The curse of Netflix live-action adaptations continues as Netflix canceled Cowboy Bebop after just one season. Netflix released the ambitious live-action project on November 19, barely one month ago. Unfortunately, as the performance of the series wasn’t satisfactory, it resulted in such a harsh decision.

Let us take a look at the reasons behind the cancelation.

Why did Netflix cancel Cowboy Bebop?

As Cowboy Bebop had a massive budget, it needed to be an enormous hit among the viewers to keep its hopes alive for a sophomore season. Sadly, the live-action couldn’t live up to the anime. Hence, after 28 days (the time Netflix waits for data collection) the show went off.

The quality delivered by the series did not match the cost of production that went into it, which justified Netflix’s decision. Rotten Tomatoes’ audience and critic percentage at 56 and 46, respectively, further support the statement.

Why did Cowboy Bebop the anime succeed?

Shinichiro Watanabe, the anime director, did not unnecessarily experiment with the source material. The original manga is enough to sweep the viewers off their floors. But Andre Nemec, the showrunner of the live-action, tinkered with the source material and the fans didn’t accept it.

Pressure from the Cowboy Bebop community might have led to the downfall of the series. The live-action had to match a certain standard set by the anime, which is never easy. In retrospect, as expectations and fans were something the anime never experienced, it bloomed.

What lies next for the other live-action adaptations?

Cowboy Bebop joins a long list of painfully bad live-action adaptations. The list already has movies like “Death Note” (2017), “Dragon Ball Evolution” (2009), and “Ghost in the Shell” (2017). The only silver lining in all of this is that the upcoming live-action adaptations might buckle up after this debacle.

The next live-action adaptations in the making are “One Piece”, “Avatar: The Last Airbender”, and “Yu Yu Hakusho”. Fans can only hope for a miracle with these live-action adaptations.

You might have liked the cast or even the show, but Netflix canceled Cowboy Bebop. Therefore, you would have to search for other shows like Cowboy Bebop.

Let us know in the comments if Cowboy Bebop stood up to your expectations.