Everything you need to know about ‘BoJack Horseman’

With an IMDB score of 8.7 and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, the American adult animated comedy series BoJack Horseman is much talked about. The series till now has 6 seasons with a total of 77 episodes. It is considered as a tragic comedy and a satire, thanks to Raphael Bob-Waksberg. The voice overs are done by Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F.Tompkins and Aaron Paul.

The popularity of the show owes to the reality checks given by the characters. The protagonist, BoJack, a former actor, who tries to relive his glory days while dealing with depression. And let’s just say, depression is not made fun of and represented in the next way possible. He is an anthropomorphic animal who lives with fellow similar animals along with human beings in the midst of the entertainment industry. He’s away from his career for decades and tries to revive it with the help of his agent Princess Caroline, ghostwriter Diane, old rival Mr.Peanut Butter and unemployed house guest cum friend Todd. The story takes us to a journey, witnessing BoJack’s quest to reclaim his fame, coping up with the modern industry. He might be the most unlikeable comedy protagonist ever because of his constant whinning and self- loathing. He even sometimes sabotages his professional and personal relationships because of the cloud of despair hovering over him. It is a show that defied expectations, one that is not just hilarious but all too real. All the characters are somehow equally lovable and equally damaged.

Thanks so much Bojack.#bojackhorseman pic.twitter.com/Xh6O1GYSBt

— Hannia Hernández (@Hannia03hv) May 1, 2020

“I need to go take a shower so I can’t tell if I am crying or not“, ” No one watches the show to feel feelings. Life is depressing enough“, “When you look at someone through rose-coloured glasses, all the red flags just look like flags“, or, “sometimes life’s a bi*** and then you keep living“. Got too real? Such heart wreaking lines made the audience cry, laugh, awe, gasp and introspect at the same time. One just cannot not pause the show every now and then, rewind the lines and listen to them again. Because one cannot resist the temptation of experiencing ‘expectations vs reality’. BoJack Horseman talks about various topics such as child artists when they grow up, celebrity drug use, the struggles of artists in a profit-driven industry, process in which shows are created and also sexuality, racism, alcoholism, sexism and the list goes on.

Over six seasons, BoJack Horseman used humor to examine complex social issues like addiction, depression, and sexuality.

Now, the Hollywoo stars & creative team behind the beloved series reflect on the show's legacy and the incredible fandom it attracted. pic.twitter.com/X9ntM4XWOf

— Netflix (@netflix) February 12, 2020

The show is frighteningly realistic but perfectly balances the positivity and negativity, optimism and pessimism. Bob-Waksberg once said,

” I think most people who argue for what might call political correctness, are not actually arguing for censorship. They are arguing for self control and self restraint. They are arguing for people to be conscious of the power they have, right? And I believe that I have a lot of power, as someone making popular entertainment. I do think we have to be careful about the art we put in.“

Alongside the comical and humorous shades, it is also unorthodox in nature and gets darker with every episode. Initially, the show takes a slow run after few episodes, it goes back and takes a speedy run-up . So it will be unjustifiable if you judge the show on the basis of the initial episodes. The show stands out especially because of the many reasons, but one reason is worth noticing about. It is one of the rare shows where they talk about one of the most under researched and under discussed sexuality- asexuality. Not many shows talk about this and hence a character representing such is worth praising for. Asexuality is the less or no sexual attraction of a person towards another person and is very much unlike celibacy. BoJack’s friend Todd comes out to be an ace and the people couldn’t be any happier.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqilvgKl-sS/?igshid=1e62g43sv1fhd

One should not definitely overlook the animation of the series. It is the masterwork of animation craft. Raphael uses techniques unique to the medium to explore abstract concepts, establish themes and set moods in ways no live-action shows could possibly master. One fan says “After a point you forget it’s animated and think it’s real people”.

The series for acknowledged on glamour platforms and was nominated for 2014 Behind the Voice Actor Award, 43rd Annie Awards, 68th Writers Guild of America Awards, 43rd Saturn Awards, 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, 2017 Hollywood Music in Media Awards, 64th Golden Reel Awards, 8th Critics Choice Television Awards, GTA18 Golden Trailer Awards, Casting Society of America and many more. But the comedy drama and sitcom won several awards like 6th Critics Choice Television Awards, 2016 Gold Derby Awards, 7th Critics Choice Television Awards, 69th Writers Guild of America Awards, 2017 Annecy International Animated Film Festival, 2017 Gold Derby Awards, 33rd Artios Awards and many more subsequent ones.

Ended as great as it started…
Goodbye depressed & miserable BJ!
You'll never take what you really deserve.

– #BoJackHorseman | S06E16 | 💘 pic.twitter.com/CE8X86n7IE

— 𝕊𝕦𝕝𝕥𝕒𝕟 🇩🇪 (@Suxter21) May 7, 2020

All in all, with writings smart and quick and the characters arcs are very well done, BoJack Horseman has got thousands of hearts. The relationships grow in very interesting ways and it’s never just uphill. It is raw and takes out the vulnerability but secures you in it’s arms at the same time.