Bojack Horseman
TV Show Review
Bojack Horseman is a show of superb quality that, for me, is an example of “never judge a book by its cover.” At first glance, this is an animated TV show comedy for adults, where the main character, Bojack Horseman, has a horse’s head on a human body. It is also set in a version of Hollywood where everyone is either an anthropomorphic animal or a human. To be honest, reading about the plot and seeing the animation did not get me interested in watching the show, but it has been so highly praised by my friends and the internet that I had to take a chance on it. The pilot episode is exemplary, and everything takes off from there.
The plot of Bojack Horseman centers around Bojack’s life, but also explores quirks about the Hollywood industry. Bojack is a jaded and middle-aged celebrity, who rose to fame by getting his big break on a popular 90s sitcom. Fame has made him wealthy, but he struggles with the relationships in his life, as well as his own relationship with alcohol/substance abuse. While it is full of funny puns and commentary on life, at its essence, Bojack Horseman is a deep exploration of human insecurity. It poses to the audience questions of what it means to be happy in life or even live a “meaningful” life.
What really stands out to me about this show is how smartly witty and hilarious the writing is. Every episode is filled with puns about real Hollywood things and celebrities, and each character has a quirk about them that makes them ridiculous and memorable. This show has also been able to recruit an all star cast of voice actors, and sometimes, a celebrity is voicing an exaggerated version of themselves on the show. All these hidden gems and easter eggs littered throughout the show keep things engaging and endlessly funny.
This show is one of the most thoughtfully crafted and smart shows I have seen in a long time. It is a show that is another exemplification of how Hollywood is obsessed with telling stories about itself. But the best stories are the ones that are the most personal to the writer, and so it makes sense that writers who live and breathe Hollywood are excellent at writing stories about it. I enjoyed the ride, and I hope that more people will see past any initial prejudices and give this show a try. Any fans of entertainment, media, and Hollywood in general, are sure to see how wonderful this story is.