Do you need to watch the Cowboy Bebop anime before Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop?

The age-old question of what to watch first has returned. Netflix audiences are wondering whether they need to watch Cowboy Bebop‘s 1998 anime series in order to understand the 2021 live-action adaptation, which hit Netflix on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021.

Naturally, this question may have divided answers as some prefer one way and others another way.

Fortunately, we’re here to give you a concrete answer for this burning question so that you’re all prepared for your Spike Spiegel-filled weekend.

Should I watch Cowboy Bebop anime first?

Truthfully, you do not need to watch the anime series Cowboy Bebop before watching the new live-action series on Netflix.

Like many of Shinichiro Watanabe’s works, Cowboy Bebop individual episodes seldom relate to one another with each episode being vastly different from the one before. This was done to recreate the mundane that we often go through in everyday life. So, there are no huge plot points or storylines that you must be familiar with before diving into the live-action adaptation.

Additionally, the 2021 series, for the most part, not only reimagined the anime’s 26 episodes but also expanded upon the iconic series every now and then. If you choose to watch the Netflix original series first, if anything, this could possibly enhance your experience when you get around to watching the anime series.

All in all, the 1998 version of Cowboy Bebop is as much of a standalone series as the 2021 version is, so it’s truly up to you the order in which you would like to watch. But, we should mention that as die-hard fans of the anime, of course, we recommend watching the anime first.

Thankfully, no matter which direction you choose, both options are currently streaming right now on Netflix!