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In a recent interview with Anime News Network, renowned director Shinichiro Watanabe confirmed that Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Space Dandy, Carole & Tuesday, and his upcoming project Lazarus all take place within the same universe.
Watanabe’s confirmation came when asked whether Lazarus takes place in the same universe as his earlier works.
“I’ve always thought my shows took place in the same universe,” he stated.
When pressed further, he responded with a smile, nodding slightly: “Of course“.
In addition to discussing the shared universe, Watanabe shared insights into Lazarus, his upcoming anime project.
For the first time in his career, Watanabe collaborated with a Hollywood director, Chad Stahelski of John Wick fame, for action choreography.
“I’ve always held his John Wick films in high regard. It’s not just the realism of the action, but how modern it feels,” Watanabe explained. “So when I reached out, I was just hoping they could provide some advice. Instead, they said, ‘Leave it to us!’ and offered to handle the choreography themselves.“
Despite initial concerns about the project’s budget, Watanabe emphasized that Stahelski, inspired by Watanabe’s own work, was eager to contribute without hesitation.
“I had to apologize upfront that we didn’t have Hollywood-level budgets, but Chad said, ‘Don’t worry about the cost. Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo have inspired me for years. Let me do this for you,'” Watanabe recalled.
Lazarus is set to premiere in 2025.
The series will feature a score by jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington, and producers, DJs, and musicians Floating Points and Bonobo. Animation for the series will be done by MAPPA while Sola Entertainment handles general production.
Source: ANN
I feel that he said what he wants to be and not what in reality is, let me put something that proves this. Keep in mind this first,Spike Spiegel has 8 years old in lazarus
Lazarus happened in 2052 cowboy bebop in 2071, the major event in the human story in bebop has the astral gate incident happening in 2021 ( https://cowboybebop.fandom.com/wiki/Astral_Gate_accident ) what happen after that beensthat Much of tThelunar debris fell to Earth with the same frequency as rain. The resulting rock showers would devastate the planet’s surface, killing 4.7 billion people. The devastation also destroyed infrastructure, and many records were lost.
In the aftermath of the incident, the human race numbered only 1.5 billion. Rock showers continued, forcing its few remaining denizens to shelter themselves in underground cities. With reconstruction rendered impossible by the rock falls, there was a much bigger incentive for humankind to populate other planets.
so no way lazarus is happening in the same universe of cowboy bebop we see an earth that is not possible to be in bebop