Netflix, in their continuing mission to provide premium content to their subscribers, has another hit on their hands with BoJack Horseman. I had some reservations before watching the first episode, because there hasn't been a great new animated series in several years now. But with such a great cast on board, I figured it was worth a try. So glad I did, because it ended up being the best original comedy I have seen in a while, animated or otherwise.
It does not take long at all to get wrapped up in the story of BoJack, a has-been actor known for his role as a single dad in a popular early '90s sitcom. Having not acted in the 18 years since the show was canceled, he agrees to pen a memoir in an effort to relaunch his career. When confronted with the reality of how he is perceived by others, BoJack becomes desperate for acceptance and redemption from both the public and his inner circle.
For the most part, people from normal walks of life are portrayed as humans, while the elite class like actors and their agents are portrayed as animals. It's a surprisingly effective method to humanize these characters to whom the common person does not easily relate. Will Arnett, Kristen Schaaf, Aaron Paul, and Amy Sedaris all give their characters a 3-dimensional quality that is difficult to achieve in a 2D platform like animation. It helps that it is wonderfully drawn, with many subtleties that reinforce each character's persona.
Instead of a loosely assembled pile of anecdotal stories with characters that are just given a reason to exist, all the events during each episode contribute to the progress of the plot over the course of the first season. With episodes picking up exactly where the last one left off, the show feels more like a 3-act mini series than a TV show. That said, there are plenty of crass jokes and innuendo that will satisfy viewers who are not vested in the overall story.
I am delighted that the series has been picked up for a second season and to see in what direction the story of BoJack and his inner circle takes us.
It does not take long at all to get wrapped up in the story of BoJack, a has-been actor known for his role as a single dad in a popular early '90s sitcom. Having not acted in the 18 years since the show was canceled, he agrees to pen a memoir in an effort to relaunch his career. When confronted with the reality of how he is perceived by others, BoJack becomes desperate for acceptance and redemption from both the public and his inner circle.
For the most part, people from normal walks of life are portrayed as humans, while the elite class like actors and their agents are portrayed as animals. It's a surprisingly effective method to humanize these characters to whom the common person does not easily relate. Will Arnett, Kristen Schaaf, Aaron Paul, and Amy Sedaris all give their characters a 3-dimensional quality that is difficult to achieve in a 2D platform like animation. It helps that it is wonderfully drawn, with many subtleties that reinforce each character's persona.
Instead of a loosely assembled pile of anecdotal stories with characters that are just given a reason to exist, all the events during each episode contribute to the progress of the plot over the course of the first season. With episodes picking up exactly where the last one left off, the show feels more like a 3-act mini series than a TV show. That said, there are plenty of crass jokes and innuendo that will satisfy viewers who are not vested in the overall story.
I am delighted that the series has been picked up for a second season and to see in what direction the story of BoJack and his inner circle takes us.