Entertainment

Netflix Cowboy Bebop: Odd remix to the original’s jazz

Might give fans of the anime the real folk blues

Published

November 15, 2021

Rodneil Quiteles

“The work, which becomes a new genre itself, will be called… COWBOY BEBOP.”

The line above is an excerpt taken from the text we see flying around in the opening sequence of the original animé. It’s a sort of manifesto to the intentions of the show — a new genre itself. The animé, which first aired in Japan in 1998, more than lived up to this. Netflix’s live adaptation certainly tries its best, but what it ultimately achieves is an okay cover of a masterpiece.

Before we proceed, we think it’s only right to put a big fat SPOILER WARNING here. While we won’t go into specific details, some parts of this review/reaction to the series might contain mild spoilers. You have been warned.

Cowboy Funk

If you’ve been keeping an eye on Netflix Cowboy Bebop, you’ve likely seen the teasers and trailers they’ve put up thus far. These sample tastes don’t veer too far from the overall feel of the entire series. It’s colorful, campy, and full of energy.

For the most part, the production got a few things right. We can’t really comment much on the editing since we were told some final touches were still being applied. Essentially, the screeners we got aren’t the final cut. But it was supposedly good enough to be shared with reviewers.

There was plenty of care and attention to detail put in the overall set and costume design. It does, somewhat, capture the world of Cowboy Bebop… just in a different lens.

Some of the fight choreography felt clunky but we’re gonna chalk that up to this not being the final cut. Most other physically demanding scenes looked great. There were just a few that we felt needed more polish.

Overall, the show feels zany but not in the same way that the Cowboy Bebop animé was. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s different, but somehow the live action just lacks the grit of the original. Instead, it feels like a mashup of the 1960s Batman starring Adam West and Saban’s many Super Sentai adaptations, only a tad bloodier.

Jupiter Jazz

What’s holding this together is the brilliant performance of John Cho as Spike Spiegel. He nails down the character to a T and is what pretty much carries a bulk of the show. He is nonchalant and carefree on most days, but is worked up every time his past hovers around him. Exactly the Spike we know and love.

Other than that, it’s his banter with Jet Black (Mustafa Shakur) and Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) that give the live action adaptation any semblance of the animé. The scenes featuring these characters together are easily the best parts of the show.

They did make changes to the characters. Changes are generally okay, if they work. However, we can’t say that’s true here. For Jet, the key change was okay. But how it will affect his character and the show was telegraphed at best and predictable at worst.

My Funny Valentine

Meanwhile for Faye… it’s hard to nail it down. To get it out of the way, I thought the costume change was fine and practical. No issues there. But part of what makes Faye Valentine a femme fatale felt lacking.

Daniella Pineda perfectly captures the character’s rough edges. It’s the silkier side that was missing, and this isn’t because she’s not built like the Faye in the animé. Faye, despite learning to be rugged, still maintained a certain air of sex appeal that was simply missing in the live action adaption.

Of course, yours truly writes this being fully aware that he is a straight man commenting on how a female character should appear sexy. Faye is, for better or worse, a heavily sexualized character in the animé and perhaps they wanted to tone it down. However, maybe there could have been a way to execute it without completely shying away from the matter.

On the flip side, this version of Faye could be empowering to women. This writer is personally still unlearning the many trappings of the patriarchal society we live in and is excited to listen to conversations about the character.

Brain Scratch

To mixed effects, we see more of Vicious (Alex Hassell) and Julia (Elena Satine) here than in the animé. For one, it does a generally good job of providing a bit of backstory to the two key figures in Spike’s past. However in doing so, they start to feel less like the characters in the animé.

Instead of simply fleshing them out, what came across on screen seemed like alternate universe versions of the characters. For Vicious, this is especially true in the early to middle part of the series. Where animé Vicious felt ruthless and menacing, the live action Vicious felt a lot more whiny and unhinged.

Julia will be polarizing. The arc her character goes through is fascinating in that she goes from a simple love interest — a damsel in distress if you will — to a woman acting out of her own agency. But the choices she makes towards the end of the series felt unnatural for her character.

