Netflix Dropped a Bombshell for the Japanese Dub Cast of Its Live-Action 'Cowboy Bebop'

The live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop is dropping on Netflix next month. Whether you're anticipating this fresh take on Shinichirō Watanabe's highly influential 1998 anime series, or are deeply concerned about how it will compare to the original, plenty of eyes will be on the new show upon its release.

While the Netflix series seeks to act as an expansion of the initial canon, there are already plenty of homages to the original show. The series' opening is a brand new composition of the classic theme song "Tank," and series composer Yoko Kanno will also return from the anime to provide her bombastic jazz numbers to the live-action show.

If you're a die-hard fan of the original, however, there's even more to look forward to when it comes to the new show's Japanese voice cast!

Much like the original anime, the live-action series follows a ragtag group of bounty hunters consisting of Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), and Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda). This space-faring drama sees Spike and his companions travel the cosmos in search of dangerous criminals to exchange for a quick buck. Several classic characters from the original story will also make appearances.

John reportedly grew his own hair out so that it could be styled authentically to emulate Spike's look. He also stated in an interview with Vulture that he was deeply concerned with doing justice to the iconic role.

"The amount of thought and worry and effort and number of days I've logged thinking about Spike is now equaling the fear I have about the reaction," John told Vulture.

While it's exciting to see how the Hollywood actor will tackle Spike, his is not the only notable casting choice. Netflix Japan recently tweeted the full cast for the Japanese dub of the show.

To put it succinctly, the entire original Japanese cast of the anime is returning for the adaptation!

The Japanese dub for the live-action show will feature the original voice actors returning to reprise their roles in the show. Kōichi Yamadera will return as Spike, Megumi Hayashibara as Faye, and Norio Wakamoto as antagonist Vicious. The original voice actor for Jet, Unshō Ishizuka, passed away in 2018 and will be replaced by Taiten Kusunoki. Other returning voice actors include Romi Paku, Hikaru Midorikawa, and Kenyuu Horiuchi.

Though these and many other voice actors are set to return, there is still no cast announcement for Ed.

Along with the announcement of the returning cast, the original anime will also begin streaming on Netflix prior to the live-action release! All 26 episodes of the show will begin streaming worldwide on October 21. The anime has also been streaming on Hulu and Funimation.

The 10-episode live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop is scheduled to release on Nov. 19.