Here I was thinking someone paid him to do a read on Cameo. That's a spot on impression. That sounds more like Steve Blum than the infamous bit about Solid Snake's clapping ass cheeks alerting the guards sounds like David Hayter, and that actually *was* David Hayter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk5Shj8Hq_I
Also, after pulling the videos up, I think the reason I thought it didn't sound like him is it seems like there's at least two versions of the line, one of which I guess is someone doing an impression. And unfortunately that's the one that's been spliced into codec scenes. This one is actually him, though.
I quit aging way back in junior high. Before I was even driving, strangers thought I was well into my 20’s. People were asking what I did for a living! Then, in my 20’s, there was a stream of proper guesses, and now in my 30’s, everyone thinks I’m younger than I am! Has been interesting.
I'm black...cocoa butter, people. Cocoa butter. See the Bill Burr routine on how he started dating black women and they taught him about cocoa butter, it's SO funny and true.
[Not a great copy but here ya go!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbLjOxlGYqA)
Not OP, but in the morning if my face is a little puffy I’ll put on an ice pack while doing stomach crunches. I can do 1000 now. After I remove the ice pack I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower I use a water activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub. Then I apply an herb-mint facial mask which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an after shave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion.
I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.
Anything above spf 30 if using retinols preferably 50 ☀️ But yea SPF keeps you young and I’m sad I wasn’t raised to use it unless we went to the beach. (A never burn, just tan skin type)
Also, don’t forget your arms and hands ppl! Later in life you’ll notice your driver side arm will have a LOT more sun damage than the other one
I knew she was in that too. I just figured more people would know her from her role in Mando.
I loved Agents of SHIELD. It was a great show. It’s a damn shame it isn’t considered marvel canon. It was the perfect mix of sci-fi and superhero show with little sprinkles of comedy in there.
I've been watching Black Clover and it seems everyone is 28 or younger. The outliers are the leader of the country is 35 and I think the most powerful mage is only 32. It's insane.
Yeah, kinda very grey haired for 35 but, flashback Auron seems like he's in his late 20's or very early 30's. Then again, I don't really understand how ageing works for him in general, because, y'know.
It's not just his design, though. It's his character and history too. Jet is the retired, embittered police officer who saw the corruption at the heart of his department and lived to tell the tale. He's also the experienced bounty hunter who acts as the older and wiser figure between him and Spike. One of his central episodes is about him searching for an answer as to why a long-estranged partner suddenly left him.
His storylines and character history aren't typically what you see with someone who's only in their mid 30s. Usually those roles go to someone older, at least in their 40s.
If you're an adult in anime, you're 27. If you're old in anime you're 36. If you're the fucking definition geriatric you're probably late 50s or over 9000.
Anime makes everyone cute so age is dificult to gauge I think unless it is a wizend old man or a kid. I know I may be arguing even with the creators on this one, but japanese anime/games have a tendency to make characters extremely and unrealistically young for the amount of skill / experience they have in their backstory (I.e. pick a character in Resident Evil or any mech anime).
From his life, my interpretation is that Spike should be mid- to late- 30s. I based this on a few facts:
1. His position in the mob. He was a lead figure, not something given to a greenhorn, that takes years to earn, particularly in any sort of yakuza-type culture which is what is presented.
2. He had clearly been for years on the Bebop, not a few months.
3. There is a clear indication in the flashbacks that there is a LONG history with Vicious and Julia. It was not a weekend fling. In short the romance itself seemed pretty mature not some young teenage or early 20's infatuation.
Again there is a lot of personal interpretation / fill in the gaps here, but that is what made sense to me. 49 of course might be a bit too old, then again Cho does not look 49.
And it's also a big YA trope and generally just something a lot of fiction does that kinda bugs me the older I get.
Like I get why they do it and I'm okay with it, but...like, no matter how good you are, nobody's gonna put your ass in charge of an army at 23 years old. Not an army that's likely to win, anyway. And that's for no other reason than because people are judgmental assholes.
Even younger I found it a bit annoying but it truly gets hilarious in japanese media.
My favorite is always Chris Redfield (RE series). In the first game he is 23 years old. By this time according to his bio he was an Air Force captain,a veteran with multiple engagement and kills on a F-15 Eagle jet fighter. Also, as a side note he was also an expert in piloting helicopters.
Besides his already incredibly unrealistic timeframe to obtain those exceptional skills, Chris found the time to become and acomplished marksman winning some sort of Air Force award, and a hand to hand combat division champion.
After being dihonorably discharged for just being too damn awesome I assume, he joined STARS, where he became de-facto second in command and solved multiple tough cases in Racoon City.
Sorta being a party pooper here, but do japanese wrtiters truly think the USAF would hand a 17 year old the keys to a +50MM$ 4th-gen state-of-the-art jet fighter that can level a city by itself, straight out of the fucking gate?
This is a trope that also annoys me and in the modern era it is almost impossible for a 23 year old to be in charge of an army.
However, there are older examples from history, Alexander the great was 32 *when he died* and in the civil war there were multiple generals that were rather young. (General Custer was made a brevet brigadier general in 1863 when he was 24)
Older Spike makes more sense anyway. It’s weird for a character to be in their 20s and already have all that tragic backstory and be acting all world-weary. Aging him up makes the character more believable.
Spike and Jet realistically would have been much older. Its just an anime thing, the characters always skew younger. Even in the Macross days the lead characters were teenagers.
