Any further seasons of Cowboy Bebop have been canceled. Following the success of the first season, not only was this news highly unpredictable but also bewildering. After just a month of its premiere, Netflix has decided to cancel any further seasons of the show. But if there is anyone that is more perplexed by the news than fans of the original anime, it is the cast and crew of the show.

Mustafa Shakir, who plays the role of one of the protagonists in the series, released a heartfelt note on the same.

What Mustafa Shakir had to say

Playing the role of one of the protagonists of Cowboy Bebop is Mustafa Shakir in the role of Jet Black. The underwhelming response from the audience and critics must have been difficult enough to deal with.

The news of the show’s cancellation certainly did not help the situation, but Shakir took to Instagram to thank Netflix for how they dealt with it. He also left a heartfelt note talking about how much he appreciated the opportunity to play the protagonist of a classic anime, irrespective of the results.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXT6UmZuz9C/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

With news as disheartening as this, it was great to see an actor show such self-effacing behavior. Meanwhile, fans can check out (or rewatch, because it is that good) the original anime on Netflix!

Why Cowboy Bebop was canceled

Like any other platform or production house, Netflix renews its series by comparing the costs and viewership. If the costs of producing any title are higher than what it can generate in income, it makes no sense to keep it going.

Though it wasn’t entirely a loss, the live-action version of Cowboy Bebop did not generate as much revenue as expected. It started out with a sizeable 74 million viewing hours worldwide; the viewership plummeted significantly later on. The Netflix Original also wasn’t well-received by critics.

It has a 46% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite the influence and love most anime fans have for the original Cowboy Bebop anime, even they seemed to agree with the critics, giving the live-action only a 56% positive review.

Cowboy Bebop certainly isn’t the only anime live-action that has turned out disappointing for the platform. The live-action versions of Death Note, Dragonball: Evolution, and Ghost in the Shell have all been underwhelming.