watanabe stated, "For me, it's a great surprise and honor that the ''Cowboy Bebop'' universe has thrived for over 20 years and will continue onward."
When Nemec is directly asked about Watanabe in interviews, he only mentioned Sunrise staff.
Production resumed on September 30, 2020, after the New Zealand government gave the green light to continue following
the nation's COVID-19 shutdown. Filming officially wrapped on March 15, 2021. In August 2021, it was revealed that original show creator
Hajime Yatate
is a pseudonym for the collective contributions of the Sunrise animation staff.
Name
"Hajime Yatate" is considered to be named after a quote of Matsuo Bashō's ''Oku no Hosomichi'':
Credited series
This collective entity is credited as the o ...
, actually a pseudonym for the collective Sunrise animation staff, was interested in writing episodes of the series.
Elena Satine, who played Julia, was pregnant during filming.
Music
Yoko Kanno
is a Japanese composer, arranger and music producer best known for her work on the soundtracks of anime series, television series, live-action films, video games, and advertisements. She was born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. She has wri ...
is the composer for the series while
"Tank!" played in the series' opening credits. In an August 2021 interview with the ''
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' magazine, Cho mentioned about accepting his role and Kanno's involvement with the live action adaptation, "I made sure that she was locked in before saying yes. I didn't think the show should go forward without her involvement.
he is
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
too integral to the show. Our iteration minus her would suffer too much." On September 8, 2021, Nemec stated in a ''
Polygon
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two toge ...
'' interview, "Yoko's involvement in this show to me was paramount to almost everything else."
Release
A first look video, from the point-of-view of
Ein, was released by Netflix in October 2019. Set to music from the original series, the clip showed off some of the sets and the main cast, with the trademark sign-off phrase "See You Space Cowboy..." appearing at the end. Netflix resumed the show's marketing campaign in June 2021 with a new teaser set to the original show's opening theme, "Tank!", to announce that Kanno would be scoring the series after having previously provided the soundtrack for the 1998 anime.
In August 2021, along with the reveal of a November release date, Netflix released first-look preview images for the show, including pictures of Spike, Jet, Faye and Ein in various environments recreated from the anime, including the ''Bebop'' spaceship and the
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
where Vicious and Spike had their first confrontation. During Netflix's
TUDUM
Tudum: A Global Fan Event, also known as Netflix Tudum or Tudum Festival, is a pop culture event that covers Netflix's original films and television series. Held for the first time in January 2020, the event is presented by Maisa Silva and brings ...
event, they revealed the show's opening credits which replicate the anime's opening incorporating "Tank!" and including live action recreations of the original. It took 3 days to film.
A special standalone teaser called "The Lost Session", shot separately from and not including any footage from the actual show, was released by Netflix on October 19, 2021 in anticipation for the trailer release. Directed by Greg Jardin, the short featured Cho, Shakir, and Pineda as their respective characters. The first official trailer was released by Netflix on October 26, 2021.
The series was originally slated to release in 2020, but was delayed due to Cho's injury and the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. It was released on November 19, 2021.
The series was canceled after one season on December 9, 2021, less than three weeks after its release. According to insiders, Netflix's renewal rate for a scripted series is at 60 percent and their decision is based on balancing the show's viewership and cost. Although ''Cowboy Bebop'' was on Netflix's Top 10 with almost 74 million viewing hours worldwide since its debut, viewership dropped by 59 percent the following week from November 29, 2021 to December 5, 2021.
Season 2 storylines
In ''The Bebop Beat'' podcast interview, showrunner André Nemec discussed what would have happened during a second season, including: the reveal of the Cosmonaut; Ed finding out the true meaning of family; Jet's mechanical arm tripping out; while Jet is tripping out, his arm is unusable and plays the saxophone with one hand; Spike's demons of the Blue Crow massacre being put to bed; Faye finding out who she is; Julia discovering "Heavy is The Head That Wears The Crown"; Vicious being reborn and Ein saving the day.