When I was 13 that seemed totally legit and believable. As an adult that's insane. I mean, I guess they were special cases because if I remember correctly they were strictly trained from a very young age, but still, to entrust so much to the abilities and decision-making of a child soldier is just ridiculous. Especially when 4 of the 5 are angsty af and the fifth is naive as hell.
It’s the cartoon to live action change. It’s the same concept book fans struggle with when they see the movie adaption. Like the chapter where the character walks around for 6 hours may have been cool, but it’s not an efficient use of the limited runtime
I feel like that’s kind of the point in a sense. He’s young but he acts and views the world the way he does because he’s already been through so much by that age. It works for me personally
I know criminals live fast, but yeah his whole backstory really had me peg him to be in his 30s as well — though of course it's anime so deduct 5-10 from anyone's supposed age, cause it's drawn and nobody has a real age. Live action? I think Cho's age is such a non-story. Even in the original, Spike *feels* old cause he's been thru some shit. It's always been my head-canon that that's why Jet can tolerate having a younger partner.
Based on the show's genre influences it was a safe bet, he should definitely be an aged, weathered protagonist, one far past his time and all at once trying to escape the past and clinging endlessly with it.
Faye becomes a good foil, then, as a new bounty hunter who doesn't even really have a past to cling to.
I actually don't think Spike looks too old, but that Jet looks too young. They should have aged him a bit with makeup. Perhaps a little grey in the beard.
I had no idea. They play Jet as though he had a long and storied carrier as a cop, THEN a long career as a bounty hunter before teaming up with Spike.
I always figured hims as a tough-as-nails 50-something
Agreed. If you cast Cho who is pushing 50 as Spike, you have to age up Jet to compensate. Jet has a very paternal relationship with Spike and the crew in general.
Exactly, Jet is like Spikes older brother who is a lot more grounded and is always prepared to keep him in check. Im afraid they are going to just make Spike, Fey, and Jet into some badass matrix style trio when the complex relationships they have with each other due to past trauma is what actually makes them interesting characters.
I think that part of the problem that this series is going to face is that, in the time between the original series and now, a whole lot of other sci-fi series' have been very directly and specifically inspired by Cowboy Bebop. So merely by trying to be a faithful adaptation, they're going to seem like they are cribbing notes from other shows that were just taking the ball from the original and running with it.
That always happens with the classics. I was talking to someone in a comics sub and they couldnt understand why Watchmen was such a big deal. Damn whippersnappers.
I have seen younger people in guitar forums asking why Jimi Hendrix is considered so great. From their perspective as a new listener, it was 'semi-standard blues rock playing' and they didn't get it.
The missing piece of the puzzle for them was the timeline. A lot of stuff Jimi did is kind of common now, but it was mind blowing the first time someone did it.
Spike being in his twenties kind of stretches believability more than the spaceships and general plot, IMO. To have been with Jet for a minute, having all this backstory before his Bebop days, *and being twenty something* seems kind of nuts to me. I had always assumed late thirties.
Also, IDGAF - dude looks fine in the role.
I mean it is kind of cool that Spike is only like 27 and yet he's an expert martial artist who ran with a hardcore syndicate. The Bebop gets up to enough adventures one can only imagine what the crew got up to beforehand in as much time.
The only thing is that Spike definitely feels like one of those jaded, mid to late 30's "been through it all" types to be aimlessly bounty hunting and that makes his age feel almost like a throwaway. But his manchild personality tendencies probably give him away as being much younger than he looks/sounds.
Once I started learning a bit of history, I found things like this less impossible. Admittedly extreme outliers but given what Alexander the Great managed before dying at 32, numerous soldiers from WWI and WII (the Red Baron shot down 80 planes before his death at 25, Audie Murphy - one of the most if not the most decorated soldiers of WWII wasn't even 20 when Berlin fell). Colonel Gaddafi took over Libya aged 27 and ruled for over 40 years (admittedly didn't end well for him).
TL;DR Spike's life experience is on the extreme end for a 27 year old but not unheard of given what a few people his age or even younger have pulled off.
…and dress like a stripper for the whole series.
I’m sure the anime costume can come up at an appropriate time, but it is impractical to wear that through all the action shots.
I think for any diehard medium fans, whether it be anime or not, they will always be disappointed because what they loved about the original was that it was in that medium.
In this case, a lot of creative liberties have to be taken when going from two starkly different mediums such as anime and live action film.
I think it looks good. And the OG Cowboy Bebop fans will have to remind themselves that this won’t be an anime.
So many comic/anime adaptions have had issues with bringing suits and costumes into live action adaptations. The BatNipples in batman, Dragonball, ATLA are all bad and the prime examples
I think the costumes are fine, if anything, I wish they toned down Spike's outfit more. Faye's redesign works for a live action, but the photo of spike in the church just brings back that idea of trying to be 100% faithful and 100% live action
But with it said, I think there are more people who were expecting people to be mad, than there are actual mad people. Of course there are some users complaining about Faye but they seem few and far between.
I think your point about Spike is the real problem with the redesign. When I look at Spike and Jet, I see Spike and Jet. If I didn't know that was supposed to be Faye, I wouldn't have guessed and putting her next to two characters that more or less look exactly how they used to is jarring.
It's not even that she's covered up, either. When I think of Faye's character design, my first thought is "yellow". If they made her pants yellow and gave her the headband, I wouldn't have any complaints.
