“Sixteen Candles” actor Gedde Watanabe says it “didn’t really occur” to him in 1984 that his character Long Duk Dong “was a stereotype.”
“It didn’t really occur to me that it was a stereotype, because there wasn’t really anything out there for Asian actors at the time,” Watanabe told People magazine. “It was just so scarce. So I didn’t think it was stereotypical or racist. Isn’t that weird?”
In fact, Chinese exchange student Long Duk Dong exemplified anti-stereotypes in his social standing in the teen film, according to the actor. Long Duk Dong parties, becomes popular, and even gets a girlfriend despite speaking in broken English.
“That was really unusual in a sense, for the Asian character to get the girl and party and be in bliss like that,” he said. Watanabe was being interviewed as part of the magazine’s 40th anniversary celebration of the John Hughes film.
“It didn’t really occur to me that it was a stereotype, because there wasn’t really anything out there for Asian actors at the time,” Watanabe told People magazine. “It was just so scarce. So I didn’t think it was stereotypical or racist. Isn’t that weird?”
In fact, Chinese exchange student Long Duk Dong exemplified anti-stereotypes in his social standing in the teen film, according to the actor. Long Duk Dong parties, becomes popular, and even gets a girlfriend despite speaking in broken English.
“That was really unusual in a sense, for the Asian character to get the girl and party and be in bliss like that,” he said. Watanabe was being interviewed as part of the magazine’s 40th anniversary celebration of the John Hughes film.
- 5/6/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Ken Watanabe, the Oscar-nominated actor who is a star of the Emmy-buzzed HBO/Max drama series Tokyo Vice — he plays Hiroto Katagiri, a detective in the organized crime division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and a father-figure to Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort), an American journalist in Tokyo — is being entered for Emmys consideration as a leading actor just like Elgort, contrary to widespread reporting that he would be pushed as a supporting actor, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Tokyo Vice is currently in the awards conversation for its second season, which has been even better received (93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) than its first (released in April 2022, it’s at 85 percent), and has been the most widely watched Max original on the platform since it dropped. It is competing in a year in which the Emmys’ drama categories are thin to an almost unprecedented degree, with only one past drama...
Tokyo Vice is currently in the awards conversation for its second season, which has been even better received (93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) than its first (released in April 2022, it’s at 85 percent), and has been the most widely watched Max original on the platform since it dropped. It is competing in a year in which the Emmys’ drama categories are thin to an almost unprecedented degree, with only one past drama...
- 5/6/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This article contains mild spoilers for Shōgun and major ones for The Last Samurai.
A lonely Westerner who seems lost before he even steps off his ship; a strange land filled with ritualized grace and deadly niceties; and a culture shock that is both intoxicating and intimidating—even before our stranger sees the samurai masks and katana blades come out. This could very well be a description of the odyssey which English seaman John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) finds himself on in FX’s astonishing new limited series, Shōgun. Yet I’m actually describing a popular Tom Cruise vehicle loosely set in the same aesthetic: The Last Samurai.
Released in December 2003 to positive reviews and impressive box office (back when adult-skewing dramas could regularly net $454 million at the world box office), director Edward Zwick’s The Last Samurai was applauded in its time for its pensive soulfulness and kinetic action sequences.
A lonely Westerner who seems lost before he even steps off his ship; a strange land filled with ritualized grace and deadly niceties; and a culture shock that is both intoxicating and intimidating—even before our stranger sees the samurai masks and katana blades come out. This could very well be a description of the odyssey which English seaman John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) finds himself on in FX’s astonishing new limited series, Shōgun. Yet I’m actually describing a popular Tom Cruise vehicle loosely set in the same aesthetic: The Last Samurai.
Released in December 2003 to positive reviews and impressive box office (back when adult-skewing dramas could regularly net $454 million at the world box office), director Edward Zwick’s The Last Samurai was applauded in its time for its pensive soulfulness and kinetic action sequences.
- 4/23/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Spoiler Alert: This interview contains spoilers for the Season 2 finale of “Tokyo Vice,” now streaming on Max.
