[TV] Netflix announced a Live Action Cowboy Bebop adaptation

[Jotaux]

I found it entertaining but I have one question since I haven't watched the anime. Am I supposed to be sympathetic towards Julia? I think it would have helped with the ending but I just didn't really care for her.

[Biomega]

I found it entertaining but I have one question since I haven't watched the anime. Am I supposed to be sympathetic towards Julia? I think it would have helped with the ending but I just didn't really care for her.

She's barely in the anime, much less than in this version in any event.

[Nymfomania]

That is absolutely horrible, glad I stopped watching when I did.

She made me laugh, ill watch it.

[everydaygamer]

I found it entertaining but I have one question since I haven't watched the anime. Am I supposed to be sympathetic towards Julia? I think it would have helped with the ending but I just didn't really care for her.

Sure why not? She spent years trapped in an abusive relationship because the man she thought loved her never came back for her. Pretty easy to sympathize eith her and at least understand why she made the choices she did.

[Jotaux]

Sure why not? She spent years trapped in an abusive relationship because the man she thought loved her never came back for her. Pretty easy to sympathize eith her and at least understand why she made the choices she did.

The entire thing was her plan and she was all for it till she found out Spike was still alive. Can you reference a point before he was forced to pull the trigger on her where he was abusive? While I was not team Vicious or anything I certainly didn't view her as sympathetic in the slightest.

[everydaygamer]

The entire thing was her plan and she was all for it till she found out Spike was still alive. Can you reference a point before he was forced to pull the trigger on her where he was abusive? While I was not team Vicious or anything I certainly didn't view her as sympathetic in the slightest.

Not sure what you're talking about. You might not have been paying attention to what was actually going on.

[Jotaux]

Not sure what you're talking about. You might not have been paying attention to what was actually going on.

Did you watch the show? She was constantly pushing Vicious to take out the leaders and then double crossed him. she was cheating on him before he did anything negative to her. She saw him beat up a thug and that was it.

[everydaygamer]

Did you watch the show? She was constantly pushing Vicious to take out the leaders and then double crossed him. she was cheating on him before he did anything negative to her. She saw him beat up a thug and that was it.

She pushed him because he would hurt her when he was upset. Basically she was trying to turn his anger away from herself

When that didn't work she tried to have him killed and when that failed she took advantage of the situation so she could turn things against Vicious and seize control.

Yeah she did cheat on him but that doesn't justify the abuse.

[Benggaul]

I found it entertaining but I have one question since I haven't watched the anime. Am I supposed to be sympathetic towards Julia? I think it would have helped with the ending but I just didn't really care for her.

As I said before, they fleshed out her character a lot for this series and tried to veer her away from the "damsel in distress" role (particularly towards the end). In the anime she was hardly in it at all until the last couple episodes and mainly served as part of Spike's backstory with little mentions here or there until, much like with this live action series, suddenly it's all about Spike vs. Vicious in the end with her in the middle.

I think you're supposed to understand from the live action series that what you're seeing between Julia and Vicious isn't the first time he's hurt her. Towards the end of the short series you see--particularly in the flashback--how his temper flares up and gets the better of him. It's heavily implied that it's an abusive relationship she's trying to escape, one way or another. He is named Vicious for a reason.

But to answer your question, yes, you're probably supposed to be sympathetic towards her, though in neither iteration is it really all that important if you are or aren't. There are likely a number of reasons they built up her character for the live action series, but I found her part probably the least interesting with the possible exception of the last 10-15 minutes of the last episode.

As an aside, things play out pretty differently in the anime and I found it amusing/entertaining how they set up some of the scenes in the series to be complete "shot-for-shot" remakes only to change things in the end and that last confrontation in front of the giant stained-glass window was one of those. When Spike said "I've bled all that blood away" and Vicious replies "Then why are you still alive?!" I got chills. It's one of the most iconic scenes in the anime and I think they got it pretty close...and then off we ricochet into an alternate Cowboy Bebop universe.

If you got some enjoyment out of the live action series you should give the anime a try. It's only a couple dozen episodes and it's no mistake that it's one of the most iconic series that practically everyone's heard of.

[everydaygamer]

I'm pretty sure we're still heading to the same conclusion as the anime despite the twist. The alternative was either kill Julia off or keep her in the same situation for season 2 which wouldn't have been interesting.

