The Netflix Cowboy Bebop Character That Has Fans Of The Anime Cringing
Netflix's "Cowboy Bebop" adaptation is the latest attempt to bring a classic anime into the realm of flesh and blood. Predated by the likes of "Dragonball," "Death Note," and "Speed Racer," the "Cowboy Bebop" series looks to channel the spirit of the 1998 anime of the same name. The original has an unbreakable 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, so the Netflix version has some rather large space-boots to fill. "Cowboy Bebop" is known for its vast and sweeping landscapes, bombastic fight sequences, and over-the-top characters. Where else might one see the result of a secret government project's attempt to create a perfect assassin, which renders them insane and terrified of cats?
Netflix's "Cowboy Bebop" has representations of everybody's favorite bounty hunters — Spike (John Cho), Jet (Mustafa Shakir), Faye (Daniella Pineda), Ed (Eden Perkins), and even the super genius corgi Ein. The mannerisms and general personality types of anime characters can sometimes be tricky to adapt for live-action, so it's not surprising that one character in the Netflix version has fans of the anime cringing.
What Cowboy Bebop character has fans cringing?
During a recent dialogue on Reddit regarding the trailer reveal for the Ed character, Reddit user NORMIES_GET_OUT stated, "Anime's whole shtick is being over-exaggerated and larger than life, from the plot, to the art style, to the characters and their mannerisms. When you box it up with human actors the limits of a live performance of this style are gratingly obvious. As we see even a paid actor trying to play an anime character looks as cringeworthy as a high schooler naruto-running at the mall."
Other fans also agreed, and thought that even though the Netflix version looks crisp and clean that something just feels off. Reddit user doughnutsprinks_ added, "I love Cowboy Bebop, but this is so bad." It was noted that most anime adaptations struggle with bringing more eccentric characters to life, and Ed is definitely one of them.
In the anime series, Ed has an extremely exaggerated way of speaking and moving, and even though they are a technological savant, Ed often behaves like a maniac child with little regard for their environment. The character absolutely works in the anime, and often brings some much needed lighthearted banter and offers unconventional solutions to the likes of Jet, Faye, and Spike, but it looks like the anime fans aren't the keenest on this particular version of Ed.