In a world that is overpopulated by television shows, there is one art form that I will always recommend to anyone who will listen if they want new, original storytelling, and that, my friends, is anime. There are plenty of options out there to pick from if you're new to it, and these are some of the many picks that would be perfect for you.

Pokemon

I mean, obviously. It would be a crime if I didn't put Pokemon on this list. The iconic franchise has run for nearly thirty years and tells the story of Pokemon trainers and their Pokemon, creatures with powers, as they fight for their way to the top of the Pokemon Championships. From the iconic Pokemon films to all the regions of the Pokemon series and everything else, this is a series anyone can get into.

Bleach

Based on the manga of the same name, Bleach is about a boy who can see spirits and is put in charge of fighting bad ones and guiding good ones to the afterlife, but when his friend is punished for giving him her power, he has to rescue her from forces you could never even imagine. There's so much action that for an action movie lover, it's the perfect show to get into.

Berserk

While this is an older pick, Berserk is a great anime. The series mainly follows a swordsman who joins a group of mercenaries but eventually decides to go his way, and this one moment causes changes for everyone involved. I know that from this premise, it doesn't sound like much, but this is a dark anime, and if you're looking for something that will test your limits, this is the show for you.

The Dragon Ball Franchise

I don't even need to explain what this anime is about. Everyone knows about Dragon Ball and the story of Goku and their quest to gather Dragon Balls in order to summon a dragon that grants wishes and everything else. There's not much to convince you to watch it because everyone knows it.

Naruto

I'm pretty sure everyone is aware of the iconic story of Naruto in one way or another. The series follows the titular character, a young boy named Naruto who is a ninja and hopes to become a leader one day. This series has lasted decades, with new iterations that are released consistently.

Delicious In Dungeon

Delicious in Dungeon was one of my favorite anime of 2024 for a good reason – because it is just so cute. The anime mainly follows several characters as they descend deeper into dungeons in order to revive a friend of theirs that was consumed by a dragon, cooking and eating monsters as they go through it. Yes, this series is so silly, but for a first-time watcher, it's just light enough for you to enjoy.

Attack On Titan

Attack on Titan is, hands down, one of the best anime of all time for its incredible story, delectable character developments, immense world-building, and so much more. The main premise follows Eren, a teenager who joins the Survey Corps with his friends in order to take down Titans, giant humanoid creatures. But whatever you think is going to happen in this story – unthink it. It's an incredible series, full of intrigue and so much more.

Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War

If you're looking for a cute romance anime to start on, Kaguya-sama: Love is War is a great pick, as it was actually my first romance anime. The series itself follows the story of two student council members who have feelings for each other but will never admit it, so they purposefully scheme to make the other admit it first. It's hysterical and lovely all at the same time.

Hunter X Hunter

Hunter x Hunter is one of those anime series that is truly perfect for everyone. The series is about a young boy who is on a quest to find his father and goes on a wild adventure to do so, but really, this is the type of anime that anyone can get into. Its characters are lovely and easy to enjoy, and the story isn't too complicated.

Sailor Moon

I mean, it's Sailor Moon. We all know about Sailor Moon. The series follows a young woman who is given the power to become a "Pretty Soldier" who is given the ability to fight alongside other soldiers to defend the Earth against evil people. Sailor Moon is a great anime and iconic for a reason.

Solo Leveling

If you want something that's more based on video games and other action shows, Solo Leveling is a great one for you. The anime follows a young man who gets a second chance at life and wishes to get as strong as he possibly can in a world that is filled to the brim with monsters that must be taken out. So, he aims to level up through the strange prompts that he sees, but no one else does.

Dr. Stone

When the entire world is suddenly turned to stone, a teenager emerges thousands of years later with a bright mind and a desire to rediscover everything that once made the Earth great. Dr. Stone really makes an effort to make its science make sense, and it's a great show to dive right into.

Jujutsu Kaisen

If you're looking for a good dark anime, Jujutsu Kaisen is a great one to take a glance at. The series mainly focuses on Yuji Itadori when he swallows the finger of a cursed sorcerer, Sukuna, and now has to learn how to control his new powers while staying alive in order for the chance to kill him finally. The series is crazy and has a considerable following.

Chainsaw Man

Chainsaw Man is an intense anime, but it's worth every second of watching it. The series follows Denji, a man with no goals in life who lives homeless with the Chainsaw Devil as his companion until he is given the powers of the Chainsaw Devil in a last-ditch effort to save his life. From there, he's recruited to fight against Devils.

Dan Da Dan

Dan Da Dan is one of those anime that is truly out of this world—literally—but it's so much fun. The show follows two teenagers who try to convince each other that the occult or aliens are real. One ends up being abducted by aliens, and the other is possessed by an evil spirit, and shenanigans evolve from there. Plus, it has a kick-butt female protagonist.

Little Witch Academia

If you're a fan of the best fantasy shows out there, then Little Witch Academia is a good one for you to get into. The series follows a young witch who attends the Luna Nova Magical Academy and aims to become great. It's light and fun and is perfect for fans of the Harry Potter films.

Haikyu!!

If you want a sports anime, then Haikyu!! is the one for you. The series mainly follows the lives of students on a high school volleyball team, but there's a lot more to it than just that, with characters that are indeed done well and sports scenes that are awesomely animated.

Black Clover

Black Clover is mainly about a young boy who seeks to become Wizard King even if he doesn't have the magic to do so, but he uses that to his advantage with his allies surrounding him. If you love fantasy, this is the series for you.

Demon Slayer

Demon Slayer just gets better and better with time. The series focuses on the story of Tanjiro, a young boy who takes it upon himself to become a demon slayer to find a cure for his sister, who was turned into a demon, and to kill the king of the demons, Muzan. It's an epic tale with even more epic animation from Ufotable.

Cowboy Bebop

Cowboy Bebop is the sci-fi adventure you're all looking for. This series mainly follows several characters and their crew as they journey across space. Essentially, it's a Western show that's turned sci-fi, and it's the best thing ever.

Blue Lock

As someone who genuinely loved the heck out of Blue Lock when it first came out, I loved the anime. The sports show is a battle royale for those who want to become the best striker in Japan, but if you're kicked out of Blue Lock, you will never be able to play soccer again. It's brutal – and awesome.

One-Punch Man

Following the story of Saitama, One-Punch Man follows the fact that he can defeat literally any person with one punch, leading him to a boring life. The series itself is hilarious in many ways, and really, you can dive right in. That's what makes it so good.

Erased

With only twelve episodes, Erased is the best anime to get into when you want an intense story but don't want to commit to a fierce multiple-season show. The series follows a manga author who can rewind time in order to prevent tragedy, but when he is connected to a murder that he didn't commit that is related to his time as a child, he rewinds all the way in order to prevent it. It's a brilliant story.

One Piece

Look, One Piece is just that – you all know what it is. It follows the story of the Straw Hat Pirates as they sail across the ocean for treasures beyond their wildest dreams. It's a fun show with a lot of story. Yes, there are thousands of episodes, but hey, if you're in it for the long haul, there's nothing quite like it.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

This fantasy series mainly follows the story of a young elf on a journey to the resting place of souls to reunite with a former comrade, but the animation is absolutely spectacular. I will fully recommend it to anyone who wants a good fantasy anime.

My Hero Academia

If you're into the best superhero movies, then My Hero Academia is a great anime to begin with. The anime follows a young boy who is suddenly gifted powers from a superhero and must learn how to control them in U.A. High School, a place where kids go to learn to be heroes.

Spy X Family

If you want a wholesome anime, then Spy x Family is the one for you. The series mainly follows the story of a spy who goes undercover for a mission, adopts a child, and marries a woman in order to keep his cover. The only thing is that the child is a telepath, and the wife is an assassin. Yes, it's just as badass as you can imagine and so fun.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

The anime mainly focuses on two brothers who search for a Philosopher's Stone to aid in regaining their bodies after a botched attempt to revive their mother. It's considered to be one of the best anime of the last few decades.

Death Note

There's really no other anime out there like Death Note, which is perfect to dive right into. The series follows a high schooler who finds a journal that, when a name is written on its pages, the person dies. This leads to him being consumed by madness in order to take everyone terrible out there, only to become a monster himself.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

If you're a fan of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, you'll love this anime. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is an anime series that tells the story of Scott Pilgrim, a bassist who falls in love with Ramona Flowers and must defeat her seven evil exes. This time, he is seemingly killed during the first battle—but not everything is what it seems.

The Devil Is A Part-Timer

Did you ever think the devil would work at a fast-food restaurant? Well, The Devil is a Part-Timer is for you. This anime tells the story of Satan literally becoming trapped on Earth and having to find a way to return to Ente Isla (a place he was trying to conquer) because he is turned into a human when he arrives in Tokyo. It's hilarious and fun to watch.

Violet Evergarden

With only thirteen episodes, Violet Evergarden is an anime that is truly unlike any other. It follows the titular character, a girl raised in violence, who is given a second chance at life when she becomes an Auto Memory Doll, something that can transcribe people's thoughts and feelings. In doing so, she goes on an adventure unlike any other. The series itself is so well done. I could talk about it for hours and how it deserved so many more episodes.

Hopefully, these will give you some ideas on what anime to check out if you haven't yet. And maybe when you're done, you could check out the best Studio Ghibli movies to continue your love of anime.

Alan Tudyk shared some bold words in regards to Netflix's canceled Cowboy Bebop, and his take may have seemed like a good one until he realized it applied to Firefly as well. The actor took shots at the series (available to stream with a Netflix subscription) in an interview while also explaining how his acclaimed series totally differed from the anime adaptation, outside of both being canceled after one season.

Netflix axed the live-action Cowboy Bebop after it was panned by fans and critics for diverging from the anime, but Tudyk mentioned during an interview on Mythical Kitchen that the show often gets lumped in with Firefly. Below, he explained why the two differ, stumbling briefly when realizing the cancelation connection.

He understandably also mentioned Firefly's follow-up movie, Serenity, but his point is made well enough all the same. I would say there are far more people in the world asking that Firefly be brought back for a revival or another movie than the people asking for Netflix to renew Cowboy Bebop. The streamer has heavily leaned on adapting anime as of late, but it seemed to move on from that one rather quickly.

While there were rumblings of a potential Firefly revival being in the works back in 2020, it seems far more likely we'll continue to see more live-action anime adaptations than the return of the Nathan Fillion-led series. The star remains active in Hollywood, starring in ABC's The Rookie and his upcoming role as Guy Gardner in James Gunn's Superman.

Additionally, the rallying cry to bring back Firefly subsided substantially in light of controversies surrounding creator Joss Whedon. Fillion has defended Whedon, but I think it's fair to say the court of public opinion reigns supreme. I can understand the hesitation by Disney to push for a revival, knowing there's a chance people may have opinions on whether Whedon is involved.

Alan Tudyk talking about Firefly doesn't necessarily mean he's dying for it to come back, as he's been working on other projects. His voice work in everything from Moana 2 to Creature Commandos keeps him plenty busy around Hollywood, and there's word that he's also appearing in Superman as well. Considering his schedule and what the rest of the Firefly cast is up to these days, the odds of it ever returning feel slim. All this to say, it also seems unlikely Cowboy Bebop will return, so that's another thing they have in common!

Those with a Hulu subscription can binge Firefly should they choose to do so, and it's also available for free currently on The CW app. As mentioned, Cowboy Bebop is over on Netflix, and as someone who really liked the series, I would recommend anyone who skipped out on it to give it a shot.

Because so many of the all-time best movies for children are animated, the medium is practically synonymous with family-friendly entertainment. Of course, not every cartoon movie is made for young audiences, and, in fact, there are some that the MPA would strongly recommend never be seen by moviegoers under 13… or even under 18. We compiled some of the most notable and esteemed examples of great animated movies for adults.

Ghost In The Shell (1995)

One of the most inventive dystopian stories is Shirow Masamune’s manga, Ghost in the Shell, which follows a robotic police officer hunting an expert hacker using reprogrammed cyborg brains to do his bidding. Mizuho Nishikubo and Mamoru Oshii’s animated, influential, visually stunning adaptation is considered one of the best anime films of its time and even inspired an American, live-action remake which was not as well received. 

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)

Matt Stone and Trey Parker could finally surpass the limitations of basic cable television with the feature-length, theatrically released, R-rated, musical spin-off of their long-running, uproariously crass Comedy Central satire. The Oscar-nominated, ‘90s movie classic South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut sees Colorado youngsters Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny hear a certain curse word for the first time, leading to a parental war against Canada’s “corruption” and the threat of Satan and Saddam Hussein ruling the Earth. 

Mad God (2022)

A passion project by special effects legend Phil Tibbit, Mad God is one of the most underrated and underseen horror movies of its time. Then again, this dialogue-free, virtually plotless, stop-motion trek into a post-apocalyptic nightmare is difficult to describe as one single genre.

Heavy Metal (1981)

Surreal science fiction, thrilling fantasy, and the most head-banging tunes of the 1970s and 1980s converge in producer Ivan Reitman’s Heavy Metal. Framed as glimpses of strange worlds transmitted from a glowing green orb, this animated anthology film is a bizarre space odyssey complete with funny characters and a star-studded voice cast that includes Eugene Levy and John Candy.

9 (2009)

Released on the ninth day of the ninth month of the year 2009, 9 is a dark, inventive, post-apocalyptic tale from producer Tim Burton and director Scott Acker — based on his 2005 short. The likes of Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, John C. Reilly, and more voice a group of sentient ragdolls who became the last living beings on Earth and must protect their future from a dangerous A.I.

Anomalisa (2015)

Leave it to an innovator like writer and co-director Charlie Kaufman to craft such a bizarre, yet moving and relatable story about the human experience that does not actually have a single “human” in it. The 2015 stop-motion dramedy follows a customer service expert (voiced by David Thewlis) who sees the same face and hears the same voice (that of Tom Noonan) from every person he meets until he finally meets someone unique to him (played by Jennifer Jason Leigh).

Paprika (2006)

Years before Christopher Nolan released Inception in 2010, there was director Satoshi Kon’s classic anime adaptation of Yasutaka Tsutsui's fantasy novel, Paprika. The visually stunning film bears a similar plot, which follows the titular spirit as she joins the search for a stolen machine that allows the user to enter other people’s dreams.

Isle Of Dogs (2018)

If you say the title of Wes Anderson’s second stop-motion feature, Isle of Dogs, fast enough, it sounds like you are saying, “I love dogs.” Indeed, the wondrous story of a Japanese boy named Atari (Koyu Rankin) searching for his lost pet on an island of banished canines is heartwarming thrills that animal lovers surely will not be able to resist.

The Simpsons Movie (2007)

Creator Matt Groening’s The Simpsons had been airing for 18 years by the time Homer, Marge, and their children made it onto the big screen in what is, essentially, a feature-length episode of the record-breaking animated series. However, one hilarious episode of The Simpsons Movie would prove to be, following the titular family’s escape from Springfield after the city is encased in a dome by the EPA.

Akira (1988)

One of the most influential films in the history of anime cinema — and one of the all-time best sci-fi movies in general — is Akira. Based on the manga by Katsuhiro Ôtomo, the electrifying, futuristic noir thriller follows a young biker gang who becomes embroiled in an apocalyptic battle in Neo-Tokyo when one of their own is kidnapped and given dangerous psychic powers as part of a secret project.

Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)

Even some of the most harmless and child-appropriate animated Batman movies are held in the same regard as the live-action Batman movies, but Batman: The Killing Joke is admired as a boldly unsettling chapter in the Dark Knight’s epic rivalry with The Joker. What really makes this adaptation of Alan Moore’s beloved 1988 one-shot — which also offers a glimpse at the Clown Prince of Crime’s origin — is the reunion of Kevin Conroy voicing Batman with Mark Hamill as Joker.

Waking Life (2001)

Writer and director Richard Linklater’s Waking Life is already a transfixing exploration of where reality and fantasy converge in the human experience. What also makes the acclaimed drama a visually enthralling experience is the process of adding animation over the live-action footage with digital rotoscoping.

Team America: World Police (2004)

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone would shift their focus to a different kind of animation medium (puppetry) for their second brutally crass, feature-length satire, Team America: World Police. The comedy about a no-holds-barred counter-terrorism organization just might be the greatest action-comedy-musical starring marionettes ever made.

Fritz The Cat (1972)

One of the most influential and controversial figures in the history of animation is Ralph Bakshi, whose most controversial work might be Fritz the Cat, which is not to be confused with the family-friendly Felix the Cat, and, boy, do we pray that no parents ever made that mistake. The X-rated, animated comedy based on Robert Crumb’s comic follows the titular feline’s adventures starting riots, getting mixed up with domestic terrorists, and more shenanigans in the 1960s.

Wendell & Wild (2022)

Most of the work of stop-motion animator Henry Selick — director of The Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline — just barely qualifies as appropriate for children. However, he crosses the line farther than usual with Wendell & Wild, which stars beloved comedy duo Jordan Peele (who also co-writes) and Keegan-Michael Key as the titular demons, who try to get a teen girl (Lyric Ross) to help them get to Earth.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)

An essential example of the rare and underrated Space Western genre is Cowboy Bebop — a futuristic anime following the travels of a crew of intergalactic bounty hunters that aired from 1998 to 1999. The series’ feature-length spin-off covers events set between Episodes 22 and 23 and sees the team heading to Mars in pursuit of a bioterrorist.

I Lost My Body (2019)

Happy Hand is a French novel by Guillaume Laurant about a severed hand that gains sentience and that gains sentience and braves harsh urban terrain to reunite with its person. Director Jérémy Clapin’s adaptation, I Lost My Body (which is also in French), was nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2020.

Loving Vincent (2017)

Few people have ever conceived a historical biopic as astonishingly unique as directors Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman’s Loving Vincent. A team of more than 100 artists produced thousands of canvas paintings, which each served as one frame of this dramatization of events surrounding the death of legendary Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh.

Sausage Party (2016)

With Sausage Party, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg attempt to answer a question that probably no one else thought to ask: what if food was sentient? The result is an uproariously filthy, often horrifying, and sometimes clever, star-studded romp that most would still praise over the similarly plotted, yet more infamous, family film, Food Fight.

Watership Down (1978)

Author Richard Adams’ classic, harrowing tale of woodland rabbits seeking safety from the human beings who have condemned their home was first adapted for screen by writers and directors Martin Rosen and John Hubley. Featuring the voice talents of John Hurt, Denholm Elliott, and more, Watership Down very likely could have won the Best Animated Feature Oscar, had the category existed at the time.

Heavy Traffic (1973)

Ralph Bakshi’s follow-up to Fritz the Cat sees the filmmaker broaden his horizons by combining animation and live-action footage with Heavy Traffic. It offers an eccentric, surreal look at the inner city lifestyle from the perspective of a young, disillusioned cartoonist.

Waltz With Bashir (2008)

Writer, director, and producer Ari Folman documents his investigation of lost personal memories of the Lebanon War in 1982 and presents his findings as an animated drama in Waltz with Bashir. It would win several awards in categories specializing in animated features and also took home the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009.

Mary And Max (2009)

Australian stop-motion animator Adam Elliot used his own experiences communicating with his own pen pal as inspiration for the story of Mary and Max. Toni Collette voices Mary — a lonely woman from Melbourne who finds unexpected kinship with a middle-aged New Yorker with Asperger’s named Max (Philip Seymour Hoffman) while writing letters back and forth in the 1970s.

