Cowboy Bebop is an anime that blends many genres and styles together. At times, it's as over-the-top as a show like One-Punch Man. Conversely, certain episodes are as somber as Wolf's Rain. All of these elements combine to create an anime series unlike any other.
Word is that a live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop is coming to Netflix. In terms of adapting anime, Netflix doesn't have the best track record right now. If the cycle is to be broken, the showrunners for this adaptation will need to learn from the past. Here are 10 episodes that we hope are recreated in the Netflix show.
10 Asteroid Blues
This is the episode that started it all. Most anime are based on manga, using the source material as a blueprint for the show. If a manga is still developing while an anime is in production, 'filler episodes' air to bide time. Bebop is completely original, making it all the more impressive how gripping Session 1 is!
"Asteroid Blues" starts with a flashback. Spike Spiegel carries a bouquet of roses and wears a disguise. Inside the bouquet are a loaded gun and a grenade! Spike uses these weapons to kill a group of men, and then he runs off. The rest of the episode deals with the fallout of Spike's actions.
9 Ballad Of Fallen Angels
The events of this episode will rip your heart out, just as they ripped out Spike's. Session 5 is another episode that centers around Spike's past. During "Ballad of Fallen Angels," we learn that Spike used to be a member of the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate. There are two things Spike never really had in his life—money and a family. The Red Dragon Crime Syndicate gave him a taste of both.
For a time, things were good. Spike found a mentor in Mao Yenrai, a friend in a man named Vicious, and a lover in a woman named Julia. Everything eventually falls apart, leading Spike to fake his own death and become a bounty hunter. By the episode's end, we learn that Spike lost his friendship with Vicious and his relationship with Julia.
8 Ganymede Elegy
Episodes like "Ganymede Elegy" reinforce the notion that Cowboy Bebop is a character-driven show. There's no doubt that the series features stunning artwork, fantastic animation, compelling writing, and phenomenal voice acting. But the main reason to watch Bebop is to build a connection with the series' characters.
Session 10 gives viewers a chance to bond with Jet Black, the captain of the Bebop. Jet's got a gruff exterior and keeps his emotions guarded at all times. During this episode we learn why: Jet used to be an Inter-Solar System Police officer. He also once had a loving relationship with a woman named Alisa. One day, fate gave Jet a terrible hand. Since then, he's worked as a bounty hunter aboard the Bebop.
7 My Funny Valentine
Session 15 focuses on Cowboy Bebop's leading lady, Faye Valentine. The crew members of the Bebop each have drastically different personalities: Spike has a 'devil-may-care' outlook on life, Jet Black acts like everyone's dad, Faye loves taking shots at her crewmates, and Ed is, well, Ed. Each of them also has a tragic backstory, which helps link them together, in a way.
In "My Funny Valentine," we learn about Faye's tragic past. Long ago, she lost her memory. Whitney Haggis Matsumoto helped Faye. He then lied to her and threw her life in disarray. Despite it all, Faye presses on, proving that she's a strong female character in her own right.
6 Pierrot Le Fou
Session 20 isn't focused on one specific member of the Bebop. "Pierrot le Fou" roughly means 'The Clown's Requiem' in English. The phrase is also an homage to a French film from 1965 with the same name.
Cowboy Bebop is naturally an unconventional show. But we doubt that anyone expected the Bebop crew to fight a Terminator clown! The way that Tongpu hunts Spike makes him feel less like a person and more like a horrific anime monster! The Mad Pierrot has a lot of mannerisms based on the Joker. The crew really have to think on their feet to beat this bad guy for good.
5 Cowboy Funk
Session 22 is a lighthearted episode that'll make you laugh and hit you hard in the feels. "Cowboy Funk" starts with Spike tracking down a bounty. Spike eventually meets his mark, Teddy Bomber, at the same time that a cowboy named Andy does. Andy mistakes Spike for a criminal and accidentally lets Bomber escape. Spike and Andy then set off to catch the mark.
Throughout the episode, Andy and Spike form a tenuous yet respectful rivalry. Session 22 ends after Spike and Andy reconcile their differences and catch Teddy. If the Netflix show brings Andy on, hopefully, he'll get more screentime. Cowboy Andy gained a bit of a fan following back in the day.
4 Brain Scratch
"Brain Scratch" is the 23rd Session in the series. It takes place right after the animated film Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door. The events of the film don't really affect the episode too much, but it's a good watch either way. Anyhow, let's get back to "Brain Scratch"!
The Bebop crew encounter SCRATCH, a cult obsessed with digitizing their minds. Ed's hacking skills help the crew track down the cult's leader, Doctor Londes. Eventually, the crew learns that Doctor Londes isn't a real person. Rosny Spanngen is the man behind the mask. We don't want to say too much more about the episode, lest we spoil it. Suffice it to say that "Brain Scratch" is a trippy, cyberpunk inspired episode.
3 Hard Luck Woman
Episodes like "Hard Luck Woman" are why Cowboy Bebop has endured for so long. Session 24 mostly centers around Faye, Ed, and the theme of 'finding where you belong.' This episode tends to resonate with many viewers who feel adrift in society or who unsatisfied with their lot in life.
In this episode, we learn that Ed's father is a famous cartographer named Appledelhi Siniz Hesap Lütfen, or Mr. Apple for short. A bounty is placed on Mr. Apple's head, prompting the Bebop crew to track him down. Tensions rise and emotions brew when the Bebop crew finds Mr. Apple. The episode ends with Ed and Faye making major, life-altering decisions.
2 The Real Folk Blues (Part One)
"The Real Folk Blues (Part One)" is the first half of Cowboy Bebop's finale. Session 25 is a very emotional episode that cuts deep. This episode is one of the reasons why Bebop fans express concerns over the live-action adaptation of the series. Die-hard fans are simply worried that Netflix won't do the series justice. Considering what happened with Death Note, those concerns aren't exactly off base.
Nevertheless, "The Real Folk Blues Part 1" starts on a somber note. The events of Session 24 have left Spike and Jet heartbroken. Eventually, Spike's past comes back to haunt him. Rather than run away, Spike decides to go back to his roots despite Jet Black's pleas and protests.
1 The Real Folk Blues (Part Two)
"The Real Folk Blues (Part Two)" picks up right where we left off. Spike reunites with his old flame Julia. To Spike's surprise, Julia says that she wants to run away with him. But Vicious and the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate won't let either of them go that easily. Session 26 is filled with a lot of blood, a lot of sweat, and a lot of tears.
The ending of "The Real Folk Blues (Part Two)" is so heavy that its impact still affects the anime industry, even to this day. We don't really know how Netflix's Cowboy Bebop adaptation will turn out. It could sink or it could swim. Honestly, we're hoping that Netflix can live up to Bebop's legacy in spite of the odds.