I don't know why I took so long to watch this one, it had been recommended to me to plenty of times for the last few years. This became my favorite adult animated show. Rick and Morty is good with the subjects of nihilism and it has it's depiction of self destructive depression but it doesn't get it quite as right as BoJack Horseman. Every form of depression is presented in this show and they're presented in such an accurate way, I had tears in my eyes watching a talking horse go through similar situations I have been in. In some ways I relate to BoJack but I saw myself more in the characters of Diane and Princess Caroline. That's the beauty of this show, every character is relatable in some way but the way they've been written is so natural, it's not a forced depiction of the various damaged type of folks that exist in society.
The character development in this show is phenomenal. We see BoJack's ongoing struggle with depression, trying really hard to be a better person but falling back into his toxic patterns. Every season he digs himself into a deeper hole because he refuses to fix himself, because he believes he can't be fixed - this is present in the character of Diane as well but her forms of self sabotage are more subtle. Different forms of depression are shown from substance abuse to self delusion and they're all presented in the most accurate way. I love the episodes where we get into the heads of BoJack, Diane, and Princess Caroline. We see how BoJack has an ongoing battle in his head going from positives to absolute negatives, he tries to have self love but it immediately transitions to self hatred. Diane can't forget the hurt she faced in her early years, constantly hearing her father and school bullies talking her down. Princess Caroline helps herself feel better by imagining her grandchild talk about her successes in the future. The way these moments are shown, even the style of animation they choose to present these moments, it's just a brilliant work of art altogether.
The show definitely has its many moments of humor, this is a comedy after all. Todd and Mr. Peanutbutter provide the comic relief although they have their deep moments as well, but the show does an incredible job of showing you that although these characters may appear stupid, they're actually the happiest people in the entire series. Both of them have their tough moments but they both rise out of their problems better than the other characters because they're happy. I love that they have BoJack admit to Mr. Peanutbutter that the main reason he does not like to be around him is because he envies him for his happiness, that was such a powerful moment. I hadn't seen a moment that powerful in a film or series in so long and I didn't expect to see it in a show about a talking depressed has-been horse.
Honestly I can go on and on about how amazed I am with this show. I can even write an entire essay about how this show properly depicts mental illness. As someone who still battles with depression here and there, I felt completely understood with this show. Finally someone got it right and it was a show in a universe where talking animals cohabitate with humans. I will rewatch this many more times. It's a show that knew when it was time to end and connected every single story they told until the very end. The writing in this show, to all the writers out there that want to tell great stories on screen or even in a book, watch this show and take notes.
I love BoJack Horseman, thank you the team that brought this show to life. I'm not exaggerating when I say I'm an eternally grateful to know this show exists and understood my pain in a way I never thought any form of media could completely understand - in a way I had not felt since Amy Winehouse released Back to Black. Highly recommend this show, you will not regret it. It's a masterpiece.
The character development in this show is phenomenal. We see BoJack's ongoing struggle with depression, trying really hard to be a better person but falling back into his toxic patterns. Every season he digs himself into a deeper hole because he refuses to fix himself, because he believes he can't be fixed - this is present in the character of Diane as well but her forms of self sabotage are more subtle. Different forms of depression are shown from substance abuse to self delusion and they're all presented in the most accurate way. I love the episodes where we get into the heads of BoJack, Diane, and Princess Caroline. We see how BoJack has an ongoing battle in his head going from positives to absolute negatives, he tries to have self love but it immediately transitions to self hatred. Diane can't forget the hurt she faced in her early years, constantly hearing her father and school bullies talking her down. Princess Caroline helps herself feel better by imagining her grandchild talk about her successes in the future. The way these moments are shown, even the style of animation they choose to present these moments, it's just a brilliant work of art altogether.
The show definitely has its many moments of humor, this is a comedy after all. Todd and Mr. Peanutbutter provide the comic relief although they have their deep moments as well, but the show does an incredible job of showing you that although these characters may appear stupid, they're actually the happiest people in the entire series. Both of them have their tough moments but they both rise out of their problems better than the other characters because they're happy. I love that they have BoJack admit to Mr. Peanutbutter that the main reason he does not like to be around him is because he envies him for his happiness, that was such a powerful moment. I hadn't seen a moment that powerful in a film or series in so long and I didn't expect to see it in a show about a talking depressed has-been horse.
Honestly I can go on and on about how amazed I am with this show. I can even write an entire essay about how this show properly depicts mental illness. As someone who still battles with depression here and there, I felt completely understood with this show. Finally someone got it right and it was a show in a universe where talking animals cohabitate with humans. I will rewatch this many more times. It's a show that knew when it was time to end and connected every single story they told until the very end. The writing in this show, to all the writers out there that want to tell great stories on screen or even in a book, watch this show and take notes.
I love BoJack Horseman, thank you the team that brought this show to life. I'm not exaggerating when I say I'm an eternally grateful to know this show exists and understood my pain in a way I never thought any form of media could completely understand - in a way I had not felt since Amy Winehouse released Back to Black. Highly recommend this show, you will not regret it. It's a masterpiece.