Eight Crazy Nights (2002)

Adam Sandler has lent his voice to a few animated movies that are perfect for children — such as the Hotel Transylvania movies and Leo — but Eight Crazy Nights is certainly not one of them. The musical-comedy, set during Hanukkah, is the tale of a 33-year-old Jewish man forced to be supervised by the elderly Whitey Duvall (also voiced by Sandler) as part of his community service sentence and is only animated so it can resemble cartoon TV specials of yesteryear.

The Plague Dogs (1982)

From Watership Down author Richard Adams comes another high-stakes thriller from the point of view of animals in which dogs get to save the day. John Hurt and Christopher Benjamin star in The Plague Dogs as a Labrador-mix and a smooth fox terrier who escape from a science lab and must outwit human hunters who believe they may carry a dangerous disease.

The Wolf House (2018)

We have seen many great horror movies made with the stop-motion process, but nothing quite like The Wolf House. Directors Cristobal León and Joaquín Cociña take inspiration from the infamous events at Chile’s Colonìa Dignidad and reimagine them in a unique form of stop-motion animation to create a surreal fantasy beyond your wildest nightmares.

A Scanner Darkly (2006)

Five years after Waking Life, Richard Linklater would use the same digital rotoscoping once again, which would lend wonderfully to the paranoid themes and psychedelic style of his adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s dystopian novel, A Scanner Darkly. The sometimes comedic sci-fi thriller follows an undercover agent (played by Keanu Reeves) suffering from unsettling visions while investigating the supposed source of an addiction epidemic.

Perfect Blue (1997)

Based on the novel by Yoshikazu Takeuchi, Perfect Blue is the gorgeously animated and deeply disturbing debut of Satoshi Kon. Harsh, real-life topics ranging from voyeurism to assault are seen through the eyes of a young pop music star whose transition into acting is interrupted by the emergence of a dangerously obsessed fan.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters (2007)

One of the most popular (and strangest) series on Adult Swim follows the misadventures of a trio of sentient fast food items — namely Flylock (Cary Means), Master Shake (Dana Snyder), and Meatwad (co-creator Dave Willis). The crew would grace the big screen in the appropriately titled Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, in which they find an exercise machine that puts them in a catastrophic situation.

The House (2022)

Netflix exclusively released one of the strangest horror anthology movies of its time with the English-produced stop-motion animated film The House. Each segment is set in a different world — such as one in which rats are anthropomorphic and another in which cats are the dominant species — but all revolve around the bizarre experiences of the central characters’ stay at a seemingly idyllic estate.

Redline (2009)

Early on in the development of Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller intended for it to be an animated feature. The closest thing we have to seeing that become a reality — in terms of its adrenaline-fueled, high-octane pace — for now is the underrated animated, Redline, which takes place during a high-stakes intergalactic car race.

Crypotozoo (2021)

Writer and director Dash Shaw’s Cryptozoo takes place in a world where creatures of legend known as cryptids exist and are hunted to be put on public display. It only makes sense that the world created for the film is one of intoxicatingly surreal, kaleidoscopic imagery.

We recommend that you should show these films to your children, just a little later in life.

There are a lot of genres for Hollywood movies, but some are notably more niche and awesome than the rest. To write a list about the best space westerns is redundant, because any movie that mixes the elements of sci-fi with the classic western stories of old is an immediate classic in my book. With that said, it is niche, but there are quite a few quality ones worth noting that have released over the past few decades. 

There's a lot to love about space westerns, and we'll explore that more as we go over the best this genre has to offer. My only regret is that we can't have fifty movies on this list to run through, so maybe some Hollywood creatives will see this and get to work on creating the next space adventure for us to enjoy. 

Serenity

Serenity is the follow-up to the short-lived but much-beloved Firefly series from Joss Whedon. The crew's usual antics are halted when they welcome aboard a psychic passenger. The movie has all the space western fun fans would want, and will certainly lead people to question why Firefly was canceled in the first place. 

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Guardians Of The Galaxy

While I'm hesitant to list the entirety of any space franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy fits the bill for a space western across the board the most of any popular science fiction franchise. They're not exactly the law-abiding sheriffs of the galaxy, but the gang largely stands for what's right and has more firepower at their disposal than a vast majority of other heroes in the MCU. They certainly roll into locations with a dangerous cowboy style, so I don't think this one is a hard sell. 

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Solo: A Star Wars Story

If you were to ask me what the most western-themed Star Wars project is, I'd say The Mandalorian. If we're just talking about movies, however, I'd have to say Solo: A Star Wars Story is far and away the most on-brand when speaking about the themes of the genre. I mean, come on, it has a train heist sequence, as well as a showdown between the hero and his friend-turned-villain. It's good enough for some to still be calling for a sequel in 2024, and widely available with a Disney+ subscription. 

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Cowboys & Aliens

This is probably the only movie on the list that is a space western in a way that no other entry is. Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens takes the story to Earth, but the circumstances are far from normal. A man in New Mexico territory in the Old West awakens with a mysterious alien device on his arm. It ultimately brings about an alien invasion, and as the title suggests, cowboys taking on aliens. It's a fun movie that boasts a solid cast of Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, which makes for a fun adventure from start to finish. 

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Battle Beyond The Stars

Battle Beyond The Stars may be a film lovers of the genre know well, but one that other audiences may be in the dark about. This 1980 space western follows a ragtag group of mercenaries attempting to protect a farming planet from an evil overlord. Let me just add that this movie literally has a character named "Cowboy," which really drives home just how much this movie falls into the genre. 

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John Carter

Disney doesn't like highlighting its failed attempts to launch a franchise, and it's safe to say John Carter stands apart as one of its most costly. The sci-fi adaptation of the book series that ultimately inspired Superman seemed primed to stand alongside the superhero craze at the box office but bombed hard in addition to being very costly to make. While there will almost certainly never be a sequel, John Carter is a pretty solid movie, though maybe a tad long. Stream it now with a Disney+ subscription. 

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Prospect

A prospector arrives with his daughter on a treacherous planet in search of fortune in the form of rare gems. Much like the gold rush in the Old West, they're not the only ones there seeking fortune, and must contend with rivals, mercenaries and the various dangers of the planet in order to get what they want. Pedro Pascal is red-hot in Hollywood at the moment, so be sure to check this movie from 2018 out. 

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Pitch Black

Pitch Black has some real space western vibes, as Vin Diesel's breakout sci-fi movie has the classic feel of a wagon train western adventure. Those who saw the movie ultimately were big fans of Diesel's Riddick character, and a franchise was spawned from it. We're still waiting on the arrival of Riddick 4: Furya, which has been teased by the actor for years. Luckily, we still have this cult classic to look back on, as well as the movies that came after. 

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Flash Gordon

I don't think there's a hero on this list that looks more like the archetypical true blue hero than Flash Gordon. The movie itself also follows the trope of him rescuing a damsel in distress from an evil villain, though the stakes in Flash Gordon are higher than the average western. With that said, if the average Wild West cowboy had to save the universe, I'm sure he could pull it off, as well. 

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Outland

As Federal Marshal William O'Niel, Sean Connery's character in Outland is about as close as one can get to a cowboy. He's investigating a string of drug-induced psychosis happening in a mining colony. As is often the case in these western mysteries, the more the good Marshal digs, the more he becomes privy to a secret the higher-ups of the mining company would rather he not prod at. Of all the Sean Connery movies out there, this one isn't as hyped, but it's a great watch for fans of the space western genre. 

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Buy Outland on Blu-ray on Amazon

Ghosts Of Mars

A lieutenant is called in front of a Martian council to answer for why a mission to retrieve an escaped criminal went south. John Carpenter's Ghost Of Mars jumps between the present and past in telling its story, which is ripe with the typical space western tropes fans of the genre love. It also has Ice Cube and Jason Statham in it, and you can never go wrong with a movie by either actor. 

Rent or Buy Ghosts Of Mars on Amazon
Buy Ghosts Of Mars on Blu-ray on Amazon

Spacehunter: Adventures In The Forbidden Zone

It's not uncommon for space westerns to have bounty hunters, but I would say it's far less common to see random citizens spontaneously become bounty hunters. That happens in Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone, when a salvage operator intercepts a bounty to rescue three women from a hostile planet. Peter Strauss, Molly Ringwald, and Ernie Hudson are just a few of the heavy hitters in this '80s movie, which is certainly deserving of readers' attention. 

Stream Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone on Philo
Buy or Rent Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone on Amazon
Buy Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone on Blu-ray

Bravestarr: The Movie

BraveStarr might not be a household name in this day and age, and I'm unsure if the Mattel toy that received a TV series and movie was super well-known when it was on, either. Regardless, BraveStarr: The Movie was made and was meant to serve as an origin story to tell the tale of the space cowboy that the series was based off of. Unfortunately, the movie didn't do well at the box office, despite praise from critics. 

Buy BraveStarr: The Movie on DVD on Amazon

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

Not only is Cowboy Bebop one of the best space western shows out there, it also has a movie that makes for a great entry on this list. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is set between Episodes 22 and 23 of the original series, and follows Spike and the crew as they pursue a terrorist on Mars trying to unleash a deadly virus on its people. Be warned, some knowledge of the show might be handy ahead of watching, though there's no shortage of places to watch it and other iconic '80s and '90s anime. 

Buy Cowboy Bebop: The Movie on Blu-ray on Amazon

Moon Zero Two

When salvagers learn about an asteroid in low-orbit loaded with "ceramic sapphire," they make a move to try and obtain riches beyond their belief. The plot thickens when a woman named Clementine shows up to ask for help finding her brother. As space westerns do, the story becomes about something much bigger than expected, and surprise, there's a betrayal on the horizon. Still, this 1969 British movie is worth a watch. 

Rent or Buy Moon Zero Two on Amazon
Buy Moon Zero Two on DVD on Amazon

Be sure to check these movies out, but also be sure to keep an eye on the wide variety of best movies available in the sci-fi genre as well. I know that I can't wait to dive in and check some of these out, and I am eager for Hollywood to get back to making more space westerns on a consistent basis. 

While it had a stranglehold on pop culture for the past decade and a half, it feels the mass appeal of superhero movies and series are waning. Sure, projects are still rolling out and captivating audiences, but it feels like everyone in Hollywood is waiting on the next big trend to take over the masses as they look to greenlight projects. Netflix, for example, is prepping a lot of anime adaptations, and I really think the company is onto something. 

After watching the spirit and humor of Avatar: The Last Airbender brought to life in the latest trailer, it's clear Netflix is really putting in the work to make high-quality anime adaptations. It's something this anime fan loves to see, and I have a feeling it's going to pay off for the streamer as audiences look for more creative stories to enjoy. 

Netflix Is Committed To Bringing The Most Iconic Anime To Live-Action

Avatar: The Last Airbender is technically anime-inspired, but arguing semantics does nothing to deny Netflix isn't putting in a ton of work adapting anime shows with a big budget. In the past couple of years, we've seen Cowboy Bebop, One Piece and Yu Yu Hakusho all adapted. It's even letting the Stranger Things showrunners, The Duffer Brothers, take another crack at Death Note, which is something I'm definitely looking forward to after the disappointing live-action film they did years ago. 

If all that wasn't enough, we also know that Netflix has plans for a live-action Pokémon series, which audiences have been craving since the release of Detective Pikachu. The franchise is one of the largest properties in pop culture, period, so I think the interest in this series speaks for itself. 

Finally, there's a live-action film adaptation in the works for My Hero Academia, which is one of the most popular anime of the past few years. Ironically, it's basically a superhero show reimagined in anime, but maybe it'll serve as the bridge for a casual audience still unsure of whether they want to dive into this new trend of making big-budget anime mainstream. 

There's Still Plenty Of Iconic Anime That Deserves A Series

For all the shows that Netflix has adapted and plans to adapt, there are still so many more iconic anime audiences would love to see turned into a live-action series or movie. After the atrocious Dragon Ball: Evolution movie, I think many millennials are desperate for a good live-action Dragon Ball Z series. I'd reckon the name "Goku" is just about as synonymous with Superman at this point, and the fact that there are still new shows being made for Dragon Ball shows there's still interest. 

And while other big anime like Naruto already have movie adaptations in the works, there's precedent in being able to try again and revamp interest from audiences in another way. Hell, Netflix was willing to give Avatar: The Last Airbender another shot after its theatrical disaster, and fortunately, the showrunner avoided M. Night Shyamalan’s movie. 

Even if something as big as Naruto is off-limits, there's just such a wide library of great anime classics to choose from for the next big-budget streaming franchise. The Gundam series, Hunter x Hunter, Sailor Moon, Samurai Champloo, the list is nearly endless on what would make a great series to adapt. 

Why Live-Action Anime Adaptations Should Be The Next Big Trend In Big-Budget Streaming Shows

When looking at the genre of anime, it's easy to see why live-action adaptations should be the next big trend for big-budget streaming shows. Anime is known for its massive, colorful settings and intense action, similar to superhero stories. If audiences are still craving the basic elements of the superhero genre, but want something a little more creative and different than what's been offered in the past decade, this is the solution. 

And to be clear, Netflix didn't invent the wheel when it comes to live-action adaptations of anime. There have been several adaptations of popular manga and anime over the past few decades, though many are overseas productions. With that being said, a lot of those didn't quite have the budget as the average Hollywood feature, and certainly nothing with a budget as big as a streaming show like The Mandalorian. 

What this means is we now have a perfect storm when a show like One Piece or Avatar: The Last Airbender appears. It has the ability to draw in a curious audience in search of something new to dive into, but it also appeals to longtime fans of the franchises who have waited a long time to see their beloved franchise get an adaptation worthy of its storytelling. 

Sure, sometimes there are failures. Netflix's Cowboy Bebop adaptation differed from the anime in a few key ways, and word spread about that on the internet pretty quickly after its release. The result led to a quick cancellation and a feeling by some in the Cowboy Bebop cast that it wasn't given a chance. Not every show is going to be a home run, but that's true of all genres. Personally, I agree that Cowboy Bebop wasn't given a fair chance, and I say that as someone who loved the live-action version and thought it was serviceable, even with its differences from the original. 

What's important, and what I think will happen, is that the more that major streamers and studios try to adapt anime to live-action, the more they'll get a better idea of what works and what doesn't. This is to say that longtime fans of anime should be thrilled if we're about to enter this era, even if there might be some mistakes along the way. Projects like One Piece and what little we've seen of Avatar: The Last Airbender seem to indicate Netflix is on the right path, and hopefully other studios will take note and try to replicate its success. 

Avatar: The Last Airbender will premiere for those with a Netflix subscription on Thursday, February 22nd. Now would be a good time to watch or re-watch the original series on Netflix or to check out some of the live-action anime that's already available to be binged. 

There are a lot of great streaming services out there today, including some, like Tubi, that don’t cost you a penny and don’t require you to sign up for an account where you have to worry about ever-changing password-sharing rules or other issues impacting subscribers. Sure, you won’t find the latest and greatest shows from the 2023 TV schedule on the robust platform, but hey, it’s free, incredibly easy to navigate, and is home to some of the medium’s best shows, both from yesterday and today.

With shows like Lovecraft Country, Hell’s Kitchen, and Columbo, it’s easy to see that the platform has a remarkable collection of series, and a ridiculous variety at that, making it a great place to watch an episode, two episodes, or entire seasons in a long weekend binge session. Here are a baker’s dozen of free TV shows streaming on Tubi. 

Lovecraft Country 

A big hit with horror fans upon its release in August 2020, the HBO original series, Lovecraft Country, followed Korean War vet Atticus “Tic” Freeman (Jonathan Majors) as he traveled through the Jim Crow Era American South in search of his missing father. Fully expecting to deal with racism and attacks from White America in his journey, Tic had no idea what supernatural horrors awaited him and his fellow travelers.

Unfortunately, Lovecraft Country only lasted one season at HBO. The show, however, did further propel Majors’ career, which is now in overdrive with 2023 movies Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Creed III. 

Stream Lovecraft Country on Tubi.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents 

Though known mostly for movies like Psycho, Rear Window, and other classic suspenseful thrillers, Alfred Hitchcock also had his own long-running anthology series in the mid-20th century. Similar to The Twilight Zone and other horror anthology series that followed its release, Alfred Hitchcock Presents featured various short stories telling all kinds of tales with some kind of twist. The show also featured then-up-and-coming talent like Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, and even Ricardo Montalbán.

The series ran for a total of 10 seasons starting in 1955, and episodes from the first and seventh seasons are currently available to stream for free on Tubi.

Stream Alfred Hitchcock Presents on Tubi.

The Fall 

Beginning in 2013, before Jamie Dornan was receiving awards consideration for his performance in Belfast, hell, even before he became a major star with the Fifty Shades movies, he played a complex serial killer named Paul Spector on Allan Cubitt’s Irish crime drama, The Fall. Throughout the series, Spector, a family man by day, and sadistic murderer by night, was hunted by DSU Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson), a brilliant yet complicated investigator who took extreme measures in her quest to capture the killer.

All three seasons of The Fall are streaming for free on Tubi, which makes now a great time to check out one of the best crime dramas of the past decade.

Stream The Fall on Tubi.

Roots  

Released in 1977, Roots was and remains today one of the greatest TV events in the history of the medium, with its story of Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton and John Amos), a young man taken from Gambia and sold into slavery in the American South, whose unbreakable spirit and quest for freedom carried through multiple generations of his descendants.

The entire miniseries, which earned 37 Primetime Emmy nominations and won nine, is streaming in full on Tubi right now. If you, for one reason or another, have yet to watch one of the most iconic series of all time, now is the time to change that.

Stream Roots on Tubi.

Columbo  

One of the best mystery shows of all time, the long-running crime series, Columbo, followed Peter Falk’s titular Los Angeles homicide detective as he got to the bottom of countless murders in the “City of Angels” week-in and week-out over the course of 10 seasons (as well as multiple specials).

With the show (which began in 1968) experiencing a resurgence thanks to Rian Johnson’s “case of the week” crime series, Poker Face, there’s never been a better time to jump on the Columbo train and watch every single episode for free on Tubi.

Stream Columbo on Tubi.

Hell's Kitchen

There are cooking competition shows and then there is Hell’s Kitchen, which turns up the heat and adds Gordon Ramsay’s high stand standards, volatile temper, and mastery of every four-letter word in the book. Like many of Ramsey’s other programs, Hell’s Kitchen is an obsession for a lot of people for a number of reasons that varies from person to person.

If you’ve never watched an episode of Hell’s Kitchen (and it's still going strong with 21 seasons) or are just looking for a reason to go back and watch it all from the beginning, you can do so, as the entire series is available for free on Tubi.

Stream Hell’s Kitchen on Tubi.

The Carol Burnett Show 

Between 1967 and 1978, The Carol Burnett Show was one of the most popular and consequential sketch comedy shows on TV, and that remains the case more than a half-century after the hit variety series first debuted on CBS. Alongside Burnett appeared Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and numerous others in a seemingly never-ending list of hilarious skits and bits that laid the groundwork for shows like Saturday Night Live and countless others.

The entire 11-season run is available on Tubi right now, which is perfect for those who want to know more about the legendary entertainer and the show that bears her name, especially after her great run on Better Call Saul.

Stream The Carol Burnett Show on Tubi.

The Jeffersons

One of the longest-running sitcoms in the history of TV, The Jeffersons broke new ground for the medium throughout its 11-season run on CBS. The series, which was a spin-off of All in the Family, followed George (the late Sherman Hemsley) and Louise Jefferson (Isabel Sanford), an African-American couple, who, due to the success of their business, were able to move on up to the East Side of Manhattan from Queens, breaking all kinds of barriers along the way.

Though you can’t watch the entire 1975-1985 series run on Tubi, the platform does have the first two seasons available for free right now.

Stream The Jeffersons on Tubi.

