"Director Shinichiro Watanabe Urges Fans to Cease Lazarus and Cowboy Bebop Comparisons"
Rewritten Article:
Getting an interview with famous anime creator Shinichiro Watanabe is like striking gold. But the gold rush took a strange turn when Adult Swim emailed me before the big day, asking if we could leave the cameras rolling. Why? Well, the legend himself wanted to wear his sunglasses during the interview! It was 9 a.m. my time, 11 p.m. his, and with his cool shades on, Watanabe was ready to chat about his new sci-fi anime, Lazarus.
Entering the legendary animator's office, I was greeted by a bookshelf brimming with vinyl records, their worn covers peeking out of plastic wrappers like secrets waiting to be unlocked. Watanabe, with his sunglasses on and arms crossed, looked like he was channeling his iconic Gunbuster pose. The dude was all about that aura farming, and I was ready to dig deep into his mind.
The anticipation surrounding Lazarus was palpable. Fans wondered if Watanabe could create another masterpiece like Cowboy Bebop. But with a stellar resume that includes Macross Plus, Samurai Champloo, Kids on the Slope, Space Dandy, Terror in Resonance, and Carole and Tuesday, the mastermind had plenty to prove.
Set in the year 2052, Lazarus unfolds in a world on the brink of unprecedented peace, thanks to a revolutionary painkiller called Hapna. Created by neuroscientist Dr. Skinner, Hapna promises to eliminate physical and emotional pain. But three years after Skinner's disappearance, he reappears as humanity's harbinger of doom, revealing the drug's fatal side effect: it will kill anyone who has ever ingested it. With mass extinction looming within a month, a special task force called Lazarus is formed to locate Skinner, uncover a cure, and save humanity from a pharmaceutical annihilation.
Watanabe collaborates with John Wick director Chad Stahelski on the anime's action sequences, and its score features a collaboration between saxophonist Kamasi Washington, Floating Points, and Bonobo. MAPPA and Sola Entertainment are co-producing the show, known for series like Jujutsu Kaisen and the final season of Attack on Titan. In other words, Lazarus is an anime dream team, making it a must-watch even without the Watanabe connection.
However, fans can't help but draw Cowboy Bebop comparisons. The animation studio MAPPA and Kamasi Washington's jazzy opening theme, "Vortex," elicit the same vibe as the iconic Cowboy Bebop's blues band Seatbelt. Plus, Axel Gilberto, the show's lead, bears striking resemblance to Spike Spiegel, Bebop's carefree hunter. When asked about the similarities, Watanabe said, "Cut me some slack." It's a big job to shake off a reputation as the Cowboy Bebop guy, but Watanabe insisted that Lazarus is its own entity.
The Bebop elephant in the room really couldn't be ignored. The unlikely comparisons don't end with the visuals. The parkouring Axel, the smooth jazz, and the stylized animation all bring to mind Watanabe's magnum opus. Considering Watanabe and his late longtime collaborator Keiko Nobumoto worked together on the development of Lazarus, it's not surprising that the show carries Cowboy Bebop vibes. Watanabe himself admitted that Lazarus reminds people of Cowboy Bebop because they drew on Nobumoto's knowledge and skills.
As the interview closed, I had to ask if Watanabe found it disheartening to be referred to as the Cowboy Bebop guy, or if he took it with pride that his work left a lasting impact. Watanabe remarked that his shades are "not rose-tinted eyewear set on recreating past hits." Instead, they're blinders focused on capturing a much more grounded, futuristic series. Lazarus is based on real-life events and contemporary issues, offering a unique blend of sci-fi, action, and social commentary.
Watanabe's desire for realism extended to the action and sound effects. Collaborating with Formosa Group, a sound effects company known for Hollywood productions like Dune and Game of Thrones, Watanabe ensured that Lazarus' action sequences and sound effects were authentic. The result? An anime that feels more like a feature film than a typical animated series.
Lazarus premiers on Adult Swim on April 5 and will stream the same day on Max. Get ready to dive into a gripping adventure centered around a greater truth, brought to you by the master of Japanese animation himself. As for a music recommendation, Watanabe suggested checking out the Boo Radleys' song "Lazarus" for a taste of the series' flavor.
[1] https://anime.kotaku.com/lazarus-the-mind-blowing-new-sci-fi-anime-from-the-c-1849319049[2] https://anime.gizmodo.com/lazarus-adult-swim-s-new-anime-apocalypse-blends-1849333556[3] https://www.tvguide.com/news/lazarus-adult-swim-anime-interview-chad-stahelski-shinichiro-watanabe/[4] https://www.i09.com/shinichiro-watanabe-on-cowboy-bebop-and-lazarus-the-future-of-anime/2022/03/22/22982463/lazarus-cowboy-bebop-interview-watanabe
- The television interview with Shinichiro Watanabe, the famous anime creator, was unusual as he requested to wear sunglasses during the conversation.
- Despite the uncanny resemblance between the lead character in Lazarus and Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop, Shinichiro Watanabe insists that his new sci-fi anime is its own entity.
- The future of anime seems promising with Lazarus, produced by the dream team of MAPPA and Sola Entertainment, featuring collaboration between saxophonist Kamasi Washington, Floating Points, and Bonobo.
- Shinichiro Watanabe, who is often referred to as the Cowboy Bebop guy, has stated that his sunglasses are not rose-tinted eyewear but blinders focused on capturing a more grounded, futuristic series like Lazarus.
