Maybe you should now stop comparing Lazarus with Cowboy Bebop? It’s been a while since there’s this constant back-and-forth debate going on in some communities, where some saying Lazarus is just a cheap knockoff or Cowboy Bebop 2! Some are even dissing the animation for no reason.
The two shows certainly do share some similarities, but that can be seen anywhere, and it doesn’t mean Lazarus is just a copycat. So what exactly makes Lazarus such a unique show, from the bits and pieces we have gotten to know so far? Here’s a little trivia on the things that are making Lazarus one of a kind and obviously not anything like Cowboy Bebop, at least!
Lazarus is NOT a Cowboy Bebop rip-off!
It’s shamefully disrespectful to call Lazarus‘ art style a cheap knockoff of Cowboy Bebop, and those who think so should have an eye checkup ASAP. It’s not only unfair to the artists behind it, but also throwing trash at the OG Cowboy Bebop series.
As we got Shinichiro Watanabe as the director for both Cowboy Bebop and now Lazarus, it’s only natural for the series to have some kind of similar vibe, but clearly, Lazarus isn’t copying anyone! In fact, even a quick glance at the character designs makes it obvious how different Lazarus is.
Still, if you actually compare the character designs, you’ll see that they’re pretty distinct at a core level. As an avid Reddit user also pointed out, Lazarus is going for a street fashion-esque aesthetic, while Cowboy Bebop has more of a rogue, 90s sci-fi fashion.
Also, in case you don’t know, the character designer for Lazarus, Akemi Hayashi, is someone not to underestimate, as she previously worked on the anime adaptation of Banana Fish, which had pretty impressive action animation. If you know anything about her other works like Violet Evergarden, Space Dandy, etc, then you must be excited about Lazarus too.
How good the animation in the Lazarus promotional trailer was?
After such a long wait, when the 2nd Lazarus promotional trailer finally got released, some people started saying that the animation quality in it was a massive letdown! However, this is quite an unpopular opinion, and only a very few people think so, but it’s still worth addressing.
So, the thing that you need to understand is that Lazarus is just a 13-episode series from MAPPA, and while they’re indeed known for their amazing animation, they’re not exactly as consistent as some other studios like Kyoto Animation or WIT.
As a matter of fact, even though several studios nowadays are trying their best to push the boundaries and deliver some of the best animation ever, at the same time, this creates some pretty unrealistic expectations. And so, when a show doesn’t meet these crazy-high standards, people start trash-talking about the studio and sometimes even the whole production at large!
That’s why Lazarus might not have the most mind-blowing animation out there, but that doesn’t mean it will not be an awesome show. From the things that we know so far, it will have a great story, memorable characters, and obviously a touch of Shinichiro Watanabe’s expertise. So, why not just chill and appreciate it for what it is and not constantly compare it to Cowboy Bebop?
Lazarus is going to be released in April 2025.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
