Summary

Lazarus has two versions airing, with the Japanese one being more complete & polished in terms of animation and editing.
The Adult Swim version is not unfinished but lacks the polish of the re-edited Japanese version, which aligns more with Watanabe's vision.
Episodes are not available with Japanese audio yet, with Warner Bros. Discovery plans to add them 30 days after the English debut to synchronize the audio.

Lazarus is a refreshing series for Cowboy Bebop fans, and they are even set in the same universe, only a few years apart from each other in this timeline. The story tackles many contemporary issues, as would be expected from Watanabe.

However, some fans have noticed that the version that airs on Adult Swim and MAX is slightly different from the one that airs on Japanese TV (and maybe in other Asian territories). What could be going on to have two different versions of the same show?

7 Best Anime To Watch If You Like Lazarus

Lazarus is one of the most promising anime of Spring 2025, and for fans who can't get enough, here are some titles that are similar to it.

Posts

By Harry Nugraha

There Are Two Versions of Lazarus Airing Right Now

Lazarus is airing on TV in both the US and Japan, but they are actually slightly different versions. The series was finished a few months ago, but at the end of 2024, Watanabe stated that he still wanted to make a few changes.

So, Japanese TV is airing the re-edited version while Adult Swim is airing the original version. Some fans have compared the two versions on social media:

For now, the differences seem to be minor, but future episodes may include more significant changes to the episode.

Is The Adult Swim Version "Unfinished"?

Adult Swim's version is not exactly unfinished. We could maybe say it is unpolished, or at least not as polished as the re-edited version that is airing in Japan. However, it seems safe to assume that the Japanese version, with retakes, is closer to Watanabe's vision of the show.

It is not clear why Adult Swim decided not to air the re-edited version. It could be that the dubbing was already in the works, and they didn't have enough time to do what they needed to do to get the episodes on the air on time — the episodes are dubbed in many languages on MAX, and this kind of stuff requires a lot of coordination between many teams. Furthermore, it could be due to contractual reasons or any other reason.

Why Aren't Episodes Available With Japanese Audio?

Warner Bros. Discovery announced in February that the episodes with Japanese audio will be added 30 days after the English debut. While there isn't any official note on the reason, it could be related to the fact that the Japanese version is the re-edited version, and thus they might use this time to synchronize the English audio in this new version (which seems more likely than having two versions of the same series on the service).

What Exactly Is Lazarus About?

In the story, a brilliant scientist called Dr. Skinner created a "miracle drug" that could cure anything. However, he didn't reveal that the drug has a lethal side effect: everyone will die three years after taking it. It also makes a few additions to Cowboy Bebop's universe. Skinner has long been an environmental activist, and it seems like he did it to purge humankind due to their mistakes. Now a team has been assembled to find him and get a vaccine or a cure for the drug.

Watanabe said in an interview that he took inspiration from the current opioid crisis, and he was very affected by the death of Prince (who accidentally died of a fentanyl overdose).

So, I wouldn't want to impose a certain message about it, but I would want people to feel a certain way and think about it after seeing the whole 13 episodes.

— Shinichiro Watanabe

He suggested that there is a message that he wants the audience to think about, but he hasn't revealed what he is trying to convey with the story (probably because it would probably ruin the experience of discovering it episode by episode).

Lazarus airs Saturday nights on Adult Swim's Toonami. The episodes are added to MAX the following day.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image