SPOILER ALERT!

Bojack Horseman, created by Raphael Bob-Waksburg, was originally released on August 22, 2014, and is a show that goes into details of different struggles, such as drug use, alcoholism, addiction, sexual assault, and many other serious topics. However, I could also say this show is one of my favorites. It is honest, funny, sad, brave, and still deep in an eventful 8 seasons. It makes me feel a mix of different emotions but always ends with the reality that although life can suck, it goes on, and good and bad things are simply bound to happen. The characters in the show are all well-written and complex, and the dialogue flows. The animation style shows both a dramatic and comedic sense. Even the end of the show was dramatic, yet somehow poetic. I could easily argue that the last episode was the best. Character-wise, I love Todd, Diane, and Bojack.

Looking at Todd, he is simple. Everything could be going wrong with him, and yet he makes it a piece of cake. He is content with his life, and never complains, even when things are hard. However, you also see a lot of character development with Todd. In the beginning, Todd never stands up for himself. As the story goes, he sets boundaries, even if they happen to distance him from his best friend, Bojack. Todd reminds me that we don’t always need to be so serious in life, it’s short, and accepting ourselves, both inside and out, is the most important thing. He always pursues what will make him happy, while still being considerate of others’ emotions.

However, on the contrary, we have Bojack, a struggling alcoholic, who gives a good reminder that life is complex. Bojack came from a bad home, with alcoholic parents who were constantly fighting, and really should have divorced each other early on. However, he chooses a better path for himself. He is hopeless and lethargic at the start, and yet still learns and grows throughout the story, even understanding some of his mistakes and problems with time. All of this considered I could never truly call him a good guy. He asked Diane, his ghostwriter and friend, the question, and even she couldn’t root for him. “There’s no such thing as ‘bad guys’ or ‘good guys.’ We’re all just… guys, who do good stuff sometimes and bad stuff sometimes. And all we can do is try to do less bad stuff and more good stuff, but you’re never going to be good because you’re not bad.” I love her point of view in that, our actions contradict what we do, but it would be unfair to simply label someone as good or bad, only their actions should be labeled.

Taking a quick glance at Diane, she came from a troubled family, yet still made something of herself. That’s something I love about her character. Whereas Bojack used a bad upbringing to justify his actions, Diane did her best to learn and move on from it. I could also argue that she is the most complicated character in the show. From the outside, she looks like just your average girl, with dreams of changing the world, and giving a happy, fun-loving attitude to everyone that she encounters. However, as the show progresses, you learn that there’s much more to her, especially if you compare the last season to the first. She is so similar to Bojack, yet so different. Both of them were constantly seeking happiness in their lives and rarely found it. However, she is so much more talented and intelligent than Bojack. And that not just because she was a writer, but because she knew how to handle different situations properly.

I could easily say that this is my favorite animated show of all time. The show surrounds itself with a theme of mess-ups and forgiveness, and still doesn’t forget about how the world really can be. It truly is an amazing watch.