“Bee and Puppycat” has been a comfort show of mine for many years. I adored the style, comedy and storyline of the original series. So, when I found out that Netflix was picking it up for a revamp, I was both excited and terrified. 

The animated series follows 22-year-old, unemployed Bee as she and her new friend Puppycat travel through space completing temp jobs.

Although the revamped series remains roughly the same as the original, there are some things that I noticed where changed. 

Right off the bat, the character design is clearly different. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it seems more cohesive than the original. The main problem I have with it is how they changed Bee and honestly, out of all the decisions made for the revamp, it is this change that frustrates me the most. 

In the original series, Bee had a midsized body type. It was clear that she was not skinny and did not fit into any skinny archetype normally found in main feminine characters. 

Personally, I think that the original design fit Bee and her personality very well. Not to mention, it gave other midsized girls representation hardly seen in most media. 

In the revamped series, Bee has a flatter stomach and has a body type closer to what is usually seen in media when it comes to women. There are still characters that are skinnier than her, but in comparison to the original series, it is clear that Bee was made to be smaller. 

As someone who is midsized, Bee was a character that I could relate to in that way.

Usually, bigger girls in media are the butt of every joke, they can’t seem to get into a relationship, and everything they do are things that the skinny characters would never do. 

Bee is the main character of the series, and to have midsize representation with a character who’s entire personality is not their weight is rare and something I really admired about the show. 

So, for the new series to take a turn and make her less of a midsized person? That hurt.

It is so disheartening and completely upsetting to have this small bit of good representation stripped away, whether or not it was intentional.

Besides this change in design, I was also disappointed by the decision to cut out a lot of the details from the original series.

The new, revamped series takes on a more serious tone compared to the humorous original. 

There were a number of moments from the original that I was excited to see, but just were not there. For example, in the “Beach Cats” episode of the original, there was a crab that was obsessed with cleavage. It was a small moment throughout the episode, and I can understand why they would want to remove it, but it was also just something small and dumb that made you enjoy the show all that much more. 

Also, this episode was where we learn that Bee has an intense fear of water, which makes sense as you progress through the show and learn why. I’m not sure why they chose not to carry over this super important detail. 

Lastly, the romance between Bee and her neighbor Dekard was also not carried over. It’s instead replaced by the idea that Bee is somehow super old and young at the same time. Therefore, they have no romantic tension and are just friends.

And yet, Dekard’s brother gets this odd pregnancy arc with their sister’s wrestling rival?

The romance between Bee and Dekard was sweet, and I’m saddened that they did not really carry it over when it really could have been a great addition to the show.

Overall, I’m sorry to say that I was disappointed by the revamped series. On its own, it’s great. The art is beautiful, the storyline is great, but if you’ve seen the original, you know it’s hard to watch without wondering where all your favorite moments are. 

I will, of course, continue supporting the show. But truly, RIP OG “Bee and Puppycat.”