Cowboy Bebop

Before being turned into a short-lived live-action series on Netflix, Cowboy Bebop was a landmark anime series that introduced a new generation to the genre at a time in the late 1990s when the artform was at a peak. This hip and beautifully animated series follows a group of bounty hunters as they traverse the Solar System taking on one job after the next while also avoiding danger lurking around every corner.

The entire series is available for free on Tubi, and the purists will be happy to find out that it’s the subtitled version of the classic anime.

Stream Cowboy Bebop on Tubi.

The Dark Side Of The Ring 

There are few wrestling documentaries or docuseries that go into the level of detail about the most notorious names and infamous events in the squared circle than the Vice original series, Dark Side of the Ring, which began in 2019. Whether it’s breaking down the short life of Bruiser Brody, the exploits of New Jack in ECW, or the tragic story of the Chris Benoit double-murder-suicide, the series offers a no-holds barred approach to life, death, and professional wrestling.

The first two seasons of Dark Side of the Ring are streaming for free on Tubi, and hopefully the third season isn’t too far behind.

Stream Dark Side of the Ring on Tubi.

Mr. Bean  

Before writing classic romantic comedies like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Noting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and Love Actually, Richard Curtis got his start on the small screen with classic British TV shows like Blackadder and Mr. Bean, both alongside Rowan Atkinson. Between 1990 and 1995, Atkinson’s silent and accident prone character found himself in all sorts of trouble at the local pool, the laundromat, and just about everywhere else on the face of the Earth (as well as on an airplane), creating comedy gold in the process.

A total of 14 episodes of Mr. Bean are available for free on Tubi right now, so why not revisit this timeless example of expertly-crafted physical humor with a new generation.

Stream Mr. Bean on Tubi.

The Hour 

The BBC Two period drama series, The Hour, told the story of the launch of a new current affairs news show, the first of its kind, and the major players who brought the idea to fruition. With incredible performances by Ben Whishaw, Romola Garai, and Dominic West, The Hour highlighted one of the most exciting times in the history of broadcast journalism and the impact it has decades later.

Both seasons of the short-lived 2011-2012 series, which was brought to the States on BBC America’s “Dramaville” block, are available to stream for free on Tubi right now.

Stream The Hour on Tubi.

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

Released in 2014, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey took what influential astrophysicist Carl Sagan achieved with his landmark educational series from the early 1980s, and brought it to modern times with dazzling special effects, incredible stories, and a personal presentation by Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Though much flashier and more sophisticated than the original Cosmos: A Personal Journey, this continuation of the brand captured the same spirit and sense of wonder.

The entire series is available right now on Tubi, and is one that shouldn’t be missed, even if science, or the study of the heavens, is not your thing.

Stream Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey on Tubi.

This is but a small portion of the great offerings available for free on Tubi right now. If you want to check out even more of what Tubi and other free streaming services have to offer, check out our roundup of the best free movies and how to watch them. 

Cowboy Bebop, the iconic neo-western sci-fi animated show, amassed a solid cult-like following after its one-season run over twenty years ago. For the first time since fans were rewarded with Cowboy Bebop: The Movie in 2001, Spike, Faye, and Jet returned last year in a live-action adaptation of the Japanese anime for Netflix. While many fans loved the show, its run was cut short by the streamer, and now actress Daniella Pineda – a.k.a. Faye Valentine herself – has clued us in as to her feelings on the cancellation, as well as her hopes to return in a possible spinoff.

Daniella Pineda also stars as Dr. Zia Rodriguez in the new blockbuster Jurassic World: Dominion. We caught up with her at the red carpet premiere of the film, where we asked if her incarnation of Faye could return in some capacity. She told us this:

It’s clear that Daniella Pineda is still feeling the disappointment from the show’s cancellation, and even though she seems to be admitting that the live-action Cowboy Bebop wasn’t perfect, she wishes they would have been given the opportunity to grow and improve. Not only that, but she’s holding out hope for a Faye Valentine spinoff! Does it make sense for a show to be cancelled in this capacity and then return, but centered around one character? We shall see.

Although Cowboy Bebop wasn’t perfect and many elements were changed from the original anime, many fans agreed that it accurately captured the spirit of the original show, and they certainly wanted to see more. Some even believe there were elements that improved on the original, and as Pineda said, if given the chance they could have found “their own footing.” 

While the animated series had a short run as well, that wasn’t due to a cancellation. The show ran for a whopping 26 episodes, and the creator wrote it with a finite ending. That is, until the follow-up film that came a few years later. Obviously, live-action is a bit more pricey, and the Netflix show didn’t make it past its 10-episode debut season.

In the final episode of Season 1, we caught a glimpse of fan-favorite character Ed, who likely would have gotten way more screen time in Season 2. Fans seemed to think it was a rather important missing element, and it looks like we’ll never be able to see the show reach that full potential. 

But as Daniella Pineda told us, “who knows?” Maybe we’ll see more Cowboy Bebop down the line. In the meantime, you can find both the original series and the live-action adaptation on Netflix! If you've already watched the shows, check out the other binge-worthy options the streamer has available. 

Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop arrived with a great deal of fanfare and no lack of fan support, but it apparently wasn’t enough to get the show a second season, as the streaming service has already made the decision to cancel the show. However, while it might be gone, it is certainly not forgotten, as fans are still making posts of support for the show to the point that co-star Mustafa Shakir is in shock.

The man who played Jet Black in the Netflix series took to Instagram to thank the fans for the outpouring of love and support he has received since the word of the show’s cancellation came down. Everybody, Shakir included, may be frustrated the show is gone, but he is happy to see what the show meant to so many. Shakir says… 

There may not have been enough support for Cowboy Bebop to keep the show alive, but there was still a lot of it, and Mustafa Shakir has been hearing a lot of it in the days since Netflix officially gave the show the ax.  

Part of the frustration from fans is that the live-action show only covered about half of the original anime series, and it ended with a pretty major twist that was likely to set the second season in a very different direction. We’ll now never get to see just what was planned for the future of the series. There was at least one more season worth of story to tell, and possibly more, since future twists could have kept this version going longer than the original anime ever did. Although, Mustafa Shakir did joke in his post that he was giving fans a look at Jet’s planned Season 2 look, and honestly, we missed out. 

To be clear, he says he’s only kidding here, so please don’t believe this is what Jet would have looked like in Cowboy Bebop Season 2. They wouldn’t have created those costumes since they knew a second season was not guaranteed. This is Netflix after all and cancellation comes with the territory. 

Netflix is a black box when it comes to viewing numbers. We only know numbers for sure when Netflix releases them, and it only does that when it has something to celebrate. Whether Cowboy Bebop was anything close to what Netflix needs to renew a show, or what that even is, we really don’t know. And while Netflix has occasionally been the place where cancelled shows have been saved, we rarely see the opposite happen.

With how many shows come out all the time on streaming platforms, sometimes we forget that there are so many amazing shows that are from across the world as well. While Hulu has some fantastic original shows, there’s a plethora of other entertainment on there that I believe you should check out right now. 

From entertaining coming-of-age shows to fantastic anime, the amount of great international shows on Hulu looks to be never ending. Here are some of the best that are currently streaming on Hulu that you should check out next. 

Skins (2007-2013)

In this coming of age series, Skins follows a group of friends in their teen years growing up surrounded by older figures - some of which aren’t the best role models, so it’s up to them to try and find their place amongst the crazies around them. 

Skins is such a great comedy drama and really such a good teen show to watch. With a large Skins cast, it’s the perfect show to watch because it’s constantly changing the characters and the stories that you follow. It’s also the perfect show that addresses so many important topics, including puberty, bullying, eating disorders, PTSD, bipolar disorders, and so much more. 

Stream Skins on Hulu.

Luther (2010 - Present)

Starring the suave Idris Elba, Luther is a popular British drama that follows a murder-detective who is very, very good at his job, but because of this, he's pretty much obsessed about his work, and sometimes lets that obsession about murders, serial killers, criminals and more affect his life.

Luther is such a fantastic series. Really. I could go on and on about this and still wish there were more than just twenty episodes. Idris Elba has done some amazing roles but Luther is one where I really feel he shines, showing his range as an actor in the mind of the titular character. 

Stream Luther on Hulu. 

Attack On Titan (2013 - Present)

This is probably one of the most well-known animes of all time. Attack on Titan follows Eren Yeager, a young boy whose home is attacked by giant humanoid monsters that feast on the flesh of humans - one of which kills his mother. When he grows older, he, his friends, and several other allies join the Survey Corps, in hope of somehow getting rid of the monster problem forever. But this unveils secrets of his life Eren never thought were possible. 

I could go on about Attack on Titan for hours. I remember when I first heard about this show, I was a little hesitant regarding anime in general, just because I had some bad experiences with it in the past. But after giving it a shot, I can gladly say that Attack on Titan is some of the best TV I have ever witnessed. From the first episode, we get action, suspense, heart, sadness, everything you could want in a drama, with cliffhanger after cliffhanger, it just never stops. You’ll want to keep watching, for sure. 

Stream Attack on Titan on Hulu.

Killing Eve (2018 - Present)

In this spy thriller series, Killing Eve is about the titular character, Eve, who is given the job of hunting down Villanelle, an assassin who also happens to be a bit unstable. However, as their hunt continues, a strange and unusual relationship begins to evolve between them. 

Killing Eve is such a fun series, for sure. Lead Sandra Oh shines in her role, as does the talented Jodie Comer, showing this strange connection these two have despite being enemies. That’s what really draws you in with this - the strange connection these two have that somehow evolves into something more. I don’t even want to get too into it because this is a show that you deserve to go into blind. 

Stream Killing Eve on Hulu.

Bloom (2019 - Present)

This Australian drama will keep you entertained from start to finish. Bloom is a drama/sci-fi series where a massive flood has destroyed the homes of hundreds of people. A year later, an unknown plant emerges with the ability to turn people young again, but this power also starts to bring out the worst in society. 

I sort of call Bloom the TV version of Tangled, except it’s a lot more dangerous. What I love about it is that you really do start to see humanity crumble, all because of this plant that came out of nowhere. The cast is talented as well, showing the true hysteria that happens when people feel they have nowhere left to turn to. 

Stream Bloom on Hulu. 

Deutschland 83 (2015)

Moving on, we have the German television show, Deutschland 83. In this spy thriller series, we follow Martin Rauch, a young German soldier whose life changes when he is suddenly sent out to West Germany (before the Berlin Wall fell) to act as a spy. This in turn leads his life to be altered forever.

I know we're focusing on this one season, but Deutschland 83 actually has two other seasons, called Deutschland 86 and Deutschland 89. And honestly, for good reason. The show is exciting from beginning to end. I’ve always loved a good spy thriller and Deutschland 83 is the perfect example of how to do one properly. I also love the inclusion of history within the show and its focus on Germany, as someone who loves to learn about the culture and the story of other countries. 

Stream Deutschland 83 on Hulu.

The Office (U.K) (2001 - 2003)

I’m sure everyone knows at this point that the American version of The Office was based on the original from the United Kingdom, but did you know it’s available to watch on Hulu? The Office, starring Ricky Gervais, is a hilarious workplace sitcom that follows the employees of the  Wernham Hogg Paper Company in the United Kingdom.

If you like The Office, you’ll like the British version. Simple as that. While the characters aren’t as zany as Michael Scott or even as creepy as Creed from the American version, there is still so much to love about the United Kingdom’s The Office. Plus, Ricky Gervais as David Brent is a role that I wish we got to see more of. He plays the character so well and is hysterically funny. 

Stream The Office on Hulu.

Heartland (2007 - Present)

This ongoing dramedy series is a huge hit in Canada. Heartland tells the story of sisters who live on a ranch with their loved ones. While showing what life out in the country is like, the family expands and starts to tell new stories to generations down the line, showing just how far they have come - through fifteen seasons (and counting).

Heartland is one of those shows that you should watch if you just want to feel good. It’s heartwarming, family-friendly, and has plenty of great messages about the value of good relationships. It almost reminds me a little of Modern Family but with a little more wholesomeness put into it. Something else I love about it is the usage of their sets, mixed in with beautiful country landscapes and majestic horses. 

Stream Heartland on Hulu.

Murdoch Mysteries (2008 - Present)

Another ongoing series from Canada, Murdoch Mysteries is a great mystery show that takes place long ago in Toronto, following the titular character, William Murdoch, a detective. As the viewers, we get to follow along as he solves strange mysteries, both usual and unusual, all while unfolding a bigger plot at hand. 

As someone who has also loved murder mysteries and shows like that, Murdoch Mysteries is the perfect show to watch. Covering a new mystery every episode, the series really keeps you on your toes and doesn’t stray for a second with its brilliant storylines. Yannick Bisson is fantastic in the lead role, as is the rest of the cast. 

Stream Murdoch Mysteries on Hulu.

Atlantis (2013 - 2015)

If you want a fun fantasy series mixed in with adventure, check out Atlantis. This show, first starting off in the modern world, takes its lead character, Jason, on a crazy adventure when his submarine breaks down in the ocean. But after he somehow survives the horrible situation, he finds himself awakening near the ancient lost city of Atlantis, surrounded by strange people and strange creatures. 

I’m a huge fantasy nerd, who will watch anything that has anything to do with gods, monsters, magic, or all of the above, which is why Atlantis is the perfect choice for me. Something I also love about Atlantis is its use of Greek mythology, often citing characters from the Greek myths, as well as using monsters from them too.  

Stream Atlantis on Hulu.

Letterkenny (2016 - Present)

This hilarious Canadian sitcom that has gone on for so long is a winner. Letterkenny follows two siblings who live in the small, fictional town of Letterkenny, located in Ontario. Together, they live on a farm and try to make money by growing produce, all while trying to survive the wackiness of their hometown. 

Letterkenny is freaking hilarious. From the first moment I started watching it to the next, I found myself snickering every couple of minutes, creating fun experiences while also having a stellar Letterkenny cast that has perfect chemistry. I also love the fact that they make some of the funniest holiday specials I’ve ever seen in sitcoms. I mean, their St. Patrick's Day special makes me laugh every single time. 

Stream Letterkenny on Hulu.

Cowboy Bebop (1998)

Last but not least, we take a look at another anime on this list, Cowboy Bebop. This anime, which only had one season, follows the story of close bounty hunters, as they travel through space on their ship - aptly titled the “Bebop," hunting people down.

With the anime recently getting the live-action treatment on Netflix (even if it was cancelled only after one season), the anime itself is such a great one to watch, especially if you’ve never seen anime before. Spike Spiegel is a complex protagonist who is badass but also has a dark past and secrets that only make him more interesting and intriguing to root for. Plus, the stories are so much fun and full of moments that will have you cheering at your screen at the sheer badassery you are witnessing. 

Stream Cowboy Bebop on Hulu.

There are truly so many amazing shows that are out there right now that you can watch from other countries, and hopefully this gave you an idea of just a few that are worth the time to binge. For me, I’m going to go re-watch Attack on Titan again before the last season comes to a close. If you don’t have a Hulu subscription yet, be sure to get one now.  

A flurry of Netflix cancellations have come down the pipeline this year. Some of these have been shows that had name recognition, or seemingly had fanbases that should have latched on. Other shows quietly came and went with little fanfare. This past week, Netflix cancelled Cowboy Bebop, a live action take on an anime series that seemingly had both recognition and fans. Cowboy Bebop only made it through just the one season at Netflix, a trend that keeps happening over and over. But why? 

The answer lies in the way we have always consumed TV versus the way that Netflix sees itself as a disruptor in the entertainment industry. Netflix often wants to do things differently. The company only allows small theatrical windows for its movie releases, preferring the streaming format. When it comes to Netflix's TV schedule, the streaming service dabbles widely -- great for fans of genre TV -- but sometimes bad for obtaining large quantities of viewers when shows may only have niche value to begin with. 

Let’s look at Cowboy Bebop for example. The show was commissioned way back in 2017 and by 2018 had landed Thor: The Dark World and The Mandalorian’s Christopher Yost to write the project. Actors came next, including John Cho and the Jurassic World franchise’s Daniella Pineda. Earlier in the fall of this year, Yost even said he was already working on Season 2 of the production, telling Vanity Fair they were hoping a "global audience" would embrace the show. 

Hopeful, right? Not so much. 

How Netflix Is Different From The Traditional TV Model

The Netflix model for creating TV varies from the old school model of creating television in one major way: Netflix gives creators freedom to create an entire first season of their program. This seems great in theory, but it has a side of effect of leading to a lot of cancellations. 

In old school TV models, networks will pay to produce a pilot. A huge slew of these pilots never make it to the next phase of television, which would be Season 1. An example of this would be the Game of Thrones prequel that HBO commissioned an expensive pilot for that never saw the light of day and ended with the project being cancelled entirely. If a show does ultimately make it to Season 1, it’s already been vetted on varying levels and given the chance to grow. 

This doesn’t mean that networks never cancel shows after Season 1 (here’s looking at you, Firefly fans), but it does mean more time and care has gone into getting a show on the air. Netflix has a totally different philosophy; the subscription streamer doesn’t commission “pilots.” Instead, it commissions entire shows. 

So, if you are watching Season 1 of Bridgerton, that show was greenlighted by Netflix; then, it moved forward and created the first season it wanted. Next, Netflix chose when to make the show binge-able on its service. In that case, the romantic series found a worldwide audience and was so big that it earned renewals for Season 2 and beyond. This is the upside to the Netflix model. 

Cowboy Bebop got the same treatment. Season 1 was commissioned and given 10 episodes, it moved forward and the subscription service gave it a (seemingly) pretty nice release window right before the Thanksgiving holiday. In the case of this show, it only earned mixed reviews -- it’s audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is even a paltry 56%. 

While a bunch of people jumped on board and caught the show initially, its Week 2 numbers fared poorly, according to THR. In Week 2 the number of viewers catching Cowboy Bebop dropped 59%. Ultimately it seems not enough people watched or even liked the series to land it a renewal, though the cast was predictably gutted by the news. 

The problem for shows like this -- ambitious but messy -- is that if they land at Netflix they get a whole season to explore, but then they often live forever on Netflix as only one season. The subscription streamer, which should be given some kudos for the sheer number of projects it puts out, is then forced to cancel a lot more projects than fans might be used to. That sucks for fans who invested eight or 10 hours into the show already.

It happened with the little-watched Hit & Run earlier this year. It notably happened with Jupiter’s Legacy, a show that had a lot of hype and a very notable cast, earning it a lot of buzz before its premiere. One show, Cursed, only got one season and then quietly wasn’t cancelled for nearly a year until Netflix dropped the axe. But cancelled these show were, and it’s a trend that likely won’t be ending anytime soon. At least for Cowboy Bebop fans, you’ll always have the anime.

There was an immense amount of hype surrounding Netflix’s live-action reboot of the Japanese anime Cowboy Bebop. While some fans were skeptical, and not everybody loved the show, there were many who ended up enjoying the new series and were looking forward to an additional season. Unfortunately, Netflix has decided not to move forward with the show, and many of the cast and crew including John Cho are now reacting to the news.

Whether or not the people who made the live-action Cowboy Bebop even knew the decision had been made before the news broke, once it did, there were a lot of people who wanted to know how the stars of the show felt. John Cho just posted a GIF, and while he doesn’t even reference the show directly, it’s clear what it is he’s referring to. 

Cowboy Bebop was one of the top streaming items on Netflix when it launched, but it’s always difficult to tell exactly what that even means. Netflix seems more than willing to cancel shows that, at least from the outside seem popular. Perhaps there were a lot of people who watched a few episodes but did not finish the series, leading the streaming service to believe that a second season wouldn’t have the necessary interest.

