You could call Shinichiro Watanabe's Lazarus a retread of his masterpiece, Cowboy Bebop. Thats not to say the show is bad based on the five episodes Ive seen so far, Lazarus is still an entertaining and stylish ride. But Ive just come to expect more from a legendary creator like Watanabe.Its 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: Hapnas 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.To help find Skinner, the government sets up a covert group named Lazarus made up of convicted criminals. And thats where the similarities come in. Theres the lead, Axel Gilberto, a parkour junkie who resembles Bebops 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 Axels 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 hes just an anthropomorphized version of Bebops adorable pup Ein).Theres a bit of Suicide Squad in the idea of using criminals to find humanitys greatest villain, but Lazarus doesnt really justify why thats the case (that may be answered later in the shows 13-episode run). And youd think there would be more government efforts beyond a group of misfits to accomplish a humanity-saving mission. The Lazarus crew get a few chances to bond throughout each episode, but their interpersonal dynamics feel less organic than the Bebop 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, I didn't have any real understanding of these characters, whereas Bebop delivered the seminal episode Ballad of the Fallen Angels by then.Like Watanabe's Samurai Champloo, Lazarus is best enjoyed if you dont look too closely at its plot holes or contrivances (Axels inhuman parkour abilities make Spike Spiegels antics seem tame in comparison). Its 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, Lazarus by The Boo Radleys); and bone-crunching action choreography by John Wick director Chad Stahelski. Its hard not to appreciate all of the talent involved.Adult SwimBut again, I just wish the whole project felt more original. Lazaruss premise isnt far off from Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, which involved a terrorist plot to deploy nanomachines that would kill everyone on Mars. Its also funny to see the show arrive alongside a more inventive show like Maxs Common Side Effects, which deals with the real-world consequences of miracle drugs that could heal any illness or injury. That shows characters are more grounded and relatable, and it explores why pharmaceutical companies would stop at nothing to kill such a miracle drug.The story began with Dr. Skinner... Is he a saint or a devil? 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). Exactly 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.Adult SwimIts not a huge spoiler to say that Dr. Skinner isnt 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 worlds 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.Throughout flashbacks and short opening monologues, Lazarus gives us glimpses into Hapnas effect on our main characters, all of which is more compelling than the actual quest to find Dr. Skinner. Did the pill really heal everyones pain, or did it just close off their ability to feel true emotions?Im sure newcomers to Watanabes work wont have the same reservations with Lazarus as I do, I just wish the show had the same distinctive identity as his other series. Cowboy Bebop is a jazz-soaked noir; Space Dandy is a hilarious riff on the space opera genre; and Carol and Tuesday is a touching story of two young girls pursuing a pop music career. Lazarus is basically another action thriller, but this time its scored to modern jazz and electronic music.Im holding out hope that Lazarus matures into a more thoughtful show in its second half. But even if it doesnt, its still worth celebrating anything new from Shinichiro Watanabe. There arent many anime directors and writers with his sense of style and excellent taste in music and action cinema. Even if its a lesser Watanabe project, its still more entertaining and creative than the vast majority of shows bombarding us in the streaming TV era, anime or otherwise.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/lazarus-review-wildly-stylish-but-its-no-cowboy-bebop-170300198.html?src=rss