Cowboy Bebop Actress Says Studios Should Value the Original Material
The live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, released by Netflix in 2021, faced heavy criticism and was canceled after just one season. Now, four years later, actress Daniella Pineda, who portrayed Faye Valentine, has spoken about the reasons behind the show’s failure and pointed to how the original work was treated.
Cowboy Bebop Actress Says Studios Should Value the Original Material
In a recent interview, Pineda said she understands the fans who criticized the adaptation. According to her, many of the problems came from how the studios failed to appreciate the legacy of the anime.
She said:
“I feel like these animations mean a lot to people, they’re so personal, and I think people really connect to when they saw it and where they were in their lives. So I feel, and I say this as someone who worked on one, that these studios need to do a better job of valuing that intellectual property. It’s really special. And the people who worked on Bebop worked really, really hard — but it’s something special.”
The original Cowboy Bebop anime, created by Shinichiro Watanabe and released in 1998, is considered a sci-fi and space-western masterpiece. The series stood out for its story, which captured the hearts of many fans, as well as action scenes that are still remembered today. Meanwhile, the Netflix version was criticized for altering key elements of the narrative and characters, straying from the essence of the original work.
Even so, Pineda defended some aspects of the production, highlighting the effort to recreate the iconic opening with the song “Tank!” by The Seatbelts. That sequence even earned the show an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Main Title Design.
The actress also expressed frustration about not getting the chance to continue with a second season. “Sometimes, it’s in the second season that everything comes together and we get to prove our worth,” she said.
Meanwhile, other Netflix adaptations have performed better. The live-action version of One Piece, released in 2023 with direct support from Eiichiro Oda, exceeded fans’ expectations. The new Avatar: The Last Airbender series has also been renewed for two more seasons.
The case of Cowboy Bebop could have served as a lesson for Netflix to respect original material — but the latest trailer for the show Bet, inspired by the manga Kakegurui, shows they haven’t learned a thing.
via The Direct
