Original ‘Cowboy Bebop’ anime coming to Netflix

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The original ‘Cowboy Bebop’ will debut on Netflix Oct. 21, one month ahead of the live-action adaptation.

Cowboy Bebop
(Image credit: Netflix)

The live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop premiering on Netflix in November has fans waiting with bated breath, but the streamer is helping to alleviate that wait by making the original Cowboy Bebop anime series available worldwide starting Oct. 21.

Netflix revealed the news on the Netflix Geekend account.

The original Cowboy Bebop anime was released in 1998 and depicted “the futuristic misadventures and tragedies of an easygoing bounty hunter and his partners,” per IMDb. Fans got to enjoy those adventures of Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine and the corgi Ein for 26 episodes, all of which will be available on Netflix. This will make the series more widely available to long-time fans and newbies alike, as before its Oct. 21 debut Cowboy Bebop was only available to rent online, watch through a Hulu premium subscription or on Tubi. 

Netflix’s upcoming live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop is set to debut on the streaming service Nov. 19. John Cho stars as Spike Spiegel, with Mustafa Shakir playing Jet Black and Daniella Pineda as Faye Valentine. Additional cast members include Alex Hassell (Vicious), Elena Satine (Julia), Blessing Mokgohla (Santiago) and Mason Alexander Park (Gren).

Also: ‘Cowboy Bebop’ — What makes John Cho the perfect Spike Spiegel

Cowboy Bebop is just one of many high-profile shows that Netflix has coming out in the last few months of 2021. Some recent releases have included miniseries Midnight Mass and Maid, as well as the debut of the final seasons of both On My Block and Dear White People. Coming down the pipe will be the return of some of Netflix’s most popular shows, including Cobra Kai, The Witcher and the second volume of Money Heist: Part 5. But can Cowboy Bebop, or any of these shows, be more popular than Squid Game has been for Netflix?

If you want to watch Cowboy Bebop, the original anime or live-action adaptation, on Netflix you’re going to need a Netflix subscription. The standard streaming subscription starts at $13.99 per month.

Michael Balderston
Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.