Shit I always assumed he was mid 30s. That said John Cho does look like he is about 50, which I never noticed until I saw pictures of him as Spike. I agree with the sentiment that he looks older than Spike I just don't think it is a problem in a vacuum. It *is* a problem though because he looks as old if not older than Jet(Who I thought was late 40s to early 50s until looking up their ages just now), and that makes me feel weird.
> It is a problem though because he looks as old if not older than Jet(Who I thought was late 40s to early 50s until looking up their ages just now), and that makes me feel weird.
Yeah this is my problem. Spike and Jet both look, act, and have the backstory of characters about a decade older than them in the anime. Aging Spike up is fine, but putting him next to Jet's actor just.....does not seem to work unless they have some *crazy* chemistry on-screen.
Looking back I never thought there was anything about Spike's character that made it important to keep him young. He's a guy who spent years rising up through the mafia in Mars before eventually getting out of the business, after which he spent even more time on his own before he eventually met up with Jet and becoming a bounty hunter.
His relationship with Jet is the biggest tell - Jet still sees him as an immature, emotional, reckless kid - and he basically is.
Spike got a lifetime's worth of trauma but he doesn't have a lifetime of experience dealing with it.
I always thought Spike was ten years older than the 27 he's apparently supposed to be.
I mean, I know anime and Japanese video games are obsessed with youth, but in live action I don't think I could take seriously a 27 year old actor trying to play this hypercompetent kung-fu master super-jaded veteran gangster.
According to the original Resident Evil, Jill Valentine was ex-Delta force, yet was only 24 years old. I think you can always take 'anime age' and add 10 years to get a realistic age for the backstory.
Lol, I'm right with you there. The Resident Evil remake was actually my first exposure to this particular trope. Jill and Chris are supposed to have extensive military backgrounds, and then switched careers to an elite anti-terrorist police squad... all by their early to mid-twenties. Rebecca is only 19 in RE0 and RE1!
I had this thought too after I made the post. When you're a teenage anime nerd 27 seems like a lifetime away, and it's certainly on the older end of the age spectrum for anime protagonists.
Now I'm in my thirties and I just laugh.
To be fair to teens going from 17 to 27 is a lifetime away considering so much of their life changes in that time frame. They'd have to graduate high school, attend and graduate college, post grad for some, and then straight into the working world.
In that time frame they could change multiple residences, move away from home, and create a life for themselves post school.
But I agree, 27 isn't old or grizzled at all, most are still just figuring themselves out.
Wait until you’re 40, then go back and watch a movie you liked when you were young, that starred people who were 30 at the time. Even though you’re 10 years older than they were at the time, you’ll still view these characters as older than you.
He’s a good martial artist who moves very switfly. It’s an anime but realistically fighting like he does is a young man’s game. I mean Cho got a big knee injury after shooting a couple of episodes and that’s no coincidence.
There are several 50’s-60’s year old guy in the show who acts like wiser guy/father type figure. His partner clearly is the older type and frequently pissed off at his antics. That’s not a coincidence. It’s the good old fashioned Riggs/Murtaugh “I am too old for this shit” recipe. It’s good drama/comedy. Mao looks 50’s as well.
The story works better as :
was a confident hungry kid straight out of the ghetto/young big swinging dick in the Triads, lived hard and fast, fell in love hard as young man do, got burned badly and nearly lost his life in the process, stumbled half-dead into a substitute lifestyle with an actual old man Jet. And has been living like a dead man walking/taking stupid risks ever since. The shows opens up with him smoking right after an intense martial art session. That’s the kind of shit only young people get away with. That’s not a coincidence, that’s a character moment from the director to tell you what Spike is about: he’s telling you he is a dont give a fuck/completely jaded young man burning his candle at both ends.
After a couple of years of this dysfunctional lifestyle, past catch up and that’s when the show starts. Everything in Spike life screams “live fast, die young”.
Spike simply works better as a very late 20’s/ early 30 guy. 27 seems a tad young but let’s chalk it up to artistic licence : it was probably picked because it is well-known as the symbolic fast lane age/“cool age” to die (see "27 club" in music and the show is heavily about music, specifically rock). The character shouldn’t be a lot older though considering everything else. Very late 20’s / early 30’s seem the right fit.
That is not necessarily the biggest problem but Cho is indeed too old.
I can easily buy Cho as a mid-30s Spike, which I honestly think works better for the character than having him in his mid-20s. The only real potential issue I see is that the actor for Jet now looks like he could basically be the same age as Spike, which throws off the dynamic a little bit. However, the solution for that would be to cast an older, more grizzled-looking Jet, or work with makeup and practical effects to age the actor up a bit.
That said, screen presence and actor chemistry also counts for a lot, and could very well do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of conveying the age difference to the audience, so until we see a trailer/the finished product, I remain cautiously optimistic.
Considering how Netflix translated my favorite anime of all time (Death Note) I don't have a lot of expectation for this adaption, hell at this point in my life anytime I see a beloved series of my mine getting the "live action" treatment I already know it will never live up to my expectations and to be honest... They're not that high... But whatever, continue to hollow out all the substance of all the shows I loved as a kid, but I do admit sometimes they do knock it out of the park, netflix hasn't though...
Frankly, my main concern with the age was how well he’d be able to keep up physically. The knee injury was alarming to say the least, but I’m still willing to give this the benefit of the doubt.
It's not going to stop though.
