As we all stay home and look for ways to entertain ourselves, many of us will turn to Netflix, or any other streaming service, to find something to binge on. From critically-acclaimed series to the ones that not everyone knows about, a lot of different shows will be watched right now. We are right there with you, doing the exact same thing. What you may not realize, however, is that the show you should absolutely be watching is a cartoon.
We know there is a certain connotation that comes with that word, but you are missing out on an absolute masterpiece if you skip this show just because it is a “cartoon”. This is so much more than a cartoon like Spongebob (no insult to Spongebob, we love that show too), but Bojack reaches heights we have never seen in any show, let alone an animated one.
The entire series tells the story of a former television actor named, you guessed it, Bojack Horseman. Once the leading man in a family sitcom, a la Full House, he has never quite reached the same level of fame or success after the show’s conclusion. While still having enough money to live off of, still having enough of a name to be recognized, he has just been kind of lost for years. Drinking heavily, partying often, and getting lost in his own ego, Bojack is trying to find his way through life.
That is all we want to say about the series because it really is a joy to watch without any preconceptions. Bojack is surrounded by a cast of perfectly-cast characters who try their hardest to stick by him through his faults, and even struggle with their own problems. That’s what makes this show so perfect: its examination of humanity’s imperfections. There is not a single character who is completely good. They all have their flaws and they all make mistakes. It’s not just Bojack that stumbles, it’s everyone.
As the series has gone on, you keep wondering at what point Bojack, or any other character, will go past a point of no return, do something that is unforgivable. Yet, with every line they cross, the show shows it in a way that makes you understand it. You start to realize how much we are like these anthropomorphic animals, and how we all may carry these actions deemed “unforgivable”. It makes you realize just how jaded we have become, how disconnected from others who think differently we are.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that the show does so with a main cast that is largely made of animals. We are not the brains behind the show, but we can’t help but notice the way that a show about animals shows humans for the animals they are. It’s a reflection of how we aren’t that different from animals and how we come from the same basic instinctual tendencies.
But it’s not all heavy stuff; the show is absolutely hilarious. Will Arnett plays Bojack with perfect dryness, and can slip between sarcasm and emotional pain with ease. It really is a showcase of Arnett’s abilities as an actor, the way he is able to convey so much through his voice. The supporting cast is superb as well, especially Aaron Paul as Bojack’s buddy/couch surfer, Todd Chavez. Paul is perfect as this somewhat-lost individual who is truly trying to be the best person he can. If there was a “straight man” in the show, Todd is it. His arc through the series is honestly one of the most heartfelt stories we have ever seen. Now that we think about it, there isn’t an arc we didn’t like in this show.
We never thought we could see an animated show be so funny, so tragic, and so perfect. Bojack Horseman has achieved something that few shows could ever hope to pull off: a perfect run. Every episode is important, every scene moving the plot forward. We applaud its awareness to end the series on top, but we are going to miss it.
If you haven’t watch this show yet, do yourself a favor while we all practice social distancing: turn on Netflix and start watching it right now. We promise that you will not regret it.
