Live-action American anime adaptations have gained popularity, especially on Netflix. (One can only guess which anime Netflix will try to remake next.) However, reception to these efforts remains mixed.
The live-action series “Cowboy Bebop” (adapting director Shinichirō Watanabe’s legendary jazz sci-fi anime) flopped after a poorly received first season. Then, the production company Tomorrow Studios tried again with “One Piece”, a live version of Eiichiro Oda’s pirate manga. This one worked best; “One Piece” recently premiered its second season, and now Tomorrow Studios is betting on another anime adaptation.
According to an exclusive report from Variety, a live-action adaptation of Watanabe’s 2004 anime “Samurai Champloo” is in the works. It has not been confirmed whether this series will air on Netflix, as with Tomorrow Studio’s previous anime adaptations; Variety reports that Tomorrow has not yet brought the project to any networks.
Anime fans may be cautious right now; the live-action “Cowboy Bebop” movie had some fans (/Film reviewed it positively), but the general consensus is that it trashed the source material. Watanabe himself couldn’t get past the opening scene of Netflix’s “Cowboy Bebop.”
However, Tomorrow Studios is aware that fans will be skeptical about them tackling “Samurai Champloo”, which is why they involved Watanabe himself in the production this time around. Producer Marty Adelstein told Variety that: “We’ve learned. Having the creator there to bless the creative is really important.”
In fact, Tomorrow Studios made sure to involve Oda when they were making “One Piece.” According to actress Emily Rudd (who plays Nami in “One Piece”), Oda personally approved the casting and scripts for the live-action “One Piece” movie. Presumably, the goal is for Watanabe to have a similar level of input in the “Samurai Champloo” adaptation.
Creator Shinichirō Watanabe participates in the live-action Samurai Champloo
“Cowboy Bebop” seemed like an anime that could be Americanized. The series already took quite a bit of inspiration from American film genres, and the English dub of “Cowboy Bebop” is often considered the pinnacle of anime dubbing. Unfortunately, the Netflix series lacked Shinichirō Watanabe’s directorial vision (especially in action scenes) and was filled with comedy that didn’t fit well.
When I spoke to voiceover writer Marc Handler for an oral history of the English dub of “Cowboy Bebop,” he suggested that Netflix should give “Bebop” a second chance and ask Watanabe to direct it himself. We’ll see if Tomorrow Studios makes him that offer on “Samurai Champloo,” but the fact that Watanabe approved the adaptation of another of his works suggests they must have had a strong tone.
“Samurai Champloo” shares many of the stylistic and storytelling elements of “Cowboy Bebop”; Watanabe even considers them part of a shared universe. Both shows have 26 episodes, follow a small group of misfits, and feature a strong musical influence. (Jazz for “Bebop” and hip-hop for “Champloo”). The “Samurai Champloo” episode “A Risky Racket” feels like a remake of a certain “Cowboy Bebop” episode, as the roguish Mugen and the stoic ronin Jin split Spike Spiegel’s personality in half.
But while “Bebop” is set in the future, “Champloo” is set in Edo period Japan. The series follows teenager Fuu, who recruits Mugen and Jin to help her find “the samurai who smells like sunflowers.” They travel from city to city throughout Japan, experiencing adventures that range from hilarious to terrifying and downright surreal. Given the inextricable Japanese setting, it remains to be seen if this new version will also be in the Japanese language.
“Samurai Champloo” is in its early stages of development and the original anime is streaming on Crunchyroll.