It’s also possible that the season’s final scene, which introduced the live-action version of character Radical Ed, actually scared the people who saw it to the point that they were afraid of Season 2.

John Cho’s co-star Mustafa Shakir, who played Jet Black to Cho’s Spike Spiegel, also made a simple post to reference the show’s cancellation. His was also little more than a single GIF, but he at least directly referenced the show.  

The two stars seem to be taking a pragmatic view of the situation. If they’re upset or angry about the cancellation, they’re keeping their cards close to their chest. Mason Park, who played Gren in the series, was a bit more open about their feelings, admitting to being “gutted” by the decision not to move forward. 

For the stars the frustration of no Season 2 is that they’ll now need to go find new work to do. For the fans the frustration is that the story will now be left on a forever cliffhanger. The first season of the show only covered about half of the original anime’s story, and it also ended with a major twist, changing one element of that story in a big way. Now we’ll never know what was going to happen, which is what frustrates executive producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach 

So now we can add Cowboy Bebop to the list of shows cancelled by Netflix before their time. It seems unlikely the show will survive elsewhere, but if the fans want it enough, the possibility exists. We’ll just have to wait and see.  

Netflix adapted the iconic anime Cowboy Bebop into live-action, and with every adaptation comes change. Storylines are tweaked, characters are re-imagined, and occasionally, major changes are made. Cowboy Bebop is no different in this regard, and does a little bit of everything in its attempt to re-tell and reinvigorate the classic series. 

For those who haven’t seen the live-action series all the way through or have yet to watch, there are quite a few changes between it and the anime. The following are some of the big ones that impact the series the most, and either give more to the story or create new and unexpected plotlines not shown in the original. Readers can make their own judgments on whether or not these changes are a good or bad thing, I’m just a messenger!

Jet Has A Daughter And An Ex-Wife

In the anime, Cowboy Bebop doesn’t reveal much about Jet’s life. We learn at one point he’s a cop, and meet one of his former lovers after she winds up with a criminal. Netflix’s live-action adaptation shows that Jet (played by Mustafa Shakir) was not only married, but he has a young daughter that he tries to provide for. His marriage fell apart, but Jet still tries to do right by daughter Kimmie, by being there for her recitals and buying her the gifts she wants. 

Unfortunately, Jet’s job keeps him away from his daughter more often than he’d like, as does his former friend from the police force, who is currently with his ex-wife. The family angle adds a lot of depth to Jet’s arc in Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop that wasn’t present in the original anime. Through this story, fans get a little more about Jet’s life prior to becoming a bounty hunter and it makes him even more lovable than he was in the anime.

Faye’s Relationship With Whitney Matsumoto

Yes, Whitney “Haggis” Matsumoto is in the live-action Cowboy Bebop, though the character is a little different this time around. In the anime, Haggis was a man who befriended and fell in love with Faye Valentine sometime after her unfreezing. As a lawyer, he promised to help her out of her debts, but when he unexpectedly died, she inherited his substantially larger debt. Faye later realized Haggis conned her, when she tracked him down for a bounty and realized he was part of a larger scheme connected to the doctor that first unfroze her, Bacchus. 

Whitney Matsumoto is an older woman in Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop, and by the time she’s introduced, Faye already knows the woman conned her. In this telling, Whitney posed as Faye’s mother, and because Faye had no memory of the time before her cryogenic freezing and no record of her past, she believed her. At one point, Faye helps Whitney out of a jam in exchange for information on her past, and while it’s not quite what she wanted, there’s a good pay-off OG fans will appreciate.

Ana And Gren Are Connected

Out of all the minor characters used in Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop, few are changed as radically as Annie and Gren. Annie is now Ana, and a far more aggressive barkeep than the original, and Gren works with her as opposed to working in another bar planets away. The change, truth be told, doesn't have a huge impact on the series, but are worth mentioning because of just how drastically the two are changed. 

In regards to Gren, changes to his sexual orientation fell in line with more modern acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. Gren’s character in the anime could be considered offensive, so it made sense that Cowboy Bebop tweaked the character to be in line with the series’ progressiveness in so many different areas. Plus, as a fan, I think they’re far more meaningful to the story in the live-action than they ever were in the anime, which I can also appreciate.

Mad Pierrot Is Rescued By Vicious

Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop features one of the series’ most memorable bounties the Bebop pursued, mainly because of how bizarre he was. Mad Pierrot makes a triumphant debut in live-action, and for one of the most off-the-wall characters of the anime, he translated well to the story. With that said, his motivations are altered quite a bit, thanks in part to the fact his escape is not one orchestrated on his own, but by Vicious. 

Vicious breaks Mad Pierrot out of his testing facility and does him an additional solid by killing all the scientists involved in his inhumane experimentation. Vicious offers Pierrot freedom and “all the Red Eye he can handle” if he finds and kills Spike Spiegel. From there, the fight plays out largely how it went in the anime, though Pierrot being the aggressor puts Spike and the gang on the run until they can formulate a plan to take him down. The end result is one of the series’ most action-packed episodes to date, which is on point, considering the same was true of the anime.

Vicious And Spike’s Church Showdown Happens Way Later 

Vicious and Spike’s church showdown is one of the most iconic fights of the new series, which is somewhat strange, because it predates all the events in the anime. The same is not true in the Netflix series, as the big showdown between Spike and Vicious does play out, but only after both Spike and Vicious pursue each other all season long. 

All the major beats of the showdown are there, right down to Spike falling out of the church window. Of course, there’s one major change that occurs in this scene beyond the timing, and for those that know and love the original, it’s the biggest change from the anime by far.

Julia Lives And Takes Control Of The Syndicate

In the Cowboy Bebop anime, Julia is a big part of the plot despite having little to no screen time. After Spike talks about her for the entirety of the series, the two reconnect in the finale, and then she’s shot and killed minutes later. Julia doesn’t just get a lot more screen time in Cowboy Bebop, her entire arc is transformed by the end of Season 1 into something the anime never dreamed of. 

Julia plays a key part in Vicious’ plan to overthrow The Syndicate, and in a stunning twist, turns the tables on both Vicious and Spike during the big fight. Julia prevents Vicious from killing Spike, but instead of escaping with him, tells him she realizes she doesn’t need him to gain her own freedom. Julia then shoots Spike out of the big window and takes Vicious captive. With Vicious imprisoned, she’s able to rule The Syndicate. 

This one plot creates a ton of storylines that, while not faithful to the anime, guarantee that a prospective Season 2 will deliver a lot of things longtime fans haven’t seen before. To me, that’s exciting, though it’s definitely a polarizing topic amongst those who liked the original.  

Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop is available to stream on the platform right now. There’s no word on whether or not Season 2 will happen yet, though the series has spent some time in Netflix’s Top 10. Obviously, the show has some plans for the surprise character reveal in the final moments of Season 1, but we’ll have to wait and see if another season happens with all of the other upcoming Netflix shows planned.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for Cowboy Bebop’s anime and Season 1 of Netflix’s live-action series. Read at your own risk!

Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop is here, and as many familiar with the original anime know, it’s a lot different. The bones of what made the original series great are there, but the live-action adaptation did not set out to create a replica of the acclaimed anime. Changes are made all throughout the series, though none so significant as those made to Julia. 

Julia is a big part of Spike Spiegel’s arc in the original Cowboy Bebop, but her actual screentime in the series is insanely short. Netflix’s version changes that and makes Julia a major face right out of the gate, and I think it improves on the anime by making her more than fodder for a tragic ending. I don’t dislike the way the anime uses Julia, but after seeing all she did in Season 1 of the live-action adaptation, I feel confident in saying her character arc improves on the anime.

Julia’s Perspective Is Invaluable To The Story

The original Cowboy Bebop is told mainly through the perspective of Spike, Faye, and Jet, which can create a pretty limiting viewpoint in some areas. Spike’s main goal is to find and save Julia, so all we really know about her is from his memories and his perspective. It’s fairly limited in scope in terms of telling the story of what feels like a complex dynamic between Vicious, Spike, and Julia. 

Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop changes things up a lot, so I think it’s hard to say if Julia’s perspective enhances the anime source material. With that said, seeing the relationship through Julia’s perspective makes the entire relationship plotline way less one-dimensional in the live-action than it was in the anime. It’s important to see that, mainly because we know in real-life situations, someone cheating on their lover is not always such a cut and dry situation. 

Julia feels more like an active participant in the plot in Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop, and as different as that makes the series, I think it’s important to see. I don’t think a casual audience would tolerate an entire season of Spike pining over a woman, nor should they. As a fan, I appreciated seeing the complex dynamic of how Spike and Vicious were driven apart by Julia and why Julia stayed with Vicious in the end. It may not be true to the anime, but considering the anime gives us so little on the relationship, there’s not a ton to compare it to.

Julia’s Season 1 Arc Guarantees More Original Storylines In A Potential Season 2

The true beauty of Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop, in my opinion, is how unafraid it is to deviate from the anime. The root of who these characters are is still there, but different situations allow for more scenarios to play out. Few changes are as significant as what occurs in the Season 1 finale, however, in which we see Vicious’ master plan to gain control of The Syndicate fail because Julia double-crossed him. 

That twist is crazy enough for this anime fan, but then when given a chance to leave and escape with Spike (which was the anime Julia’s wish), she declines! Julia then shoots spike out of the cathedral window and solidifies her fate as the sole Elder of The Syndicate. It’s quite a shock to see, especially when considering the stakes created for a potential Season 2. 

What exactly does a rejected Spike Spiegel do now that the woman he loved nearly killed him? Does he pursue her and try to bring her to justice? Perhaps he just tries to continue on with working as a bounty hunter, hoping to avoid confrontation but inevitably running into her again because of their professions. I mean, a bounty hunter can only go so long before running into someone Syndicate-affiliated, so it would only be a matter of time before they met again. 

Also, let’s not forget that Vicious is still alive and held captive by Julia. Truthfully, I think keeping Vicious alive is about the worst decision Julia made all series, minus the fact that she got involved with him in the first place. But, I have a good feeling he’ll find a way out of his shackles before too long, and we could see a brief collaboration between Vicious and Spike to bring down the woman who broke their hearts. 

Honestly, I can’t even fathom that happening because of Vicious and Spike’s dynamic in the anime, which is what makes it so exciting. None of it happens without Julia’s transformation, so it’s hard for me not to see it as an improvement on the source material.

Julia’s Netflix Version Is More In Line With Most Characters In The Anime

One of the things that’s amazing to see about the Cowboy Bebop anime in 2021 is that it doesn’t feel out of place with modern programming. The characters are diverse, the show is progressive, and there’s no shortage of strong women who are total badasses. In fact, most of the women in the anime are kick-ass, with Julia being the exception. 

Julia is a victim in the anime, and in fairness, her arc in Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop starts off very much the same way. The difference is we see Julia evolve throughout her time with Vicious and even come to the realization that she doesn’t need Spike to be the one to save her from a life of abuse and fear. By the end of Season 1, Julia’s not the damsel in distress who anime fans met at the end of the series, and that’s a great thing. 

Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop elevates Julia’s character to the level of the original’s other strong women like Faye, VT, and really, Radical Ed (who we only saw a bit of in the live-action). Watching Season 1 of the live-action made me realize how out of place Julia was in the anime and how much better it is seeing her character realized in this adaptation. Not everyone will be a fan of it, but those looking for new stories and fresh content rather than a carbon copy of the original should be thrilled about what Netflix’s series did to Julia. 

Audiences can stream Season 1 of Cowboy Bebop on Netflix right now. As a fan of the original, I can’t express how much I love the new version and what it brings to the table, so I hope that those who still have yet to watch decide to give it a few episodes.

When it was announced that Netflix was going to be developing a new Cowboy Bebop live-action series as part of the new upcoming Netflix shows, it was met with a bit of skepticism from long-time fans. Thankfully, the adaptation of the popular anime series has proved to be successful, and many fans have said that it’s a worthy watch, even for people who aren’t familiar with the original product. 

The Cowboy Bebop live-action show on Netflix isn’t that long, and one could go through those episodes very quickly - as I did. However, if you’re looking for a show that might be similar in tone or in themes to that of Cowboy Bebop, be sure to check out this list for some awesome choices to pick from. 

The Original Cowboy Bebop (Netflix)

I feel like this should be a no-brainer. This popular anime from the 1990s, titled Cowboy Bebop, is set in the year 2071, and follows a crew of bounty hunters aboard their spaceship - aptly named “Bebop,” as we follow their adventures through space. 

You know, to me it’s surprising that there are only twenty-six original episodes of this fantastic series, because I could easily see it turning into one of those extremely long anime, because it’s seriously that good. Cowboy Bebop incorporates so many genres, from super cool sci-fi effects to western themes, while also providing depth and emotion to these characters that we really come to love over the show’s short timespan. While I do wish there were more episodes, it’s truly one of its kind, and deserves to be watched just as much as the live-action. 

Stream Cowboy Bebop on Netflix. 

The Mandalorian (Disney+)

I knew I had to mention The Mandalorian on here. This show, taking place in the Star Wars universe, follows Din Djarin, a bounty hunter whose life is suddenly changed when his path crosses with a lost child (looking awfully familiar to Yoda). 

This is perfect for Cowboy Bebop fans because The Mandalorian feels very much like the show. Din Djarin is a bounty hunter for hire, hopping from planet to planet in hopes of another gig while trying to keep him and the people he cares about safe. The cinematography is amazing, and the story is so much fun and especially entertaining if you’re a fan of Star Wars. But as someone who started watching The Mandalorian just for fun as a Disney+ show, it’s definitely up your alley to view. 

Stream The Mandalorian on Disney+. 

Firefly (Hulu)

I will never forgive Fox for cancelling this amazing show before it could live to its full potential. Firefly is a space western set in the year 2517, following the adventures of the crew of Serenity, a spaceship that is in the “Firefly-class” of ships.

For fans of Cowboy Bebop, this show is perfect for you due to its characters. What really drives Cowboy Bebop is the familial relationship between the main characters and how much they care for each other, which is very similar to what Firefly does with its main characters. They are as heroic as they are flawed, and the show isn’t afraid to talk about that, just like Cowboy Bebop. There’s just something about these outlaws that make me want to cheer for them - much like what the characters in Cowboy Bebop make me feel. While it was a short-lived series, it’s worth every second to watch. 

Stream Firefly on Hulu. 

Space Dandy (Hulu)

You want to hear the most basic premise in the world? Space Dandy is literally a space opera about a dandy guy in space. He is an alien hunter who is searching for the rarest of them all with his robot and his feline-friend - named Meow. 

Believe it or not, Cowboy Bebop creator, Shinichiro Watanabe, also created Space Dandy. And while the premise is much simpler than some of his other shows, Space Dandy is so much more once you dive into it. Each episode shows different planets, fascinating aliens, and weird animation that is absurdly awesome. It’s incredibly impressive that with each new area Dandy and his team visit, it looks completely different. And while it’s not as action packed as Cowboy Bebop, the story is just as engrossing as ever. 

Stream Space Dandy on Hulu. 

Outlaw Star (Hulu)

Next up, we have Outlaw Star, a show that actually aired during the same time as Cowboy Bebop. This space opera follows Gene Starwind, a captain on his spaceship, called Outlaw Star, as he and his crew search around the galaxy for a treasure trove that is called “Galactic Leyline,” running into hilarities and adventures as he does so. 

I’ll always feel that Outlaw Star and Cowboy Bebop have a certain connection to each other since they aired so closely together, and to be honest, it’s the perfect short series to watch that’s pretty similar in tone to Cowboy Bebop. There’s space pirates, assassins, bounty hunters - the whole nine yards, all of which probably sound quite familiar (*cough, Cowboy Bebop, cough*). Gene Starwind is an easy person to root for, and with each episode showing a new adventure, you’ll never get bored. 

Stream Outlaw Star on Hulu. 

Samurai Champloo (Hulu)

In this anime series set during the Edo period in Japan, Samurai Champloo follows Fuu, a young woman who ends up hiring two samurai after she helps stop their public execution, needing them to find a mysterious samurai that Fuu wants to find, but requests aid in doing so. 

While Samurai Champloo isn’t really the same setting as Cowboy Bebop, I think this show is great for fans of the series because it feels like the same sort of vibe. Created by the same man who did Cowboy Bebop, Shinichiro Watanabe, Samurai Champloo is a period piece set to a super cool soundtrack that gets you pumped up from the very beginning. Seriously, the music alone will make you want to watch this. Plus, the Samurai sword fights are some of the coolest animation I’ve ever seen. 

Stream Samurai Champloo on Hulu. 

Psycho-Pass (Amazon Prime)

Moving on, we have Psycho-Pass. This anime series follows Akane Tsunemori, who is introduced as a novice inspector to the Division One of Public Safety Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Division (otherwise known as police officers in charge of solving crimes), in a far-off dystopian Japan. 

When I think of Cowboy Bebop characters, I always think of Spike Spiegel first, and then I think I really don’t know if the show would work as well if he wasn’t such a well-written protagonist, creating such a contrast in the heroism in him as well as the negatives in his character arc. One of my favorite characters from Psycho-Pass is Shinya Kogami, another well-written male lead, alongside Akane, and their story together is so well-written that it makes me want to re-watch this over and over. If you think you’ve fallen in love with Spike, wait until you meet Shinya. 

Stream Psycho Pass on Amazon Prime.

Samurai Jack (HBO Max)

If you want an incredibly animated series, check out Samurai Jack. In this series, we follow a Japanese samurai prince with a mystical sword, as he fights to get his kingdom back from the forces of evil, traveling through time to do so. 

While Samurai Jack isn’t an anime compared to many of the other animated shows on this list, it’s still such a great series, and the art style is absolutely beautiful. Like Cowboy Bebop, we often watch Samurai Jack fight against several different evil people, drawing the line between good vs bad, and creating some entertaining fight sequences anyone could watch. With five seasons, and not super long episodes, it’s definitely a great binge. This fantasy series is a hit.

Stream Samurai Jack on HBO Max. 

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Netflix)

Hear me out. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a prequel to the 1982 film, The Dark Crystal, known for its special effects and master puppetry. The show lets us see more of the planet of Thra, and follows three siblings who are trying to save their planet from destruction. 

I know - a series that stars puppets that look strangely real doesn't seem like it would be an obvious replacement for a crazy intense and badass show like Cowboy Bebop, but there are many moments where I see some good parallels between the shows. Like the justice seekers in the anime and the live-action who are trying to fight against horrible people, the people of Thra are trying to prevent something similar, fighting anyone to prevent what is called ‘The Darkening’ from happening to their planet. 

The story is rich with lore and the puppetry is truly astounding. It’s a shame it was canceled so soon, but it’s certainly worth the time to watch now. 

Stream The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance on Netflix.

Trigun (Hulu)

Lastly, we have Trigun. Set on a planet that is called “No Man’s Land,” Trigun is all about Vash the Stampede, a gunman who is always on the move and always fighting bounty hunters due to the large bounty that follows him. And as we start to fall in love with his badassery, we start to learn more about his past, and what he’s done. 

Trigun is yet another space western - I feel like there are so many on this list, you’ll have content for hours. However, I do feel that Trigun is a fantastic one to watch. Like many of the other anime on this list, the soundtrack is banging and paired amazingly to the gorgeous animation, mixed in with some impressive dubs that will make it easy for anyone to watch. It’s certainly an investment, with several seasons to watch, but it’s worth every moment of your time. 

Stream Trigun on Hulu. 

While a Season 2 hasn’t been greenlit yet for the live-action Cowboy Bebop, I personally think it’s only a matter of time before we see John Cho and everyone else again aboard that spaceship, kicking ass and taking names. But until that’s official, we can spend our time watching some of these awesome shows instead. 