Reception
Critical response
Critical response to the series was described as "mixed",
and "negative". On review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the series has an approval rating of 46% based on 81 critics, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Maybe next time, Space Cowboy — this live-action ''Bebop'' has a fun enough crew to spend time with, but it disappointingly replaces the soulfulness of the source material with kitsch." According to
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which calculated an average score of 47 out of 100 from 28 reviews, the series received "mixed or average reviews".
''
Total Film
''Total Film'' is a British film magazine published 13 times a year (published monthly and a summer issue is added every year since issue 91, 2004, which is published between July and August issue) by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched i ...
''s Bradley Russell gave the series four stars out of five, stating that the show is "overflowing with charm, personality, and style – becoming a worthy companion piece to the original series".
Matt Kim of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' felt that the show "whole-heartedly embraces its source material and succeeds more often than it fails." ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
''s Alan Sepinwall described the series as "a hangout show as much as it is a thriller, a space opera, and so on", ultimately giving it three-and-a-half stars out of five.
Nina Metz of the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' felt that "if you're able to watch
he series
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
with eyes unencumbered by comparisons, it's a hoot".
Many reviewers felt the series did not live up to the original series. Kambole Campbell of ''
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' gave ''Cowboy Bebop'' two stars out of five, declaring it "a hollow re-enactment" of the anime. ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
''s Christian Holub described the series as "a lot less embarrassing" than previous live-action anime adaptations, while also noting that "it still doesn't quite live up to the power of the original series". Mike Hale of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' also said the show can't live up to the original because of its "resolute ordinariness".
Maureen Ryan of ''
Vanity Fair'' however said that "This version of ''Cowboy Bebop,'' in many ways, improves on the original."
The series was heavily criticized for its writing and pacing by many reviewers. Cecilia D'Anastasio writing in ''
Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...
'' described the writing as "corny writing and muddled subplots".
Russell felt that many of the supporting characters' motivations were "glossed over and occasionally undercooked", while "a handful of episodes feel rushed to meet its runtime". He also noted that the Vicious–Julia subplot was "by far the weakest element" of the show.
Several reviewers noted how the increased episode length did not translate into better episodes, but instead bloat.
Judy Berman writing in ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine called the decision to expand the show from 25 minutes to an hour "baffling".
''Variety'''s Caroline Framke opined that the series suffered from "Netflix bloat", where the story is needlessly stretched "seemingly for the sake of retaining eyeballs for more minutes at a time". Rob Owen of the ''
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
The ''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'', also known as "the Trib," is the second largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Although it transitioned to an all-digital format on December 1, 2016, it rem ...
'' wrote, "When the show leans more heavily into Spike's serialized plot – ''Cowboy Bebop'' loses its sense of fun and bogs down in tired soap operatics."
The show's visual aesthetic polarized critics. Rohan Naaha of ''
The Indian Express
''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split betw ...
'' wrote that the show "apes only the most obvious aspects of the cartoon — the aesthetic. But funnily enough, it never comes across as a show that is mimicking Westerns of noir films; it comes across as a show that is mimicking another show's impression of what Westerns and noir films are." He also criticized the excessive use of
dutch angles
The Dutch angle, also known as Dutch tilt, canted angle, or oblique angle, is a type of camera shot which involves setting the camera at an angle on its roll axis so that the shot is composed with vertical lines at an angle to the side of the fr ...
.
D'Anastasio was critical of the sets and described them as "cheap-looking.
Russell, meanwhile, noted that "some sets clearly need a more sizeable budget, but the sheer attention to detail by the production designers helps overcome that handicap".
Graeme Virtue of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' described the show as a "visually amped-up space western that feels stylised and swaggering to near saturation". Sepinwall wrote, "The visual palette is a blend of high and low elements, blending modern special effects with Fifties-style green screen in a way that looks simultaneously primitive and cool, so even the sequences that seem cheap pop off the screen in appealing ways."
