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New York Comic-Con 2018: Cowboy Bebop 20th Anniversary Panel

Prior to Cowboy Bebop, Blum said he was hesitant to go to conventions because of the dreaded sub versus dub argument that was so prevalent at the time. He often was told by angry fans that he and other voice actors were ruining anime.

“He's here,” Blum jumped in quickly, self-referencing, “and he got the girl.”

I don't think you can make something as magical as Bebop again. The late 90s to early 2000s was an interesting transition for video games, anime, and movies. Everyone experimented with new ideas that definitely had the feel of something different for the approaching new millennium. Cowboy Bebop checks off all the boxes for a project that captures so many aspects that would be hard to replicate today, when people have a lot of expectations going into something and are difficult to impress. It's simply wonderful Cowboy Bebop still stands the test of time as something that can be watched no matter the era you're in and no matter how old you get.

Prior to Cowboy Bebop, Blum said he was hesitant to go to conventions because of the dreaded sub versus dub argument that was so prevalent at the time. He often was told by angry fans that he and other voice actors were ruining anime.

I think McGlynn summed it up pretty well. Anime was rare on television at the time, especially uncut anime aimed at older audiences. Cowboy Bebop, and Adult Swim in general, was a lot of 90s kids first exposure to adult anime. That's why it's impossible to replicate it again now that hundreds of anime are easily available to everyone every year at the click of a mouse.

Those fans STILL exist.
I see/hear them ALL the time.
They are anime gatekeepers -- they would love the hobby to shrink down to maybe a few people like it was prior to the late 1990s when the boom began.
I don't want to go back to those days myself.

There are more decent dubs out there -- far more than there were prior to the mid-2000s but we still have a ways to go before the anime dubs reach the averages of a mainstream animated series that isn't aimed at preschool children.

“He's here,” Blum jumped in quickly, self-referencing, “and he got the girl.

but the character designs and animation still look fresh rather than being artifacts of its time. If you showed this to a fan who'd somehow never heard of it, they couldn't tell you it was made in 1998.

I don't agree. There have been far more exceptional than non-exceptional dubs in the last fifteen years. Dubbing has improved vastly since then, so it's not that difficult to find some great ones.

Just nothing but the most epic of props to all the fine men and women on both sides of the Pacific who worked on Bebop. Wish I could've been in New York for this, but I'm pleased to see that it must have been a great experience.

I love your work in FLCL Alternative, Mr. Blum. Stellar as always.

McGlynn's favorite episode is Mushroom Samba. “What were you guys thinking?!” she asked, turning to the Japanese production staff. According to McGlynn, it was one of only times on television where they got away with saying a swear word by leaving a pause in between the word “shitaki.” Kawamoto commented that story was cool to hear, because in Japan, they have the word “shitaki,” but not the equivalent swear word.

Next, the panelists were asked to describe how the landscape has changed in the 20 years since working on Cowboy Bebop. All agreed that the magic of Cowboy Bebop was something unique and potentially could not be replicated today. For one, Yamane pointed out, there is a lot less original anime being produced.

As for the idea of a sequel to the show, the panel was predictably coy about committing to an answer. Consensus seemed to be that the original was a bit of lightning in a bottle and it would be up to Watanabe ultimately.

McGlynn and Blum were both in agreement that Cowboy Bebop opened doors for both fans and the industry. Prior to Cowboy Bebop, Blum said he was hesitant to go to conventions because of the dreaded sub versus dub argument that was so prevalent at the time. He often was told by angry fans that he and other voice actors were ruining anime.

GeorgeC wrote:

There are more decent dubs out there -- far more than there were prior to the mid-2000s but we still have a ways to go before the anime dubs reach the averages of a mainstream animated series that isn't aimed at preschool children.

I don't agree. There have been far more exceptional than non-exceptional dubs in the last fifteen years. Dubbing has improved vastly since then, so it's not that difficult to find some great ones.

Completely agree.

Besides, many of the mainstream animated series nowadays are staffed by the same directors/actors/actresses who dub anime now too. Check out the credits.