This article contains spoilers for the TV show “Bojack Horseman.”
“Bojack Horseman” is an animated comedy-drama series that quickly gained critical acclaim after premiering on Aug 22, 2014. Shortly after its release, it was nominated for numerous awards, and two years in a row, “Bojack Horseman” won the Critic Choice Award for Best Animated Series.
But why did this seemingly unassuming adult animation series achieve such success and recognition? The answer: the deeper lessons the show offers. “Bojack Horseman” explores pressing issues that can affect people at any stage of life, leaving viewers with complex emotions.
Advertisement
These lessons can be especially applicable to college students. When transitioning from a child to a young adult, it’s no surprise that a person can feel lost juggling family, mental health and relationships. With college back in full swing, the lessons presented in this show are needed more than ever. Talisman writer Emma Hardesty brings you a compilation of five life lessons you can learn from “Bojack Horseman” that can help guide you through the new school year, and beyond.
1. Not everyone is meant to be in your life forever
Bojack Horseman, the titular main character, struggles with convoluted relationships. Throughout the show, the audience watches him build new relationships and tear down old ones.
After distancing himself from the toxic relationships that festered in earlier seasons, Bojack reconnects with old friends in the season six finale. He reflects on their connected past and considers what comes next. Some of these people he hadn’t spoken to in over a year and no longer had a relationship with. However, he was able to spend time with them and reflect on their years together.
One of the best quotes from this episode is from Bojack’s former roommate, Todd who while sitting with Bojack says, “It was nice while it lasted, right?” The pair had not been friends since season three but were able to have a civilized conversation together about their lives and what was next for them.
This scene is a lasting lesson for those who find themselves falling out with friends or other serious relationships. Not every relationship lasts forever, but you can still look back on them fondly. Relationships can come and go, and that’s okay. You can carry the good parts of the relationship with you while leaving the bad parts in the past.
2. Being a good person takes effort
Being a good person is hard. Childhood fairy tales taught us that there was good and evil in the world, that we were always on the side of good, and that good always conquered evil. However, that simply isn’t the truth. It takes time and effort to be a good person. It doesn’t happen overnight.
As a character, Bojack is the perfect representation of this idea. In the beginning of the series, he is portrayed to be a terrible person. He’s hateful to all of his friends, a terrible influence on anyone that looks up to him, and participates in some disgusting and illegal activities. He is nota good person, and that point is made clear repeatedly throughout the series.
By the final season, he realized that he was a bad person and needed to change. He stepped away from Los Angeles along with the drugs and old relationships that created his toxic environment. He found a stable teaching job and began connecting with his students. Bojack became a more positive influence on those around him because he started making active changes in his life. He became a good person, not because he always was one, but because he choseto be.
It’s hard to say that certain behaviors are “not good.” Reflecting on past actions and recognizing negative behaviors can be painful, but it’s important to a person’s growth. It’s the first step to advocating for a change in yourself. Again, it must be emphasized that people are not one-dimensional characters. Yes, you can do bad actions, but can always take the time to turn yourself around and focus on putting the good back in your life.
(Illustration by Candace Alvey)
3. You can heal from your damage
The story of fan-favorite character, Diane Nguyen, centers on her personal damage. She carries heavy trauma from her past and is often seen as the black sheep of her family. All of that left her feeling broken and alone.
Throughout her story arc, she yearns for healing but often feels that achieving it is impossible. One important quote from the show is when Diane says, “… that means that all the damage I got isn’t ‘good damage,’ it’s just damage. I have gotten nothing out of it, and all those years I was miserable was for nothing.” Her depressed and empty outlook on the world is something many people can relate to – especially those who are in college struggling with themselves and their identity, on top of carrying heavy things from their past.
Advertisement
Her complete story arc shows her healing from this trauma. She is able to find a stable relationship in her life and work through all the troubles her family life left her with. She works herself up to take medication to help with her depression and anxiety and finishes the show as a woman working toward healing.
Her story shows that no matter how bad a person may feel or how horrible their past might have been, it’s always possible to heal. It can take a lot of time and hard work, but any damage a person has, they can grow from.