Season 2 of “Tokyo Vice,” the neo-noir crime drama set in Tokyo, Japan, and loosely based on a memoir written by journalist Jake Adelstein, has come to a close in an explosive finale that both sent off the series’ main, two-season running antagonist — and laid the foundation for what could potentially come from the Max thriller if a third season were to be greenlit.
The show stars Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe, and tells the story of a Japanese-fluent American writer (Elgort) who works his way into covering crime for one of Tokyo’s most prominent newspapers. In the process, he forges an unlikely bond with a dogged local police detective, Hiroto Katagiri (Watanabe), with the duo sharing information and working together to untangle sordid yakuza activities.
Before diving into the specifics of the finale,...
Season 2 of “Tokyo Vice,” the neo-noir crime drama set in Tokyo, Japan, and loosely based on a memoir written by journalist Jake Adelstein, has come to a close in an explosive finale that both sent off the series’ main, two-season running antagonist — and laid the foundation for what could potentially come from the Max thriller if a third season were to be greenlit.
The show stars Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe, and tells the story of a Japanese-fluent American writer (Elgort) who works his way into covering crime for one of Tokyo’s most prominent newspapers. In the process, he forges an unlikely bond with a dogged local police detective, Hiroto Katagiri (Watanabe), with the duo sharing information and working together to untangle sordid yakuza activities.
Before diving into the specifics of the finale,...
- 4/4/2024
- by Diego Ramos Bechara
- Variety Film + TV
Spoiler Alert: This interview contains spoilers from the Season 2 premiere of HBO’s “Tokyo Vice,” now streaming on Max.
“Jake is being a very bad boy…”
That’s how Ken Watanabe, who plays detective Hiroto Katagiri, described Jake Adelstein’s (Ansel Elgort) actions at the end of “Tokyo Vice’s” Season 2 premiere. The second season picks off right where Season 1 ended in April 2022 and plugs viewers back into the neon-lit streets of Tokyo’s underbelly.
Loosely based on the memoir written by journalist Jake Adelstein, “Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan,” the show follows Adelstein as he works with detective Katagiri to expose the atrocities committed by the yakuza and dismantle organized crime in the city.
The jaw-dropping Season 2 premiere, which debuted on Max with two episodes, saw Jake, the Japan-based journalist, for lack of a better phrase, “sealing the deal” with Shinzo Tozawa’s (Ayumi Tanida) girlfriend,...
“Jake is being a very bad boy…”
That’s how Ken Watanabe, who plays detective Hiroto Katagiri, described Jake Adelstein’s (Ansel Elgort) actions at the end of “Tokyo Vice’s” Season 2 premiere. The second season picks off right where Season 1 ended in April 2022 and plugs viewers back into the neon-lit streets of Tokyo’s underbelly.
Loosely based on the memoir written by journalist Jake Adelstein, “Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan,” the show follows Adelstein as he works with detective Katagiri to expose the atrocities committed by the yakuza and dismantle organized crime in the city.
The jaw-dropping Season 2 premiere, which debuted on Max with two episodes, saw Jake, the Japan-based journalist, for lack of a better phrase, “sealing the deal” with Shinzo Tozawa’s (Ayumi Tanida) girlfriend,...
- 2/9/2024
- by Diego Ramos Bechara
- Variety Film + TV
The Straw Hat Pirates are growing their ranks.
The audience for Netflix’s One Piece ballooned during the series’ first full week on the service, tallying 19.3M views from September 4 to September 10 and easily making it to the top of Netflix’s English-language TV list for the week. The audience is up nearly a million views from last week, when the adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s manga accumulated 18.5M views in its premiere weekend.
The eight-episode series still has a ways to go before it could land on the all-time most popular list, but 37.8M views in less than two weeks is still quite a feat. And there’s plenty of time left in the series’ 91-day premiere window to make it happen.
This is quite the win for Netflix, which threw significant resources into the adaptation. There was certainly a lot riding on One Piece, since it was a...
The audience for Netflix’s One Piece ballooned during the series’ first full week on the service, tallying 19.3M views from September 4 to September 10 and easily making it to the top of Netflix’s English-language TV list for the week. The audience is up nearly a million views from last week, when the adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s manga accumulated 18.5M views in its premiere weekend.
