It\u2019s set in the year 2052, a near-future when a renowned neuroscientist released Hapna, a drug that can erase all pain. If that sounds too good to be true, it is: Hapna\u2019s creator Dr. Skinner reveals to the world that everyone who took the drug will eventually die. And then he disappears. Like an evil Willy Wonka, he announces one hope for survival: Find him in 30 days, or humanity is doomed.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n To help find Skinner, the government sets up a covert group named Lazarus made up of convicted criminals. And that\u2019s where the similarities come in. There\u2019s the lead, Axel Gilberto, a parkour junkie who resembles Bebop\u2019s reckless and carefree Spike Spiegel. Rounding out the team is Christine, a gorgeous femme fatale; Eleina, a bright young hacker; and Doug, a gruff investigator who has little patience for Axel\u2019s shit. Those are all clear analogs to the Bebop crew of Faye, Ed and Jet. The one new element of the team is Leland, a cute college student who takes on various roles during the show (perhaps he\u2019s just an anthropomorphized version of Bebop<\/em>\u2019s adorable pup Ein).<\/p>\n There\u2019s a bit of Suicide Squad <\/em>in the idea of using criminals to find humanity\u2019s greatest villain, but Lazarus<\/em> doesn\u2019t really justify why that\u2019s the case (that may be answered later in the show\u2019s 13-episode run). And you\u2019d think there would be more government efforts beyond a group of misfits to accomplish a humanity-saving mission. The Lazarus<\/em> crew get a few chances to bond throughout each episode, but their interpersonal dynamics feel less organic than the Bebop<\/em> characters, whose relationships were enriched by the pressure-cooker environment of an interplanetery spaceship, ever-present economic struggle and compelling backstories. By episode five of Lazarus<\/em>, I didn't have any real understanding of these characters, whereas Bebop<\/em> delivered the seminal episode Ballad of the Fallen Angels<\/em> by then.<\/p>\n Like Watanabe's Samurai Champloo<\/em>, Lazarus<\/em> is best enjoyed if you don\u2019t look too closely at its plot holes or contrivances (Axel\u2019s inhuman parkour abilities make Spike Spiegel\u2019s antics seem tame in comparison). It\u2019s better to sit back and enjoy the incredibly stylish vibes. That includes wonderfully fluid animation by Mappa; a catchy soundtrack by Kamasi Washington, Floating Points and Bonobo (with a great ending theme, \u201cLazarus\u201d by The Boo Radleys); and bone-crunching action choreography by John Wick<\/em> director Chad Stahelski. It\u2019s hard not to appreciate all of the talent involved.<\/p>\n But again, I just wish the whole project felt more original. Lazarus\u2019s<\/em> premise isn\u2019t far off from Cowboy Bebop: The Movie<\/em>, which involved a terrorist plot to deploy nanomachines that would kill everyone on Mars. It\u2019s also funny to see the show arrive alongside a more inventive show like Max\u2019s Common Side Effects<\/em>, which deals with the real-world consequences of miracle drugs that could heal any illness or injury. That show\u2019s characters are more grounded and relatable, and it explores why pharmaceutical companies would stop at nothing to kill such a miracle drug.<\/p>\n \u201cThe story began with Dr. Skinner… Is he a saint or a devil?\u201d Watanabe said on the Engadget podcast via a translator (while he relaxed in shades with a mountain of records behind him, like the absolute boss he is). \u201cExactly what does he want to do? That was a big initial driving part of the story. … What you initially thought of Skinner at [the] start may change throughout the 13 episodes.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s not a huge spoiler to say that Dr. Skinner isn\u2019t always portrayed as a villain in the show. Before the release of Hapna, he was a famous neuroscientist who pushed humanity to respond to the climate crisis. But instead of listening to him, the world\u2019s countries chose to pursue profit over the future of humanity. With that in mind, it's no shock Watanabe says the inspiration for Hapna was, in part, the opioid crisis.<\/p>\n Throughout flashbacks and short opening monologues, Lazarus<\/em> gives us glimpses into Hapna\u2019s effect on our main characters, all of which is more compelling than the actual quest to find Dr. Skinner. Did the pill really heal everyone\u2019s pain, or did it just close off their ability to feel true emotions? <\/p>\n I\u2019m sure newcomers to Watanabe\u2019s work won\u2019t have the same reservations with Lazarus<\/em> as I do, I just wish the show had the same distinctive identity as his other series. Cowboy Bebop<\/em> is a jazz-soaked noir; Space Dandy <\/em>is a hilarious riff on the space opera genre; and Carol and Tuesday<\/em> is a touching story of two young girls pursuing a pop music career. Lazarus<\/em> is basically another action thriller, but this time it\u2019s scored to modern jazz and electronic music.<\/p>\n I\u2019m holding out hope that Lazarus<\/em> matures into a more thoughtful show in its second half. But even if it doesn\u2019t, it\u2019s still worth celebrating anything new from Shinichiro Watanabe. There aren\u2019t many anime directors and writers with his sense of style and excellent taste in music and action cinema. Even if it\u2019s a lesser Watanabe project, it\u2019s still more entertaining and creative than the vast majority of shows bombarding us in the streaming TV era, anime or otherwise.<\/p>\n Lazarus premieres on April 5 on Adult Swim, and it'll be available on Max the day after<\/em>. Subtitled episodes will be available 30 days after their English dubbed versions.<\/em><\/p>\n