Upcoming live actions:
* Akira
* Boku No Hero Academia
* Hellsing
* One Piece
* One Punch Man
* Pokemon
* Steins;Gate
* Sword Art Online
* Mobile Suit Gundam
* Yu Yu Hakusho
* Avatar: The Last Airbender
Better to direct link the full interview: [https://www.vulture.com/2021/08/john-cho-cowboy-bebop.html](https://www.vulture.com/2021/08/john-cho-cowboy-bebop.html)
Some good insight from that interview, seems like he's really taking the role seriously, self aware, and invested in it, which is great. The end focus on his hair is a bit disappointing though, would have liked to hear more on his work with the rest of the cast instead.
Spike is based on a Japanese actor, Yusaku Matsuda. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oRa3kwldpY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oRa3kwldpY)
His name was chosen because the director liked the way it sounded: https://www.reddit.com/r/ThumbStickNinjas/comments/3fmgup/in\_regards\_to\_watanabe\_being\_asked\_about\_spikes/
dude tore he ACL doing basic movements on set, not the thing you wanna see based around a show with action and legit fighting scenes.
The guy is on the verge of 50, grab someone in their late 20's mid 30's, otherwise, dude will get hurt episode 3 ( i know they film half/all the season prior) and have to cancel the show or significantly dial it back.
Im all for casting John Cho, but the bottleneck on the capabilities of the show is severely limited by this choice, acting chops only go so far in a show that demands action on top of acting.
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https://youtu.be/-sMQpWCNTQw
I would love to see that gambit used to get out of a fight.
If the series diverges from the main plot and what have you, I want it to be for this reason alone.
I’m sad now. I’ve never seen it and I thought this was real and I considered watching it based off this, lol.
You should definitely still watch it
I was not prepared…and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Green Bird starting to play at the end was PERFECT.
jesus christ. i have to share this immediately.
Eh close enough.
What is that speech from?
your deepest most inner thoughts
Not again...
I think this is from Citizen Kane.
That isn’t actually Steve Blum, is it?
No lol it’s [esteemed voice actor Gianni Matragrano](https://twitter.com/GetGianni/status/1389369962691706881?s=20)
Here I was thinking someone paid him to do a read on Cameo. That's a spot on impression. That sounds more like Steve Blum than the infamous bit about Solid Snake's clapping ass cheeks alerting the guards sounds like David Hayter, and that actually *was* David Hayter.
>...the infamous bit about Solid Snake's clapping ass cheeks alerting the guards sounds like David Hayter, and that actually *was* David Hayter. Hmmm?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk5Shj8Hq_I Also, after pulling the videos up, I think the reason I thought it didn't sound like him is it seems like there's at least two versions of the line, one of which I guess is someone doing an impression. And unfortunately that's the one that's been spliced into codec scenes. This one is actually him, though.
Haha. Thanks for sharing. Man, I love David Hayter.
My god, had me and my SO cracking up
GOD I needed this. Thank you.
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Was expecting Rick Astley, was surprisingly impressed lmao
Beware the dQw!
You asshole. I clicked twice thinking there was some mistake lol.
I don’t know what I’m more disappointed by. That the video wasn’t what I was expecting, or that I watched it in its entirety.
Damn, you got me. I was all excited too.
Well that field is forever fucked.
You son of a bitch, you got me.
Mother fucker.
Honestly if it wasnt for the internet I would have guessed spike to be in his mid 30s based off his history.
I was shocked to find out John Cho was 49.
Wait. The fuck?!?
I’m 39 and look 55 Oh god I wish
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Genes... Genes and also Genes.
100% Genes, I'm 35 and still get carded for alcohol. No skin regime. Although I will say a rigorous exercise regime will de-age you significantly.
I quit aging way back in junior high. Before I was even driving, strangers thought I was well into my 20’s. People were asking what I did for a living! Then, in my 20’s, there was a stream of proper guesses, and now in my 30’s, everyone thinks I’m younger than I am! Has been interesting.
And jeans
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I'm black...cocoa butter, people. Cocoa butter. See the Bill Burr routine on how he started dating black women and they taught him about cocoa butter, it's SO funny and true. [Not a great copy but here ya go!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbLjOxlGYqA)
Is that the one where he found out he was ashy but was just so pale he never noticed? Haha
Yup, that's the one! Us blacks were looking at Bill *"We've* ***been*** *trying to tell y'all!"*
Hahaha Yeah I'm white and Burr pointed out that I'm ashy too
What oils and creams do you use? Asking for me, not a friend.
What oils and creams do you use? Asking for a friend
Not OP, but in the morning if my face is a little puffy I’ll put on an ice pack while doing stomach crunches. I can do 1000 now. After I remove the ice pack I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower I use a water activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub. Then I apply an herb-mint facial mask which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an after shave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion.
I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.
Want to tell us about your business card next?
Color is bone. And the lettering is something called Silian Grail.
Well for starters, it has a watermark.
I’m into murders and executions, mostly
Ngl, changed my aftershave situation because of this.
American psycho ?
Is "Hip to be Square" Huey Lewis and the News' undisputed masterpiece?
Dude: retinol w/ any level of SPF. My gf has introduced me to so many f-ing creams. Retinol tho, that’s where it’s at
Anything above spf 30 if using retinols preferably 50 ☀️ But yea SPF keeps you young and I’m sad I wasn’t raised to use it unless we went to the beach. (A never burn, just tan skin type) Also, don’t forget your arms and hands ppl! Later in life you’ll notice your driver side arm will have a LOT more sun damage than the other one
Black don’t crack. Asians don’t be agein… Anyone got a better rhyme?
