Cowboy Bebop Showrunner Teases Yoko Kanno’s New Music

Cowboy Bebop remains one of the greatest shows in anime, and its reputation speaks for itself. Thanks to creator Shinichiro Watanabe, his series helped overhaul space westerns in the best way, but he did not pilot the story alone. Most fans would credit composer Yoko Kanno with bringing Cowboy Bebop to its fullest potential. And now, the showrunner behind Netflix’s adaptation is speaking about their work with the musician.

Recently, Andre Nemec spoke with Polygon about their work on Cowboy Bebop. The executive had lots to share about the project, and it was there he said Kanno’s addition to the project was an absolute necessity.

“Yoko’s involvement in this show to me was paramount to almost everything else,” the showrunner shared. “Anybody who loves the music from Cowboy Bebop is going to love beyond what Yoko has done for us on this show. It is really sensational. I will hear music pieces come in, we will talk about character and theme, and then when I get those pieces there have been more times than I can remember that I hear something and I’m like … a smile comes to my face.”

According to Nemec, Kanno has done serious work for the soundtrack at Netflix. The showrunner says the composer has reimagined the original soundtrack in surprising ways by hitting some of your old favorites in Cowboy Bebop, and really digging deep and into the skin of our telling of Cowboy Bebop and the characters as presented.”

Of course, this update will have fans thrilled, but there is still one question left unanswered. Fans want to know if Cowboy Bebop‘s opening theme will appear in the live-action series. When asked, Nemec couldn’t say anything either way, but the showrunner did leave fans with a telling tease.

“You’ll be thrilled when you watch the show,” Nemec answered. And if that doesn’t tell you what you need to know, what will?

If you want to know more about Netflix’s take on Cowboy Bebop, you are not alone. The show has shared its first stills with fans, and John Cho looks perfect as Spike Spiegel. The series is set to debut on Netflix in November, but a trailer has not gone live yet. However, Netflix is teasing a Cowboy Bebop update later this month at its virtual fan event, Tadum. 

What do you think about Kanno’s return to Cowboy Bebop? Will you be checking out this live-action adaptation? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.