In six seasons, BoJack Horseman managed to turn its title character from a crude and alcoholic former nineties sitcom star into one of the most nuanced and insightful characters I have seen in the last decade.  BoJack (Will Arnett) will be remembered by many as a character who realistically portrayed depression and the struggle of trying to be a good person. He means so much to me because of how he learns to face his struggles every day. That there is no right way to get better. That if you fall the only thing to do is get back up, even if it is hard because every day it will get a little bit easier.

BoJack reveals himself to be a deeply troubled character. A product of his upbringing, BoJack was conditioned from a young age to always ‘keep dancing’ and never let the show stop. This manifests into deep trauma in his later life, as we find him living in the shadow of his own prior successes. It means so much to me because of the impostor syndrome I think plagues many at university. The feeling of having to keep up appearances when you are struggling is one BoJack knows about all too well.

This is reflected in his personal relationships. He cannot help but hurt the people around him as he continues to hurt himself. As he is progressively placed in more personal relationships as a father-figure, brother, and most importantly friend, he struggles to balance his own mental health with his duties to others. His most captivating relationship is the one he has with Diane Nguyen (Alison Brie). Throughout BoJack Horseman, these two confront their issues of identity and how they feel they have lost themselves in the search to find themselves as people.

I think the idea of finding yourself is a universal struggle for us all, and no better place than to do this at university. BoJack is such a well-drawn character because you understand him so deeply. Every time he makes mistakes, there is a clear underlying motive. Every mistake peels back another layer of who he is. I have found that the further I get into my university experience, the more vulnerable situations I find myself in that force me to confront a part of myself I did not know was there. BoJack’s journey is his own, but I think people resonate with it because of how it draws on central pillars of growing up.

In growing up, I have learned that endings are inevitable. I know that my university journey will end, and the way BoJack comes to terms with this is my favourite aspect of his character. After everything he goes through and all the demons he unearths, the only thing he can do is keep living. BoJack’s character offers us no answers as to how to be better; it just tells us that despite the melancholic impermanence of our relationships, and the seemingly endless personal struggles, all we can do is keep going.

Want to read more TV character spotlights?

TV Character Spotlight – Ian Gallagher (Shameless US)

TV Character Spotlight – Jess Mariano (Gilmore Girls)

TV Character Spotlight – Abed Nadir (Community)