4. Life sucks sometimes – but it keeps going
“‘Yeah well, what are you gonna do? Life’s a bitch and then you die, right?”
“Sometimes. Sometimes, life’s a bitch and then you keep living.”
“Bojack Horseman” emphasizes some of the various struggles that people face. It’s not a happy show by any means. Diane faces imposter syndrome, the idea of feeling undeserving of one’s skills and accomplishments. Todd feels confused with his identity and struggles to maintain a romantic connection. All Princess Caroline wants is a family and a stable relationship that she cannot find. Mr. Peanutbutter constantly seeks everyone’s approval, even though he treats the people in his life poorly. Bojack Horseman constantly hurts those around him and suffers from their hurt in return.
After six seasons of watching these characters go through some of the worst things life can throw at people, it’s easy to relate to them and their hopelessness. It’s easy to decide that life does just suck sometimes, but Diane reminds us that no matter how bad it gets, life keeps going. There is still a chance to turn things around. The bad doesn’t have to last forever.
5. Your family doesn’t define you
Season four of “Bojack Horseman” dives deeper into the history of Bojack’s family and displays the generational trauma that has followed their family for years. His family has a constant cycle of abuse, starting with his grandfather and trickling down to him. When Bojack encounters someone in his life that he sees as a daughter, he begins to worry – will he hurt her the way his mother hurt him? Will he hurt her the way he hurts everyone else?
This concern for others is the audience’s first glimpse at Bojack breaking away from the generational toxicity that he had carried with him. The audience sees that the pain lingering from his family’s past doesn’t have to dictate his future actions. This lesson goes far beyond generational trauma and abuse. Whether it’s a family’s religious beliefs or political opinions, family doesn’t have to dictate who you become. You make and define your own unique path in life.
—
The lessons learned through “Bojack Horseman” are applicable and important to everyday life. The stories told are much deeper than a typical adult animation and can touch the heart in ways previously unimaginable. Carry these lessons into every day, and hold the stories told close to your chest.
Opinion: 5 life lessons you can learn from ‘Bojack Horseman’
This article contains spoilers for the TV show “Bojack Horseman.”
“Bojack Horseman” is an animated comedy-drama series that quickly gained critical acclaim after premiering on Aug 22, 2014. Shortly after its release, it was nominated for numerous awards, and two years in a row, “Bojack Horseman” won the Critic Choice Award for Best Animated Series.
But why did this seemingly unassuming adult animation series achieve such success and recognition? The answer: the deeper lessons the show offers. “Bojack Horseman” explores pressing issues that can affect people at any stage of life, leaving viewers with complex emotions.
Advertisement
These lessons can be especially applicable to college students. When transitioning from a child to a young adult, it’s no surprise that a person can feel lost juggling family, mental health and relationships. With college back in full swing, the lessons presented in this show are needed more than ever. Talisman writer Emma Hardesty brings you a compilation of five life lessons you can learn from “Bojack Horseman” that can help guide you through the new school year, and beyond.
1. Not everyone is meant to be in your life forever
Bojack Horseman, the titular main character, struggles with convoluted relationships. Throughout the show, the audience watches him build new relationships and tear down old ones.
After distancing himself from the toxic relationships that festered in earlier seasons, Bojack reconnects with old friends in the season six finale. He reflects on their connected past and considers what comes next. Some of these people he hadn’t spoken to in over a year and no longer had a relationship with. However, he was able to spend time with them and reflect on their years together.
One of the best quotes from this episode is from Bojack’s former roommate, Todd who while sitting with Bojack says, “It was nice while it lasted, right?” The pair had not been friends since season three but were able to have a civilized conversation together about their lives and what was next for them.
This scene is a lasting lesson for those who find themselves falling out with friends or other serious relationships. Not every relationship lasts forever, but you can still look back on them fondly. Relationships can come and go, and that’s okay. You can carry the good parts of the relationship with you while leaving the bad parts in the past.