Mustafa Shakir may appear to be a fresh face with his work on the new Netflix series, Cowboy Bebop, but he’s been around the block. Starting out in a single episode on the Fox TV show, New York Undercover back in 1996, before venturing off into small roles in movies like Shaft, Shakir seems to be hitting his stride lately with his role as Jet Black on Cowboy Bebop.

The 45-year-old actor actually once auditioned for roles in Black Panther and Black Lightning, but missed out on both. Fortunately, though, he landed a gig on Season 2 of Luke Cage and has been steadily moving along ever since. He's scheduled to be in the upcoming movies Hide and Seek and Emancipation, but that may be a ways off. So, here are some movies and TV shows to hold you over if you’re a fan of the Cowboy Bebop actor. 

Luke Cage (Netflix)

Starring Mike Colter, Alfre Woodard, Rosario Dawson, and even the future Blade, Mahershala Ali, Luke Cage featured an all-star cast of prominent actors of color in the now (sadly) cancelled Netflix series. The story centers around Powerman himself, Luke Cage, who, with his skin that's impervious to weapons, has to take on the bad guys and look cool doing it. This series would later spill into the other Marvel Netflix series, The Defenders. You can watch that, too.

Why it's worth watching if you like Mustafa Shakir: If you want to see Mustafa Shakir (And, of course you do, because why else would you be here?) then you’ll only find him in Season 2 of Luke Cage, as he played John “Bushmaster” McIver (Or, “Bushmasta,” as Mustafa Shakir pronounces it with the character’s Jamaican accent). If you think Jet Black is cool on Cowboy Bebop, then you’ll want to see Shakir tear it up as the ruthless and unstoppable Bushmaster, who can take just as many bullets as our titular hero. His arc is really cool, too, and he’s the kind of bad guy you love to hate.

Stream Luke Cage on Netflix.

The Night Of (HBO Max)

In this somber HBO miniseries, Riz Ahmed, who won an Emmy for his performance, plays a Pakistani-American man named Nasir who may or may not have murdered a woman. What follows is Nasir’s stay in Riker’s Island and how everybody around him has to deal with the consequences (including his parents), while he awaits trial.

Why it's worth watching if you like Mustafa Shakir: The Night Of is really a team effort as it features an outstanding cast, including John Tuturro, Michael K. Williams, Jeannie Berlin, and Glenne Headly. Mustafa Shakir plays a brief, but resonant character, as Victor, who’s one of the Riker’s Island inmates. His actions cause a tragic outcome, which ratchets up the tension substantially for the short time that he’s in the series.

Stream The Night Of on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy The Night Of on Amazon Prime.

Quarry (Cinemax)

Based on the Quarry novels by Max Allan Collins, which actually spans 16 books at the time of this writing, the Quarry TV series is about a Marine, played by Logan Marshall-Green, who returns from Vietnam and doesn’t receive a hero’s welcome. After a while, he gets tempted into killing around a quarry in Memphis. It ran for eight episodes back in 2016, but, unfortunately, didn’t receive a second season.

Why it's worth watching if you like Mustafa Shakir: In that one season, Shakir plays Moses, a black man in the South during a tumultuous time in American history. He is under the employ of a mysterious man known as The Broker, who is played by Peter Mullan. Shakir portrays a nice guy at face value, but there always seems to be more beneath the surface, which Shakir performs deftly.

Stream Quarry on Cinemax.
Rent/Buy Quarry on Amazon Prime.

Brawl In Cell Block 99

Do you want to see people get punched? A lot? Then you need to see Brawl in Cell Block 99, which stars Vince Vaughn as a real sumbitch. Long story short, Vince Vaughn’s character, who is a drug mule, ends up in jail, and a lot of fisticuffs ensue. Vaughn is actually really excellent in this movie, which is directed by S. Craig Zahler, who also did the superb Bone Tomahawk. If you ever doubted that Vince Vaughn could actually act, then look no further than this film.

Why it's worth watching if you like Mustafa Shakir: But, you’re here for Shakir. And while he doesn’t play a super major role as Andre, a prison guard, you do get to see him push Vince Vaughn’s character’s buttons a little bit, and even see them fight in a particularly brutal scene.

Rent/Buy Brawl in Cell Block 99 on Amazon Prime.

The Cavern (Amazon Prime)

You know how there are times when two movies with similar plots or motifs come out in the exact same year? Volcano and Dante’s Peak. Deep Impact and Armageddon. The Illusionist and The Prestige? Well, in 2005, we got both The Cavern and The Descent, and I would be lying to you if I told you that The Cavern was the better movie. But! I still think that you should watch it! Set in Kazakhstan, a crew of cavers descend into a cave and are haunted by a ghost of sorts, and a monster. Terror (Not really) ensues.

Why it's worth watching if you like Mustafa Shakir: This is a really early Mustafa Shakir film, and he plays a caver named Gannon (I’m serious). If you’re a fan of the man’s work, you should definitely check out The Cavern to see how far he’s come. The Cavern is Shakir’s Leprechaun. It’s his Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, or his Jaws 4: The Revenge. In other words, it’s the pre-requisite horror movie that a major actor did early on in his or her career before they got better roles. And, thankfully, it’s better than two out of three of those aforementioned pictures (I have a soft spot for Leprechaun), so that’s at least saying something.

Rent/Buy The Cavern on Amazon Prime.

Let Them Die Like Lovers (Amazon Prime)

Lastly is the short (16 minutes short) film by up-and-coming director, Jesse Atlas, Let Them Die Like Lovers. Starring Angela Lewis, Bradley Fisher, and of course, Mustafa Shakir, this bare-bones sci-fi thriller packs a wallop, as it’s about a soldier who body hops in order to kill her targets. But, she soon finds that it’s both physically and emotionally draining. Maybe even too draining. Get out the hankies for this one.

Why it's worth watching if you like Mustafa Shakir: Though his time is brief, Shakur plays the man sending his lover into said bodies, and you can see the emotional toll in his facial expressions. It’s a small role, and he’s not the lead, but it’s a potent one.

Rent/Buy Let Them Die Like Lovers on Amazon Prime

Mustafa Shakir seems to have his eyes set on the future, and I couldn’t be more excited. If you want to learn more about Cowboy Bebop or other 2021 Netflix series, make sure to swing by here often. 

I heard a lot of mixed opinions on the live-action Cowboy Bebop on Netflix. But after watching it recently (and being a pretty big fan of the original anime myself), I can say that I enjoyed it. Did it have its flaws? Sure. But for a live-action anime, I thought it held up pretty well. Which got me to thinking: What other anime from my youth would I love to see on Netflix in live-action form? Is it too much to ask for a live-action adaptation of Dragon Ball Z? I mean, a boy can dream, can’t he?

And yes, I am well aware that the movie Dragonball Evolution exists, and no, I don’t want another version of that (Hell, even the writer apologized for that atrocity). But after seeing the love and care that went into the live-action Cowboy Bebop where actual shots were literally taken right from the anime, it got me thinking that maybe a live-action Dragon Ball Z might actually be pretty awesome.

I might change my mind once I see the live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender, but as of right now, my hopes are sky high. So, here are five anime that I want to see get the live-action treatment, a la Cowboy Bebop.

Dragonball Z

As mentioned in the intro, we have already seen what the world of Dragon Ball could look like in live-action with the abysmal Dragonball Evolution, but I think that the first series, Dragon Ball, should be skipped altogether, and Netflix should instead focus on Dragon Ball Z. Given where Cowboy Bebop ended on Netflix at the end of the season (which I won’t spoil here), I could see Dragon Ball Z having a similar arc, perhaps ending right at the arrival of Frieza. Perhaps it could even end with Goku turning Super Saiyan.

I don’t know, but I think it could be really cool if a hypothetical live-action show hit all the major story beats up to and maybe including the Frieza saga. As to who could actually play Goku, I’m not sure, since it’s kind of impossible to get perfect casting like we did with John Cho as Spike Spiegel. But I already have a pick for Piccolo, and they wouldn’t even have to look that far over at Netflix land. I would pick Mustafa Shakir, who plays Jet Black on the live-action Cowboy Bebop. Hey, what can I say? I like the man’s work.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 

There’s actually a lot of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure already on Netflix as the anime has several seasons on their streaming platform, dating all the way back to 2018. This is, of course, the new series, as the Joestar family goes all the way back to 1987 when JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure debuted in Shonen Jump. And like Dragon Ball Z, there was already a live-action movie. But unlike Dragonball Evolution, this one was pretty good. Directed by the legendary Takashi Miike, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable Chapter I captured the strangeness and energy of the long-running series to a T.

Which is why I would like to see a whole TV series on Netflix done by Miike. I’d personally like to see him start at the beginning of the series (Right at Phantom Blood), as I want to see Jonathan and Dio going at it for several episodes. In fact, since the movie, Diamond is Unbreakable, is Part 4 of the Joestar family arc, the first three seasons could be on Netflix, and then they could acquire the rights to the Diamond is Unbreakable movie for Part 4. Of course I’m getting ahead of myself here, but can’t you tell that I’m excited?

Samurai Champloo

Everybody knows Cowboy Bebop. Hell, people who don’t even watch anime had heard of it before it was announced to be live-action on Netflix. But not as many people know about Cowboy Bebop’s director Shinichiro Watanabe’s follow-up project, Samurai Champloo, which ran from 2004 to 2005 for twenty-six glorious episodes. It featured a calm, determined ronin named Jin, and his friend (?) Mugen, who is the exact opposite as he was brash and rushed into danger. The two of them accompanied a tough girl named Fuu as they went on a quest to locate “the samurai who smells of sunflowers.”

What made Samurai Champloo super dope though was its hip-hop soundtrack. Jazz plays such an important role in Cowboy Bebop, and hip-hop is equally instrumental (pun not intended) to the overall vibe of Samurai Champloo. 

I want to see all that play out in live-action. In a recent interview with Nobody and Bullet Train producer, Kelly McCormick with Collider (around 14 minutes into the video), she let slip that there’s something “potentially in the television space” concerning Samurai Champloo that she can’t talk about right now. Whether that’s live-action or not (or even coming into fruition), we’ll just have to wait and see.

Fist Of The North Star 

I talked about Fist of the North Star in my list of “Classic Anime”, and it doesn’t get much more classic than FotNS. Not unless you’re going to start talking about stuff like Astro Boy. Dating all the way back to 1983, Fist of the North Star is about a wanderer named Kenshiro. Kenshiro is your typical nomad who just wants to live alone in peace. Too bad he just happens to live in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. In many ways, it’s Bruce Lee meets The Road Warrior, and doesn’t that just sound perfect for live-action?

I’d really love to see something similar to Mad Max: Fury Road when it comes to a live-action series. A warrior who can punch with the speed of lightning, hitting pressure points and making people explode in gooey glory sounds like my kind of live-action show. There was a live-action straight-to-video movie back in 1995 that I’ve never seen, but it didn’t have a great reception. Come on, Netflix. You have the dough. Let’s get a live-action Fist of the North Star TV series going, ASAP!

Berserk

I’ve wanted to talk about Berserk for a long time now on this website. Debuting in manga-form back in 1989, Berserk is dark fantasy like none other. Do you think The Witcher is dark? Naw, man. The Witcher is a walk in the sunshine compared to Berserk. Featuring a mercenary named Guts with a massive sword, Berserk is special since it exists in reality, but there are also mystical creatures that seem to live on the fringes of reality. And they can be awe-inspiring in how epic they can be.

You can currently watch a three-part arc on Netflix right now called “The Golden Age,” which I highly recommend. There’s a report that HBO might be working on a live-action series, and that’s cool and all, but I’d really love to see Netflix tackle it with the same love and care they did with Cowboy Bebop or The Witcher. Like the two aforementioned shows, I think Berserk would be super popular.

And that about does it. But what anime would you like to see make the live-action jump? To learn more about 2021 Netflix TV series, make sure to stop by here often!

Steve Blum has amassed a host of notable voice-acting roles over his career, though I’d wager many anime fans first caught wind of his talents in Cartoon Network’s long-running block of anime programming, Toonami. Blum voices TOM (Toonami Operations Module), who hosts the program and serves as a segue between the various anime shows featured. I recently learned that his role as Spike Spiegel in the anime Cowboy Bebop actually helped land him the gig at Toonami, and the story is pretty awesome. 

Funimation allowed me an opportunity to talk to the main voice cast of the Cowboy Bebop dub and, of course, we had to discuss Toonami. I asked Blum if he or Cartoon Network intended for TOM to sound identical to Spike Spiegel or if it was something he came up with. Ultimately, I got the story of how his work encouraged CN to seek him out, and how free beer basically led to decades of work as the animated host:

So the actor didn’t even have to really apply to get the job at Toonami, it was the success of Cowboy Bebop that led to Cartoon Network seeking him out. He even got free beer to come in and audition for the role, which had to feel like a win regardless of whether he got the job or not.

Toonami’s history with anime is tremendous and helped expose many American audiences to popular shows like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto, among many others. Of course, TOM adds the style that makes it more than just a random television block (which has also included American shows like Justice League). Blum recalled the meeting he took for the job and his initial doubt that he could do what Cartoon Network asked of him:

Steve Blum did exactly that and, as time went on, Toonami gave TOM more things to do. This included specials in which the character went up against various threats, as well as the occasional video game review or music night that featured music from artists like Daft Punk and Gorillaz. 

The actor's stint on the programming block started in 2000 and was preceded by C. Martin Croker, who helmed a version of the program as the Space Ghost Coast-To-Coast’s Moltar starting in 1997, and voice actor Sonny Strait who voiced the first version of TOM for a year. Steve Blum is currently still the host, in a run that’s spanned decades outside of the fan-favorite block's cancellation, which lasted from 2008 to 2012.

It’s been a hell of a run for the Wolverine and the X-Men alum, who still works quite heavily in the voice-acting business within other franchises like Star Wars and Mortal Kombat just to name a few. The star commented on the success of Toonami over the years and his disbelief that it’s still going:

As mentioned, Toonami is still running on Cartoon Network, though not at the peak of afternoons on weekdays, as it did back in the day. Its current block runs Saturdays starting at midnight, with four hours set aside for top anime curated by the network. As an anime fan, it’s certainly cool to see that it's still kicking even in the brave new world of streaming. And of course, it's even sweeter knowing that Steve Blum is still a part of it. 

Fans can enjoy Steve Blum’s pitch-perfect voice-acting as Spike Spiegel in the Cowboy Bebop anime, which is currently available to stream over at Funimation and on Netflix. Be sure to check that out before or after watching the Netflix live-action series, which has stirred up a healthy amount of debate amongst fans since its premiere.

Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop is here and, apparently, so is Radical Ed. Fans noticed the fan-favorite character’s absence in all the promotional material for the series but then saw her appear in the ninth episode of the John Cho-led series. Even then, the appearance was brief, which may cause some to wonder why Ed got so little screentime given her popularity. 

Showrunner Andre Nemec had answers for fans in a special Cowboy Bebop: Unlocked, the official aftershow from Netflix. Dduring the interview, Nemec explained why Ed’s moment was so short and discussedd the importance of waiting before employing her arrival:

Ed doesn’t come into the Cowboy Bebop anime until Episode 9, so many fans assumed she wouldn’t arrive immediately in the live-action adaptation. Sure enough, the character entered Season 1 towards the very end, in a very different way than the original series. While she didn’t get a lot to do in Season 1, it’s assumed she’d have a slightly larger role as part of the Bebop crew in a potential second season.

Many begged for the teenage genius' inclusion in the anime but, after her arrival, some questioned whether it was necessary. The clip that features her arrival made its rounds on Twitter and was met with much scrutiny by of fans the original series:

The negative speculation could fuel the idea that Netflix intentionally buried her appearance though, given Andre Nemec’s comments, I don’t see that being likely. If anything, Ed’s moment seemed deliberately teased as a surprise appearance for fans. Additionally, advertising her role, when she’s barely in the show, could’ve made viewers upset. Plus, it’s not like anyone working on the series could’ve predicted how Eden Perkins’ portrayal as Ed would be perceived, especially since it’s one of the more anime-accurate portrayals the show has delivered.

As far as what Ed’s screentime looks for a hypothetical Season 2 of Cowboy Bebop, I don’t think it’s crazy to think she’d get a standalone episode. Beyond that, though, the eccentric young woman is largely a background character throughout the anime. Her story isn’t as much of a focal point as Spike, Faye, or even Jet's, so I never expected to see a ton of her in general. Still, it’s nice to see the full Bebop crew on the series by the end of the first season, so hopefully, that carries on should it be renewed for future seasons. 

Netflix's live-action Cowboy Bebop series is certainly different from the anime in a few key ways, though I’m of the opinion that’s not at all a bad thing. The show is definitely polarizing, so I encourage all fans who haven’t watched it yet to check it out and form their own opinions.

Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop is finally out, and its arrival has reignited fans’ passion for the original series as well as some spirited debate. Mustafa Shakir’s role as Jet Black is one to be celebrated, as out of all the characters adapted, he feels like one pulled straight from the anime. Of course, his casting brought about much discussion, as fans went back and forth on the race of the original character, voiced by Beau Billingslea, who has shared his thoughts on Jet Black's race. 

The debate happened with the original Cowboy Bebop, as some fans never could tell if Jet Black was white or Black. In fact, some could’ve assumed the latter, which made it confusing when producers for the Netflix series called the casting a “change” from the original character. I got a chance to speak to Jet Black voice actor Beau Billingslea and the rest of the Cowboy Bebop anime voice cast on behalf of Funimation, and asked Billingslea (who is Black) if he ever considered the character’s race or was told the character was portrayed one way or another.

Beau Billingslea pointed out that voicing an anime character whose race wasn’t his own wasn’t uncommon for him, so it wasn’t something he thought about. Jet Black was, as he said, gray in tone, and that’s all he ever really thought about while doing Cowboy Bebop. 

With all that said, Beau Billingslea did note he found it interesting that Mustafa Shakir got the role of Jet Black for the Netflix series. At the same time, he reiterated that he didn’t have much to share on Jet’s race because it just wasn’t a thing he thought of at the time.

So, for anyone hoping that the secret answer to this long-running Cowboy Bebop debate came out behind the scenes, it wasn’t even something on Beau Billingslea’s radar back then. I guess for fans, the debate may continue in regards to Jet Black, though after hearing Billingslea’s thoughts, I’m inclined to ask, does it really matter? 

The original Cowboy Bebop is available to stream on Funimation’s streaming service right now. Fans can check it out there, and of course, binge the live-action series over at Netflix.

Cowboy Bebop lived as one of the best anime series of all time for decades, and now it’ll get a chance to be one of the best live-action series’ of all-time, thanks to Netflix. Footage from the upcoming Cowboy Bebop series appears to show it will adapt a few key Cowboy Bebop episodes, which may encourage some to binge the original on Netflix.

For those hoping to do such a thing, I’d highly suggest avoiding the final two episodes when choosing what to watch to get a feel for the series. There are plenty of episodes to watch that are worth checking out, so for those looking to get a taste of the upcoming Netflix original but don’t want to watch the entire 26 episode series, here are nine episodes of Cowboy Bebop that are worth checking out. 

Asteroid Blues (Episode 1)

“Asteroid Blues” is the first episode in Cowboy Bebop, and in my opinion, one of the best of this fantastic series. The episode opens with an event that leads Spike to the path he’s currently on, then picks up at an asteroid colony designed to look like Mexico. There, Spike and Jet pursue a man trafficking a dangerous combat drug known as Red Eye. It appears the Netflix series will adapt this episode based on a shot of the colony, which I’m all about. This episode made me fall in love with Cowboy Bebop, and I wager it will for others.