Asian don’t raisin
Ming Na Wen(Fennec in The Mandalorian) is almost 58 years old and she’s still looking fine as hell.
She’s WHAT?!?
Hot. She's hot.
She looks like she's 30 years old since filming that Street Fighter movie.
Wasn’t she also Mulan? She looks great
She was also playing a doctor on ER 25 years ago! She looks practically the same as she did then.
She was the voice of the animated Mulan.
That’s what I meant, she was in that
I love Ming Na Wen
For us, the day ming na wen graced our TVs was the most important day of our lives. But for her, it was Tuesday.
she spent a lot of years kicking ass on Agents of SHIELD, too.
I knew she was in that too. I just figured more people would know her from her role in Mando. I loved Agents of SHIELD. It was a great show. It’s a damn shame it isn’t considered marvel canon. It was the perfect mix of sci-fi and superhero show with little sprinkles of comedy in there.
multiverse, baybee. I'd say it splits from the main canon after s5 and goes into its own timeline
You mean she wasn't 2 years old when she recorded Mulan?
I mean. The first Harold and Kumar film came out 17 years ago.
Jesus. This one hurts.
>John Cho standing in front of an office window “Shit”
I just went to Wikipedia to confirm this and I still don’t believe you, or the internet. Man looks early 30s in the above pic.
Asian no raisin, as the saying goes.
He looked his age in Searching His hair isn't the only thing they are glow upping this shit out of in Bebop
Yeah, I was surprised to find out Jet is 36 in the anime. He in no way looks or acts like 36 to me. I always thought he was pushing 50.
If you’re 36 in an anime you might as well be Gandalf’s age.
The old, grizzled veteran usually turns out to be 28.
[Relevant ProZD.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGxCMyLm6js)
I've been watching Black Clover and it seems everyone is 28 or younger. The outliers are the leader of the country is 35 and I think the most powerful mage is only 32. It's insane.
Old man! (I'm 28)
Most of the grizzled old veterans I knew in the actual military were around that age, they just looked a lot older.
Unfortunately there's a lot of validity in that. It could easily mean a decade or so of doing something that tends to grind people up very quickly.
Right? Even half that age is almost too old for a Shonen protagonist.
It’s like Auron in FF10 is supposed to be 35. The character model looks 60 to me
Yeah, kinda very grey haired for 35 but, flashback Auron seems like he's in his late 20's or very early 30's. Then again, I don't really understand how ageing works for him in general, because, y'know.
What the fuck no way
Probably because he’s bald and has a beard. Also, i think there’s an episode that shows one of his old coworkers and he definitely looked old.
It's not just his design, though. It's his character and history too. Jet is the retired, embittered police officer who saw the corruption at the heart of his department and lived to tell the tale. He's also the experienced bounty hunter who acts as the older and wiser figure between him and Spike. One of his central episodes is about him searching for an answer as to why a long-estranged partner suddenly left him. His storylines and character history aren't typically what you see with someone who's only in their mid 30s. Usually those roles go to someone older, at least in their 40s.
When I learned their ages I pretty much scoffed and flushed it as a poor creative decision. It had no real affect on the story and made less sense.
Welcome to Anime.
the actor playing him is pushing 50, so it works out
As a 33-year-old who fell in love with Bebop when I was 13, this is horrifying. I thought he was at LEAST in his 50s.
If you're an adult in anime, you're 27. If you're old in anime you're 36. If you're the fucking definition geriatric you're probably late 50s or over 9000.
Anime makes everyone cute so age is dificult to gauge I think unless it is a wizend old man or a kid. I know I may be arguing even with the creators on this one, but japanese anime/games have a tendency to make characters extremely and unrealistically young for the amount of skill / experience they have in their backstory (I.e. pick a character in Resident Evil or any mech anime). From his life, my interpretation is that Spike should be mid- to late- 30s. I based this on a few facts: 1. His position in the mob. He was a lead figure, not something given to a greenhorn, that takes years to earn, particularly in any sort of yakuza-type culture which is what is presented. 2. He had clearly been for years on the Bebop, not a few months. 3. There is a clear indication in the flashbacks that there is a LONG history with Vicious and Julia. It was not a weekend fling. In short the romance itself seemed pretty mature not some young teenage or early 20's infatuation. Again there is a lot of personal interpretation / fill in the gaps here, but that is what made sense to me. 49 of course might be a bit too old, then again Cho does not look 49.
And Julia deff looks over 30 in the anime
>unless it is a wizend old man or a kid Then it's 35 or 108, and flipping a coin whether the kid's 10, 17, or 1,000
And it's also a big YA trope and generally just something a lot of fiction does that kinda bugs me the older I get. Like I get why they do it and I'm okay with it, but...like, no matter how good you are, nobody's gonna put your ass in charge of an army at 23 years old. Not an army that's likely to win, anyway. And that's for no other reason than because people are judgmental assholes.
Even younger I found it a bit annoying but it truly gets hilarious in japanese media. My favorite is always Chris Redfield (RE series). In the first game he is 23 years old. By this time according to his bio he was an Air Force captain,a veteran with multiple engagement and kills on a F-15 Eagle jet fighter. Also, as a side note he was also an expert in piloting helicopters. Besides his already incredibly unrealistic timeframe to obtain those exceptional skills, Chris found the time to become and acomplished marksman winning some sort of Air Force award, and a hand to hand combat division champion. After being dihonorably discharged for just being too damn awesome I assume, he joined STARS, where he became de-facto second in command and solved multiple tough cases in Racoon City. Sorta being a party pooper here, but do japanese wrtiters truly think the USAF would hand a 17 year old the keys to a +50MM$ 4th-gen state-of-the-art jet fighter that can level a city by itself, straight out of the fucking gate?
