Cowboy Bebop showrunner André Nemec has revealed one of the main key differences between the Netflix series and the original anime.
In an interview with Polygon, Nemec explained that Julia – Spike Spiegel’s muse and one-time lover – will have a more considerable role in live action.
"In the anime, she’s almost more of an idea than a character," Nemec said. "So we mined what we could from the information that we had and we built out who these people were."
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As Nemec mentions, Julia is far from fleshed out in the original series. Spike only recounts their relationship through flashbacks. She doesn’t make an appearance in the present-day events of the series until – spoilers – the last two episodes.
That’s far from the only change from the OG anime. Fans will have noticed during the initial reveal of the characters that a certain someone is missing.
"Ed – everybody wants to know about Ed!" Nemec said. The prodigious – and prodigiously irritating – hacker hasn’t yet been confirmed for the series but the showrunner says fans will be "very delighted" when they watch the upcoming season. Before you ask: yes, Ein is in it. No word yet on if any mushrooms will be involved, however.
The next stop on the hype train for Cowboy Bebop fans is Tudum, Netflix’s global fan event taking place on September 25. We’re likely going to see a full trailer then – and we might even catch a glimpse of the reworked Julia in action.
Cowboy Bebop is hitting Netflix on November 19. For more from the streamer, check out the best Netflix shows.