The eight-episode series still has a ways to go before it could land on the all-time most popular list, but 37.8M views in less than two weeks is still quite a feat. And there’s plenty of time left in the series’ 91-day premiere window to make it happen.
This is quite the win for Netflix, which threw significant resources into the adaptation. There was certainly a lot riding on One Piece, since it was a...
- 9/12/2023
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
In 2021, former child star Ke Huy Quan (1984’s “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and 1985’s “The Goonies”) ended his two-decade acting hiatus by appearing in the Netflix movie “Finding ‘Ohana.” He then took on his ninth feature film role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which has made him one of the season’s most-lauded individuals. His next industry stop is the Screen Actors Guild Awards, where he stands a strong chance of achieving both supporting actor and ensemble victories.
Along with “The Banshees of Inisherin” pair Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan, Quan is one of three overall SAG Awards newcomers in this year’s supporting actor lineup. They and fellow nominee Paul Dano (“The Fabelmans”) are also going against each other in the ensemble category, where Dano previously triumphed as part of the cast of 2006’s “Little Miss Sunshine.” The last supporting slot is filled by Eddie Redmayne...
Along with “The Banshees of Inisherin” pair Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan, Quan is one of three overall SAG Awards newcomers in this year’s supporting actor lineup. They and fellow nominee Paul Dano (“The Fabelmans”) are also going against each other in the ensemble category, where Dano previously triumphed as part of the cast of 2006’s “Little Miss Sunshine.” The last supporting slot is filled by Eddie Redmayne...
- 2/8/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Shin’ichirô Watanabe, a key member of the original Cowboy Bebop‘s creative team, has weighed in on Netflix’s recent live-action take — and it’s safe to say he wasn’t a fan.
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check. It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue,” said Watanabe, who wrote and directed several episodes of the late-’90s anime series, in a recent Forbes interview. “I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop,...
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check. It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue,” said Watanabe, who wrote and directed several episodes of the late-’90s anime series, in a recent Forbes interview. “I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop,...
- 1/30/2023
- by Rebecca Iannucci
- TVLine.com
It’s safe to say Shinichirō Watanabe wasn’t sorry when Netflix canceled its live-action Cowboy Bebop series in December 2021 after less than three weeks of streaming. Watanabe, director of the original 1998 anime series, said the updated version was “clearly not Cowboy Bebop.” “For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check,” Watanabe told Forbes in a new interview. “It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be Cowboy Bebop. I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.” Developed by Christopher Yost (The Mandalorian), Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop starred John Cho,...
- 1/28/2023
- TV Insider
It's been over a year since Netflix's live-action adaptation of "Cowboy Bebop" began then ended, but it was clear the project was a misfire long before now. The series was canceled three weeks after premiere, lightning speed even by Netflix standards. It turns out that one of those disappointed was the anime's primary creator, animation director Shinichirō Watanabe (he and his team are collectively credited as the creator "Hajime Yatate").
Before Netflix's "Cowboy Bebop" premiered, Watanabe revealed he'd been asked for his input: "I read the initial concept and provided my opinions, but I'm not sure if they will be reflected in the final product." He added that his suggestions being ignored would "leave a bad taste in [his] mouth," but to avoid making the crew's jobs tougher, he would simply hope it "turn[ed] out good." His hopes weren't met.
Watanabe recently spoke with Forbes. Topics ranged from how he...
Before Netflix's "Cowboy Bebop" premiered, Watanabe revealed he'd been asked for his input: "I read the initial concept and provided my opinions, but I'm not sure if they will be reflected in the final product." He added that his suggestions being ignored would "leave a bad taste in [his] mouth," but to avoid making the crew's jobs tougher, he would simply hope it "turn[ed] out good." His hopes weren't met.
Watanabe recently spoke with Forbes. Topics ranged from how he...
- 1/28/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
ShinichirÅ. Watanabe, director of the original Cowboy Bebop, has criticised the recent Netflix version.
The anime series was given a live-action reboot on the streaming service in 2021, and was cancelled after just one season.
Watanabe has now shared his judgement on the end product, which was developed by Thor: Ragnarok co-writer Christopher Yost – and revealed that he couldn’t make it past one scene.
