History of Cowboy Bebop in Timeline
"Cowboy Bebop" is a Japanese anime series set in a futuristic, space-faring world. The show follows the lives of bounty hunters (also called "Cowboys") traveling on their spaceship Bebop. Blending genres like film noir, western, and jazz, Cowboy Bebop is praised for its stylish animation, complex characters, and mature themes. Created by a team at Sunrise studio and led by director Shinichirō Watanabe, it originally aired in Japan in 1998-1999 and gained global acclaim.
June 26, 1998: Cowboy Bebop's Initial Run Ends
On June 26, 1998, Cowboy Bebop finished its initial run on TV Tokyo, which only included select episodes due to its time slot and graphic content.
1998: Cowboy Bebop Release
Cowboy Bebop, a Japanese neo-noir space Western anime television series, aired on TV Tokyo and Wowow in 1998.
1998: Anime Grand Prix Awards
In the 1999 Anime Grand Prix awards for anime released in 1998, Cowboy Bebop received significant recognition. Spike Spiegel won best male character, Megumi Hayashibara won best voice actor for Faye Valentine, and the show itself was awarded second-best anime series. Other nominations included best female characters, best songs, and best episodes.
1998: Critical Acclaim Begins
Starting in 1998, Cowboy Bebop garnered critical acclaim. Japanese critic Keith Rhee praised its production, highlighting Yoko Kanno's soundtrack as a refreshing departure from typical anime music. The series was lauded for its talented voice cast.
April 24, 1999: Cowboy Bebop Finishes Airing in its Entirety
Cowboy Bebop was shown in its entirety on the satellite network Wowow, finishing on April 24, 1999.
October 21, 1999: Cowboy Bebop Premieres in Italy
Cowboy Bebop premiered in Italy on October 21, 1999, marking the first airing of the show outside of Asia.
1999: Positive Reviews Continue
Cowboy Bebop continued to receive positive reception in 1999, with Australian magazine Hyper awarding it a 9.5 out of 10 rating.
1999: Cowboy Bebop Finishes Airing
Cowboy Bebop finished its run on TV Tokyo and Wowow in 1999.
1999: Anime Grand Prix Awards
In 1999, Cowboy Bebop won several awards at the Anime Grand Prix, including best male character for Spike Spiegel and best voice actor for Megumi Hayashibara.
2000: Anime Grand Prix and Seiun Awards
In 2000, Cowboy Bebop continued to receive accolades, winning awards in the Anime Grand Prix, including Best Male Character and Best Voice Actor. The series also won Best Media of the Year at the Seiun Awards.
2000: Uncut Cowboy Bebop DVDs Released Individually
The second release of Cowboy Bebop DVDs were sold individually in 2000 and featured the uncut versions of all 26 episodes.
September 2, 2001: Cowboy Bebop Premieres on Adult Swim
On September 2, 2001, Cowboy Bebop premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block, marking its debut in the United States.
September 2001: Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door Release
The anime film, "Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door", also known as "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie" in English, premiered in Japan in September 2001.
2001: Cowboy Bebop Perfect Sessions DVD Collection Released
The special edition Perfect Sessions DVD set, which included the first six Cowboy Bebop DVDs, the first soundtrack, and a collector's box, was released in 2001.
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2001: Cowboy Bebop Premieres on Locomotion
Cowboy Bebop premiered on the Latin American television channel Locomotion in 2001.
2001: Cowboy Bebop Becomes First Anime Aired on Adult Swim
Cowboy Bebop became the first anime to be broadcasted on the late night programming block Adult Swim in 2001.
August 2002: Cowboy Bebop: The Movie US Release
In August 2002, "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie" was released in the United States.
2002: Cowboy Bebop Premieres in the United Kingdom and Australia
Cowboy Bebop premiered in the UK on the adult-oriented channel CNX and in Australia on pay television via Adult Swim in 2002.