The Real Folk Blues

In a media availability, the main cast talked about how much those who worked on the show revered the original. That’s certainly evident in the production design, dialogue, and selected episodes of the live action adaptation. There’s plenty of near one-to-one recreation of scenes in the animé that will make any fan gasp with excitement.

However, in their desire to expand, the showrunners miss some story beats, subtle moments, and character nuances that make the original animé great. Instead of the smooth soulful Jazz feel of the original, what we get instead is an odd remix that may be a little off key.

Cowboy Bebop streams on Netflix on November 19.

Entertainment

The internet is thirsting over the One Piece Season 2 cast

And honestly, fair

Published

March 12, 2026

Her

Clips from One Piece Season 2 are circulating across TikTok, Threads, and X — and the internet has reached a very clear conclusion.

Screenshots of Zoro, Nami, Luffy, and Miss All Sunday have been circulating widely online.

This cast is aggressively attractive.

One Threads post even asked the question outright: “Why is the One Piece cast aggressively attractive?” Judging by the reactions online, plenty of fans seem more than happy to investigate.

And after watching the new season ourselves, we can confirm: yes, the viral moments making the rounds online are very real.

Zoro continues to be the internet’s favorite

good morning to roronoa zoro pic.twitter.com/VTSbFACY4I

— Netflix (@netflix) March 11, 2026

A big chunk of the viral clips revolve around Mackenyu as Zoro.

Specifically, a scene where the swordsman appears shirtless — showing off a physique that fans immediately began thirst-posting about across social media.

It’s the kind of moment that practically feels engineered for screenshots. Stoic expression. Scarred swordsman energy. Abs fully visible.

Naturally, the internet noticed.

Luffy gets his Hollywood abs moment

Iñaki Godoy as Luffy in ‘ONE PIECE’ Season 2 pic.twitter.com/34eHZjbhdp

— MEN (@MENin4K) March 10, 2026

Even Iñaki Godoy gets a similar viral moment.

One circulating clip shows Luffy wearing nothing but a towel, with his abs in full view. Fans quickly clipped the scene and began sharing it across social platforms.

Godoy himself seems aware of the moment. In one interview clip now floating around online, the actor joked that he might as well enjoy the “Hollywood abs” moment now — since his next role might just have him playing a regular guy.

Fair point.

@lyn_ching7 Have you seen shirtless LUFFY yet? Prepare for his “12 pack” ⚔️😁 @Netflix Philippines @Netflix @onepiecenetflix #onepiece #netflix #netflixph ♬ original sound – Ms. Lyn Ching

The internet also noticed Miss All Sunday

Another character generating plenty of reactions online is Miss All Sunday, also known to fans as Nico Robin.

MISS ALL SUNDAY!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/fxBehJff3S

— Netflix Brasil (@NetflixBrasil) March 10, 2026

Trailer comments posted by Netflix quickly filled up with reactions from viewers pointing out the character’s striking appearance — including jokes asking why her chest looked so prominent in the preview.

Other fans quickly pushed back, asking the obvious question: why complain?

Nami might be winning the internet

This is how I find out that the new One Piece live action season dropped today 😭 pic.twitter.com/gldmIRN2NL

— Zeus (@Promithean11) March 10, 2026

Still, the character that seems to be getting the biggest reaction online is Nami.

Clips and screenshots of Emily Rudd wearing a tiny red bra have been circulating widely, with fans praising both the character’s look and Rudd’s screen presence.

The scene is brief, but it clearly made an impression.

And judging by the number of screenshots floating around online, a lot of viewers had the exact same reaction.

Nami pic.twitter.com/vp7aU0jlxr

— 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝟒𝐤 (@namiarchive_) March 11, 2026

Some people tuned in out of curiosity.

Others may have tuned in after seeing those screenshots.

Honestly, fair.

Either way, the viral clips are real — and they’re all pulled directly from the new season.

One Piece Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

Entertainment

Samurai Champloo is getting a live-action adaptation

The adaptation is coming from One Piece’s Tomorrow Studios.