Ballad Of Fallen Angels (Episode 5) 

Cowboy Bebop is a slow burn when it comes to Spike’s past, so when episodes surface that finally dive into his story, they’re almost always classics. In this episode, we get a true taste of Spike and Vicious’ animosity for each other and the reason these two are at each other’s throats every time they cross paths. No spoilers, of course, since it will likely be a major storyline of the series, but suffice to say, this one is a great watch.

Sympathy For The Devil (Episode 6) 

There are a few times Cowboy Bebop feels more like sci-fi than a western, and this is absolutely one of those times. “Sympathy For The Devil” starts out as a normal adventure, but things quickly go off the deep end when the enemy the Bebop team is searching for is a murderous child. This is a great one to watch just to see how weird Cowboy Bebop can get, which is something one wouldn’t necessarily think about watching the live-action trailer.

Heavy Metal Queen (Episode 7)

Cowboy Bebop episodes, for the most part, are filled with jazz music. The soundtrack is part of what makes the series so great, but “Heavy Metal Queen” introduces a cool change of pace when it brings in the bounty hunter VT. VT is one of the most successful bounty hunters in the business, and she’s also someone who loves the genre of heavy metal music. VT isn’t someone immediately recognizable in the Netflix trailer, so it’s not known if she’s in the series or not. I do hope she is, though, because I love the character and think it’d be great to see some sort of rock celebrity stand-in for her for just one episode.

Jamming With Edward (Episode 9) 

Most folks who grew up watching Cowboy Bebop episodes remember Ed, but a lot may not remember she doesn’t actually come into the series until Episode 9. The Bebop crew are on the hunt for an elusive hacker no one seems to know the true identity of. It turns out that the elusive hacker is a young teen girl named Edward, and the person actually responsible for the mayhem of the episode is a lonely satellite powered by artificial intelligence. This one is important to watch because it’s the introduction to Ed, who we assume will appear in Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop at some point.

Jupiter Jazz Pt. 1 (Episode 12)

“Jupiter Jazz” is one of two two-parter episodes in the Cowboy Bebop episodes, and with good reason, because it details a lot of Spike’s story from before the series started. It’s here we see a brief interaction with Vicious and the Red Dragon syndicate and get some idea of what the true nature of his tension with Spike is really about. We also meet Gren and Lin, who are both from Spike’s past and become embroiled in the drama as well. Faye and Jet are also heavily in this adventure, but mainly as support in a primarily Spike-driven set of episodes.

Jupiter Jazz Pt. 2 (Episode 13)

You can’t watch the first part of “Jupiter Jazz” without seeing the exciting conclusion! Granted, Part 2 is really only the mid-point in the series, so there’s still plenty of things that play out beyond Spike’s reunion with Vicious, Gren’s past history, and why Spike walked away from the syndicate. We also get a lot about Julia, which is a mystery that continues to unfold as the series continues. This is also one of the few times “The Real Folk Blues” doesn’t play in the outro credits, which is jarring because that song slaps.

My Funny Valentine (Episode 15)

Faye Valentine is typically shown to be stubborn, careless with money, and generally unreliable. One could get the impression she’s an awful person, but the Cowboy Bebop episode “My Funny Valentine” gives a lot of depth to her story that explains a lot of her shortcomings rather well. If you don’t exit the episode as a fan of Faye by the end of it, I’m not sure you ever will.

Pierrot Le Fou (Episode 20)

“Pierrot Le Fou” is another one of the few instances in Cowboy Bebop episodes where the space series feels less like a western and more like a science-fiction series. An assassin with a high bounty is on the loose, and with good reason because he can fly and has superhuman strength. Spike goes toe-to-toe with the bizarre villain and is eventually taken to one of his least favorite places in the world, an amusement park. This episode isn’t necessarily necessary to the story in any way, but Pierrot is seen in the trailer for the live-action series. For that reason alone, this one’s worth a watch.

The original Cowboy Bebop is available to stream on Netflix right now. Watch that, and then get excited for the release of the live-action series, which will arrive Friday, November 19th. 

Netflix is adapting one of the most iconic anime of all time, Cowboy Bebop, and for fans, that’s both an exciting and nerve-wracking idea. Luckily, most footage we’ve seen so far indicates Netflix did right by the iconic series, even if Ed hasn’t made a grand appearance yet. The latest look at the series gave a ton of great callbacks, all of which have me hyped for the live-action adaptation. 

Cowboy Bebop looks breathtaking and full of style, and it also has callbacks to the anime that show we’ll see some familiar settings, scenes, and characters along the way. If the series is half as good as these callbacks featured in the latest trailer, this is going to be a hit series for more than just fans of the original. Check out some of those callbacks!

New Tijuana

New Tijuana is, perhaps, the area of Cowboy Bebop I’m most excited to see in live-action. The asteroid colony is the setting for the adventure “Asteroid Blues,” the first episode in the anime. In that episode, Spike and Jet pursue a drug smuggler who is in possession and using a highly dangerous combat drug known as “Red Eye.” It’s the episode that made me fall in love with the series when I randomly caught it late-night on Adult Swim in middle school, and it’s also just an excellent episode from start to finish that shows the magic of this series.

Spike Looking At A Picture Of Julia

There’s a couple of quick shots of Julia throughout the Cowboy Bebop trailer, but the best clear shot we have of Spike Spiegel’s mystery girl comes in the bar scene. Spike gazes at the picture of Julia before explaining why he had to step away from the Syndicate, and what he’s up to now. There’s a lot about Julia that we don’t need to spoil in this feature but suffice to say, she’s a big factor in a lot of what Spike does in the series. 

The Head Of The Red Dragon Syndicate

I was curious about how Cowboy Bebop would represent the head of the Red Dragon Syndicate, as in the anime, they were three identical short big-headed old men.  It’s the type of portrayal that translates very well in anime, but doesn’t look natural in something like a live-action series. With that said, Netflix made a great compromise in giving the Syndicate Head a giant mask that resembles the classic look.

The Rose From Spike’s Flashback 

In the original Cowboy Bebop, the series opens with a scene from Spike’s past in which he’s walking down an alleyway with a bouquet of roses. A single rose falls into a puddle, and over time, we see that Spike had a gun inside the bouquet the entire time. The rest of the scene isn’t too important for what we’re discussing now because that scene with the rose in the puddle is shown in the anime at the end of almost every episode. When I saw it, I couldn’t help but sing “The real folk blues” because I so heavily associate it with the ending theme. I can’t wait to see the memory play out in live-action.

Mad Pierrot

Mad Pierrot is one of the few recognizable bounties that appear in Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop trailer, which is interesting because he doesn’t arrive until relatively late in the original series. Pierrot underwent intense scientific experimentation, and as a result, he can fly and has basically the powers of a superhero. The bad news is that he had a real ax to grind against those who did experiments on him and murdered just about everyone involved or laid eyes on him. He’s absolutely one of the most notable bounties of the series, so I can’t wait to see how on point the portrayal is and why he’s arriving so early in this version.

Jet With His Bonsai Trees

Jet Black is, without a doubt, the most level-headed member of the Bebop crew. He used to be a cop, so he tends to be the one to rein Faye and Spike in when a mission gets too wild or is the voice of reason when the team needs to regroup and rethink things. A great indicator of Jet’s calm (or attempt to be calm) character was the bonsai collection he cultivated on the ship, so it’s cool to see some on the table in one of the scenes in the trailer. I expect Jet to remain the voice of reason in the adaptation and hopefully get one of his few standalone adventures featured in this series. 

The Bebop Landing In Water

Spaceships typically fly in space, so it may be weird to see Cowboy Bebop’s ship, The Bebop, landing in water. This is actually not some grievous error, however, as the Bebop is actually an interplanetary fishing trawler which was obviously converted to do a lot more than just that. Seeing the Bebop pull out of space and into the water was always such a cool visual for me watching the anime, so it’s cool to see it looks just as awesome in the live-action series as well. 

Vicious And Spike’s Iconic Showdown

Cowboy Bebop fans are likely salivating at each and every interaction between Vicious and Spike in the trailer, for reasons anyone who hasn’t seen the anime likely doesn’t want to know until they too know the full story. Suffice it to say, though, the scene shown in the trailer in front of stained glass is something that happens early in the series and part of the main reason Spike is on his journey. I’m beyond excited to see it play out in live-action and hope every interaction between these two characters is as epic as it was in the anime. 

Spike And Faye At Each Other’s Throats

It wouldn’t be Cowboy Bebop if there wasn’t animosity between Faye and Spike. It’s hard to say if they ever come to a mutual understanding through this entire series, though they do have their moments of understanding from time to time in the original. Outside of those moments, it’s usually one stepping on the other’s toes, griping to Jet about something the other one did, or just playful ribbing. I’m glad to see the Netflix series kept this part of their relationship the same, as the streamer's track record with anime adaptations hasn’t been that great after Death Note. 

The live-action Cowboy Bebop will premiere on Netflix on Friday, November 19. Get ready for some high-flying bounty hunting action by streaming the original in the meantime on Netflix, Hulu, or Funimation!

November is a time for giving thanks, and one thing we should all be thankful for this year is that Netflix is once again delivering another month of spectacular originals. Subscribers will be thrilled to learn there are many great originals to binge all month long, some new series and others returning. 

This year has seen the release of some incredible series, but I feel that 2021 will be the year of Cowboy Bebop. Netflix fans will see the live-action series November and many other shows that will help them gear up for the impending stress of the holiday season. 

Big Mouth (Season 5) - 11/5

Netflix’s irreverent animated series Big Mouth is back once again for a season of stories that run from “No nut November” to New Year’s Eve. Season 5 will get into lovebugs and hate worms, which can shift between the two depending on the emotions of the characters they’re associated with. Of course, we can expect the usual relationship drama, like Nick pursuing his feelings for Jessi until she publicly rejects him. Basically, it’s going to be a crazy 8th-grade year for the crew, and probably another great season for fans. 

Narcos: Mexico (Season 3) - 11/5

Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo is behind bars, and now there’s an open position of power in the drug cartel. This is where Narcos: Mexico opens for Season 3 and will hopefully find new life after saying goodbye to actor Diego Luna. Expect a struggle for power as cartels look to seize control of the hole left by Gallardo, and the DEA  is still trying to clean up the drug operation with more arrests. Hopefully, Season 3 can keep the same momentum even in the absence of Luna and deliver yet another great season. 

Arcane - 11/6

League of Legends is one of the most popular games in the world, and now it finally has an animated series to reflect that. Arcane tells the story of the cities of Piltover and Zaun and two sisters on different sides of a war. The series has a talented voice cast that includes names like Hawkeye star Hailee Steinfeld and Star Trek: Prodigy’s Ella Purnell. This series will release new episodes weekly, so definitely one to keep an eye on, especially if you like the game. 

Tiger King 2 - 11/17

Joe Exotic’s heated feud with Carole Baskin captivated the world, and it seemed Tiger King was all America talked about for a good while. The popularity faded over time, of course, but there has been no shortage of developments in the ongoing story of Exotic after his incarceration, and with Carole Baskin’s continued fight to protect big cats around the nation. This season will likely dive into what came after the series, and maybe some anecdotes even the most rabid fans don’t know about yet.  

Blown Away: Christmas- 11/19

I think I’ve said this every time I’ve featured Blown Away in this recurring feature, but I’ll say it again. This Netflix series is one of the best competition shows in the history of television, and now that we have Blown Away: Christmas added to the mix, it may be the best. Five fan-favorite glassblowers will return for this season rooted in Christmas-themed challenges. This season’s winner will get a sweet $10,000 cash prize, as well as an additional $10,000 to the charity of their choosing. It sounds like a great show to help get someone in the holiday spirit!

Cowboy Bebop - 11/19

Netflix’s live-action adaptation of one of the most iconic anime of all time finally arrives in November. Three bounty hunters travel the galaxy searching for some of the worst criminals around, provided they have a reasonable price on their heads. I’m unbelievably excited to see John Cho in action as Spike, and based on what we’ve seen so far, this is going to be a hit even those unfamiliar with the original Cowboy Bebop will fall in love with. 

Hellbound - 11/19

A Netflix original out of Korea just became the platform’s most popular series of all time, and if that’s not a sign to pay attention to more international originals, I’m not sure what is. And there’s another new series coming out of Korea called Hellbound, which features “unearthly” beings sending humans to hell, seemingly resulting in a religious group bent on divine justice. It sounds different but isn’t that what we need before the holiday season kicks into full gear?

Masters of the Universe: Revelation (Part 2) - 11/23

Masters of the Universe: Revelation got off to a rocky start with fans, but there have been assurances that some problems will be resolved in Part 2. The universe is in danger, and it appears Teela will be forced to join forces with an unlikely ally in order to not just save Eternia but the universe as they know it. 

True Story - 11/24

When you think of a serious actor, I’m not sure Kevin Hart is one of the first people that comes to mind. Yet, he’s starring in True Story alongside Wesley Snipes in a drama in which a comedian’s entire career hangs in the balance following a night out with his brother. I’m already set on watching this series just based on the casting alone, but the premise does sound like a series that will be worth at least a watch from most subscribers just ahead of Thanksgiving.  

School of Chocolate - 11/26

No, Netflix wasn’t about to go an entire month without a new baking competition series, which is a good thing because most of them are great. School of Chocolate appears to be no exception, as eight pastry makers and chocolatiers compete for a chance to take both their skills and careers to the next level. The series features world-renowned chocolatier Amaury Guichon and a prize for the winner that includes a big opportunity. I’ll be watching, probably with some cheap chocolates on standby in case I get peckish.

Elves - 11/28

Some people are in the Christmas spirit even before Thanksgiving, but after the holiday, Christmas truly seems to be on the way. Netflix is prepared for this with Elves, which is a Christmas series that definitely throws a spin on the popular view of Christmas elves. This series features a Danish town haunted by a monstrous breed of elves and one family on vacation, and they do something to cause conflict between the two parties. Yeah, this isn’t the average Christmas classic, but I’m hoping it has the potential to be and will be watching in late November. 

Catch all these original shows on Netflix this November. For a full list of what’s available, be sure to check out the full list of offerings, which includes some of the movies arriving in November as well.

Netflix just released a slew of images for its upcoming live-action Cowboy Bebop series and, damn, it looks absolutely sick. John Cho may be a bit older than Spike Spiegel was in the series, but that hairstyle is on point, and Mustafa Shakir's Jet and Daniella Pineda's Faye look spot-on. Of course, things aren't perfect, as some fans are concerned about the exclusion of a key character.

Spike, Jet, Faye, and even cute little corgi Ein were featured in the new photos for Cowboy Bebop, which made it all the more surprising that one character was not present. Fans, who were sharing thoughts on Twitter, couldn't help but notice the absence of Ed, the 13-year-old girl hacker that traveled alongside the team on many of their adventures:

Radical Ed, as she was called in the series, accompanied the Cowboy Bebop crew on more than a few occasions, so many assumed she would be in the live-action series. The fact that Ed is not present in any of these cast images has some worried the character isn't in the series at all. Meanwhile, others a little worked up:

Ed's presence in Netflix's Cowboy Bebop is unconfirmed at the moment, and there's already been a lot of discussion about whether or not she'd need to be involved for this series to be successful. Ed may be a memorable character from Cowboy Bebop, but whether she's as important as Spike, Jet, or Faye is debatable. Some understand that she may not be a character to prioritize within the series right off the bat, but many would certainly like to see her in the future if possible:

It's honestly not crazy to think Radical Ed is being held for Cowboy Bebop Season 2. As many fans probably remember, Ed did not make her debut in the original Cowboy Bebop anime until Episode 9, "Jamming With Edward." There are only 26 episodes of the Cowboy Bebop, so Ed doesn't appear until 1/3rd of the series is over. So it would make sense if she doesn't appear alongside the crew right away. There's also the possibility that her appearance is being kept under wraps because she plays a big role in Season 1:

I'm 100% down for a surprise Ed cameo in the Cowboy Bebop trailer, though I agree with other fans that I'd also be willing to wait for a potential appearance from her in Season 2. I'll also say that as good as this Netflix series looks at the moment, I can't deny the experience would be a bit soiled without Ed in the mix. I mean, if Ed's not around, who's going to chill out with Ein when the crew is out on a bounty mission? It's a good question, and one that fans can't help but consider:

Cowboy Bebop's success as a series hinges on a lot more than Ed's appearance, of course, and it has high expectations to meet. The original anime is considered a classic by both casual and hardcore fans of anime, which may be why so many have combed over these latest pictures, nitpicking the tiniest of details. I'm optimistic the series can pull it off and will almost certainly be devastated if it doesn't.

Cowboy Bebop is set to premiere on Netflix Friday, November. 19th. Those in the mood to binge anime after seeing these new photos can certainly do so and should reference this list of sources, where they can binge some of the classics.

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Here’s the unfortunate truth about live-action anime movies—they will never be as good as their source material. Unlike, say, books, where a movie might actually be better than its literary counterpart (I’m looking at you Fight Club), with anime, it just ain’t gonna happen. That’s because anime is just better suited for animation. That said, there are quite a few live-action anime adaptations on Netflix, with some being pretty good, and others being…well, not so good.

That’s why I’ve compiled this list. Now, I’m not saying that you should watch all of these live-action movies. I’m just letting you know that they’re there. But, I’m also going to be talking about some upcoming live-action anime as well, like Cowboy Bebop. And, hey, if you want to watch the genuine article that’s not live-action, I’ve also written about great anime TV shows that have been streaming on Netflix and other great anime on the streamer. Don’t say I never did anything for you.

Now Streaming: Bleach

I used to watch a bit of Bleach back in the early 2000s. It’s the story of a teenager named Ichigo Kurosaki who sees dead people like that kid in the Sixth Sense. Well, it’s caught the attention of one Rukia Kuchiki, who can not only see souls, but can also direct them to the afterlife with a badass sword. One day, while trying to protect Ichigo’s family, she gets hurt and has to lend her powers to Ichigo, who will have to take over for her. Badass action against creepy monsters ensues.

As far as live-action anime goes, Bleach is pretty good. For the uninitiated, it does a good job of filling viewers in on the rich lore, and the action is pretty pulse-pounding and intense. Some of the special effects are a little cheesy, but overall, there are a lot worse live-action anime out there.

Stream Bleach on Netflix

Now Streaming: Rurouni Kenshin: The Final

I just mentioned how there are a lot worse live-action anime movies out there than Bleach, but Rurouni Kenshin: The Final isn’t one of them. In fact, it may be the best live-action anime I’ve ever seen. There are actually five Rurouni Kenshin movies, with The Final being the fourth, and the fifth being a prequel called (wait for it) The Beginning. I’ve never read the manga, but I’m told that this film covers the final arc of the story. It’s about a wandering swordsman named Himura Kenshin who used to be an assassin, but he wants to atone for his former life of violence. Unfortunately, like Michael Corleone of The Godfather, he gets pulled back in after his favorite restaurant is destroyed, killing many.

There’s more to it than just that, but Rurouni Kenshin: The Final works because it’s that rare instance where a movie takes itself seriously and it actually works. The action is also mind blowing. I love samurai flicks, and Rurouni Kenshin: The Final is one of the best I’ve ever seen. If you watch only one movie on this list, watch this one.