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check,” Watanabe said.
“It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene.”
He added: “It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop and I realised at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be Cowboy Bebop.
“I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.
The anime series was given a live-action reboot on the streaming service in 2021, and was cancelled after just one season.
Watanabe has now shared his judgement on the end product, which was developed by Thor: Ragnarok co-writer Christopher Yost – and revealed that he couldn’t make it past one scene.
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check,” Watanabe said.
“It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene.”
He added: “It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop and I realised at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be Cowboy Bebop.
“I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.
- 1/28/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - TV
Shinichiro Watanabe couldn’t make it past the opening scene of the Netflix live-action adaptation of his anime classic, Cowboy Bebop.
In talking with Forbes, Watanabe said Netflix sent him “a video to review and check.” But he couldn’t bear to see more than a few minutes of it.
“It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue,” Watanabe said. “I stopped there, and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop, and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be Cowboy Bebop. I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.”
Netflix brought Watanabe into the project as a consultant. But Watanabe claimed in a 2019 interview that any comments he made on the manuscript were likely not heeded.
In talking with Forbes, Watanabe said Netflix sent him “a video to review and check.” But he couldn’t bear to see more than a few minutes of it.
“It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue,” Watanabe said. “I stopped there, and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop, and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be Cowboy Bebop. I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.”
Netflix brought Watanabe into the project as a consultant. But Watanabe claimed in a 2019 interview that any comments he made on the manuscript were likely not heeded.
- 1/28/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the iconic anime series Cowboy Bebop was heavily hyped prior to its release, but the series received lackluster reviews, and Netflix officially cancelled it soon after. While speaking with Forbes, Shinichiro Watanabe, who directed the original Cowboy Bebop anime series, shared his reaction to the live-action Netflix adaptation.
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check,” Watanabe explained. “It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be Cowboy Bebop. I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.” Many Cowboy Bebop fans had a similar reaction to the Netflix series,...
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check,” Watanabe explained. “It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not Cowboy Bebop and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be Cowboy Bebop. I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.” Many Cowboy Bebop fans had a similar reaction to the Netflix series,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Netflix’s 2021 live-action “Cowboy Bebop” remake was canceled after one season and 10 episodes, a big failure for what was supposed to launch a blockbuster new series for the streaming platform. In a new interview with Forbes, Shinichirō Watanabe, who served as the original director of the Japanese anime series, said he stopped watching the live-action Netflix remake after just one scene because it didn’t feel like the anime classic he helped create.
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check,” Watanabe said. “It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene.”
He continued, “It was clearly not ‘Cowboy Bebop’ and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be ‘Cowboy Bebop.’ I felt that maybe I should have done this.
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check,” Watanabe said. “It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene.”
He continued, “It was clearly not ‘Cowboy Bebop’ and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be ‘Cowboy Bebop.’ I felt that maybe I should have done this.
- 1/27/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Right after 3, 2, 1, Shinichiro Watanabe couldn’t go anymore.
The “Cowboy Bebop” anime creator revealed that the Netflix live-action adaptation of the noir series was “tough” to watch. Starring John Cho, the short-lived series was canceled by the streamer three weeks after its premiere in November 2021.
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check,” Watanabe told Forbes. “It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not ‘Cowboy Bebop’ and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be ‘Cowboy Bebop.'”
He added, “I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.”
Billed as not a remake, the series garnered poor reviews.
“Once you have a successful title,...
The “Cowboy Bebop” anime creator revealed that the Netflix live-action adaptation of the noir series was “tough” to watch. Starring John Cho, the short-lived series was canceled by the streamer three weeks after its premiere in November 2021.
“For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check,” Watanabe told Forbes. “It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue. I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene. It was clearly not ‘Cowboy Bebop’ and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be ‘Cowboy Bebop.'”
He added, “I felt that maybe I should have done this. Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now.”
Billed as not a remake, the series garnered poor reviews.
