Diving Into BoJack Horseman's Complex Characters And Story
Published April 26th, 2023 by Sabah V.
BoJack Horseman is the story of a washed up Hollywood star of a 1990’s sitcom is looking to make a comeback. But, his self-destructive behavior mixed with his depression and alcoholism makes his journey rather difficult. Today, I am going to dive into what makes this TV show so great with all of the complex characters involved.
Main Characters
BoJack Horseman follows The Sopranos in the creation of a main character that is an anti-hero. Many of the characters of the show are flawed and reflect real life people and events, making it very easy to relate with some of the characters, especially during their hardships.
BoJack Horseman
It is no secret that BoJack didn’t have it easy growing up. He was the product of an unwanted pregnancy and his parents had no issue ever letting him know that he was a burden to them. BoJack has a very cynical view of the world and soothes his mind through copious amounts of alcohol. He doesn’t believe in love, as he feels it always ends up in him being hurt, or him hurting others. BoJack is the definition of a self-destructive character, and he often wonders if he is even able to change. He constantly sabotages the relationships with those around him, whether it is because of jealousy or just him being defensive. No matter what he has, he will genuinely never be happy with it.
Mr. Peanut Butter
Mr. Peanut Butter can be seen as an antithesis to BoJack. Mr. Peanut Butter is known for his over-the-top friendly behavior and having no shortage of people who like him. Mr. Peanut Butter is seen as having a very happy and loving upbringing, and is also a TV star like BoJack. BoJack resents Mr. Peanut Butter for many reasons. BoJack has always craved validation, and Mr. Peanut Butter never falls short of receiving validation, as everyone he meets loves him. Mr. Peanut Butter is also in a relationship with Diane Nguyen, which is another aspect of Mr. Peanut Butter’s life that BoJack is jealous of. Even though Mr. Peanut Butter always tries very hard to be a good friend to BoJack, he is always left with the short end of the stick.
Diane Nguyen
Diane Nguyen is first seen in a relationship with Mr. Peanut Butter. She is brought into the equation to write a book about BoJack’s life. Diane is new to Hollywood, as she grew tired of her emotionally abusive family in Boston and wanted to make a name for herself. Even though Diane is very humble and never outwardly asks for attention, it is obvious that she is dying to be seen by someone who understands her. Diane is an extremely intelligent character and she genuinely cares about BoJack. Although it is apparent that BoJack cares about her too, his self-destructive behavior often gets in the way. It is no secret that the two have some sort of chemistry, as Diane may be as broken as BoJack.
Princess Carolyn
Similar to Diane, Princess Carolyn is not originally from Hollywood. She grew up with 11 other siblings and her childhood was rather dysfunctional as well. At the age of 18 she decided to leave North Carolina to pursue her dreams on the West Coast. Princess Carolyn is a tragic character as she slaves her days away working as an agent and manager, having no real time for herself. She is constantly bombarded with the realization that she wasted her life away working and the time is running out for her to have a family. Although she enters numerous relationships with hope, it almost always ends with her being let down. Rather than drown herself in alcohol and her self-pity, Princess Carolyn drowns herself in her occupation.
Todd Chavez
It is no secret that Todd Chavez is frequently the comedic relief of the show. Todd began living with BoJack after crashing at BoJack’s house after one of his parties. He doesn’t have any real ambition, as he practically couch hops and smokes marijuana all day. But, he is very lovable and makes friends with everybody. Mr. Peanut Butter and Todd are often seen coming up with insane ideas for businesses and then actually following through with them. Although Todd seems like a bum, many great things actually line up for him and he is known for being genuine to all. BoJack treats Todd very poorly a lot of the time, but never wants him to leave as he doesn’t want to be left alone in his own house. Although Todd is very forgiving to many and may seem rather stupid, he has his fair share of moments of emotional intelligence.
What Makes BoJack Horseman Different Than Other Cartoons?
One thing that really separates BoJack Horseman from other TV shows is the parallels to real life events. Since watching this show, I have had plenty of epiphanies and realizations about my own life and childhood.
Although the show may seem very comedic at times, the dark and depressing moments never fail to have the audience reflect on their lives. I have read about many people who have had to turn off the show because of how “real” it starts to get, and to be honest: this is the only cartoon that can really make me feel this deeply.
The consequences are real for the characters of this show. Here’s a surface level example: In BoJack Horseman, if someone breaks their arm, that arm will stay broken for several episodes and you will see that character with a cast. The same goes for conflicts and other disputes, they don’t just get resolved in the same episode – they go on until they are resolved, and sometime that is never.
The show dives into the idea of how a bad childhood can affect someone into adulthood, or as they like to call it: “Xerox of a Xerox”. This show is very insightful and really knows how to leave the whole audience in tears. That is what I think makes this show so special.