Playful groove … John Cho as Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop. Most episodes involve the Bebop crew chasing down larger-than-life criminals – including hardline eco-terrorists, killer clowns and a deranged bomber in an oversized teddy bear mask – with the prospect of a confrontation between the laconic Spike and the cruel Vicious bubbling just below the surface. Spike has a complicated history with ashen-haired gang- enforcer Vicious (Alex Hassell) and songbird moll Julia (Elena Satine). The verbal fencing among the trio is almost manic – the ship’s breakout space even has a sitcom-ready scuffed yellow couch.īut all three voyagers also have painful secrets that threaten to overwhelm the present. Perhaps because of hunger, the mood on board the Bebop is usually irritable or sarcastic. They struggle to keep their heads above water even before sharp-tongued rival Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) gatecrashes their clunky amphibious spaceship, the Bebop. Yet, owing to bad luck and questionable personal decisions, the pair are constantly on the back foot. By rights, they should be elite bounty hunters. His imposing partner Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir) is a tough-as-nails former cop with a metal arm. Spiegel is a gifted sharpshooter and martial arts master. Freelance “cowboys” bring in villains – dead or alive – for a reward, just like in the old west. ![]() An excess of outlaws and ne’er-do-wells in these hardscrabble places has made bounty hunting a popular occupation. There are space station casinos and gleaming cyberpunk cities but also countless rickety towns and dusty outposts on far-flung moons (the series was shot in New Zealand and often looks appropriately otherworldly). An unspecified disaster on Earth has pushed humankind out into the local cosmos, creating a new galactic frontier. ![]() It is set in a vibrant but messy sci-fi future, precariously built on top of the technological and pop-culture clutter of now. The 2021 version is a fast-talking, visually amped-up space western that feels stylised and swaggering to near saturation, powered by the same jazz freakout soundtrack that helped make the original an enduring cult hit. But even if you were unaware of Cowboy Bebop’s animated origins it might not take long to twig that this 10-part series was inspired by an exuberant cartoon. The outcome involves a frantic foot chase, a rooftop fight and a memorable moment with a gigantic provocative billboard.ĭoing things “the fun way” seems to have been the mission statement for this live-action adaptation of a 1998 Japanese anime series, made with the blessing of its original creator Shinichirō Watanabe. “We can do this the easy way, or the fun way,” purrs Spiegel. The self-amused hero has an ice-cool opening line ready to go. There was great potential to make this a continous series, and I guess that wasn't in the vision of the creators.While propping up the bar at a gaudy sex club on Mars, a rakish bounty hunter improbably named Spike Spiegel (John Cho) locks eyes with his current target: a murderous, anxious thief. The series surpassed all expectations even if it was radically different. If this is the last of Scott Pilgrim we will see, I respect it. As getting the original actors to come back to the series continously wasn't part of the agreement. While this series is a great attempt, I do respect the fact this show was meant more to be a one time thing. I have verified the story of this series is a spinoff compared to the source material. I didn't feel left out for a single moment throughout all of the episodes. ![]() ![]() Exploring sides of characters we have never seen before, and even for people like me who did not read the books. Like most people, we only have memory of the legendary movie, so this series takes it a step further. The story is unique from all expectations, but was explained properly in the Scott Pilgrim way. It's tricky to describe it, but its a bizarrely epic style with brightness and motions like none other. The animation is vastly different from anything I have ever seen. That fact alone is enough to earn my respect towards the Scott Pilgrim franchise and its creators. I must admit it is damn straight impressive they got the original cast back even after all of these years. The series takes the radically awesome story a step further and explores new aspects. Some could even say Scott Pilgrim was ahead of its time. I remember when I was a teenager, I watched this movie and was blown away by great margins.
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