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The current generation of anime weebs won’t know this, butCowboy Bebopwas one of the gateway series that led to the worldwide recognition of the anime industry. The eccentric story ofCowboy Bebopfollows the adventures of Cowboy Spike Spiegel and his friends, who journey through space and work as bounty hunters in the year 2071.
It was directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, who is famously known in the anime industry for his works likeSamurai Champloo, Space Dandy, etc. Watanabe is one of the best-known anime directors in history, and most of this fame comes fromCowboy Bebop. However,Cowboy Bebopwas not his first project as a director.
Cowboy Bebopfans might not know this, but Watanabe also worked on the famous Japanese franchiseMacrossfrom the 80s. He was involved with the second production of the franchise calledMacross Plus. But his contribution to the franchise disappointed so much that it forced him to createCowboy Bebop, and the rest is history.
Shinichiro Watanabe Couldn’t Contribute Much To His First Project
In an interview withForbeslast year, Watanabe was asked about his journey as an anime director. During the discussion, Watanabe talked about the first opportunity that he got, which is unknown to many of his fans. The anime director revealed that he had worked as a co-director onMacross Plus.
“I don’t think we should do that”: Cowboy Bebop Actor Has Bad News for Fans Waiting for Any Spin-off After 26 Years Since the Anime Ended
Watanabe stated:
Even though I was a director on Macross Plus, Kawamori was really the main director. That meant the situation didn’t allow me to do everything I wanted. That frustration turned into a huge amount of energy inside of me. It made me want to do my own original things.
So Cowboy Bebop ended up being the first anime where I could do whatever I wanted. That means you don’t really need to pay attention to what I worked on before Cowboy Bebop.
According to Watanabe, his role as the co-director was not utilized much because of Shoji Kawamori, the chief director and the creator of the project.
This enraged Watanabe to the point that he decided to make something on his own, and hence he came up with the idea ofCowboy Bebop. Thus he also considersCowboy Bebopto be his first work.
Shinichiro Watanabe Couldn’t BelieveCowboy Bebop’sSuccess
Talking about his need to work on his own project and make a name for himself,Shinichiro Watanabealso explained his reaction after the series became so immensely successful. Watanabe claims that to this day he has yet to understand howCowboy Bebopbecame so successful.
The success of Cowboy Bebop is definitely more than I ever expected though. This was because around that time; anime was not all that popular outside of Japan. Maybe something like Akira was very popular, but that was the exception rather than the rule. So the success of Cowboy Bebop was surprising and I still want to know the reason why.
Cowboy Bebopwas one of the first anime series thatearned worldwide recognition in the 90s. It allowed other prominent series to make a place for themselves on a global scale.
“We just made what we enjoyed making”: Cowboy Bebop Director Shinichiro Watanabe’s Humble Response after Realizing Western Audiences Loved the Show
Thus, the current worldwide fame of the anime community is the result of Watanabe taking matters intohis ownhands and working hard to create a gem likeCowboy Bebop.
Cowboy Bebopis available to watch on Crunchyroll.
Tarun Kohli
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2959
Tarun Kohli is the Senior Anime Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,900 published articles. He currently specializes in critiquing One Piece and other Shonen anime. A passionate fan of the genre, his love for thoughtful analysis reflects his genuine appreciation for the art of anime. His deep understanding of anime culture has earned recognition from industry figures such as Adi Shankar and the creators of Blood of Zeus.
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cowboy bebopShinichiro Watanabe