Conversely,
''The Hollywood Reporter'''s Angie Han described the show as "a knockoff
''Firefly'', made for a fraction of the budget", with "muddy CG" and "shoddy-looking sets". Hale compared the show's visual effects to ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'', calling them adequate but cheesy.
Several reviewers also criticized the action scenes for their cinematography, editing and fight choreography.
However, Brian Lowry of ''
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
'' described the action sequences in the series "stylishly choreographed" despite the overall series was lacking and dull.
Critics, including those who criticized the series, praised the performances of the cast. Naaha described the cast as the "only saving grace" of the series in an otherwise critical review.
Francisco stated, "If there's a high mark the show hits, it's the fact that its all-star main cast was successfully assembled to begin with."
Shirley Li of ''
The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' wrote, "The trio of protagonists aboard the Bebop have an electric chemistry: The actor John Cho embodies Spike's swagger, Mustafa Shakir captures Jet's stoicism, and Daniella Pineda suffuses Faye with endearing candor." ''
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
''s Mason Downey wrote, "absolutely everyone feels perfectly cast".
Audience reaction
When it was announced ''Cowboy Bebop'' would not receive a second season on December 9, 2021, there were mixed reactions.
However, this also prompted a petition called "Save the live action Cowboy Bebop." Science fiction author
Wesley Chu
Wesley Chu (朱恆昱) (born September 23, 1976, in Taipei) is a #1 New York Times Bestselling speculative fiction author. He was originally raised by his grandparents in Taiwan while his parents were studying in the United States. In 1982, he ...
tweeted a link after comparing the show to ''
Firefly
The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...
''.
The petition gained over 150,000 signatures including
Steve Blum
Steven Jay Blum (; born April 29, 1960) is an American voice actor. Known for his distinctively deep voice, his most well-known roles include Spike Spiegel from the anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'', Garazeb Orrelios from the animated series ''St ...
, the English voice actor for Spike in the anime, who has been very supportive of the live action and cast.
Creator response
Shinichiro Watanabe was asked by ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' magazine what he thought of the live-action adaptation, to which he responded, "For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check. It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not ''Cowboy Bebop'' and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be ''Cowboy Bebop''. I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now".
Awards and nominations
The series was nominated for
Outstanding Main Title Design at the
74th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
The 74th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards honored the best in artistic and technical achievement in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2021, until May 31, 2022, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ...
in 2022.
Other media
In August 2021, it was announced that Netflix had partnered with
Titan Books
Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of Titan Entertainment Group, which was established in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cinema reference books; and graphic novels and co ...
to publish several books based on the series, with the first book, a prequel novel entitled ''Cowboy Bebop: A Syndicate Story: Red Planet Requiem'', released on December 7, 2021. An art book, ''Cowboy Bebop: Making The Netflix Series'', which has concept art, behind-the-scenes photography, and cast and crew interviews, was released on June 21, 2022.
Titan also published a four-issue comic miniseries based on the show from January 26, 2022, to June 22, 2022, with a trade collecting all four issues released on November 15, 2022, as ''Cowboy Bebop: Supernova Swing''. The story is by Dan Watters and art by Lamar Mathurin. First issue art cover are by Artgerm (Stanley Lau) with variant covers by Claudia Ianniciello, Afu Chan, and
Yishan Li
Yishan Li (born 1981) is a Chinese-British comics and manhua illustrator. She is self-taught. Li has worked on popular comic book titles such as ''Hellboy'', ''Batwoman'', and ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. She describes her own comics as "'girly ...
. The following issues continued to have different cover artists.
References
External links
*
*
{{Netflix original ended series (2019–present)
2020s American drama television series
2020s American science fiction television series
2021 American television series debuts
2021 American television series endings
Cowboy Bebop
English-language Netflix original programming
Neo-noir television series
Post-apocalyptic television series
Television series set in the 22nd century
Television shows filmed in New Zealand
Television series by ITV Studios
Television productions postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Works based on animated television series
Space Western television series