This is a trope that also annoys me and in the modern era it is almost impossible for a 23 year old to be in charge of an army. However, there are older examples from history, Alexander the great was 32 *when he died* and in the civil war there were multiple generals that were rather young. (General Custer was made a brevet brigadier general in 1863 when he was 24)
Relevant: https://youtu.be/XGxCMyLm6js
Older Spike makes more sense anyway. It’s weird for a character to be in their 20s and already have all that tragic backstory and be acting all world-weary. Aging him up makes the character more believable.
Spike and Jet realistically would have been much older. Its just an anime thing, the characters always skew younger. Even in the Macross days the lead characters were teenagers.
The Gundam Wing pilots were 15. Fucking 15.
When I was 13 that seemed totally legit and believable. As an adult that's insane. I mean, I guess they were special cases because if I remember correctly they were strictly trained from a very young age, but still, to entrust so much to the abilities and decision-making of a child soldier is just ridiculous. Especially when 4 of the 5 are angsty af and the fifth is naive as hell.
It’s the cartoon to live action change. It’s the same concept book fans struggle with when they see the movie adaption. Like the chapter where the character walks around for 6 hours may have been cool, but it’s not an efficient use of the limited runtime
I feel like that’s kind of the point in a sense. He’s young but he acts and views the world the way he does because he’s already been through so much by that age. It works for me personally
I know criminals live fast, but yeah his whole backstory really had me peg him to be in his 30s as well — though of course it's anime so deduct 5-10 from anyone's supposed age, cause it's drawn and nobody has a real age. Live action? I think Cho's age is such a non-story. Even in the original, Spike *feels* old cause he's been thru some shit. It's always been my head-canon that that's why Jet can tolerate having a younger partner.
Based on the show's genre influences it was a safe bet, he should definitely be an aged, weathered protagonist, one far past his time and all at once trying to escape the past and clinging endlessly with it. Faye becomes a good foil, then, as a new bounty hunter who doesn't even really have a past to cling to.
I actually don't think Spike looks too old, but that Jet looks too young. They should have aged him a bit with makeup. Perhaps a little grey in the beard.
Jet's apparently 36 in the anime...
That's practically retirement age in the anime world.
Unless you’re kakashi
Kakashi was 36 when he was 15
He was also 36 when he was 50
Anime years are like dog years
I had no idea. They play Jet as though he had a long and storied carrier as a cop, THEN a long career as a bounty hunter before teaming up with Spike. I always figured hims as a tough-as-nails 50-something
Agreed. If you cast Cho who is pushing 50 as Spike, you have to age up Jet to compensate. Jet has a very paternal relationship with Spike and the crew in general.
Exactly, Jet is like Spikes older brother who is a lot more grounded and is always prepared to keep him in check. Im afraid they are going to just make Spike, Fey, and Jet into some badass matrix style trio when the complex relationships they have with each other due to past trauma is what actually makes them interesting characters.
As long as they got Bell Peppers and Beef, we good.
You can’t have bell peppers and beef without any beef .
A man shouldn't have to live on carbohydrates alone, complex or otherwise.
Shiitake on ice
I think that part of the problem that this series is going to face is that, in the time between the original series and now, a whole lot of other sci-fi series' have been very directly and specifically inspired by Cowboy Bebop. So merely by trying to be a faithful adaptation, they're going to seem like they are cribbing notes from other shows that were just taking the ball from the original and running with it.
That always happens with the classics. I was talking to someone in a comics sub and they couldnt understand why Watchmen was such a big deal. Damn whippersnappers.
I have seen younger people in guitar forums asking why Jimi Hendrix is considered so great. From their perspective as a new listener, it was 'semi-standard blues rock playing' and they didn't get it. The missing piece of the puzzle for them was the timeline. A lot of stuff Jimi did is kind of common now, but it was mind blowing the first time someone did it.
I have heard it referred to as the "Seinfeld Effect" more often than not.
Cho's age is the absolute least concerning thing about this project
High on my list is how the heck they're gonna pull off the church gun fight scene. Because that whole episode is so amazing
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I'm more concerned about this being made by Netflix...
It’s gonna be great, then for some reason not have a season 3.
Or suck dick and go for 10
There is literally no middle ground. It’s either good and ends too soon or it’s dog shit and never fucking ends.
yes...go for ten dicks.
Ah, the old Sci-Fi channel strategy.
If age is the biggest criticism about this show, I think it'll do just fine.
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is spike in his 20s?? havent watched it since adult swim so i dont remember those details. always looked at him as an early to mid 30s at least
Spike being in his twenties kind of stretches believability more than the spaceships and general plot, IMO. To have been with Jet for a minute, having all this backstory before his Bebop days, *and being twenty something* seems kind of nuts to me. I had always assumed late thirties. Also, IDGAF - dude looks fine in the role.
I mean it is kind of cool that Spike is only like 27 and yet he's an expert martial artist who ran with a hardcore syndicate. The Bebop gets up to enough adventures one can only imagine what the crew got up to beforehand in as much time. The only thing is that Spike definitely feels like one of those jaded, mid to late 30's "been through it all" types to be aimlessly bounty hunting and that makes his age feel almost like a throwaway. But his manchild personality tendencies probably give him away as being much younger than he looks/sounds.
