“Bojack Horseman,” a Netflix original that features talking animals, shows viewers the raw emotion and insecurities within them. The show is focused on an alcoholic horse and former actor Bojack Horseman, who lacks a sense of purpose and happiness from having an alcoholic mother and an abusive father.
As the show continues throughout each season, there are constant themes of alcoholism, feeling lost, denial, rejection and depression. The show continues to outdo itself throughout each season and has already been renewed for its fifth season, after its fourth premiered on Sept. 8.
One of the reasons “Bojack Horseman” drew me into becoming a huge fan was because of the realness portrayed by the characters. While I was watching the show, I noticed that Bojack plays a jerk who disregards everyone’s feelings because of the miserable life he leads.
Bojack doesn’t change his lifestyle which consists of drinking every hour, making people around him upset and being selfish. The sad thing about Bojack is that he is fully aware of his selfishness but does nothing to change it. He doesn’t know how to change and is afraid people won’t want him around. Even with haunting memories from his past, he continues to make poor decisions, such as being intoxicated while neglecting his responsibilities. The fact that this show is based on animals with human characteristics and issues fascinates me.
The show also represents characters expressing their need to feel loved. There are multiple characters that battle for affection by someone, like Princess Carolyn and Bojack. A constant theme I see with Princess Carolyn, Bojack’s agent, is that she gets rejected by him. Both characters want to be loved but again, they continue to make bad decisions that follow consequences, such as loneliness.
“Bojack Horseman” talks a lot about depression which is shown through the character, Diane Nguyen. Diane is a human, surprisingly, but she is an aspiring journalist who feels lost. Diane is married to an upbeat dog, Mr. Peanutbutter, who is also an actor. In a recent episode, Diane feels she is always compromising with what is best for her or what is best for her partner. Diane explains that everything lines up perfectly when looking at her life, but sadly, Diane feels as though her efforts aren’t good enough.
I deeply resonated with Diane during that scene because I feel that way too at times. Sometimes, people just get tired from doing the same routine, and things don’t work out as expected.
Netflix’s “Bojack Horseman” cartoon show makes me have a sense of empathy, as I can relate to the character’s emotions. It’s a show that anyone can relate to because the animals have human-like qualities. Even though the characters are often cats, dogs, horses and dolphins, it can make a viewer feel heartbroken and happy all at once due to every character’s complex stories. “Bojack Horseman” combines both reality and comedy, which makes the show one of the most enjoyable cartoon shows I’ve ever watched.