“Once you have a successful title,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Just two years have passed since Youn Yuh-jung broke new ground at the 27th Screen Actors Guild Awards by becoming the first performer of Asian descent to triumph in any individual film category. Now, the Korean Best Supporting Actress winner for “Minari” will likely be joined in this regard by “Everything Everywhere All at Once” costars Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, who were both born to Chinese families. She would be the first Asian Best Film Actress recipient, while he would be the first Asian winner of either individual male film trophy.
Yeoh and Quan’s performances as married couple Evelyn and Waymond Wang in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” have earned them the number one spots on Gold Derby’s Best Film Actress and Supporting Actor predictions lists. They and their cast mates also appear to be the ones to beat in this year’s ensemble race, while...
Yeoh and Quan’s performances as married couple Evelyn and Waymond Wang in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” have earned them the number one spots on Gold Derby’s Best Film Actress and Supporting Actor predictions lists. They and their cast mates also appear to be the ones to beat in this year’s ensemble race, while...
- 1/10/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Aoi Takeya will make his television debut in the HBO Max series Tokyo Vice‘s second season.
He will portray the character of Jason Oki, a Japanese-American member of the US Foreign Service who gets pulled into Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort) and his colleagues’ hunt to uncover the secrets of yakuza crime lord Shinzo Tozawa (Ayumi Tanida).
Tokyo Vice is loosely inspired by American journalist Jake Adelstein’s nonfiction firsthand account of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police beat. The crime drama, filmed on location in Tokyo, captures Adelstein’s daily descent into the neon-soaked underbelly of Tokyo in the late ‘90s, where nothing and no one is truly what or who they seem.
Ken Watanabe plays Hiroto Katagiri, a detective in the organized crime division of the Tokyo Police Department who is also a father figure to Jake throughout the series as he helps guide him along the thin and...
He will portray the character of Jason Oki, a Japanese-American member of the US Foreign Service who gets pulled into Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort) and his colleagues’ hunt to uncover the secrets of yakuza crime lord Shinzo Tozawa (Ayumi Tanida).
Tokyo Vice is loosely inspired by American journalist Jake Adelstein’s nonfiction firsthand account of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police beat. The crime drama, filmed on location in Tokyo, captures Adelstein’s daily descent into the neon-soaked underbelly of Tokyo in the late ‘90s, where nothing and no one is truly what or who they seem.
Ken Watanabe plays Hiroto Katagiri, a detective in the organized crime division of the Tokyo Police Department who is also a father figure to Jake throughout the series as he helps guide him along the thin and...
- 11/10/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Shinichirō Watanabe's "Cowboy Bebop" defies genre expectations. It is a sci-fi ballad and a space Western with noir elements, sporting themes that are hopelessly bleak and existentialist. The anime's protagonist, Spike Spiegel, is not your conventional hero: he's a green-haired space cowboy who puts his life on the line to put food on the table, with a "whatever happens, happens" attitude to help him stumble through life. The rest of the characters struggle to figure out their place in a dystopian, fragmented world, where everyone is out to achieve their goals, no matter the cost.
The sprawling, diverse world of "Cowboy Bebop" is perhaps the anime's greatest strength, as it functions as more than a mere backdrop to a compelling story with relatable characters. Most importantly, Watanabe was able to portray the complexities of human nature while merging it with futuristic aesthetics that are not solely ornamental. There's the thrill of bounty hunting,...
The sprawling, diverse world of "Cowboy Bebop" is perhaps the anime's greatest strength, as it functions as more than a mere backdrop to a compelling story with relatable characters. Most importantly, Watanabe was able to portray the complexities of human nature while merging it with futuristic aesthetics that are not solely ornamental. There's the thrill of bounty hunting,...
- 10/2/2022
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
No one expected "Cowboy Bebop" to be a major success — especially not the people that were bankrolling the production. The series creators actually stretched their budget so thin that they angered executives and shareholders. The studio was concerned that "Bebop" wouldn't resonate with enough viewers, and even the show's animator and director Shin'ichirô Watanabe didn't expect it to take off. Despite the lack of faith in the project, it would become one of the most globally beloved animes of all time.
