25 years after the release of the iconic Cowboy Bebop anime series, Mai Yamane’s “Blue” from the Cowboy Bebop Blue album has received a new version, once again produced by Yoko Kanno. This new version was sung by Maya in an advert for the carmaker Honda. Fans can listen to the song below:
The original “Blue” by Mai Yamane can be heard below:
The Cowboy Bebop Blue album, also known as COWBOY BEBOP (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 3 Blue) was composed by Yoko Kanno and Seatbelts, the group assembled by Kanno to help compose the series’ distinct sound. Maya herself has been discovered by Kanno through her song covers on social media, and had this to say about the experience:
“This is Maya. At the end of 2023, a year of new challenges and changes for me, I was thrilled to receive such a wonderful offer. Ms. Kanno spoke to me in a friendly manner from the first time I met her, and I was able to enjoy and relax during the actual recording in New York. I will never forget the excitement I felt when I first saw a commercial that combined the video with my own voice. It feels like a dream to be able to work on a commercial for Honda, which my grandparents have always loved. I hope it reaches everyone around the world.” Maya’s Tiktok features song elements not heard in the above commercial, suggesting a full release may be planned. Readers can watch below:
Kanno also commented, adding, “I’m happy that Honda’s slogan of using the wings of your imagination to transcend even the concept of a vehicle, and the song ‘Blue,’ which sings about the freedom of the soul, resonate across 25 years. Maya is a bundle of possibilities. If released into the blue sky, she will fly powerfully anywhere. I’m looking forward to the future.“
Anime fans can most recently hear Kanno’s arrangement in the Spy x Family Season 2’s opening “Kura Kura,” sung by Ado. Fans can also check out our interview with Evan Call, a composer in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and My Happy Marriage, where he cites Kanno as an important inspiration. Kanno was also recently featured in an interview by the Daily Sabah, where she broke down how she selected the music for Cowboy Bebop. She praised director Shinichiro Watanabe for believing “in the power of music” and using Kanno’s songs “effectively and with care. “This is because he loves music and brought out its full potential,” she added.
Cowboy Bebop was animated by studio Sunrise, written by Keiko Nobumoto, with production by Kazuhiko Ikeguchi and the now-Studio Bones CEO Masahiko Minami — look forward to our upcoming interview! The series aired 26 episodes from October 1998 to April 1999. Crunchyroll licenses the series in North America, describing it:
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: Yoko Kanno via X (formerly Twitter), Middle Edge
Featured image: Cowboy Bebop © Hajime Yatate, Sunrise