Not every show is going to earn the loyalty of fans once it’s been transferred to live-action, or even taken from a novel or comic book, but considering that Cowboy Bebop had a following before it became a series, or attempted to rather, it’s fair to say that a petition to bring it back after being canceled should have been expected. Not every show is going to get this treatment since it might be that it really does stink that bad when it’s brought to live-action, but what’s confusing about this is the amount of criticism that was seen when this show premiered, especially in light of people wanting to bring it back. Of course, when one really takes a good long look at things, the fact is that the people who shout the loudest tend to be heard the most, and those that are bound and determined to get their way, no matter what they have to do or say, tend to shout the loudest quite often, much like children throwing a temper tantrum. In all fairness, it might not be that severe, but the fact that Cowboy Bebop didn’t appear to light people up in a certain way as a live-action series is a good reason to think that it just didn’t work the way it should have.
Without saying anything truly negative about the show, the reviews that were seen during the first and only season thus far weren’t all that great even if some folks sought out the good in the show. Fans are usually bound to find whatever points they can to speak on, as many of those that have waited to see their favorite shows represented in such a manner will do their best to find the most positive points to work from. But this time it didn’t appear to be enough to keep the show from folding under and being yanked from Netflix’s lineup. If it sticks around for a while it won’t be surprising, but seeing a second season is going to take some serious convincing no doubt.
It’s tough to say what went wrong with the first season without getting into a big debate over the many different perspectives that were given in terms of the show, especially since a lot of the fans couldn’t help but put their two cents in whenever they felt the need to grumble about something or defend something else. In short, this show was expected to go off without a hitch, and instead what happened was that things were changed in ways that people didn’t really appreciate. It’s enough to ask if anyone heard the phone ringing because there were plenty of people calling one moment after another when it came to the thought that something would be botched. While there wasn’t an absolute flood of articles that were seen when the show started, there were enough that pointed out why certain aspects of the show had been changed and what the reaction was when it came to the fans. It didn’t take a genius to predict that unless the show turned things around quickly that it was going to be cut from Netlfix’s roster or it would become one of the more vilified additions to the streaming giant.
It does feel fair to say that Cowboy Bebop still wasn’t thought of in a bad light by the fans, but there always has to be a scapegoat when the fans don’t get what they want. Sometimes the hate is obvious to see and has a well-defined target, but this time around things felt a bit different since the mixed reactions from many of the fans made it feel as though some folks didn’t care and could have taken the series as it was, while others were adamant that things weren’t happening the way they wanted, which wasn’t acceptable. If you’re thinking ‘boo hoo’ then you’re not in the wrong, since like it or not, if your favorite comic or novel gets the movie or TV series treatment and it’s not what was expected, then the fans only have themselves to blame for walking in with expectations of something that was bound to change thanks to the director, the producer, the writers, and anyone that had even a small amount of input to bring to the table.
That’s why petitions such as this, even if they work, are kind of hard to take seriously at times since they indicate that people aren’t willing to go with the flow and can’t see any other way to tell a story. Granted, it irks me as well when a story isn’t told the way that its source material would indicate is the path. But at the same time, seeing something in a different light and watching as it’s represented in a different manner isn’t the end of the world, and it’s not worth trying to alter simply because of the displeasure of a few.
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