From the musical score to the retro western aesthetic, the charm of Cowboy Bebop is unparalleled. An attempt was made in 2021 to bring back that charm through a live-action adaptation. However, the reception of the live-action turned out to be mixed with fans expressing their disappointment and listing out all the flaws with the series. Even before it aired, fans stated many problems with some of the creative decisions in the live-action adaptation.
One of them being the character of Faye Valentine, fans believed that the live-action was missing the mark with Faye’s costume which is a huge part of her character. The designer who worked on the series spoke about the costume designing for the characters in an interview.
Faye Valentine And All the Criticism Directed at Her
Played by Daniella Pineda in the live-action, Faye Valentine is an iconic female character. Even years after the anime was first released, many fans still cosplay her at conventions and events. This is because of her stunning character design. Her appearance is both bold and beautiful. She enchants the viewers with her appearance and her costume plays a huge role in that effect. When the live-action versions of the characters were released for the first time, fans were upset with Faye’s costume.
Opposed to the bright yellow two-piece, Faye’s costume was an ensemble of different articles. The bright yellow color scheme present in the original outfit was replaced with a mix of black, maroon, and yellow. From being too modest to not having the same appeal, the new costume bore the brunt of heavy criticism.
In an interview with Anime News Network, Jane Holland, the costume designer, opened up about her thought process behind the costume.
To the fans I would say … you know as well as I do, there’s way more to Faye than a skimpy costume. For me, and I hope for you too, the spirit of Faye Valentine is alive and well in the series.
Holland also shared that the primary focus behind the costume was to create something functional for the filming and the action sequences. There was a lot of contemplation regarding different combinations. In the end, they stuck with a bold street style. While the costume on its own is pretty spectacular, compared to the original one, it lacks the signature essence of Faye Valentine.
There’s More To Faye than her Appearance
The designer put it quite succinctly that Faye is more than just her skimpy costume. She’s an extremely complex character who hides behind a gorgeous and conceited exterior. She masks herself to be perceived a certain way that helps her in luring her opponents into her trap. There’s no denying that her character is often objectified and her appearance does play a part in it.
However, it also plays a significant role for the story as well. Daniella Pineda’s Faye is her own version of the character, with some core characteristics of the original missing in it. She’s undoubtedly extremely gorgeous and radiates the same energy as Faye in some moments. A good example of retaining the essence of the character while ensuring a more practical appearance is Emily Rudd’s Nami in One Piece Live-Action.
She dresses and acts like Nami and her costumes are not as skimpy in the live-action and maintain the feel of the anime. Whereas Faye’s costume feels more like a parody of her anime counterpart. There was never a need to replicate the anime exactly as it was, but the answer to whether this creative decision worked well for the live-action is not as affirmative.
Cowboy Bebop Live-Action is available to stream on Netflix.
