Arts and Entertainment Editor
“Bojack Horseman,” an animated series that premiered in 2014 and ended in 2020 about the lives of a group of relatable celebrities from Hollywoo, the fictional depiction of Hollywood in the show. Oh yeah, and some are anthropomorphized animals.
The concept is strange, and it’s almost unbelievable that this show with talking horses and dogs could mean so much to people.
“Bojack Horseman” is a show full of silly shenanigans and an abundance of clever animal puns, as well as scarily-accurate portrayals of mental health. The contrast of funny jokes to heartbreaking monologues can give you whiplash, but also makes the more serious episodes easier to swallow. The show addresses serious topics like depression, addiction and trauma, but depicts these issues in a way that brings people comfort.
People are able to relate to these characters despite them being cats, birds, sheep etc. In fact, the characters being animals can make them more relatable. Any person can relate to an anthropomorphized horse because he is only a concept, a personality not attached to any human appearance. However, if they portrayed Bojack as just, for example, a middle-aged man, this might make him less relatable to the general public.
This show is able to represent mental illness without glorifying it or increasing stigma. In season four episode six, Bojack’s inner monologue is shown and isn’t romanticized in the slightest. It demonstrates how insecure and depressed people often view themselves and gives the viewer a new perspective on people struggling with these issues. The ugliness of the reality of these kinds of thoughts is often overlooked and the show brings it up in a very approachable and understandable way.
The series shows day-to-day struggles, like the season four episode, “Ruthie,” where Princess Caroline, a Hollywoo agent and producer, suffers a bad day where it seems nothing is going right. She even ends up giving good advice on how to get through these types of days which is heartbreaking in the context of the episode.
Privilege is also represented through the contrast of the characters Bojack Horseman and Diane Nguyen. They both do bad things during the series but Bojack, being a rich male actor during the time, would give a quick apology and be forgiven. Diane, on the other hand, is a Vietnamese woman and has to take responsibility for her actions. She isn’t forgiven easily and has to work to become a better person.
Addiction is represented throughout the entire series. Bojack struggles with alcohol and drug abuse. The show humanizes addicts and gives you a point of view of those struggling. At one point, we are even shown the process of going to rehab and how there are ups and downs throughout the recovery process.
The character Sarah Lynn also exemplifies this theme of addiction as a child actor turned internet sensation. Her career decline and long benders are heartbreaking to watch, but show how addiction can affect people without glamorizing it.
The show also tackles the difficult topic of generational trauma through Bojack’s relationship with his parents. In the season five episode, “Free Churro,” Bojack goes through a series of emotions, monologuing about his relationship with his mother. He discusses how he just wanted to be seen by her. This theme is also shown through Diane’s relationship with her parents and siblings in which she struggles to justify her leaving home to her family.
Throughout the series the viewer watches the same group of friends make mistakes and grow as people (or animals). People grow attached to characters and end up rooting for, or sometimes, against them.
This show becomes more and more relevant everyday with mental health issues slowly becoming more acknowledged in society. I highly recommend giving it a watch to see what all the hype is about.