2002: Cowboy Bebop: The Best Sessions DVD Set Released
The Best Sessions DVD set, containing six episodes remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS surround sound, was released in 2002.
2004: Top Anime Rankings
In 2004, Cowboy Bebop earned the second spot on Newtype USA's "Top 25 Anime Titles of All Time" list and was featured in Cinefantastique's "10 Essential Animations" for its unique style and musical score.
December 24, 2006: Cowboy Bebop Premieres in Canada
Cowboy Bebop premiered in Canada on the television channel Razer on December 24, 2006.
2006: Top Anime Soundtracks and Characters
In 2006, IGN recognized Cowboy Bebop's soundtrack as the best in anime, while Spike Spiegel earned the fourth spot on their "Top 25 Anime Characters of All Time" list.
2006: Future of Cowboy Bebop
In 2006, director Shinichirō Watanabe hinted at the possibility of more Cowboy Bebop content in the future during an interview with The Daily Texan.
January 2, 2007: Cowboy Bebop Debuts on Australian Free-to-Air Television
Cowboy Bebop premiered on the Australian national digital public television channel, ABC2, on January 2, 2007.
November 6, 2007: Cowboy Bebop Reruns on AnimeCentral
Cowboy Bebop began airing reruns on AnimeCentral, a television channel in the United Kingdom, on November 6, 2007.
2007: #1 Anime of All Time
Cowboy Bebop was ranked the #1 anime of all time in Anime Insider magazine's "50 Best Anime Ever" list in 2007, solidifying its place as a beloved and critically acclaimed series.
2007: Darker than Black Inspiration
Tensai Okamura, a key animator for Cowboy Bebop, drew inspiration from the series when creating his own anime, Darker than Black, in 2007, particularly in terms of narrative structure.
July 22, 2008: Live-Action Movie Rumor
On July 22, 2008, If magazine published an article about a rumored live-action Cowboy Bebop movie in development at 20th Century Fox. Producer Erwin Stoff confirmed the early stages of development and Keanu Reeves' attachment to star as Spike Spiegel.
August 2008: AnimeCentral Channel Closes
The UK television channel AnimeCentral closed in August 2008.
2008: Cowboy Bebop Remix: The Complete Collection Released
Cowboy Bebop Remix: The Complete Collection, containing all 26 episodes remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1, was released in 2008.
January 15, 2009: Live-Action Movie Confirmed
Variety confirmed on January 15, 2009 that Sunrise Animation would be closely involved in developing the English-language live-action Cowboy Bebop movie. Kenji Uchida, Shinichirō Watanabe, Keiko Nobumoto, and Masahiko Minami were attached as associate producers, and Peter Craig was set as the screenwriter.
February 23, 2009: Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Airs in Australia
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie aired in Australia on SBS, a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting television network, on February 23, 2009.
March 2009: Cowboy Bebop: A Gateway to Anime
The Onion's The A.V. Club dubbed Cowboy Bebop as a gateway series to understanding anime in March 2009, praising its unique style, genre-bending music, and impact on animation.
2009: IGN's Top Animated TV Series
In 2009, IGN ranked Cowboy Bebop fourteenth on their "Top 100 Animated TV Series" list, highlighting its originality and influence in the 1990s.
October 15, 2010: Live-Action Movie Update
On October 15, 2010, producer Joshua Long gave an interview providing an update on the live-action Cowboy Bebop movie, which was experiencing delays and script revisions.
2011: IGN's Top Sci-Fi TV Shows
Cowboy Bebop secured the 29th spot on IGN's "Top 50 Sci-Fi TV Shows" list in 2011, further demonstrating its impact on both anime and science fiction genres.
2011: Live-Action Movie Delayed
The live-action Cowboy Bebop movie was originally slated for a 2011 release, but budgetary concerns and script rewrites led to production delays, putting the project in development hell.