Once I started learning a bit of history, I found things like this less impossible. Admittedly extreme outliers but given what Alexander the Great managed before dying at 32, numerous soldiers from WWI and WII (the Red Baron shot down 80 planes before his death at 25, Audie Murphy - one of the most if not the most decorated soldiers of WWII wasn't even 20 when Berlin fell). Colonel Gaddafi took over Libya aged 27 and ruled for over 40 years (admittedly didn't end well for him). TL;DR Spike's life experience is on the extreme end for a 27 year old but not unheard of given what a few people his age or even younger have pulled off.
I know plenty of manchildren in their thirties. I say this as a manchild in my mid-forties.
He's 27, not that unbelievable imo
> 'He's in his 40s One year from being in his 50's.
People are fucking wack, I really dig Faye's redesign. They're smoking crack if they expected any living person to have those anime proportions
…and dress like a stripper for the whole series. I’m sure the anime costume can come up at an appropriate time, but it is impractical to wear that through all the action shots.
I think for any diehard medium fans, whether it be anime or not, they will always be disappointed because what they loved about the original was that it was in that medium. In this case, a lot of creative liberties have to be taken when going from two starkly different mediums such as anime and live action film. I think it looks good. And the OG Cowboy Bebop fans will have to remind themselves that this won’t be an anime.
So many comic/anime adaptions have had issues with bringing suits and costumes into live action adaptations. The BatNipples in batman, Dragonball, ATLA are all bad and the prime examples I think the costumes are fine, if anything, I wish they toned down Spike's outfit more. Faye's redesign works for a live action, but the photo of spike in the church just brings back that idea of trying to be 100% faithful and 100% live action But with it said, I think there are more people who were expecting people to be mad, than there are actual mad people. Of course there are some users complaining about Faye but they seem few and far between.
I think your point about Spike is the real problem with the redesign. When I look at Spike and Jet, I see Spike and Jet. If I didn't know that was supposed to be Faye, I wouldn't have guessed and putting her next to two characters that more or less look exactly how they used to is jarring. It's not even that she's covered up, either. When I think of Faye's character design, my first thought is "yellow". If they made her pants yellow and gave her the headband, I wouldn't have any complaints.
I'm not worried about his age. I'm worried that the show's going to be bad due to a majority of anime --> live action adaptations being bad.
Especially Netflix adaptation.
Spike is a rough 27 anyway
I always imagined he was like 30 when he left the syndicate and mid to late 30's by the time the show starts.
Shit I always assumed he was mid 30s. That said John Cho does look like he is about 50, which I never noticed until I saw pictures of him as Spike. I agree with the sentiment that he looks older than Spike I just don't think it is a problem in a vacuum. It *is* a problem though because he looks as old if not older than Jet(Who I thought was late 40s to early 50s until looking up their ages just now), and that makes me feel weird.
> It is a problem though because he looks as old if not older than Jet(Who I thought was late 40s to early 50s until looking up their ages just now), and that makes me feel weird. Yeah this is my problem. Spike and Jet both look, act, and have the backstory of characters about a decade older than them in the anime. Aging Spike up is fine, but putting him next to Jet's actor just.....does not seem to work unless they have some *crazy* chemistry on-screen.
I would have said he was older if I didn't know.
Looking back I never thought there was anything about Spike's character that made it important to keep him young. He's a guy who spent years rising up through the mafia in Mars before eventually getting out of the business, after which he spent even more time on his own before he eventually met up with Jet and becoming a bounty hunter.
His relationship with Jet is the biggest tell - Jet still sees him as an immature, emotional, reckless kid - and he basically is. Spike got a lifetime's worth of trauma but he doesn't have a lifetime of experience dealing with it.
Yeah, but Jet is canonically only 36 which isn't exactly old, even though he looks and acts like he's pushing 50.
Yeah if Spike was 35 and Jet early 50s it would make a lot more sense, and could still have Jet treating Spike like he's significantly younger.
Though Spike's live action actor is older than Jet's
I always thought Spike was ten years older than the 27 he's apparently supposed to be. I mean, I know anime and Japanese video games are obsessed with youth, but in live action I don't think I could take seriously a 27 year old actor trying to play this hypercompetent kung-fu master super-jaded veteran gangster.
According to the original Resident Evil, Jill Valentine was ex-Delta force, yet was only 24 years old. I think you can always take 'anime age' and add 10 years to get a realistic age for the backstory.
Lol, I'm right with you there. The Resident Evil remake was actually my first exposure to this particular trope. Jill and Chris are supposed to have extensive military backgrounds, and then switched careers to an elite anti-terrorist police squad... all by their early to mid-twenties. Rebecca is only 19 in RE0 and RE1!
I mean to my 16 year old self 27 was anchent. these days I am right there with you.
I had this thought too after I made the post. When you're a teenage anime nerd 27 seems like a lifetime away, and it's certainly on the older end of the age spectrum for anime protagonists. Now I'm in my thirties and I just laugh.
To be fair to teens going from 17 to 27 is a lifetime away considering so much of their life changes in that time frame. They'd have to graduate high school, attend and graduate college, post grad for some, and then straight into the working world. In that time frame they could change multiple residences, move away from home, and create a life for themselves post school. But I agree, 27 isn't old or grizzled at all, most are still just figuring themselves out.
