Canceled: Netflix Puts Cowboy BeBop Anime Fans Out of Their Misery

Even with over four years of development, Netflix’s live action Cowboy Bebop won’t be returning for a second season. According to Deadline, Netflix has opted not to move forward with a second season of the live-action anime adaptation starring John Cho. The cancellation comes less than three weeks after the series’ first season was dropped on the streamer November 19.

Based on Shinichirō Watanabe’s cult anime series, Cowboy Bebop followed a group of misfit bounty hunters, led by Spike Spiegel (Cho) as they search for the galaxy’s most valuable criminals. Mustafa Shakir also starred as Spike’s trusted co-pilot Jet Black and Daniella Pineda as the highly-skilled bounty hunter Faye Valentine. Following a re-release of the original anime series, the live-action series debuted on November 19.

The highly-anticipated live action adaptation experienced delays over the course of production due to Cho’s on-set injury, which put the show out for seven to nine months. Original anime series director Shinichirō Watanabe was a consultant on the series, and original composer Yoko Kanno returned to score the live-action adaptation.

We’ve already extensively detailed how the series did itself no favors prior to its release, by dismissing the fans, and making unnecessary changes to the show. The live-action take on the anime classic was met with mostly poor reviews by critics and fans of the original, and the series also didn’t make a lasting impression in the streamer’s Top 10 rankings. Because of how expensive Cowboy Bebop, which filmed in New Zealand, the viewership bar it had to clear in order to secure a renewal was higher. That would explain why the cancellation was swifter than usual for Netflix, which traditionally waits for full 28-day audience data before making pickup decisions.