December 2012: Anime Limited Acquires Cowboy Bebop License
Distributor Anime Limited announced their acquisition of the home video license for Cowboy Bebop in the United Kingdom in December 2012.
2012: Top 20 Madman Anime Titles
In 2012, Cowboy Bebop secured the seventh position in Madman Entertainment's "The Top 20 Madman Anime Titles", as voted by fans online.
July 29, 2013: Cowboy Bebop Blu-ray Part 1 Releases in the United Kingdom
Anime Limited released Part 1 of the Cowboy Bebop Blu-ray collection in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2013.
September 23, 2013: Cowboy Bebop Complete Collection DVD Release Delayed
The release of the Cowboy Bebop Complete Collection DVD set was delayed until November 27, 2013, due to mastering and manufacturing errors.
October 25, 2014: Watanabe Comments on Live-Action Movie
During the MCM London Comicon on October 25, 2014, director Shinichirō Watanabe addressed the live-action Cowboy Bebop film, stating that he was unaware of Hollywood's plans and that the project seemed to be facing challenges.
December 16, 2014: Funimation Releases Cowboy Bebop on Blu-ray and DVD
Funimation released Cowboy Bebop on Blu-ray and DVD on December 16, 2014.
2015: HD Remasters of Cowboy Bebop Begin Airing
HD remasters of Cowboy Bebop began broadcasting in 2015.
January 9, 2016: Cowboy Bebop Reruns on I.Sat
Cowboy Bebop began airing on the Latin American television channel I.Sat on January 9, 2016.
2017: Live-Action Series Announced
In 2017, Tomorrow Studios announced the development of an American live-action Cowboy Bebop series, produced in partnership with ITV Studios and Sunrise Inc., with Netflix on board to distribute.
April 4, 2019: Casting Announcement
On April 4, 2019, Variety announced the casting for the live-action Cowboy Bebop series, with John Cho as Spike, Mustafa Shakir as Jet, Daniella Pineda as Faye, and Alex Hassell as Vicious.
October 2019: Production Halted
Production on the live-action Cowboy Bebop series was halted in October 2019 due to an on-set knee injury sustained by John Cho, leading to significant delays.
April 17, 2020: Episode Length Revealed
On April 17, 2020, it was revealed that the live-action Cowboy Bebop series would have hour-long episodes.
May 2020: Cowboy Bebop Charity Track
May 2020 saw the release of a special Cowboy Bebop charity track, produced by Mason Lieberman in collaboration with Sunrise and Funimation, to support COVID-19 relief efforts. The track featured the return of original composer Yōko Kanno and The Seatbelts.
May 19, 2020: Production Update and Watanabe's Involvement
In a May 19, 2020 interview, producer Marty Adelstein revealed that three episodes of the live-action series were complete, with at least six filmed before the production halt. He also announced that Shinichirō Watanabe, the anime's director, was a creative consultant.
September 30, 2020: Production Resumes
Production on the live-action Cowboy Bebop series resumed in New Zealand on September 30, 2020, following delays caused by COVID-19 lockdowns.
October 21, 2021: Netflix Acquires Streaming Rights
On October 21, 2021, Netflix acquired the global streaming rights for all 26 episodes of Cowboy Bebop. The series was also made available on Hulu and Funimation in the United States.
November 19, 2021: Live-Action Series Release
The live-action Cowboy Bebop series premiered on November 19, 2021, receiving mixed reviews.
December 9, 2021: Cancellation
On December 9, 2021, Netflix announced the cancellation of the live-action Cowboy Bebop series after just one season.
March 1, 2022: Cowboy Bebop on Crunchyroll
On March 1, 2022, Cowboy Bebop became available on Crunchyroll, consolidating content from both Funimation and Wakanim.
April 4, 2023: Cowboy Bebop 25th Anniversary Blu-ray Box Set Released
Crunchyroll released a limited edition Blu-ray box set for Cowboy Bebop's 25th anniversary on April 4, 2023.