BoJack Horseman is an animated television series with six seasons, created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, and premiered on Netflix on August 22, 2014, and holds a rating of 8.8/10 on IMDb. In the show, the location is set in “Hollywoo”, where famous movie actors and opportunities linger. While it is a comedy-drama, it explores sensitive topics such as depression, trauma, addiction, relationships, celebrity cultures, etc. BoJack’s TV career in the 1990s started fading away, and he is determined to revive his career by writing a raw memoir and participating in interviews about his life to retrieve the fame he once had. With the help of his agent, Princess Carolyn, and ghostwriter, Diane Nguyen, his memoir could reach success or lead him to his downfall.
“That’s too much, man!” Once the star of the successful 90s sitcom Horsin’ Around, BoJack Horseman played a horse who adopted three human orphans, running for nine seasons. Eighteen years after the show departed, BoJack has been struggling to find his purpose and regain relevance in his name.
In the first episode, we are introduced to the main characters: Todd Chavez, BoJack’s comedic and easygoing roommate; As mentioned before, Princess Carolyn, his agent/ex-girlfriend, Diane Nyugen a ghostwriter hired to help with his memior, Mr. Peanutbutter, his “rival” who he envies for having a positive attitude and creating a spin-off based on Horsin’ Around. Lastly, Pinky Penguin, a literary agent who is looking for a bestseller at Penguin Publishing. He relies on BoJack to complete his memoir so that his company can be successful and return to business.
While watching, BoJack comes off as insecure and avoidant; he has panic attacks when thinking about his memoir, believing nobody will care for it, and that he is “washed up.” Throughout season one, there are elements of BoJack searching for his identity, his self-sabotaging behavior, and more.
One weakness of BoJack Horseman is that it is very slow-paced in the first season and holds a 7/10 range rating (which is lower than the rest of the other seasons). When recommending the show to others, viewers say “wait till it gets better,” since the first season isn’t into the juicy details yet. There are some rushed parts for certain characters and the storylines, making it difficult to understand a character’s backstory fully.
Furthermore, the show can be frustrating for viewers since BoJack makes mistakes over and over again and then feels bad for himself. Realism plays a huge factor in this show, causing it to be very emotional to watch. Since heavy topics are introduced early on and throughout the series, it can be hard to continuously watch the show. Even though this isn’t for everyone, it doesn’t hurt to listen to an animated horse complaining about his problems!
Shifting over to the strengths of BoJack Horseman, there are several themes that are discussed and relatable to viewers. The show provides emotional honesty and combines dark themes with humor. For example, in the 9.8/10 rated episode “Free Churro.” The episode starts with BoJack in the car with his father, irritated that he had to pick him up from practice when he was younger, and an important line BoJack’s father, Butterscotch Horseman, said was, “You can’t depend on anyone. Sooner or later, you need to learn that no one else is gonna take care of you. That’s what I learned when I had to make my own sandwich.” This episode examines BoJack’s verbally abusive parents and the harsh advice on how life is. After the flashback, BoJack delivers a twenty-six-minute eulogy that unlocks his emotions, such as grief, anger, and self-awareness. “Suddenly, you realize you never had the good relationship you wanted, and as long as they were alive, even though you’d never admit it, part of you, stupidest god xxxx part of you, was still holding onto that chance.” BoJack’s line delivery is powerful, and it shows how intense and authentic his emotions are in that scene, because he knows he will never get the closure he wanted from this significant person, which can resonate with the audience. This animated series isn’t like the others; it’s piled with realistic situations that reflect on human issues.
The recommended age to tune into this show is teenagers and above because it goes over topics that are not suitable for children. I would give BoJack Horseman a 5/5. Sure, this rating could seem biased, but if you understand and connect with the show, you’ll understand where I’m coming from. You never know— a show about animated animals and people could impact your outlook on life!
