Netflix’s much-hyped live-action adaptation of the classic anime Cowboy Bebop has been cancelled after just a single season on the TV streaming service.
And like that wasn’t enough of a blow for fans of the franchise - at least, fans who dug the Netflix version - the main screenwriter on the Cowboy Bebop anime, Keiko Nobumoto, is confirmed to have died from cancer at the start of December 2021. This news came via a post from anime writer Dai Sato (in Japanese), who’d also worked on Cowboy Bebop.
Nobumoto died aged 57, and a funeral was held for her on December 4 (reports Kotaku). Nobumoto was also scenario supervisor on Square Enix’s first Kingdom Hearts game of 2002, and elsewhere in anime she worked on such series as Wolf’s Rain, Space Dandy, Macross Plus and Tokyo Godfathers. “R.I.P to one of the greatest writers of our time,” posts one Twitter user, responding to the news. Another writes: “Im... A little lost on words. This person molded my childhood and her work was a huge influence on me... She'll be dearly missed… See you... Space Cowboy.”
Advert
Watch the release trailer for Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop, below…
Meanwhile, the Netflix take on Cowboy Bebop will not receive a continuation from its debut season of 10 episodes, which premiered on the platform on November 19, 2021. Netflix is notoriously kneejerk when it comes to sticking with shows or cancelling them, based on their performance in the first two weeks of streaming - and it seems Cowboy Bebop hasn’t achieved the viewing figures necessary for a second season to get the green light.
As reported at The Hollywood Reporter, Cowboy Bebop had a strong first week on Netflix, but those numbers fell 59% in week two for a total (as of December 9) of 74 million hours watched. Sounds like a lot - and it is, when you note that the first season of Tiger King managed 60 million hours, and the first season of The Witcher 76 million, both of which are deemed to be hits. (Figures from Complex.)
Advert
But fold in a number of negative critical reviews (its Metacritic average sits at a lowly 47), and a Rotten Tomatoes viewer score of 56%, and then consider that the budget of the series is probably higher than most on Netflix (the service hasn’t made that information public), and it’s easy to see why Cowboy Bebop has been pulled before its time. That hasn’t prevented disappointment from filtering onto social media, however. While another Kotaku report notes that, generally, the live-action series’ cancellation hasn’t surprised anyone - “Did anyone want to watch this?” asks one viewer they quote - there are those who’ll miss it.
“No-one gave it a chance,” says one Twitter poster, adding, “It’s way better than what [Netflix] did with Death Note.” (Okay, that’s a low bar.) “It’s a masterpiece compared to Dragon Ball Evolution and Death Note,” writes another, reacting to the news. A third reads: “Shame. It was actually ok. The anime was still better, but it was already the second- or third-best anime live adaptation.” Sci-fi author Gareth L Powell expressed his disappointment, writing: “My favourite watches this year were Space Sweepers and Cowboy Bebop. Therefore, I'm VERY disappointed to hear Netflix has cancelled series two of Bebop.”
However, the overwhelming feedback to this particular cancellation appears to be one of yep, told you so. One Twitter user, in all-caps, encapsulated what a lot of the social media reaction has been like: “I AM OVERJOYED WE WON’T EVER SEE A CONTINUATION OF THAT NONSENSE.” Me? Didn’t watch it, so I guess it’s partly my fault it’s been yoinked after just the one season. Sorry?
Featured Image Credit: NetflixTopics: TV And Film, Netflix