Home "I Don't Think We Should Do It": Cowboy Bebop Anime Spin-Offs Get Bittersweet Rejection by Koichi Yamadera

"I Don't Think We Should Do It": Cowboy Bebop Anime Spin-Offs Get Bittersweet Rejection by Koichi Yamadera

Cowboy Bebop voice actor for Spike Spiegel, Koichi Yamadera, suggests that an anime spinoff series wouldn’t be right following the passing of voice actor Unsho Ishizuka (Jet Black) and Cowboy Bebop scriptwriter Keiko Nobumoto. In an interview celebrating the 25th anniversary of the series, he discussed worries about never being able to surpass his role as Spike and added:
I’m sure all the staff think so too [on surpassing the series]. It’s hard to list many series I can say I’m truly proud of, or are my most important work, after all. I have a lot of feelings about Bebop. Following the series’ release, they indeed decided to produce the Heaven’s Door movie set during the events of the latter half of Cowboy Bebop — so I do think there were several spin-off ideas — but I don’t think we should do that given the passing of Unsho Ishizuka and Keiko Nobumoto.

Despite his satisfaction at ending where he did, Yamadera admitted part of him still wanted to do a Cowboy Bebop spin-off. He replied that music bands often break up before announcing a shock return years later, adding that he wished for the same, and really wished that Ishizuka was still alive. However, given his passing, he concluded that Cowboy Bebop is great as it is.

Cowboy Bebop Reveals Projects for 25th Anniversary

Yamadera’s interview came as a part of Cowboy Bebop‘s 25th anniversary celebrations. Also announced was a new Cowboy Bebop limited-edition timepiece by KENTEX. Only 26 pieces will be made, featuring motifs from the series such as Spike’s signature pistol, the show’s logo, Swordfish II clock hands, and more. Fans can acquire one for around $2000, with preorders live here. The watches will ship worldwide. Cowboy Bebop‘s iconic OST “Blue” also received a remake in February.

Cowboy Bebop was directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, with the script by the late Keiko Nobumoto and music by Yoko Kanno. Among Cowboy Bebop‘s producers is Masahiko Minami, whom Anime Corner interviewed last week on his work at Bones, which he is CEO of and co-founded. Sunrise animated the series, which streams on Crunchyroll and is described:
The Bebop crew is just trying to make a buck. This motley lot of intergalactic loners teams up to track down fugitives and turn them in for cold hard cash. Spike is a hero whose cool façade hides a dark and deadly past. The pilot Jet is a bruiser of a brute who can’t wait to collect the next bounty. Faye Valentine is a femme fatale prone to breaking hearts and separating fools from their money. Along for the ride are the brilliant, but weird, hacker Ed and a super-genius Welsh Corgi named Ein.

Source: Cowboy Bebop official site
© Hajime Yatate, Sunrise

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