Stream Rurouni Kenshin: The Final on Netflix

Now Streaming: FullMetal Alchemist

Fullmetal Alchemist is weird even by anime standards. It’s about a young alchemist named Edward and his younger brother named Alphonse. They try to bring their dead mother back to life through alchemy, but this is a big no-no, and our hero loses a leg and his younger brother unfortunately loses his whole body. But, not his soul, as Edward quickly throws his brother’s soul into a nearby suit of armor, and now, Edward vows to restore Alphonse’s soul to his body. So, yeah. Like I said, weird.

The movie itself is…fine. It’s just fine. It follows the first series closely enough and the action is interesting to say the very least. It doesn’t have the best pacing though, and by the end of it, you’re kind of wondering where a lot of the story went, since it kind of jumps to the homunculi stuff pretty quickly. Overall, I can tolerate Fullmetal Alchemist, but you might just be better off watching the anime, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood.

Stream Fullmetal Alchemist on Netflix

Now Streaming: Death Note

The 2017 version of Death Note, which is directed by Godzilla Vs. Kong’s Adam Wingard and stars Nat Wolff, Lakeith Stanfield, Willem Dafoe and many others, is about a teenager named Light Turner who finds a notebook that can literally kill anybody if he just writes their name in it. But the notebook actually belongs to the god of death, named Ryuk (Dafoe), who encourages Light to start racking up the bodies, which you know, doesn’t end up well.

I hear there’s a 2006 Japanese version that’s actually pretty good, but this Americanized version wasn’t that great. For me, anyway. There’s just too much of a focus on the detective side of this story after the killings occur, and it gets a little boring midway through. The anime itself is actually pretty short, so if the concept sounds interesting to you, maybe just watch that instead.

Stream Death Note on Netflix

In The Works: Cowboy Bebop

Here’s what we know about Cowboy Bebop, which is about a crew of space bounty hunters chasing baddies across the galaxy. It will star John Cho as the hero, Spike Spiegel, as well Mustafa Shakir as Jet Black, Daniella Pineda as Faye Valentine, and Alex Hassell as main bad guy, Vicious. Plus, Yoko Kanno, the original series’ composer will be working on the music for the live-action show. So, that’s pretty rad.

I have high hopes for the Cowboy Bebop live-action adaptation. The anime seems perfectly suited for live-action, and the casting so far has been perfect, so really, I guess I just have to wait until fall of this year to see if it can actually deliver. I’m excited.

Hit "Remind Me" For When Cowboy Bebop Releases

In The Works: One Piece

Lastly, I would like to talk about the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates! My brother’s favorite anime of all time, there’s even less known about One Piece than there is about Cowboy Bebop, as there still isn’t even a cast list for this film. Instead, all Netflix says is “a live-action pirate adventure story based on the bestselling manga by Eiichiro Oda.” Okay, well, at least curious viewers will know that the show is about pirates.

I’m not really sure what I want out of a One Piece live-action show. I’ve seen very little of the series, and all I know is that there’s this kid named Monkey D. Luffy who has stretchy limbs since he eats this “Devil Fruit,” and he wants to be the “Pirate King.” Hey, if the live-action version is fun and funny, then I’ll check it out. My brother and my good friend, James, live by the show, so maybe a live-action version could tempt me to watch more of the anime.

Hit "Remind Me" For When One Piece Releases

And, that's about it. I didn't mention Kakegurai since that's a series and more of a commitment, but that's on Netflix, too. I also didn't mention the potential Sword Art Online live-action show, because we haven't really heard a word about that since 2018. But, if we hear any new news on SAO, we'll let you know. For information on the best shows on Netflix that aren't anime related, or just Netflix TV shows in general, makes sure to stop by often!

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Even though we live in a day and age where practically every movie and TV show is available on one streaming service or another, there is just something about having a boxset of your favorite film franchise or series on your shelf. If you love those massive collections of everything from the Back to the Future trilogy to Friends, then you have come to the right place because both of those and more are cheaper than ever through Amazon's Prime Day 2021.

Below is rundown of great 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD collections of your favorite movies and shows as well as where to get them at prices that are sometimes hard to believe. Check out these deals before it’s too late and you’re left with a hole the size of the Dark Knight trilogy on your movie shelf.

Back To The Future: The Ultimate Trilogy

Feel the “Power of Love” with the Back to the Future: The Ultimate Trilogy, a muli-disc boxset featuring 4K, Blu-ray, and digital versions of Robert Zemeckis’ timeless classics. Loaded with bonus features (including new additions just for this release) featuring all sorts of documentaries, short films, deleted scenes, and more, this collection is truly something to behold.

Buy Back To The Future: The Ultimate Trilogy on Amazon.

Price: $29.99

Fast And Furious 8-Movie Collection

The Fast and Furious 8-movie collection (which comes with 4K, Blu-ray, and digital versions of the franchise’s mainline titles) is your one-stop shop for the adventures of Dominic Toretto, Brian O’Conner, and the rest of expansive “family” featured in the high-octane series. From the streets of Los Angeles to the frozen tundra of Russia, this collection has it all.

Buy Fast And Furious 8-Movie Collection on Amazon.

Price: $47.97

Rocky: Heavyweight Anniversary Box Set

The Rocky: Heavyweight Anniversary box set comes loaded with Blu-ray versions of all six of Sylvester Stallone’s boxing movies from the 1976 introduction of Rocky Balboa to his final bout inside the ring in 2006. One of the best things about this set is the abundance of bonus features from Rocky, including 8mm home movies, a three-part documentary, and everyone’s favorite: commentary from Stallone himself.

Buy Rocky: Heavyweight Anniversary Box Set on Amazon.

Price: $15.99

The Dark Knight Trilogy

While not everyone has a 70mm print of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy at their disposal, it won’t cost you all that much to secure this loaded 4K and Blu-ray collection, which brings new life to arguably one of the best superhero franchises of all time. All three movies and their respective bonus features are included with this set, making it the perfect option for newcomers and seasoned pros alike.

Buy The Dark Knight Trilogy on Amazon.

Price: $34.99

Mission: Impossible - 6-Movie Collection

If you want to have some fun while you wait for Mission: Impossible 7 to be released in 2022, you should grab this copy of the Mission: Impossible 6-movie collection which comes with all of Ethan Hunt’s greatest moments dating back to the 1996 film that started it all. Every insane stunt, betrayal, and surprise is here at your disposal in stunning quality on Blu-ray.

Buy Mission: Impossible - 6-Movie Collection on Amazon.

Price: $21.99

Friends: The Complete Series Collection

Have you been wanting to go back and watch every episode of Friends ever since watching the reunion special streaming on HBO Max in May 2021? Well, this complete series DVD box set is here for you. All 236 episodes, behind-the-scenes documentaries, commentary tracks, gag reels, and more are all included here on 32 discs, giving you 94 hours of great moments. It also includes a 36-page episode guide on top of all of that.

Buy Friends: The Complete Series Collection on Amazon.

Price: $44.99

Cowboy Bebop: The Complete Series

With a live-action Cowboy Bebop series in the works on Netflix, there has never been a better time to go back and find out what all the fuss is about with the classic anime. Stick with the Bebop crew as they explore the far reaches of the galaxy searching for fugitives and adventure. Bounty-hunting has never had so much style.

Buy Cowboy Bebop: The Complete Series on Amazon.

Price: $19.99

Batman: The Complete Animated Series

There are few superhero cartoons with a legacy as rich as that of Batman: The Animated Series, and there even fewer versions of the classic series that look as great as this Blu-ray set. In addition to all 109 episodes, this collection also includes two animated films: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman and Mr. Freeze: SubZero.

Buy Batman: The Complete Animated Series on Amazon.

Price: $34.99

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Complete Series

Did you miss Avatar: The Last Airbender the first time it aired and don’t want to start the animated cult classic series halfway through on reruns? Well, check out this complete series box set featuring all 61 episodes, a large selection of documentaries, behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast and crew, commentary tracks, and original, uncut versions of several episodes.

Buy Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Complete Series on Amazon.

Price: $19.99

Buy Avatar and Legend of Korra Complete Series Collection on Amazon.

Price: $39.99

The Lord Of The Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Extended And Theatrical) 4K + Digital

Chances are you’ve seen The Lord of the Rings countless times since Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s landmark fantasy trilogy started in 2001, but have you watched the Battle of Helm’s Deep, walked into Mordor, or the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in stunning 4K quality? This complete box set featuring all three movies (both theatrical and extended versions) and a plethora of bonus features has everything you would ever want and more.

Buy The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy on Amazon.

Price: $59.99

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air: The Complete Series

Whether you are a Will Smith fan, love sitcoms, or are obsessed with early ‘90s pop culture in general, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: The Complete Series box set is the perfect addition to your collection. All six seasons of the groundbreaking series (197 episodes in total) are included in this DVD set that also comes packed with every type of bonus feature imaginable, all of which will help you remember why the show is as popular now as it was upon its debut in 1990.

Buy The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: The Complete Series on Amazon.

Price: $44.99

Adventure Time: The Complete Series

Over the course of 10 seasons and 283 episodes, the Cartoon Network hit series Adventure Time entertained fans of all shapes, sizes and demographics with its unique blend of humor. With the Adventure Time: The Complete Series DVD box set you can relive all the adventures of Finn and Jake in the mythical post-apocalyptic world known as the Land of Ooo as well as dive into some great behind-the-scenes documentaries.

Buy Adventure Time: The Complete Series on Amazon.

Price: $39.99

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series

Perhaps the biggest sitcom of the 21st Century, The Big Bang Theory gave audiences a unique blend of humor and characters throughout the show’s 12-season run, making instant stars out of several members of its expansive cast, most notably Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco. And even though the series wrapped up in May 2019, there’s nothing stopping you from going back to the very beginning with this ridiculously-massive DVD box set that includes all 279 episodes plus loads and loads of bonus content on 37 discs. The Blu-ray box set is also on sale during Prime Day.

Buy The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series on Amazon.

Price: $74.99

Buy The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series Blu-ray on Amazon.

Price: $84.99

Breaking Bad: The Complete Series

Some will argue that Breaking Bad is the greatest television series of all time (and there’s a strong case to be made). If you fall into that camp, you will be glad to hear that the complete series Blu-ray box set is currently marked down a considerable amount, meaning it’s never been cheaper to watch the rise and fall of Walter White as he goes from a mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher to one of the most ruthless drug lords in the history of television. All 62, uncut episodes of the AMC crime drama included, making for one hell of a binge session.

Buy Breaking Bad: The Complete Series on Amazon.

Price: $55.49

Harry Potter: 8-Film Collection

The Harry Potter 8-film collection is one of the best box sets out there right now and included 4K (and Blu-ray) versions of all of the adventures set in J.K. Rowling’s expansive Wizarding World. This massive set has never been the cheapest option out there, but it’s a completely different story during Prime Day 2021 with a massive steal compared to its list price.

Buy Harry Potter: 8-Film Collection on Amazon.

Price: $72.99

Game Of Thrones: The Complete Series

There are few shows of the modern era that entertained and divided audiences more than the HBO epic fantasy series Game of Thrones. And even though the series has been over for a couple of years now, it remains just as popular (and divisive) as ever before, making this a can’t-miss deal. Go back and take in the sights, sounds, and bloody deaths as you take a tour through Westeros in good times and bad.

Buy Game of Thrones: The Complete Series (DVD) on Amazon.

Price: $64.99

Parks And Recreation: The Complete Series

This Parks and Recreation box set includes all seven seasons and 125 episodes from NBC’s smash hit comedy series, plus all sorts of bonus features. From the early days of the Pawnee, Indiana, Parks and Recreation department to the bittersweet farewell season, all your favorite characters and moments are included here.

Buy Parks And Recreation: The Complete Series (DVD) on Amazon.

Price: $29.99

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series

The Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series isn’t your standard box set (though it does include every episode from the show’s four-season run). This immersive experience includes everything diehard fans of the hit sci-fi series would want and more, including picture-in-picture behind-the-scenes documentaries, commentary tracks, deleted scenes, and countless other options.

Buy Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series (Blu-ray) on Amazon.

Price: $47.49

Supernatural: The Complete Series

The hit drama series Supernaturalwas one of the biggest things going in the first two decades of the 21st Century, and now all 15 seasons and 327 episodes are all included in one package. The Supernatural: The Complete Series box set is everything fans of the show could ever want and more spread out over 57 Blu-ray discs. With panel discussions, commentary tracks, interactive documentaries, and more, there’s a lot to love here.

Buy Supernatural: The Complete Series (Blu-ray) on Amazon.

Price: $214.99

These deals and more will only be around throughout Tuesday, June 22, 2021, so make sure to jump on them before they're gone.

You know why I really like the immensely popular anime, Cowboy Bebop? Because it’s short. That might not seem like a good reason to like a series, but let me explain. Unlike a lot of other anime that just seem to go on and on and on, Cowboy Bebop, which is about a small crew of space bounty hunters tracking down some lively criminals (all set to some jazzy music) has a definitive ending. And this gets me even more excited for the upcoming Cowboy Bebop live-action series coming to Netflix, since it means that if it’s like the anime, then we’ll likely have a great show that won’t wear out its welcome.

That’s if the live-action series follows the anime, though. There’s actually still a lot that’s unknown about this live-action show, which had to halt its production for 9 months after its main star suffered a knee injury. That being said, we’ve scrounged up 8 quick things that we do know for certain about the upcoming series. And as for anything else that may come about? Well, “whatever happens, happens.”

John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, Daniella Pineda, And Alex Hassell Will All Have Major Roles In The Cowboy Bebop Cast

I normally don’t say a show has perfect casting, but when I heard that John Cho would be playing series mainstay, Spike Spiegel, I thought, “Well, that’s some perfect casting.” Spike Spiegel was once a hitman, but is now a bounty hunter aboard a ship called the Bebop. Also on that ship are its captain, a former police officer named Jet Black, who will be played by Luke Cage’s, Mustafa Shakir, and an amnesiac named Faye Valentine, played by Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’s Daniella Pineda. The Boys star, Alex Hassell, will be playing series antagonist, Vicious. We also know that Strange Angel’s, Elena Satine, will be playing Spike’s love interest, Julia. So, yeah. The cast is pretty stacked.

Radical Ed Will Be On The Show, Too… But We Still Don’t Know Who’s Playing Her

But you might be asking, what about Radical Ed, the hacker from Earth? Well, according to Netflix, Radical Ed is coming… but at the time of that 2019 announcement, she hadn't been cast yet and there's been no announcement since. “Radical Ed’s” real name is actually Francoise Appledelhi, and her own spacey father wasn’t even sure if she was a boy or a girl. Ed came on the show in episode (Or rather “session”) 9, and became a fan favorite since she brings some levity to the Bebop. There’s no word on whether the Corgi, Ein, will also make an appearance, but a video from Netflix hinted at it, so, we’ll see.

The Show Will Also Make One Fan Favorite Character Nonbinary

Fan favorite character (and killer saxophonist), Grencia Mars Elijah Guo Eckener, better known as Gren, will be portrayed by Mason Alexander Park, who will also play Desire on Netflix’s upcoming Sandman series. Gren, who was in the excellent session, “Jupiter Jazz (Part 2)” was a gender fluid character before that was really seen on television. That said, Netflix is going one step further by specifically stating that Gren will be a nonbinary character. This is what the LGBTQ+ Netflix Twitter account, Most, tweeted out:

This is awesome news, and I’m looking forward to seeing this arc of the show featuring a true nonbinary actor in the role. Progress!

Christopher Yost We Be Writing The First Episode

Thor: The Dark World (Boo!), and Thor: Ragnarok (Yay!) writer, Christopher Yost, will be writing the first episode of the series, which is still untitled as of this point. But unlike the anime, which had episodes that were about 22 minutes in length, the live-action series will have episodes that should be about an hour long each. And if you happen to be worried about whether Christopher Yost can get the job done, the writer himself thinks you should just calm down. According to a tweet of his, he had this to say:

So, there you have it. They’ve got this. I just hope that they Thor: Ragnarok got this, and not Thor: The Dark World got this. Just sayin’.

There Will Be 10 Episodes In The First Season

Interestingly enough, there will be 10 confirmed episodes in the first season. Now note this: We all know that Netflix sometimes tends to cancel shows that aren’t getting enough views, so the “first season” very well could end up being the “last season”. We don’t know yet. But with the original series having 26 episodes (and one movie) that were about 22 minutes in length, and the live-action series being 10 episodes that are about an hour in length each, that means that Netflix could technically do the entire series in one season if they wanted to rush things and cram some of the anime episodes together. So, as Jet Black (Yes, the anime character) might say:

So, yeah, what he said. There will be an eventual end. Let’s just hope that it’s not presented in one season.

The Composer of the Original Series, Yoko Kanno, Will Be Doing The Soundtrack For The Netflix Show

If you like Cowboy Bebop, then one thing you have to love about the show is its music, as it sounds like no other anime. That’s why I’m overjoyed to hear that the original composer, Yoko Kanno, will be providing the score for the live-action series. Honestly, I was a little on the fence about the show until I heard this news, since music is such a huge part of the series. But now that I know that she’s on board, well, maybe they do actually “got” this. This is really great news. Could a new rendition of “Goodnight Julia” be in our future? Only time will tell.

The Show Will Be Coming Out Fall 2021

Speaking of time, when will the show debut on Netflix? Fall of this year. When in fall of this year? I don’t know. Just fall. Stop asking me. But if you’re especially antsy and don’t want to be late to the party (“3, 2, 1, let’s jam!”) whenever it debuts, you could always just go to the Cowboy Bebop’s Netflix page and click “Remind Me”. Such things are possible in the modern age.

The Series Creator Will Be Overlooking The Netflix Show

Lastly, series creator, Shinichiro Watanabe, who also created Samurai Champloo (which I also have to talk about on this site sometime), will be a creative consultant for the live-action series. Much like the news of Yoko Kanno working on the show, hearing that the series creator will be looking over the series to hopefully see that it meets his vision, is just plain awesome. Honestly, “Fall 2021” can’t get here soon enough!

So, that’s what we currently know about the upcoming Netflix series. But if you can’t wait until “Fall 2021”, why not check out some of the best shows to binge watch on Netflix right now? Come on. You know you want to.

This poll is no longer available.

I love anime! Like most people, I got into it when I was younger and I've been watching it ever since. Yes, I do indeed love the new stuff like Demon Slayer and Attack On Titan. But if you were to ask me if I’d rather watch Eren Yaeger take over the world, or Goku from Dragon Ball Z fame become a Super Saiyan, then I’m going to pick the latter a million, bajillion times over the former since I loooove ‘80s and ‘90s anime.

That’s because I grew up with Dragon Ball Z and the other shows on this list. I’ve already covered some of the great anime you can catch on Netflix right now. But this list is going way, way back to the ‘90s and (gasp!) even the ‘80s. So, if you’re into the older, rougher looking anime, then this is the list for you!

Dragon Ball Z

Following Dragon Ball, which is just okay (please don’t hurt me), was the massive Dragon Ball Z, which actually started as an anime back in 1986. In Japan, of course. It wouldn’t come stateside until a whole decade later. Lasting for 291 episodes, Goku and his Z Warrior friends took on aliens and androids for the fate of the world. If you love anime, then you've seen Dragon Ball Z or maybe even the more recent Dragon Ball Super. Either way, you know what I’m talking about.

Dragon Ball Z is legendary because it’s so unique. The fireballs, the power levels, the soap opera-esque drama when it comes to characters like Vegeta’s insecurities, or Goku’s poor parenting skills. It just all comes together so well in a mishmash of violence and humor that just can’t be beat. Dragon, Dragon, Ball, Dragon, Dragon Ball Z! Or… if you’re purist: Cha la, Head cha la! You know you love it.