2. Being a good person takes effort
Being a good person is hard. Childhood fairy tales taught us that there was good and evil in the world, that we were always on the side of good, and that good always conquered evil. However, that simply isn’t the truth. It takes time and effort to be a good person. It doesn’t happen overnight.
As a character, Bojack is the perfect representation of this idea. In the beginning of the series, he is portrayed to be a terrible person. He’s hateful to all of his friends, a terrible influence on anyone that looks up to him, and participates in some disgusting and illegal activities. He is not a good person, and that point is made clear repeatedly throughout the series.
By the final season, he realized that he was a bad person and needed to change. He stepped away from Los Angeles along with the drugs and old relationships that created his toxic environment. He found a stable teaching job and began connecting with his students. Bojack became a more positive influence on those around him because he started making active changes in his life. He became a good person, not because he always was one, but because he chose to be.
It’s hard to say that certain behaviors are “not good.” Reflecting on past actions and recognizing negative behaviors can be painful, but it’s important to a person’s growth. It’s the first step to advocating for a change in yourself. Again, it must be emphasized that people are not one-dimensional characters. Yes, you can do bad actions, but can always take the time to turn yourself around and focus on putting the good back in your life.
3. You can heal from your damage
The story of fan-favorite character, Diane Nguyen, centers on her personal damage. She carries heavy trauma from her past and is often seen as the black sheep of her family. All of that left her feeling broken and alone.
Throughout her story arc, she yearns for healing but often feels that achieving it is impossible. One important quote from the show is when Diane says, “… that means that all the damage I got isn’t ‘good damage,’ it’s just damage. I have gotten nothing out of it, and all those years I was miserable was for nothing.” Her depressed and empty outlook on the world is something many people can relate to – especially those who are in college struggling with themselves and their identity, on top of carrying heavy things from their past.
Advertisement
Her complete story arc shows her healing from this trauma. She is able to find a stable relationship in her life and work through all the troubles her family life left her with. She works herself up to take medication to help with her depression and anxiety and finishes the show as a woman working toward healing.
Her story shows that no matter how bad a person may feel or how horrible their past might have been, it’s always possible to heal. It can take a lot of time and hard work, but any damage a person has, they can grow from.
4. Life sucks sometimes – but it keeps going
“‘Yeah well, what are you gonna do? Life’s a bitch and then you die, right?”
“Sometimes. Sometimes, life’s a bitch and then you keep living.”
“Bojack Horseman” emphasizes some of the various struggles that people face. It’s not a happy show by any means. Diane faces imposter syndrome, the idea of feeling undeserving of one’s skills and accomplishments. Todd feels confused with his identity and struggles to maintain a romantic connection. All Princess Caroline wants is a family and a stable relationship that she cannot find. Mr. Peanutbutter constantly seeks everyone’s approval, even though he treats the people in his life poorly. Bojack Horseman constantly hurts those around him and suffers from their hurt in return.
After six seasons of watching these characters go through some of the worst things life can throw at people, it’s easy to relate to them and their hopelessness. It’s easy to decide that life does just suck sometimes, but Diane reminds us that no matter how bad it gets, life keeps going. There is still a chance to turn things around. The bad doesn’t have to last forever.
5. Your family doesn’t define you
Season four of “Bojack Horseman” dives deeper into the history of Bojack’s family and displays the generational trauma that has followed their family for years. His family has a constant cycle of abuse, starting with his grandfather and trickling down to him. When Bojack encounters someone in his life that he sees as a daughter, he begins to worry – will he hurt her the way his mother hurt him? Will he hurt her the way he hurts everyone else?
This concern for others is the audience’s first glimpse at Bojack breaking away from the generational toxicity that he had carried with him. The audience sees that the pain lingering from his family’s past doesn’t have to dictate his future actions. This lesson goes far beyond generational trauma and abuse. Whether it’s a family’s religious beliefs or political opinions, family doesn’t have to dictate who you become. You make and define your own unique path in life.
—
The lessons learned through “Bojack Horseman” are applicable and important to everyday life. The stories told are much deeper than a typical adult animation and can touch the heart in ways previously unimaginable. Carry these lessons into every day, and hold the stories told close to your chest.