Bojack

[elisi]

Bojack Horseman is the single most innovative and interesting show around, and you should watch it.

"" (Watch on YouTube)

(We're about halfway through S3, and trying to parcel it out so it lasts. Mind you, I should probably mention that it's deeply cynical & rather depressing and yet... one of the most human shows I have ever had the pleasure to watch. <3)

ETA: Oh, and I forgot to mention that it's hilarious! The visual jokes alone...

Comments

[promethia_tenk]

See, I'm so torn about this show. On the one hand people are like 'omg, it's so amazing.' But all anybody can say of substance about it sounds godawful.

[elisi]

It's difficult, because it's not really like anything else... So you can't easily compare it to something.

What makes it sound bad?

[promethia_tenk]

It's difficult, because it's not really like anything else... So you can't easily compare it to something.
Which should be appealing! And yet . . .

What makes it sound bad?
The cynicism. It just sounds depressing. And you know what, I think it's riding on my being over the brooding, conflicted male anti-hero television thing.

[elisi]

I guess it's like trying to explain Community... You have to experience it.

And oh, I hear you on the brooding, conflicted male anti-hero television thing... But he's a horse. And it sort of uses him to comment on the whole system. *hands* It is just different, and does something no other show does.

Plus it is genuinely funny.

I will now go away and try to think of what will be the perfect hook for you. :)

ETA: Hey, the internet has everything, did you know?

Why it's Awesome - BoJack Horseman (The show is called 'Why it's Awesome', the 'episode'/clip itself is fairly reflective. But does a good job of describing Bojack.) (Stay away from the comments, there are spoilers. Stupid DW that won't let me embed. grr.)

I feel a little like someone trying to recommend Community, and the other person just going 'I don't like sitcoms'. When the show is so much more than that...

[promethia_tenk]

Well, I'll give it a shot, but something about it just feels . . . uncongenial.

[elisi]

That's a pretty good description. It's also far too narrow - a bit like saying that Doctor Who is a children's show. It's not wrong, it's just so very far from the whole truth. And the sheer richness of the show is difficult to put across - the little video does a good job of trying to explain how it constantly evolves. How characters grow and change and break your heart and make you laugh and do stupid selfish things.

In amidst this fabulously rich world, that keeps bringing more fabulous ideas and... Sorry, I can't explain.

It's... easy to love, but maybe harder to like. But mostly, then a bit of cynicism is a small price to pay for something that well-written and rich.

[promethia_tenk]

Well, I've seen three episodes. I don't hate it. I guess we'll see.

It kind of reminds me of Rick and Morty, actually. I mean, without all the fantastically realized sci fi tropes.

[elisi]

S1 is... Well, a bit trial-and-error. And slow, I guess? But overall good.

I shall have to ask Miss M re. the comparison to Rick & Morty. Here was her pitch to get you to watch Bojack:

'The jokes? Cmon, like, macabre humor, detailed characterisation and superb plot'

Anyway, thank you for trying. <3

[promethia_tenk]

I'm in the second half of the season. It's growing on me.

Rick and Morty is like . . . actually, I was going to make an analogy, but it's just straight-up the creator of Community writing the drunken, cynical version of Doctor Who. The way it plays with genre tropes is amazing: it takes some worn-out scifi gimmick and runs it all the way out to its logical conclusion and then you realize that every scifi show out there has been half-assing everything. Except that pushing these things as far as they'll go leads inevitably to existential despair. It's so satisfying and so depressing all at once.

But at any rate, I gather I haven't really gotten to the meaty character stuff in Bojack yet, but it sounds like it'll be pretty similar to how Rick and Morty handles things: a genuinely pretty horrible person surrounded by a bunch of hopeless and borderline horrible people who the show gradually brings to you to love just in time for it to gut-punch you.

[elisi]

the creator of Community writing the drunken, cynical version of Doctor Who.
That's pretty much what I'd gathered. I'd quite like to watch it, if I can somehow work out a way to do it. Might it appeal to a deeply critical ENFP?

a genuinely pretty horrible person surrounded by a bunch of hopeless and borderline horrible people who the show gradually brings to you to love just in time for it to gut-punch you.
Pretty accurate, yes. But they're all very well drawn. S1 (with hindsight) is quite straightforward. Like the 'you should watch this' video says, it doesn't pigeon hole people. The really annoying one, can also be genuinely decent. The one you're rooting for, can do something incredibly selfish & destructive... It keeps evolving. And does incredible things with all the 'animal' aspects. :)

[promethia_tenk]

That's pretty much what I'd gathered. I'd quite like to watch it, if I can somehow work out a way to do it. Might it appeal to a deeply critical ENFP?
If he liked Community I'd say you stand a pretty good chance. It's extremely clever.

