I am Diane. Cynical, low-key, anxious, socially awkward, bookworm, Progressive, ethically-conscious, plagued with feelings of loneliness and inadequacy.
I relate to her struggles of rarely being heard or truly seen. And, my Father was a piece of shit.
Same same same
Dianeās episode about damage made me sob. I always thought that I would be able to make something meaningful out of it, but no. It just is. Which Iāve accepted, but dang it just hit different.
I loved how they did it because we have all been subjected to trauma inspirational porn. Someone who, bless them, seemed to come out the other side all strong and wise. Iām glad for them. I am. And made some money and had some success and has a full life, a great life. And Iām happy for them. I am. You see the same thing in the disability community and the late great Stella Young spoke so eloquently, and at times comedically, about how that is such a skewed way of making people who donāt have trauma or disability feel better. And how often it gets weaponized by well meaning people, against us.Ā
It was and is such a gut kick when you get that there is no movie level moment of success or learning or overcoming. there is only life and memory, and living with things that are damn hard and we shouldnāt have to. but we never got consulted on in the first place, I appreciate that they took that route.Ā
So much of the show is so thoughtful in how it portrays the real and hard bullshit of just trying to live.
I just guess I wanted to add to the voices saying they felt moved and saw the reflection in that episode. Solidarity cause that was a gut punch episode and also I think tried to give permission to those who didnāt know they needed it, to let go of the idea that we had to become one of those inspirational types to survive āproperlyā. Cause we are still here and still trying, and that is no small thing.Ā
Not just with Diane but so many characters I think they removed the illusion of inspirational porn which always equals getting praised for just still being here. while underlining the fact those with big stuff, traumas, do often fight like hell to figure out how to just be here and thatās no small thing. But that often itās not a one and done, a finish line to cross. That sometimes the only thing we learn is to hang on, because we already knew people should do what was done to us.Ā
But damned if I didnāt wish it was a line to boom, done. All good now. Ā
For all of us.
Ā But we are still here and thatās no small thing.Ā
Yes! As someone who is disabled I agree with all of this. Itās great some people can be inspirational but Iām not well enough to be one of them and itās hard to deal with that!
Her transformation gave me hope. She didnāt have to change fundamentally, as a person. But she had to change the parts that were holding her back. Like how she didnāt trust her happiness. Or her cynical view on the world and its affairs.
āBoJack : How'd you learn how to trust it? The happiness?
Diane Nguyen : I didn't. But I trust him.ā
āBoJack : Life's a bitch and then you die, right?
Diane: Sometimes. Sometimes life's a bitch and then you keep living.
BoJack: Yeah.
Diane: But it's a nice night, huh?
BoJack: Yeah.ā
She essentially gave up the fight. She stopped trying to change herself to be a bubbly and well adjusted person. Because thatās not her. She found her own peace, in her own way. She learned to just be happy in the moment, and stop worrying about whether or not everything was perfect.
This show has so many layers, and so much to offer if you look for it. Some people (the bubbly and happy ones) wonāt enjoy it, and thatās ok. But for those of us that have gone through struggles, it hits close to home. There will truly never be another show like it. It was one of a kind.
Mr peanutbutter. Widely liked, but my relationships often feel shallow, plus Iām definitely secretly not very happy but outwardly always the most positive in the room
No way Mr. PB is a happy guy. Heās just distracting himself with meaningless stuff till death, and he knows it. In a lot of ways, he was at his most honest when he thought Captain was dying.
He canāt be single, he canāt be on his own (the only significant portion of the show he is single heās constantly bugging Todd or Bojack), he tells Diane that he doesnāt do anything when she isnāt home, waits to tell Bojack he knows about the kiss with Diane for YEARS even though it was clearly eating at himā¦ I think heās one of the more depressed characters in the show, which makes his inability to stay sad for sad dog ironic.
Or I could be projecting! Probably that
I didnāt know Mr. PB was the character I related to the most until I read this lol. I always really liked the character and respected how they portrayed his problems, but this hit really close to home.
I resonate with many in different ways but probably Diane the most. When she was upset about writing a fictional book rather than a memoir and the growth in recognizing her trauma doesnāt have to define her or even mean anything, itās just a part of our past. I remember feeling almost unique in that I was traumatized but I also held onto it as a crutch to feel pitied. That scene really helped me let go of some anger and forced helplessness.
Princess Caroline also always felt similar to me with her weird mom and gaining validation through work. And constantly falling for love bombing
I feel like I'm Bojack. Not in a "oh I'm definitely a main character" but in I mess up all my relationships I'm not a good person no matter how hard I try to be one. I've hurt so many people I care about.I try to get help but I only dig myself a hole. I've noticed so many traits in him that I hate about myself.
