Netflix has been on a streak of live-action anime adaptations with one of its most controversial being Cowboy Bebop. The ill-fated adaptation was canceled only three weeks after airing, but anime series creator Shinichiro Watanabe is now speaking about how he felt in regard to the production.
In an interview with Forbes, Watanabe recalled how Netflix sent material from the show for him to review. "For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check", Watanabe said. "It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and only saw that opening scene".
This statement feels like the final nail in the coffin for the series, as from the first reveal, fans were disappointed with the visual style and casting of the show. Hearing its creator, who is credited as both a producer and consultant, say that the show isn't something he could sit through is most likely very vindicating for those who felt the same. The criticism holds more levity when it's also considered just how rich Watanabe's career is. Aside from Cowboy Bebop Watanabe also helmed projects like Samurai Champloo, Space Dandy, and Carol & Tuesday, all shows with strong visual identity as well as deep storytelling.
Watanabe said of the series, "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." While most likely made in jest, there is a point to be made — the original anime has taken on a new light after the release of the live-action. What was already seen as a pillar of anime, the show has become a talking point for how anime can leverage its visual medium to tell stories that would be otherwise impossible in live action. This should be something Netflix considers as it approaches a new live-action adaptation with One Piece, which seems like a much harder sell to fans, as the series has a very exaggerated style along with elements like Luffy's GumGum powers, which may be a nightmare for digital effects artists to render.
The rest of the interview should be a treat for fans of Watanabe's work as he explains much of his career, including his early days at Sunrise. The interview also touches upon his mentor, Ryōsuke Takahashi, who directed the sci-fi horror property Blue Gender, along with lessons he learned working with Western animator Peter Chung on the Animatrix.