Published

March 11, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The live-action One Piece, which recently premiered its second season on Netflix, is one of the rare wins for the anime adaptation segment, especially after a string of misfires. Now, after the success of that series, things are getting bolder. Tomorrow Studios, which produced Netflix’s One Piece, will adapt Samurai Champloo into a live-action format.

Still from the brilliant mind of Shinichirō Watanabe, Samurai Champloo is often touted as the samurai version of Watanabe’s more popular Cowboy Bebop but with a more cohesive story and a hipper soundtrack. Since its first airing over two decades ago, the series has enjoyed a cult following, especially for those who enjoyed Cowboy Bebop.

First reported by Variety, Tomorrow Studios will adapt the show into a live-action series. Critically, Watanabe will be involved in the show’s production.

Because the show is still in early development, there’s no news beyond that. In fact, though it’s likely that Netflix will pick the series up, Tomorrow Studios hasn’t shopped the series to platforms yet.

Samurai Champloo is going to be a huge gamble for the studio. Previously, Tomorrow Studios crashed and burned with its Cowboy Bebop adaptation, which ended up getting canned soon after its premiere. Watanabe even criticized the series for changing the plot too much.

This time, however, Watanabe has given his blessing and will likely steer the adaptation to success. The studio has also promised an adaptation more faithful to the original’s story and soundtrack. Both of which were crucial to the original show’s success.

Entertainment

ARTMS Heejin shows KPop concert day through Ray-Ban Meta glasses

Heejin films concert POV

Published

March 11, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

What does a KPop concert look like from the idol’s perspective? Heejin of ARTMS gives fans exactly that.

In a short Instagram Reel filmed using Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, the ARTMS member records an entire concert day from her point of view — from backstage moments to standing on stage in front of hundreds of fans.

The clip begins with Heejin showing off the Ray-Ban Meta glasses before putting them on. She then continues vlogging on her phone while already wearing the smart glasses, casually demonstrating how the wearable camera fits into her usual routine.

From there, the Reel jumps through several moments leading up to the show. We see Heejin signing what appear to be albums for the concert, followed by a quick meal before rehearsals begin.

At one point, she even chats with staff members who seem curious about the Ray-Ban Meta glasses she’s wearing.

Then the highlight arrives.

The perspective suddenly shifts to the stage.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by HEEJIN (@0ct0ber19)

From Heejin’s POV, the crowd stretches across the venue while she performs alongside her fellow ARTMS members. There’s a quick glimpse of choreography while she’s still wearing the glasses — offering fans a rare look at what performing in front of thousands of people actually feels like.

The Reel winds down with the group bowing to the audience as the concert ends.

Finally, the video returns to the same visual from the opening. Heejin lies down on a bed, mirroring the start of the day — a quiet signal that the long concert schedule has finally wrapped.

There are a few fancams too showing the day Heejin wearing the glasses while performing on stage.

@seoshu heejin with glasses… I NEED HER #artmsinlondon #heejin #artms #grandclubicarus ♬ original sound – vro

@yvessyih i’m a sucker for nerds💔 heejin i love u #heejin #loona #artms #fyp #kpop @Official ARTMS ♬ Drunk in love – Megan ★

From LOONA to ARTMS

For longtime fans, Heejin needs little introduction.

She first debuted in 2016 as the very first member of LOONA, a group known for its ambitious storytelling and global fanbase.

Following LOONA’s restructuring, Heejin went on to become part of ARTMS, a project group that reunites several former members while continuing their creative direction.

Moments like this Reel give fans a small but personal glimpse into that journey — this time through the lens of smart glasses.

What the Ray-Ban Meta glasses actually do

The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are wearable smart glasses created by Meta in collaboration with Ray-Ban.

They feature a built-in ultra-wide camera, microphones, and open-ear speakers that allow users to capture photos and videos completely hands-free.

Because the camera sits directly in the frame, the footage naturally captures a first-person perspective — exactly the kind of viewpoint that makes Heejin’s Reel feel so immersive.

Instead of watching a concert from the audience, viewers briefly experience what it’s like to be the person standing on stage.