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The 2021 Cowboy Bebop live-action is... certainly something. It’s not a secret that there’s a sense of dread that brews for rabid anime fans every time news of a beloved classic getting a live-action adaptation arises. You forebodingly wait in anticipation, hoping for the best (Alita: Battle Angel) and preparing for the absolute worst (Dragon Ball: Evolution). I will say though, nothing has given me more anxiety than the phrase "Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop." Prior to the announcement, Netflix’s only stateside live-action project was the Death Note movie, and we all know how that turned out.

Now, a review of the show could quickly turn into a manifesto criticizing all the things it missed the mark on or decided to omit from the timeless anime. But today we’re gonna focus, or at least try to, on how the adaptation measures up to fan expectations and one of the defining elements that earned the original its cult following - the iconic score.  

Cowboy Bebop is a show famous for its ability to build an entire universe out of disparate film and music genres. Each episode adopts a different style to suit the subject matter and gives each of the characters and far-off places our ragtag group of bounty hunters visits a distinct identity. The styles of music are incredibly diverse, ranging from straightforward big band jazz, blues, acoustic ballads, hard rock, country, funk, electronic, hip-hop, and experimental compositions and elements. The music often inspires the visual scenes and vice-versa, a direct byproduct of the significant collaboration between Yoko Kanno and Shinichirō Watanabe.  

One hallmark of the show is its high-tempo jazz accompanied fight scenes that serve to accentuate the fast-paced action. Although most of the songs are instrumental and play as background music, some numbers are accompanied by singers ranging in Japanese, English, and French. The band also created short compositions called vitamins to enter and exit commercial breaks along with custom title cards.

Let’s start with the first episode of the Netflix adaptation. I do think the opening fight scene of the live-action, which is a direct callback to the 2001 Cowboy Bebop movie, was a strong start. The production team did a great job matching the energy of the fight and the “almost sucked into space” chaos by seamlessly transitioning and layering energetic horn sections and whimsical and spacey percussion. Overall, the music in the first episode was pretty much what I had hoped it would be; however, there was one scene that made my stomach sink and audibly ask my laptop, “How could you mess that up?"  

The anime’s wordless, "Asteroid Blues,” sets up the wordless, tragic finale. Spike and Katerina, in a shocking silence, say everything they need to say in a few meaningful looks before she meets her unfortunate demise, evoking feelings of bittersweet loss. The show’s first episode, named “Cowboy Blues,” has the characters talk over the spacey and sax-fueled track, the first of many crimes this show commits against Kanno’s iconic score and the new material she wrote for it.

At the beginning of episode two, “Venus Pop,” as Jet tries and fails to catch Teddy Bomber, the opening notes of “Tank!” begin playing, leading organically to the credits, which then play the opening again for some reason without the spoken word. This sloppy editing mistake could have been an opportunity to make the cold open and OP one cohesive, fluid experience, but it feels like an afterthought. To be fair, that isn’t the worst part of the episode; it’s definitely Julia and Vicious, but that’s an article for another time. Moving on, I will say that another personal highlight was the way the show directly integrated Kanno's music at Ana’s jazz club, even if that was at times the only highlight.  

Skipping ahead, in Episode 6, “Binary Two-Step,” “Space Lion” was teased as Spike gazed at an old photo of him and Julia, but it was sadly cut short before it could add any weight to the brief scene. It would’ve been more ideal if it had played out through the credits, letting viewers exist in that state of nostalgia for a moment longer instead of abruptly ending once the credits rolled.

The finale, “Supernova Symphony,” in a nutshell, could’ve been so much more for more reasons than one, but again, this is an article about music. As Spike and Vicious are trading bullets, quips, and out-of-place quotes, it leads to a shot for shot recreation of their legendary standoff, which kicks off with the most generic samurai flute sting to ever hit my ears. After the fight ends and Julia shoots Spike, the scene ends with a stripped and oddly hollow version of “Green Bird” as Spike falls from the church tower into the dark water below.

So how could it be better? Well, the filmmakers seem to have an undeniable appreciation of the intricate, sonically-crafted world Kanno has created with Bebop but not a full understanding of its effect. Burning each and every song into their minds is just step one, but step two is using the music as an effective leitmotif to instill emotion and motivation in each scene. They can have music say things the characters can’t or won’t say in order to move the story along, or realize the power of silence, allowing the space for Kanno's impeccable, emotionally-laden compositions to shine.    

When it comes to adapting an anime like Cowboy Bebop, it doesn’t matter how hard production works at creating costumes and sets or how accurately the actors bring to life their animated counterparts, or even if they were to somehow retroactively add back in the show’s more political and philosophical themes; if the show's music isn't at its heart, it’s not Cowboy Bebop. The music department and the sound department should be one and the same instead of two separate entities that seemingly don’t communicate with each other.

As stated above, Cowboy Bebop is something. It’s not a 1:1 adaptation, but it is something I do intend to rewatch, because there were things I did genuinely love about it. Given its weeks-long residency in the Netflix Top 10 ranking, it’s likely staying around for at least another season. Hopefully, the show creators can run with the very audible constructive criticism of fans and make what's to come better than what we've seen and heard. And if they don’t, oh well, whatever happens, happens.

Want more anime and music? Check out our list of The Best Anime to Watch If You Love Music.