#julia x spike

[loveneverfades]

Spike and Julia

Art by Nero-comix

[spikelovesjulia]

tatoo designed and inked by mystizainkz

[bluestg44sa]

[roses-for-julia]

Red Is the Most Passionate Color

[softsadsassysweet]

I have a lot of mixed feelings about Julia as a character and I whole heartedly believe that that’s the entire point.

This is a long one so buckle up buttercups.

I have so many questions for her.

Why didn’t she go with Spike when he left the syndicate?

Why did she doubt that Spike loved her?

Why reduce Faye to a messenger after revealing she knew who she was? Why not just have Faye take her to Spike?

Why did she apparently know so much about the Bebop crew, but still never sought out Spike?

What is the whole purpose of Julia as a character?

I relate to Faye and Jet, and their frustration if not their damn near resentment of her existence. From their perspective, she pulls Spike away from them. In Jets words, her name is “like a spell that unlocks a door”.

The audience, just like the crew, is robbed of any kind of access to her. Then before we can even begin to get attached to her, she’s gone.

We have a lot of beautiful poetry, stories, music, and references to classic authors like Hemingway in this series that act as echoes to possibly help explain the story. What if there are other story structures that aren’t as on the nose?

I was driving to Atlanta and listening to “The Great Gatsby”. The week before I had comfort binged Bebop. It all felt familiar and to me they echoed each other. The more I analyzed Julia, the more I saw parallels from the Great Gatsby. She reminds me so much of Daisy.

Just to break it down simply how I saw it:

Vicious would be fulfilling the role of Tom.

Spike in the role of Gatsby.

Julia in the role of Daisey.

The Bebop crew would be in the empathetic role of Nick Caraway.

In the Great Gatsby, the tragedy is told from Nick Caraways perspective. We get all of the context through him and what he sees and understands.

Similar to Daisy, the audience lacks a lot of empathy for Julia’s decisions because our perspective of the situation does.

In order to relate Julia to Daisey, I need to go into more detail about how I view Daisey from the great Gatsby.

Rather than viewing her as somebody who is obsessed with her money and no accountability, I actually see Daisey as a deeply flawed person and a victim of circumstance. I also believe she wholeheartedly loved both Jay and Tom.

She was ultimately a woman trapped between two men who were obsessed with the idea of her. She never got to be herself. She was never truly free.

I understand why we as an audience would see Gatsby as the obvious person for her to choose, but we have a biased view of Gatsby because Nick Caraway is our narrator. The harsh reality of it is that Gatsby was a criminal. He also didn’t accept Daisey for who she truly is. He was in love with the idea of her and who she was in his past. He couldn’t accept her evolving story and that she at one point she did love Tom.

In the wise words of Daniel Sloss:

“If you don’t love 100% of who I am, you do not love me.

You love an idea of me, which you have falsely fabricated in your head.

And it’s not my fault if I don’t live up to those expectations.”

When Spike asked Julia to run away with him she flat out said no and he shot back with “Yes you can.” That was a red flag for me. This appeared strongly to me as a romanticized one sided decision and that he wasn’t listening to her. He also gave her the information on how they were going to run away, he didn’t bother to include her on making the plans.

Just, YIKES.

Gatsby is an unreliable narrator for Daisy just like Spike is an unreliable narrator for Julia.

Julia saw one man who was abusive and controlling, and the other was seemingly good to her but not truly in love with her. And there’s a huge indicator that she doubted Spike really loved her, RIGHT HERE!!!

“Why did you love me.”

To me, Julia refused to have salvation in either of them.

Julia is an impressive character because she ultimately chose herself.

Daisy didn’t get the option of that choice. In my opinion, Daisey was practically trapped with Tom because he had her child and seemingly the most security. She also just committed a murder, and needed the protection. If she chose herself, of course Tom would have her arrested.

Spike and Vicious are two men who are impossible to say no to for different reasons. Julia (IN MY BIG FAT OPINION) chose loneliness over being someone’s idealization. Her inner strength made her truly alive.

“She was a real woman.”

On a more vulnerable perspective, I also believe fear kept Julia from Spike. In Jupiter Jazz there were some incredibly incriminate quotes said about her in a flashback.

Vicious: “Be careful when you’re with that woman.”

Julia: “All women are liars, don’t you know that?”

It seemed like Julia’s gift and what she provided to Vicious and the syndicate, was deception.

This visual in my opinion is an example of her deceptive nature. It feels incredibly sinister to me, not romantic.

Her hand on the back of his head weaving her fingers into Spikes hair feels like she’s snaring her way into his mind. His eyes are covered and most likely closed while hers are wide open. To me, doesn’t appear romantic. She’s in control. Julia sees what’s coming and Spike doesn’t.

I don’t know what Julia’s intentions were. Hell, we had more access to Daisey’s intentions than Julia.

Daisey wanted to be loved. But what did Julia want? I think her actions scream the loudest and this is my own personal opinion.

I believe Julia wanted autonomy.

Even if it meant being hunted, it would be her life. Even if it meant being alone, it would be her life. She wouldn’t be “free” on Vicious’s terms. She wouldn’t be free on Spike’s terms either. Julia chose a destiny that revolved around no man.

Julia chose herself, and that makes her a much more interesting and powerful character than Daisey.

I think however, did Spike surprise her. I think she did feel deep affection for him. I think when she saw him again she was full of regret. I truly feel her plea to Spike in the graveyard was genuine.

Her hand is closed, not ensnared in this moment. Her eyes are closed and she looks peaceful. She’s surrendered control.

Spike’s eyes are wide open and his expression feels hollow and apathetic. To me this indicates the power dynamic has switched.

Julia had a painful case of “what could have been” when she sees Spike again at last.

I think the graveyard was a huge turning point in her story arc. I think that was the moment she truly decided to belong to someone else.

And then after making the decision to be with him, their time is cut painfully short.

To me, she deserved better than just existing as an element of pining for our main character and then suddenly murdered to propel Spike’s arc.

But, Julia has had her own adventures and her own life for the past three years. She is a whole other story we’ve never had access to. She is a whole person outside of the Bebop crews’ perspective. There’s a lot of power in that unknown.

There’s a lot of power with Julia.

[lucyguusi]

Julia and Spike at the Bar

[bebopcrew]

Join @bebopcrew for Beboptober! For each day of the month, there will be a different prompt to keep you writing. Each day has at least two options, so feel free to choose whichever you feel the most inspired by! If you're feeling extra inspired, you can do something for each prompt or even combine them.

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[tinanun]

[lonichedgehog]

My drawings for Beboptober Day 1-4 following @bebopcrew 's list! :3c

[loveneverfades]

Spike and Julia

Art by LeslieVernon

[spikelovesjulia]

[roses-for-julia]

[lucyguusi]

Julia, Spike and Vicious - Spooky Visit lucyguusi.carrd.co

[bebopcrew]

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