Sometimes you find yourself crying into a bottle of wine three nights in a row over an adult cartoon about a washed up sitcom star from the '90s (who just so happens to be a horse.) Sometimes you binge-watch all three seasons of this sitcom over the course of one weekend. And sometimes you wind up seeing an ugly version of yourself in the alcoholic, selfish, emotionally irresponsible lead character and can't help but get inspired by his rocky journey to personal happiness. Such was my experience with "BoJack Horseman."
"BoJack Horseman" presents itself as a technicolor deadpan comedy about a horse actor who used to have it all and has now fallen from grace, filled with dirty jokes, pop culture references, and self-deprecating humor. But, once it has you emotionally invested in its colorful (figuratively and literally) cast of complex human and animal characters, it begins to drag your heart through the mud as it puts these characters up to the difficult task of facing their own personal flaws. There is a little bit of each and every one of us to be found in at least one of the show's cast members, which makes every person's viewing of "BoJack Horseman" dynamic and extremely personal.
I found myself in the horse, the myth, the legend, BoJack Horseman.
BoJack Horseman is living with depression and likes to pretend that he isn't, or is possibly unaware that he is. He consistently lets his mental illness negatively impact his relationships without offering any sort of remorse or reparation for the pain he inflicts. His only form of self-medication is drugs and alcohol and he makes no effort to get well. He cares about his loved ones but struggles to treat them kindly. But, despite all of his flaws, he is trying his best to find his purpose and, eventually, health and happiness. Sound familiar? To you, possibly. To me, definitely.
Over the course of the three current seasons, BoJack's mental illness sinks lower and lower and plummets so quickly that you begin to worry that he will die alone without any love left in his heart. But the show is not about dying alone and losing love; the show is about how difficult it can be to get happy and how sometimes we hurt the people we love on the way. The show is about making human mistakes and dealing with the consequences of our actions. The show is about confronting our own imperfections and ensuring we don't hurt the people around us. The show is about healing, being better, and honesty.
By the end of the current season, BoJack has seen the ways in which his own selfishness and negligence has hurt his friends and he begins to accept responsibility. He begins to attempt to make amends. He begins to heal. The supporting cast makes it very obvious that he doesn't deserve their forgiveness, and that's OK. Sometimes we leave scars on the people we meet. BoJack doesn't get instant gratification, because this is a show about the real world.
The issues that exist between BoJack and the supporting cast reflect so clearly those between me and the people in my own life that I've been inspired to take initiative and do better by my loved ones in the future. Like Horseman, I have to learn how not to let my personal flaws and situational instability hurt the people who trust me. I have to want to be better before I can continue to be in their lives.
I'm sure this all sounds quite silly to anyone who hasn't watched "BoJack Horseman," but I mean every word of this article. This silly cartoon about a middle-aged, anthropomorphic, drug addict horse has forced me to face my own flaws and inspired me to improve upon them.
Maybe Diane Nguyen will inspire you to do the same as she deals with her crippling uncertainty regarding her talents, her future, her relationships, her family, and herself.
Maybe Princess Carolyn will inspire you to consider how your career path influences your personal relationships and vice versa or how you unhealthily handle stress.
There is a lot more to "BoJack Horseman" than what appears on the surface level. It presents a raw, honest, and heartbreaking perspective on life, relationships, health, and happiness. It asks and answers tough questions. It will surprise you and disappoint you at every turn. It will force you to confront that dark part of yourself you've been ignoring for so long.
It will be worth the watch. I promise.
