“We’ve never worked with Hollywood-level budgets”

A few days ago at New York Comic Con, Adult Swim thrilled fans with the full first episode of LazarusShinichirō Watanabe’s new world travel thriller. Shinichirō Watanabe, who is best known for his work in Cowboy Bebopbrought a new sense of excitement to his fans with the announcement of his upcoming project.

The legacy of Cowboy Bebop looms large in Japanese anime, and its influence is still felt today Lazarus. Shinichiro Watanabe’s Cowboy Bebop is a critically acclaimed cult classic sci-fi series that has captivated countless fans around the world.

Interestingly enough, Watanabe worked with Chad Stahelski, the director of the Hollywood blockbuster John Wickto give a new creative direction to the project; although the legendary anime director admitted he was terrified of being rejected.

Cowboy Bebop Director feared rejection by legendary Hollywood filmmaker

The classic anime Cowboy Bebop is well regarded by several generations of anime fans. Its unique characters, philosophical undertones, and genre-bending style have made it one of the most recognized anime in the community.

Due to Cowboy Bebop’s immense influence and popularity, Shinichirō Watanabe’s upcoming anime project, Lazarushas created a lot of buzz online. Lazarus was announced during the New York Comic Con 2024and it was one of the biggest revelations of the entire convention.

In an interview with Anime News NetworkWatanabe revealed how the John Wick filmmaker became involved in the production of Lazarus. He added:

I’ve always had great respect for his John Wick film series. I watch them all the time. It’s not just about how realistic its action looks, but also how modern it feels. So when I called, even though his team couldn’t do the action choreography themselves, I asked if his team could give us any tips on how to create action scenes like this. But instead they went:
“Leave it to us! We do the choreography for you!”

Even with Chad’s approval, Watanabe admitted that he and his team were concerned about their limited budget compared to Hollywood productions. He revealed:

I had to apologize and tell him up front that we’ve never worked with Hollywood-level budgets. When I said that, Chad said on the phone call, “Don’t worry about the cost. Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo have inspired me for years. Let me do this for you.”

Lazarus follows the story of Alex Gilberto, a fugitive in a highly futuristic world set in 2052. Lazarus is a sci-fi adventure with plenty of drama and suspense, but the action stole the spotlight within the series.

Lazarus is set to resonate deeply Cowboy Bebop fans, as the two series share more than just the same creator. Besides a similar futuristic theme, Lazarus will also feature voice actors from Cowboy Bebopwhich adds an extra layer of nostalgia.

Discovering Spike’s Journey: A Closer Look Cowboy Bebop‘s Final

Cowboy Bebop‘s finale is a diptych. In the first half, the syndicate sends out assassins to kill Spike and Julia, and anyone even associated with Vicious. Nevertheless, the ending of the sci-fi anime classic is steeped in tragedy yet filled with meaning.

After losing Julia in a climactic battle and enduring a fatal confrontation with his nemesis, Vicious, leader of the Red Dragon Syndicate, Spike returns to prison. Bebop one last time, a moment with Jet, and then with Faye. Whether Spike is still alive at the end of the series is an important question for fans, but the episode doesn’t provide an answer hints as to his survival or demise.

Moreover, even the maker Shinichiro Watanabe has been secretive about Spike’s fate, saying that even he isn’t sure of the truth. As for Spike’s fate, it’s up to each fan to interpret for themselves. While it may be frustrating not to have clarity, that ambiguity fits perfectly with the themes of the series and has arguably contributed significantly to Cowboy Bebop‘s status as an anime classic.

Cowboy Bebop can be streamed on Crunchyroll.