[Vakir]

Ed is simply one of those characters that probably just can't work in the context of a live-action setting. I'd rather they have rolled the dice on not adding her at all, even if there would be tons of detractors for that, too.

I mean, I didn't like anything else, either, but that scene really hurt. Especially the tonal whiplash of where it was placed.

[Jotaux]

Actually looking at it, she seems pretty abusive towards Vicious. Constantly questioning his "manhood" so that he will go along with her plan.

[Biomega]

Ed is simply one of those characters that probably just can't work in the context of a live-action setting.

That's a cop-out imo. Filmmakers have made all sorts of things work. Creativity is if not boundless then at least quite wide. I'm sure there's ways in which you could depict a bubbly, crazy personality like Ed's without resorting to just copying the anime - and yet still make it believable and fluid. It would take a lot of work and a very dedicated actor, but it's far from impossible. They simply took the easy way out, settled for middle-school-levels of performance, and just went with "eh they'll buy it, whatever".

[everydaygamer]

Geez one minute and people decide a character can't work. How desperate can you be to find reasons to hate this show?

[TirielWoW]

I feel like people fail to understand that that scene is supposed to be rediculous. It's why Spike is laughing his ass off in the background.

Although people's reactions to it really shows who went into this intending to hate it no matter what.

No, I fully understand it's supposed to be ridiculous. It's also incredibly cringy and made the person I was watching the show with (who happens to be a POC), immensely uncomfortable. To the point that I'm not sure we're going to finish the season out.

[Devilyaki]

It’s watchable but the fights are very lame.. like you are supposed to know Spike is a master at Bruce Lee’s style, but you would not know it from how he fights in the show.. rest is okay. Nothing great, anime is better, but if you need to waste time you can throw it on.

[Vakir]

That's a cop-out imo. Filmmakers have made all sorts of things work. Creativity is if not boundless then at least quite wide. I'm sure there's ways in which you could depict a bubbly, crazy personality like Ed's without resorting to just copying the anime - and yet still make it believable and fluid.

Hey, this is fair and a nuanced, good take. You're right - they could've made alterations and had it fit with a new tone/setting/medium. I think a lot of people would still complain, but it's one of those situations where while you can't please everyone, it could've had its own voice.

Maybe...Kaylee from Firefly by way of Jesse Eisenberg's take on Zuckerberg or something.

Geez one minute and people decide a character can't work. How desperate can you be to find reasons to hate this show?

This, however, is a stupid and shit take. Not everyone that doesn't like the same things as you is immediately digging for things to be upset about.

I went into this hoping for it to be good. It's up there with other Western-adjacent properties that I think have the most potential to be English live-action adaptations, Fullmetal being another one that could hypothetically work. They didn't stick the landing to me. Not everyone displeased is trying to be hostile.

[Geckoo]

I have to say, it's better than i expected. Certainly not the greatest show ever made, not even close, but is good enough and i had fun watching it. If i had to rate it i would say that it's a solid 6/10. I like how they managed to retain the same vibes in terms of world building and the overall atmosphere of the whole show. Dialogues and acting could be better, but again, it's not bad either. So essentially and slightly above the average show, but i have to admit that i have my doubts about if someone not familiar with the original would see past the first episode.

[everydaygamer]

I have to say, it's better than i expected. Certainly not the greatest show ever made, not even close, but is good enough and i had fun watching it. If i had to rate it i would say that it's a solid 6/10. I like how they managed to retain the same vibes in terms of world building and the overall atmosphere of the whole show. Dialogues and acting could be better, but again, it's not bad either. So essentially and slightly above the average show, but i have to admit that i have my doubts about if someone not familiar with the original would see past the first episode.

Based on the subreddit those are the only people enjoying it. I kid of course I know plenty of fans enjoyed it but you wouldn't know that with just a brief glimpse online.

[StillMcfuu]

It's ok... I suppose, I'm still going through the first few episodes.
As expected they didn't get the source material and well... the show isn't anything special.

It gets worse for the source fan and honestly more meh when treating it as its own thing. I'm having a hard time separating the anime from how they've changed the characters and dynamics, kind of a difference between a fine wine and a bud light. Bud light has its place, but if given the choice, you're never taking it.