Stream Dragon Ball Z on Funimation

Buy Seasons 1-9 on Amazon

Fist Of The North Star

Do you like Mad Max? Do you like Bruce Lee? Then you are going to love Fist of the North Star, which, as I just described it, Mad Max meets Bruce Lee. Sort of. Basically, the premise is about a wanderer named Ken who has seven scars on his chest that enable him to deliver terrible death blows to people once he finds their pressure points. His enemies, who all look like they came right out of Mad Max 2, explode in gooey glory. It’s great.

The anime goes all the way back to 1984, and it’s legendary since it was such a trendsetter in the medium. You can look at it and definitely see its inspiration on a show like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. And the concept of the wandering warrior comes up a lot in anime in general, like in Berserk (RIP, Kentaro Miura) which I might cover at some later date. But either way, FotNS is bad ass, and if you like DBZ and haven’t seen it yet, then give it a try. You’ll definitely dig it. Plus, I just love that ending theme.

Stream Fist of the North Star on Crunchyroll

Buy the Complete series on Amazon

Sailor Moon

I once said that Sailor Moon is better than Dragon Ball Z, and I stand behind that comment. The story of a 14-year-old girl named Usagi (or Serena if you’re a dub watcher), banding with other sailor scouts to fight evil by daylight and find love by moonlight, was the gateway anime for many kids of the ‘90s, myself included.

The anime started in 1992, and it’s been around in some form or other ever since. It’s legendary since you wouldn’t think a show about teenage girls would be as pulse pounding as Dragon Ball Z, but it is, and as I said before, I like it better.

Stream Sailor Moon on Hulu

Buy various seasons on Amazon

Initial D

Only the cool kids know about Initial D. This high speed series is about a teenager named Takumi Fujiwara who helps his dad sell Tofu, but also engages in street races. It’s kind of like Kung-Fu Panda (With Po selling Mr. Ping’s dumplings) meets The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. If that sounds awesome to you, that’s because it is.

Initial D is legendary because it wasn’t like most other anime at the time, at least not stateside. Debuting in 1998 in Japan, the idea of racing hadn’t really been explored to this capacity in an anime since Speed Racer, and that’s from the ‘60s. Do you want me to talk about ‘60s anime next? Because I will. Don’t think I won’t.

Stream Initial D on Hulu

Buy various seasons on Amazon

Cowboy Bebop

The coolest show on this list, Cowboy Bebop is about a small crew of bounty hunters led by the impossibly cool, Spike Spiegel. They go on a series of adventures together tracking down nefarious (and often very lively) criminals, and that’s about it. Think Firefly, but with jazz and a lot less of a western-vibe, and you’re not too far off.

Debuting in 1998, Cowboy Bebop is one of the most acclaimed and popular anime on this list. I’m still looking forward to the live-action version starring John Cho, whenever that’s coming out.

Stream Cowboy Bebop on Hulu

Buy the complete series on Amazon

Pokemon

I thought I would end this list with the most obscure anime. You’ve probably never even heard of this one (I don’t even think it’s around anymore), but there was this little show back in the ‘90s called Pokemon that was kind of popular. It’s about these animals with special powers and these trainers who try to capture them to use them in battle. I know it sounds like a crazy premise, but it was pretty cool. I guess you just had to be there.

But seriously, Pokemon is the biggest media franchise OFF ALL TIME (grossing more than Mickey Mouse and Star Wars, believe it or not) so you’d have to be living underneath a Geodude not to have heard of it. Debuting in 1997, the anime series has been going strong ever since and doesn’t look to be stopping anytime soon. You can’t even stream Pokemon on any of the major platforms. Oh, no. Pokemon has its very OWN streaming platform called Pokemon TV, because you know… Pokemon.

Stream Pokemon on Pokemon TV

Buy various Pokemon seasons on Amazon

And those are just a few of the great anime from the ‘80s and ‘90s. But what do you think? Out of the ones mentioned here, which one is your favorite? Make your voice heard in the poll below. And for more current (And American) television, make sure to check out our 2021 Summer TV schedule. Because life’s not only about anime, you know!

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Classic anime series Cowboy Bebop is getting the live-action treatment at Netflix, which will bring some beloved characters to the small screen in a new way but also raised some concerns that Asian series lead Spike Siegel would be played by a white actor, similarly to when Scarlett Johansson played a character originally written as Asian for Ghost in the Machine. Javier Grillo-Marxuach, who is co-writer on Netflix's Cowboy Bebop, explained the casting for Spike and took a shot at Johansson's Ghost in the Shell in the process, saying:

Javier Grillo-Marxuach's comments to io9 indicate that the live-action Cowboy Bebop was never going to whitewash the lead role, although fans already knew that they didn't have to worry about a non-Asian actor landing the role. John Cho, known for projects like the Star Trek films, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, and Searching, landed the role of Spike Spiegel and even showed off his hair for the role, which is just about as close to Spike's anime hair as is physically possible in real life.

John Cho has revealed that he doesn't like being the first Asian-American to headline a thriller film due to such roles often going to other actors. Scarlett Johansson was making headlines for taking the role in Ghost in the Machine well before the movie premiered in March 2017.

The uproar was loud enough that various people attached to the movie had to come out and address the controversy ahead of the premiere. The movie's producer defended Ghost in the Shell's "international approach" to the adaptation, and director Rupert Sanders argued that Scarlett Johansson is the best actress of her generation and stood by his decision to cast her.

Scarlett Johansson herself suggested that any question of her casting would be answered when audiences saw the film, although the film's box office performance indicates that not as many people looked for that answer as desired. While Cowboy Bebop's Netflix release means that box office isn't a factor, the show is avoiding any whitewashing controversy altogether by embracing the anime character and casting John Cho.

Unfortunately, short of Netflix putting together a trailer from existing footage, viewers likely won't get to see John Cho as Spike Spiegel any time too soon. Cho suffered an injury that put production on hold for nine months, and that was before film and television productions across the industry had to halt.

Still, some content was filmed before production had to stop, and Netflix's adaptation of the team of bounty hunters on the run from their past hunting down some of the most dangerous criminals in the solar system is on the way. The question is simply of when. If you need a Cowboy Bebop fix during the wait for John Cho's debut as Spike Spiegel, you can find the full run of the anime series streaming on Hulu now. For other options now and in the not-too-distant future, check out our 2020 summer premiere schedule!

There are plenty of actors who are often praised for doing their own stunts. However, stunt doubles exist for a reason, but sometimes accidents happen regardless. Such is the case with John Cho, who suffered from an extensive knee injury that has stalled production on Netflix’s live-action Cowboy Bebop in New Zealand.

The live-action Cowboy Bebop is being adapted from the Japanese anime series of the same name. The animated series had a total of 26 episodes and gained popularity when it aired on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim back in the late 1990s. The live-action was originally announced back in 2017 but didn't have a network attached to produce. However, Netflix announced late last year that it would produce the adaptation and things really got rolling.

In April of this year, John Cho -- who is playing spikey-haired bounty hunter Spike Spiegel -- was revealed as one of four main cast members, including Mustafa Shakir, Daniella Pineda, and Alex Hassell.

Although things were looking up, Deadline is reporting that production was completely halted after a freak accident landed the Searching actor in the hospital. While filming a scene for the series, Cho suffered a knee injury that ultimately required surgery. As one of the main characters, Cowboy Bebop was forced to shut down production in the interim.

John Cho was flown back back to Los Angeles to undergo surgery and rehabilitation for his knee. As the actor heals, production on Cowboy Bebop is expected to last around seven to nine months until Cho can return to New Zealand to film.

Netflix had ordered the series for a ten-episode season and it had been in production for a few episodes prior to John Cho’s accident. Now, the streaming service could’ve easily recast the role, especially since shutting down production for nine months is a long time for any series, but Netflix is adamant about Cho staying on to play Spike Spiegel.

This is great news because fans were already impressed by John Cho’s commitment to the role, commenting on how accurate his hairdo was and how much he resembled his character. With just one glimpse, fans of the anime were hopeful that the live-action adaptation would be faithful to the original Cowboy Bebop anime.

John Cho posted to Instagram, updating fans on his injury and thanking everyone for their support throughout this difficult time.

His spirits seem high despite the months-long recovery and rehab he’ll be facing. Alongside the caption, John Cho posted a photo of Spike Spiegel’s belt, which you can check out below.

Given this major setback, Cowboy Bebop probably won’t announce a production start date until John Cho is fully rehabilitated and ready to return to work. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more information as it breaks.

In the meantime, you can watch the original Cowboy Bebop anime series on Hulu. In need of more shows to watch? Make sure to check out our complete guide to every new and returning show premiering through November.

Netflix has a ton of promising things on the horizon in terms of original programming, so it’s easy to forget the super exciting shows in the deeper future that have been chugging along in development while the platform advertises its current hits. One such project is the upcoming live-action Cowboy Bebop series, in which Star Trek vet John Cho will star as bounty hunter Spike Spiegel. It's been a while since word first dropped, bit we should all still be very excited.

Especially since John Cho was recently spotted out in public donning the iconic character’s equally iconic hairstyle, and it looks pretty damn impressive. Take a look!

That’s honestly pretty damn impressive. Bringing the anime aesthetic to live-action is never an easy task, and there’s definitely a balancing act when deciding how much of a realistic balance to bring into a look. John Cho’s hair here is about as perfect as that balancing act could possible play out, with a style that’s about as spot-on as it can be without looking cartoony or completely fake.

That is to say the animated Spike’s hair is definitely longer than Cho's is, and it flairs more into a perfect mess than what the actor has going on. Needless to say, if Cho tried to grow and fluff his hair out as much as Spike rocks in the animated Cowboy Bebop, it would’ve just looked strange.

Assuming this picture is John Cho with Spike’s haircut and not just something he’s trying out before shaving it all off, this is one of our first real details about the live-action Netflix series. There hasn’t been much released beyond the series’ announcement and principal casting, so hopefully this picture starts a slow rollout of other actors sharing their character-friendly looks.

Until then, can we all agree that this look at John Cho is the most convincing evidence that he’s more Spike Spiegel than Keanu Reeves would have been in the role? Perhaps it’s still too soon for that take, given Reeves recent spike in popularity – pun not intended – although this tweeted picture seems to have won a few over on Cho taking on the role. Now, let's hope the adaptation is on par with the acclaimed anime!

Details are still relatively scant on how the Cowboy Bebop live-action will adapt from the original. We do know Cho is on board as Spike, Mustafa Shakir as Spike’s buddy and pilot Jet Black, Daniella Pineda will play the unpredictable Faye, and Alex Hassell is the appropriately named villain Vicious.

Cowboy Bebop still has yet to confirm other characters, such as Ed and Ein, who haven’t had actors attached to the would-be roles yet. To be fair, the character of Ein is a dog, and animals typically don’t get a ton of fanfare around their castings. Ed, on the other hand, is a pretty important part of the series, so hopefully some answers on who will be playing her will come soon.

As more details roll out on Cowboy Bebop, expect CinemaBlend to be there to report on major details and other things happening in the world of television, streaming, and movies.

Netflix is making a Cowboy Bebop live-action series, and now that the ball is rolling it's time to discuss potential actors to play the anime's lead character Spike Spiegel. There was once a time when Keanu Reeves, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and others were considered ideal for the role, but we're years past that failed film. Without further ado, here's a fresh set of faces we'd love to see take a shot at portraying the anime icon.

Andrew Garfield

The key to casting Spike Spiegel, I believe, is finding someone athletic while at the same time not someone anyone would deem an "action hero." Andrew Garfield is definitely not an action hero, but he was Peter Parker in the Amazing Spider-Man films and a soldier in Hacksaw Ridge. Plus, he's got the long hair that can be manipulated in that style that really only looks good when anime characters do it.

On top of all that, Andrew Garfield seems like an actor who can walk that line between being a sarcastic asshole and still caring. He also seems to be in a creative role phase, so perhaps a live-action Netflix anime adaptation is just the thing he'd need to showcase a side of himself audiences don't see a lot of. It would take a bit getting used to his voice over Steve Blum's but that would be true with most people.

Joe Keery

Most of what sold me on Joe Keery as Spike Spiegel is that most of Spike Spiegel's traits exist in Steve Harrington. He's wiry, scrappy, witty, and can sometimes be a douche. Granted, Steve's hand-to-hand combat skills are well below that of Spike, but he can take a brutal beating which is another indicator he might be Spike's great-grandfather from several generations prior.

As much as we'd all like it to, Stranger Things won't last forever. Netflix could lock him down on Cowboy Bebop, and warm a few diehard fans from his other show up to this live-action series that there's no stopping. After all, winning the fans is half the battle, and Keery's the type of casting that folks could root for, even if they're still unsure about the whole rebooting of a classic anime.

Lakeith Stanfield

No, Lakeith Stanfield doesn't resemble Spike Spiegel, not even a bit. Live-action adaptations are known to switch things up a bit, and if there ever was an actor that audiences could rally behind regardless of his resemblance to the character, he's it. Those who disagree need to look no further than his performance as L in Netflix's critically panned live-action film Death Note.

Stanfield looked to be the only person who watched the Death Note anime in that film, or at least the only one who used it to influence his performance. He looked absolutely nothing like the animated character, yet Lakeith Stanfield had the mannerisms and speech pattern down pat. It was genuinely impressive to me as someone who loved the source material, and I have no doubt he'd put just as much work into mastering Spike if not more if given that chance.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

A lot of the entries on this list come with some sort of caveat as to why bringing them on would be difficult or not ideal, minus Aaron Taylor-Johnson. He's built similar to Spike, he's well-versed in geek culture, and he's around the right age for someone to play the character. Like seriously, it's hard to build a valid argument as to why anyone but Taylor-Johnson should have this role.

On top of all that, he recently appeared in Outlaw King, which is a Netflix exclusive. Netflix only has the rights to the film, however, so perhaps that doesn't mean much towards the phenomena in which actors of Netflix originals always tend to bleed into the streaming giant's other projects. Whatever the case may be, Aaron Taylor-Johnson may be about the perfect mix of star power and look this casting could get, so hopefully, he's on Netflix's radar.

Ross Butler

Ross Butler is another star on the rise, and beyond his Season 1 stint on Riverdale, Netflix is to thank. The 13 Reasons Why actor could jump on a leading role in Cowboy Bebop, which could serve as a big boost in his star power if done right. Plus, his Asian heritage but American roots would feel true to the dubbed version of Spike Spiegel.

That said, Ross Butler is a little buffer than Spike, which would be a problem. Spike Spiegel is a muscular dude, but he was drawn to have a thin frame. Finding that body type is going to be hard in general, so some compromises would have to be made in finding someone that suits him. For Netflix, the question would have to be if they're set on finding an actor who best portrays the character physically, or emotionally.

Shia LaBeouf

While this may sound like an out-there casting at first, once one sifts through all their crazy memories of Shia LaBeouf, they'll remember he's a damn good actor. Labeouf also naturally has that cocky attitude in his roles that embody the character of Spike Spiegel. I'm fairly confident Spike is a role LaBeouf could knock out of the park if he wanted to, but that's a big if.

Even if he's gone to some weird places in the film sphere, it has been a long time since Shia LaBeouf has done television. He had a Saturday Night Live hosting back in 2007, and before that was his role on Even Stevens. Television doesn't seem like a medium he wants to commit to for an extended period of time, so getting him in the door with Netflix for a meeting on Cowboy Bebop may be half the battle.

Is the perfect actor to play Spike left off this list? If so, leave that actor's name in the comments below. The Cowboy Bebop live-action series is currently in development at Netflix. It could be a while before audiences see any footage or hear any casting news about the project, so be sure to check out what's happening in television in the meantime via our fall and midseason premiere guides.

Cue the jazz, rack up some bounties, and buckle up, all you space cowboys, because one of the best anime series of all time is getting a live-action remake! Cowboy Bebop, the anime that many credit for introducing the genre and style to a bulk of the Western world, will be back on your television relatively soon, and with actual living breathing actors. Here's what we know so far about this exciting announcement.

The live-action Cowboy Bebop television series is being commissioned by Tomorrow Studios and will be written by MCU screenwriting vet Chris Yost, according to Deadline. As things are just kicking off, no network or outlet exists yet. As well, no release date has been given for the project, but I think we can all say that whatever date is eventually given won't be soon enough.

Chris Yost's biggest screenwriting accolades to date are Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok, but the writer has written several X-Men comics for Marvel and has contributed to numerous DC and Marvel animated shows. It seems like Tomorrow Studios found a guy well ingrained in geek culture to tackle this project, if not anime itself, so skeptics can at least hope that this series won't just be Cowboy Bebop in name alone.

This marks the second time someone has tried to make Cowboy Bebop a live-action adventure, with the first attempt coming in 2008 in the form of a feature film. The first go-around featured a bunch of Sunrise Studio staff writers from the original series, with Keanu Reeves in the role of bounty hunter Spike Spiegel, but the deal fell through due to budget issues. Sunrise Studios appears once again in this remake announcement, but the company's only involvement mentioned is in an executive producing capacity.

Unfortunately for the present, it was not explicitly stated that anyone involved in the original series would be working hands-on with this new project. No word on who the studio is looking for in regards to the main man Spike Spiegel, but I think Reeves has aged out of the role since 2008. We can all start dreamcasting, though.

While I'm sure there are many excited about one of the best anime of all time becoming a flesh and bone project, there is a stigma among that same audience that many live-action adaptations of anime are plain bad. Overall, it's just a matter of opinion, but looking at the various controversies Ghost In The Shell had and the development hell the ever-hyped Akira film makes it clear that it's hard to please both the studios and hardcore fans of anime with projects like this.

Cowboy Bebop is just as iconic, if not a little more so, than both of those properties, so maybe its name and fan base will allow this new television series to break the cycle by finding a way for classic anime to thrive that's both honorable to the source material and marketable enough. If they do nothing more than recreate the show's most iconic scenes shot for shot, I think they can succeed.

We'll keep an eye on the development of the live-action Cowboy Bebop and let you know the important bits as more news rolls out. In the meantime, you have some on-the-horizon television waiting for you in our summer premiere guide, so head over there to see what shows sound good enough to spend your dog days with. Then hit up our finale guide to see when your current favorites are coming to an end.

It’s been awhile since we’ve heard anything about the live-action movie version of Cowboy Bebop, and that’s not usually a good sign. Last we heard way back in January of 2009, Keanu Reeves was officially on board to star in an adaptation of the Japanese anime creation. Now, a year and a half later, he says not so much.

Collider talked to the One this week and he told them that the Cowboy Bebop movie is dead. Bottom line, the movie was just to expensive to make. It’s a problem anything even remotely ambitious has been running into a lot lately. Hollywood’s in serious cost-cutting mode, even though their profits are up and we live an environment where even the most poorly attended piece of crap always seems to manage to turn a profit after overseas and DVD sales totals are factored in. In a distributing environment where moneymaking is almost guaranteed, you’d think they’d be more willing to take risks, but instead it seems like Hollywood has decided to take all this as a sign that they don’t have to take risks. They seem more and more content to sit back and make easy money for making any old shit.

So nobody’s taking a risk on a big-budget Cowboy Bebop movie, even with Keanu Reeves attached as a box office draw, and now it’s dead. It’s a shame because Keanu sounded genuinely enthusiastic back when he talked about what they were going to do with it last year. Here’s how explained his take on Bebop: “It’s got a Western quality, a Western film noir aspect to it. It’s got so much style to it, and that’s part of its appeal. That kind of Old West, bordertown, low-tech science fiction aspect.” The original anime series, which debuted back in 1998 followed a group of bounty hunters traveling on a spaceship named Bebop.