"Cowboy Bebop" was born from a meeting between Watanabe and Masahiko Minami, who would later become the show's producer. "[Minami] approached me to ask if I had any good ideas for a new project," Watanabe recalled to Otaquest. "After about 2-3 days of deliberating, something I had thrown together over the course of an hour known only as 'Bebop' surfaced."
The series originally got its funding from an unexpected source — the Japanese toy company,...
"Cowboy Bebop" was born from a meeting between Watanabe and Masahiko Minami, who would later become the show's producer. "[Minami] approached me to ask if I had any good ideas for a new project," Watanabe recalled to Otaquest. "After about 2-3 days of deliberating, something I had thrown together over the course of an hour known only as 'Bebop' surfaced."
The series originally got its funding from an unexpected source — the Japanese toy company,...
- 10/1/2022
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
Most fashion designers cite an era, a group of people, or maybe a vibe as inspiration for their collections. But Junya Watanabe is not most fashion designers. For his Fall/Winter 2022 collection, the elusive Japanese designer took inspiration from a single person: Jamiroquai front-man Jay Kay.
Although best known for performing Jamiroquai songs like “Virtual Insanity” and “Space Cowboy,” Kay is also famous for his sense of style during Jamiroquai’s heyday in the mid-Nineties. For his looks (both onstage and off), the acid jazz and funk singer combined inspirations...
Although best known for performing Jamiroquai songs like “Virtual Insanity” and “Space Cowboy,” Kay is also famous for his sense of style during Jamiroquai’s heyday in the mid-Nineties. For his looks (both onstage and off), the acid jazz and funk singer combined inspirations...
- 9/15/2022
- by Oscar Hartzog
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: Foundation Media Partners has secured exclusive book, film and documentary rights to the life story of Terry Watanabe, the notorious gambling addict who made history as Las Vegas’ biggest ever whale, losing over 200 million in a single year after gambling an unprecedented 825 million.
While it’s as yet unclear what exactly will come from the deal, Foundation Media plans to adapt the cautionary tale into a feature film, documentary and/or book, while collaborating with Watanabe himself. It will be the first time the legendary whale speaks out on his experience since settling a lawsuit with an undisclosed casino group in 2010, with no official adaptation of his story having previously been announced.
Watanabe’s downfall is perhaps the most epic and pitiful in Las Vegas gambling history. The Omaha native with a keen eye for marketing and selecting merchandise built his massive fortune after acquiring his father’s humble trade business,...
While it’s as yet unclear what exactly will come from the deal, Foundation Media plans to adapt the cautionary tale into a feature film, documentary and/or book, while collaborating with Watanabe himself. It will be the first time the legendary whale speaks out on his experience since settling a lawsuit with an undisclosed casino group in 2010, with no official adaptation of his story having previously been announced.
Watanabe’s downfall is perhaps the most epic and pitiful in Las Vegas gambling history. The Omaha native with a keen eye for marketing and selecting merchandise built his massive fortune after acquiring his father’s humble trade business,...
- 9/15/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
If you were an unsuspecting late-night Cartoon Network viewer in 2001, you likely witnessed the birth of "Adult Swim." And, if you were there, then it is safe to say that one of your formative introductions to anime involved some loud horns blaring at the stroke of midnight, followed by the funkiest bass strings you'd ever heard. That's when you knew, deep down, that something different was happening.
"Cowboy Bebop" is, without question, one of the most highly regarded anime series of all time. With its rugged, quirky characters, fantastic animation, and epic score, the show has served as a welcome introduction to anime for many fans. Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, "Cowboy Bebop" follows a crew of intergalactic bounty hunters as they travel across the galaxy aboard their ship, the Bebop, collecting bounties for the Inter Solar System Police. These assignments frequently land the team in chaotic situations that see their...
"Cowboy Bebop" is, without question, one of the most highly regarded anime series of all time. With its rugged, quirky characters, fantastic animation, and epic score, the show has served as a welcome introduction to anime for many fans. Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, "Cowboy Bebop" follows a crew of intergalactic bounty hunters as they travel across the galaxy aboard their ship, the Bebop, collecting bounties for the Inter Solar System Police. These assignments frequently land the team in chaotic situations that see their...
- 8/26/2022
- by Rafiq Taylor
- Slash Film
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