Despite having aired more than twenty years ago, Cowboy Bebop still remains today one of the most iconic works of the Japanese animated universe. And if the anime series was found to have a resounding success, impossible to overcome as regards its version in paper format, we must attribute the credit not only to the director Shinichiro Watanabe but also to the one who took care of the composition of the anime. , the Japanese Keiko Nobumoto .
When it first came out, Cowboy Bebop was a revelation among the series back then: it boasted spectacular fight scenes and superbly crafted designs. Everything was further enhanced by the masterful soundtrack, authored by the famous Yoko Kanno. In addition to this, the way the script was handled in the anime elevated the work in an overwhelming way, even in comparison to the manga (created shortly after), which was unable to expose the stories in an equally fun and exciting way.
The screenwriter Nobumoto, however, did not only work on Cowboy Bebop, participating with the director Watanabe in the writing of other well-known works, such as Macross Plus, Space Dandy, Samurai Champloo, and Tokyo Godfather, then also touching video games with the saga Kingdom Hearts videogame. Unfortunately, in the past few hours, the sad news of her passing has been learned through the words of her colleague Dai Sato.
Farewell to the writer of Cowboy Bebop: See You, Space Keiko.
The name Cowboy Bebop was proposed by Nobumoto, declaring herself a big fan of Jamiroquai ‘s song “Space Cowboy” , and considering it an appropriate title for the story of a band of bounty hunters and their raids within the galaxy.
Although Watanabe’s talent as a director certainly had a weight in the fame the anime has received, it remains undeniable how she has taken on a fundamental role within the production, bringing Japanese animation fans to creations considered to be of the pillars of the industry.
Keiko Nobumoto, scriptwriter behind popular anime titles such as Cowboy Bebop, Wolf's Rain and Tokyo Godfathers, passed away on December 1st. She was battling esophageal cancer. May her soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/LLSB3akytU
— リボレクさん (@liborek3) December 10, 2021
In announcing the sad news on his Facebook and Twitter profile, Dai Sato exposes his thoughts and considerations on Nobumoto’s innate abilities. She was the screenwriter of some key episodes of Cowboy Bebop, including the famous finale titled The Real Folk Blues. The author allegedly died on December 1, following the struggle she was facing with esophageal cancer and passed away at the age of 57.
The thoughts of the fans and the editorial team go to the family of Keiko Nobumoto, who will surely be remembered for the great contribution they made to the Japanese animation industry.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
