▁show ' s ▁produ cers ▁and ▁cre ative ▁team ▁felt ▁the ▁un fin ished ▁look ▁fit ▁in ▁well ▁with ▁the ▁g rit ty ▁setting ▁of ▁the ▁show . ▁ ▁S ources ▁and ▁insp iration ▁Lar son ' s ▁insp iration ▁for ▁R ents ▁content ▁came ▁from ▁several ▁different ▁sources . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁characters ▁and ▁plot ▁elements ▁are ▁drawn ▁directly ▁from ▁Gia como ▁Pu cc ini ' s ▁opera ▁La ▁Boh ème , ▁the ▁world ▁premi ere ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 , ▁a ▁century ▁before ▁R ents ▁premi ere . ▁La ▁Boh ème ▁was ▁also ▁about ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁poor ▁young ▁artists . ▁T uber cul osis , ▁the ▁pl ague ▁of ▁Pu cc ini ' s ▁opera , ▁is ▁replaced ▁by ▁H IV / A ID S ▁in ▁R ent ; ▁ 1 8 0 0 s ▁Paris ▁is ▁replaced ▁by ▁New ▁York ' s ▁East ▁Village ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁or ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁The ▁names ▁and ▁ident ities ▁of ▁R ents ▁characters ▁also ▁heavily ▁reflect ▁Pu cc ini ' s ▁original ▁characters , ▁though ▁they ▁are ▁not ▁all ▁direct ▁adapt ations . ▁For ▁example , ▁Jo anne ▁in ▁R ent ▁represents ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁Alc ind oro ▁in ▁Boh ème , ▁but ▁is ▁also ▁partially ▁based ▁on ▁Marcel lo . ▁Also , ▁Jo anne ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁R ent ▁character ▁whose ▁prede cess or ▁in ▁La ▁Boh ème ▁is ▁a ▁different ▁sex . ▁ ▁Other