There's something just not connecting for me here. It's a tonal shift from the original that I haven't been able to get past that I'm not sure I'd like even if I wasn't comparing it to its predecessor. It's corny, tongue in cheek presentation rather than stylized cool and fluid. I'm not sure that was intentional. It doesn't feel like it. It feels more like a lot of independently well made parts just not coming together to make a cohesive whole. That's unfortunate, as there are a lot of good design decisions made.
Edit after finishing season 1:
Normally, I try to separate the source material as much as possible from an adaptation or remake. But in a case like Cowboy Bebop, that's a lot easier said that done. The original isn't just a story or characters in a particular setting. It's a collective ensemble of music, tone, style, and writing that set it apart as something unique and inseparable from its parts. That's why people love it. All of those individual pieces are often chaotic, but riff off of one another like a jazz ensemble to make one of kind experience.
It's a tall order for anyone to try and replicate that into something new. If they pulled it off, it would have been amazing, but sadly, this series never hits that stride. The greatest strengths of this adaptation are the pieces of the original. The changes are questionable. The original content is mediocre at best.
I wouldn't have wanted a straight copy. So, I applaud them for making some bold decisions, but, at the end of the day, they just aren't good decisions. The injection of campy humor makes it feel like the best dialog is written by Michael Bay instead of something Tarantino-esque. Vicious feels more Viserys Targaryen than Deacon Frost. The best casting of all in Jet goes from being a disgruntled cop to an absentee father at the butt of jokes. The mystique of the characters' background is filled out with underwhelming and frankly boring rambling that takes away far more than it adds. Less is more would have gone so far here.
It's not completely awful. There are redeeming factors, but at the end of it. I'm questioned wondering do I like what's left because it's good or simply because of the echos of the original. That's a rough position for any content to sit in. Hopefully, they can find a different tempo that better matches their choices in season 2. That is if I can get over the new ending.
Review by Patrick KellyVIP 8BlockedParent2021-11-21T02:30:19Z— updated 2021-11-23T15:04:31Z
There's something just not connecting for me here. It's a tonal shift from the original that I haven't been able to get past that I'm not sure I'd like even if I wasn't comparing it to its predecessor. It's corny, tongue in cheek presentation rather than stylized cool and fluid. I'm not sure that was intentional. It doesn't feel like it. It feels more like a lot of independently well made parts just not coming together to make a cohesive whole. That's unfortunate, as there are a lot of good design decisions made.
Edit after finishing season 1:
Normally, I try to separate the source material as much as possible from an adaptation or remake. But in a case like Cowboy Bebop, that's a lot easier said that done. The original isn't just a story or characters in a particular setting. It's a collective ensemble of music, tone, style, and writing that set it apart as something unique and inseparable from its parts. That's why people love it. All of those individual pieces are often chaotic, but riff off of one another like a jazz ensemble to make one of kind experience.
It's a tall order for anyone to try and replicate that into something new. If they pulled it off, it would have been amazing, but sadly, this series never hits that stride. The greatest strengths of this adaptation are the pieces of the original. The changes are questionable. The original content is mediocre at best.
I wouldn't have wanted a straight copy. So, I applaud them for making some bold decisions, but, at the end of the day, they just aren't good decisions. The injection of campy humor makes it feel like the best dialog is written by Michael Bay instead of something Tarantino-esque. Vicious feels more Viserys Targaryen than Deacon Frost. The best casting of all in Jet goes from being a disgruntled cop to an absentee father at the butt of jokes. The mystique of the characters' background is filled out with underwhelming and frankly boring rambling that takes away far more than it adds. Less is more would have gone so far here.
It's not completely awful. There are redeeming factors, but at the end of it. I'm questioned wondering do I like what's left because it's good or simply because of the echos of the original. That's a rough position for any content to sit in. Hopefully, they can find a different tempo that better matches their choices in season 2. That is if I can get over the new ending.