The really annoying one, can also be genuinely decent. The one you're rooting for, can do something incredibly selfish & destructive... It keeps evolving. And does incredible things with all the 'animal' aspects. :)
The continuity has been deepening, which I like.

[elisi]

If he liked Community I'd say you stand a pretty good chance. It's extremely clever.
Once we've finished Bojack S3 (we're watching it slowly!), I'll see if it's available somewhere easily accessible.)

The continuity has been deepening, which I like.
Continuity is INCREDIBLE!

[promethia_tenk]

Hmmmm. I finished it. It was . . . better than I anticipated, but not as good as people go on about. The end of season three is definitely a high point.

I think the Rick and Morty analogy is apt. I like Rick and Morty better, but that's probably a personal preference, rather than a matter of quality.

[elisi]

Hmmmm. I finished it. It was . . . better than I anticipated, but not as good as people go on about. The end of season three is definitely a high point.
See we watching r-e-a-l-l-y slowly. Like, haven't watched another episode since I made this post. The episode we had just watched then, btw, was the Japan one (well, 'Lost in Translation'), which was why I could not think of another show that could do anything similar at all... I'll have to check out Rick & Morty once we've finished S3.

[promethia_tenk]

That episode was excellent. A+ Though, I don't really find it out of line with things that a lot of shows are doing anymore? Because TV is great.

[promethia_tenk]

Actually, what that particular episode reminds me the most of is Anthony Bourdain. The crew that does that show is amazingly experimental and loves to do movie homages. Yes, it's nominally a travel show, but some of the best episodes are like these trippy, moody, visual poems.

A season or two ago they did an episode about the Philippines. It was amazing. The whole thing was like this cracked-out Asian Christmas kaleidoscope and then in the middle of it you cry for a solid two minutes while this Filipino grandmother sings "Edelweiss" over montages of people in airports.

[elisi]

I remember you mentioning Anthony Bourdain...

[promethia_tenk]

I have brought him up a time or ten ; )

It is the show that I've been actively engaged with for the longest amount of time. Like, I think I'm approaching ten years of watching it and I still get excited about new episodes (though the tv overlords are currently making it difficult for me to get my hands on *kicks*)

[elisi]

Yeah, I've never heard of it. Must make note to look out for it. (Once Bake-Off & Victoria are finished.)

[promethia_tenk]

That genuinely surprises me. I mean, it's not like everybody in America knows him or something, but there is a sizeable portion of the population for which he is an institution. And his shows are just so quality, and there's so much of it. I would think it would be a global syndication treasure trove--like Top Gear. I mean, it's not very much like Top Gear, but they fill a similar very broad television niche.

Obama called him to ask to be on his show: https://youtu.be/4DNyVijKAP0

Also there's no wrong way to watch, which is great. It's not like you're dealing with ongoing storylines, so you can pick up whatever you want, whenever you want. It's just a buffet of variety and awesome.

[elisi]

He despises Trump. :)

Oh and he's waging a war on fast food...

Well on principle I like him very much. :) I'll have to see if he's on Netflix.

[promethia_tenk]

He despises Trump. :)
Naturally. And the snark is strong with him, as I'm sure you can see.

Oh and he's waging a war on fast food...
Mostly ; ) In fairness, In-N-Out is amazing. I spent a week in LA and I think I ate there four times.

Also he's quite a good writer, as evidenced by the article. You can see it really strongly in the show as well.

I knew I'd gone on at rambing length about him at some point. Here you go.

A week out from watching Bojack I'm quite satisfied with it, in a quiet way. It has a nice weight to it. I would watch more.

[owlboy]

I watched the first season and that was about as much as I could take. I don't watch cartoons to be sad unless they're made by Studio Ghibli

[elisi]

Pretend it's live action?

[promethia_tenk]

Am I wrong in thinking the humor just feels weird? There are certain shows where the humor just feels a little too empty to me. Slightly nihilistic.

[owlboy]

Yeah it's not my flavour of nihilism

[elisi]

If it breaks your heart, will that prove it's not empty?

[vixenofflames.livejournal.com]

Aaron Paul is a genius, an amazing, deep soul, and I always feel guilty that I haven't taken the time to check that show out. I've only ever heard good things. Maybe this will help encourage me!

[elisi]

Watch an episode a week? It's worth savouring.

[ever-neutral.livejournal.com]

At first I was like wtf, but then I saw that this stars WILL ARNETT (who deserves 10 Emmys for Arrested Development--did you ever go there??) and AARON PAUL and ALISON BRIE. What kind of conglomeration of awesome. DAMN THIS TEMPTING POST.

[elisi]

Yeah, I'm familiar with Arrested Development (and Will Arnett on his own is worth the price of admission), but I sort of almost forget that it's him, Bojack is such a brilliant creation.

Basically: LET ME TEMPT YOU! Come on to the dark side...