Netflix Cowboy Bebop: 5 Things We’re Excited For (And 5 We’re Worried About)

1. The Weight Of Expectation

If you're going to take a shot at the king, you better make sure you don't miss. The same can be said about anime (and every other medium) adaptations. You've got to get everything spot-on, otherwise you'll alienate new and old fans alike.

Opting to repackage something that viewers already adore is such a risky choice, and it's particularly high in the case of Cowboy Bebop. The series is regarded as one of the best anime of all time, sitting high on IMDb's top 250 TV show list at number 33 and hitting a score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Simply put, anything short of perfection could go down poorly.

The subject of comparison can drown a series entirely, and when you're going up against something that's legitimately heralded as a masterpiece, the odds are stacked against you. Even if this adaptation were to come out as average or mediocre, it's still likely to be seen as a massive failure, and that's something Netflix needs to be prepared for.

There's a ton of expectation going into this series, as Netflix has hyped it up well, and fans are hopeful. Still, as the adage goes, "the bigger they are, the harder they fall".