Kaden Stewart

(At the time of writing I am on episode 6) Do not go in expecting it to be like the original. There’s no outdoing the original, and the creators know that. It’s not trying to be like the original. It’s trying to be a rough adaptation of the story. It’s very VERY different but still highly stylish and just as fun. It’s not as good as the 1998 series but it’s some of the most fun I’ve had with a series in a bit. And no it’s not perfect, but it is very enjoyable. The best way to enjoy it is to think of it as a Cowboy Bebop inspired show made by fans that isn’t actually Cowboy Bebop. Also we have more Yoko Kanno for the soundtrack and I knew I’d enjoy that going into it because of course it’s great. (This following section is an actual review that goes into more detail for those interested) So the casting seems to be a bit divisive. In my opinion the only one in the main trio that seems to be perfect is Jet, and he is also the most accurately written. (Personality wise) Spike is the opposite, same background, different personality. He’s similar but he’s a bit more emotional and a bit more rude. Given the context I believe it works. Faye is the same but amplified by a LOT. She’s a lot more annoying, a lot more vulgar and a lot more rude. She’s the worst. She’s such a terrible person that it loops around and she’s honestly kind of charming in her own ironic way. Julia is the only character that I can absolutely say was not handled well. She falls into more of a “damsel in distress type role” and it’s a bit of a let down. She is also in almost every episode. She went from being in 2 episodes and being cool and kicking butt, to a bit more watered down. The episodes are almost twice as long and while I do enjoy the story and on it’s own they would work fine, the original showed that they don’t need to be long. You kind of start to feel it in episode 4 or 5, especially if you binge it. It is also a lot more graphic and vulgar than the original. More sex, more blood and more swearing. This is personal preference but I could really do without this. The music. Firstly, it’s Yoko Kanno, it’s obvious stellar. It’s mostly new tunes but a few re-recorded jams pop up here and there and they are welcome. However while I adore the soundtrack it seems to play a little too often, which softens some of the big hits, but when it does hit, it hits HARD. The show is still very stylized and still a mix of multiple genres but it seems to lean more into a “noir/sci-fi/70’s cop movie” but it’s still pretty similar. You may not like it but you can’t call it soulless. Also there’s plot, like between every episode. It’s not great but it’s still nice to have a bit more continuity, which is one gripe I had with the original. I hope I enjoy the rest of it and I hope you enjoy it as much as me