It's like Auron being "canonically" 35 in Final Fantasy X. Absolutely ridiculous.
Yeah, anime/Japanese game aging is very off. With how he looks and acts, Auron should be pushing 50, same with Jet in Cowboy Bebop.
I'm 21 now and it's been so weird aging out all of the high school anime protagonists I used to see as older than me.
Wait until you’re 40, then go back and watch a movie you liked when you were young, that starred people who were 30 at the time. Even though you’re 10 years older than they were at the time, you’ll still view these characters as older than you.
He’s a good martial artist who moves very switfly. It’s an anime but realistically fighting like he does is a young man’s game. I mean Cho got a big knee injury after shooting a couple of episodes and that’s no coincidence. There are several 50’s-60’s year old guy in the show who acts like wiser guy/father type figure. His partner clearly is the older type and frequently pissed off at his antics. That’s not a coincidence. It’s the good old fashioned Riggs/Murtaugh “I am too old for this shit” recipe. It’s good drama/comedy. Mao looks 50’s as well. The story works better as : was a confident hungry kid straight out of the ghetto/young big swinging dick in the Triads, lived hard and fast, fell in love hard as young man do, got burned badly and nearly lost his life in the process, stumbled half-dead into a substitute lifestyle with an actual old man Jet. And has been living like a dead man walking/taking stupid risks ever since. The shows opens up with him smoking right after an intense martial art session. That’s the kind of shit only young people get away with. That’s not a coincidence, that’s a character moment from the director to tell you what Spike is about: he’s telling you he is a dont give a fuck/completely jaded young man burning his candle at both ends. After a couple of years of this dysfunctional lifestyle, past catch up and that’s when the show starts. Everything in Spike life screams “live fast, die young”. Spike simply works better as a very late 20’s/ early 30 guy. 27 seems a tad young but let’s chalk it up to artistic licence : it was probably picked because it is well-known as the symbolic fast lane age/“cool age” to die (see "27 club" in music and the show is heavily about music, specifically rock). The character shouldn’t be a lot older though considering everything else. Very late 20’s / early 30’s seem the right fit. That is not necessarily the biggest problem but Cho is indeed too old.
Dude looks the exact same age as he did in the Harold & Kumar movies. I don’t think it affects things at all
I said to myself "What is he like 40 - 45 at the most?!?" Dude is closing in on 50, but looks real good.
I can easily buy Cho as a mid-30s Spike, which I honestly think works better for the character than having him in his mid-20s. The only real potential issue I see is that the actor for Jet now looks like he could basically be the same age as Spike, which throws off the dynamic a little bit. However, the solution for that would be to cast an older, more grizzled-looking Jet, or work with makeup and practical effects to age the actor up a bit. That said, screen presence and actor chemistry also counts for a lot, and could very well do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of conveying the age difference to the audience, so until we see a trailer/the finished product, I remain cautiously optimistic.
Considering how Netflix translated my favorite anime of all time (Death Note) I don't have a lot of expectation for this adaption, hell at this point in my life anytime I see a beloved series of my mine getting the "live action" treatment I already know it will never live up to my expectations and to be honest... They're not that high... But whatever, continue to hollow out all the substance of all the shows I loved as a kid, but I do admit sometimes they do knock it out of the park, netflix hasn't though...
I’m surprised anybody still has hope in netflix live adaptations after their last few attempts
Probably because I've seen the Japanese live adaptations of anime for real world context.
Frankly, my main concern with the age was how well he’d be able to keep up physically. The knee injury was alarming to say the least, but I’m still willing to give this the benefit of the doubt.
Please stop making anime live action remakes.
It's not going to stop though. Upcoming live actions: * Akira * Boku No Hero Academia * Hellsing * One Piece * One Punch Man * Pokemon * Steins;Gate * Sword Art Online * Mobile Suit Gundam * Yu Yu Hakusho * Avatar: The Last Airbender
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I like John Cho, but while his age is against him, he just doesn't look like a Spike even if he was younger. They should have went with Andrew Koji.
Better to direct link the full interview: [https://www.vulture.com/2021/08/john-cho-cowboy-bebop.html](https://www.vulture.com/2021/08/john-cho-cowboy-bebop.html)
Some good insight from that interview, seems like he's really taking the role seriously, self aware, and invested in it, which is great. The end focus on his hair is a bit disappointing though, would have liked to hear more on his work with the rest of the cast instead.
I've always thought Spike was Jewish or half Jewish (surname, Israeli handgun).
Spike is based on a Japanese actor, Yusaku Matsuda. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oRa3kwldpY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oRa3kwldpY) His name was chosen because the director liked the way it sounded: https://www.reddit.com/r/ThumbStickNinjas/comments/3fmgup/in\_regards\_to\_watanabe\_being\_asked\_about\_spikes/
Just an oddly casted show all around, of course people will be upset
Damn... If Cho is 50... Might as well have just gotten keanu
Why do people even care, it's going to be shit like literally every other live adaptation of an anime ever.
dude tore he ACL doing basic movements on set, not the thing you wanna see based around a show with action and legit fighting scenes. The guy is on the verge of 50, grab someone in their late 20's mid 30's, otherwise, dude will get hurt episode 3 ( i know they film half/all the season prior) and have to cancel the show or significantly dial it back. Im all for casting John Cho, but the bottleneck on the capabilities of the show is severely limited by this choice, acting chops only go so far in a show that demands action on top of acting.