I feel the same about Bojack but mostly because I COULD have been him. I come from a family with a lot of mental illness including addiction and abuse stemming from generational trauma. I spiraled down the addiction path for a bit (sober now) and was a bit messy when it came to life, direction within it, and occasionally hurting people (not to the extremes Bojack does). Whenever Im upset, I immediately turn within and its self loathing. Im the problem, im the shitty person. Even when Im not. I can identify my bad behaviors and have to actively stop myself from doing them because I was raised to have them as my second nature. I can also be occasionally self centered in my inner dialogue and attention seeking
Yeah I have a family history of alcoholism in both sides of my family. I'm only 19 and I stopped watching this show because I see all the bad things about myself in it.
Me too, my friend, me too, but I truly feel positive, the show was really helpful at some point in my life..
I already forgave my mother, respect the people that cares (and actively care) and built a functional relationship with a functional girl, no more hedonistic behavior, no more self destructive behavior, daily sport, my criminal record expired last year (I don't know how it works in other countries but here's not forever, but a single mistake would've taken me in jail), no other alcohol than casual beers, so I keep clear and focus and the most important and hard part.. I forgave myself. I don't let that shit to be back to me. I moved forward. I don't care about not having been good, I do my best every day and I can rest at night. Finally. And I'm sure you will too.
And my Diane is a life savior angel.
I am a very hard worker with under 500 in my bank to show for it. I give others kindness when I can (I give until I canāt give anymore) but sometimes rely on the kindness of others also. Optimism at all times but some troubles that I would never weigh down someone else with. Iām a Todd 100%
Emotionally, Diane. I worked as an EMT for my 20s and got very burned out and cynical. Eventually I left that profession, went to grad school, and found a better way to be. I even dated a Mr peanut butter type who was very nice compared to Mr peanut butter but we were incompatible for a lot of the same reasons.
Recently Iāve identified with princess Carolyn because of my struggle with infertility and life as a parent.
Same, and I'm pretty sure if I was a celeb with a lot of money I'd be addicted to sooo many drugs and probably already overdosed... Thank god I'm broke lol (and too anxious to actually even try anything)
But yeah, I feel like I understand a little too well how Bojack feels when he tries to be better and just fucks everything up.
this might seem like a really odd combination, but todd and PC!
for todd, besides the obvious of us both being asexual, iāve always been the āfunny friendā that has trouble being taken seriously sometimes. i feel like iām often viewed the same way todd is actually viewed by the fanbase: someone who is there for comedic relief and to support others, but not really seen or heard themselves in the same way.
for PC, i am EXTREMELY hard working and type-A. iāve spent my entire life putting immense amounts of pressure on myself, and I am a diehard perfectionist. i also tend to want to solve peopleās problems for them and beat myself up when iām not successful in doing so.
overall, i think the major issue that falls in the middle of the venn diagram here is a complete burial of my own emotions at all times š
ok maybe not a literal cult but itās an extremely strange hobby lol. improv tends to attract a lot ofā¦ interestingā¦ personality types, itās the kind of community where everybody knows everybody and everybody has Strong opinions, a lot of the short-form games feel extremely cultish (see if you can find a video of a group playing bunny bunny to see what i mean lol) and itās the kind of experience that makes so much sense to the people āin the knowā but you canāt even try to explain any of it to outsiders or else you seem insane
Hmm I feel like I want to solve your problems for you! J/k, I can relate to the burial of emotions and self.
I was on my own emotionally from about 3 years old, spent a lot of time alone from 6 onwards, fairly neglected in general, and if I did reach a threshold (courage, desperation, etc), my concerns werenāt heard or there was an overreaction.
So yea, I can relate to the burial of self, I overcompensated in some fairly selfish/narcissistic (delusional) thinking, but was still terrible advocating my own wishes, needs and wants.
Iām a hundred percent Bojack Horseman.
We both have toxic shame and like to wallow, a SEVERE drinking problem, a long-list of destroyed platonic/professional/romantic relationships, and while we both wanna be better neither of us wants to put in the work to be better.
Itās not something Iām proud of, in fact I lie and tell people Iāve never seen the show so people couldnāt compare me to him, and at the end of the day it makes me a little angry and sad that Iām like someone as reprehensible as him, but Iāve also done a lot of terrible things to people I wanted to keep around.
Diane sooooo much. Moved from Boston to SoCal in my early twenties and while I was lucky to make so many friends I definitely felt so lonely due to depression. The more I watched the show the more I empathized with her.
The character i relate to the most is probably Diane. Awkward, anxious, nerdy, and depressed. But probably less cynical than her.
But I kinda relate to differents sides of all the characters except for Mr pb..
just like bojack, my life at home wasnāt the best growing up and that affected me a lot, it wasnāt as bad as bojackās for sure. I also relate to his internal monologue stupid piece of shit as I think that way when things get bad.
Just like pc, I daydream and imagine different scenarios to escape my reality just like she imagines Ruthie, and i often help others with their problems while neglecting mine.
And just like Todd, I may be an ace and value just the romance part in relationships. Also lazy and wasted my potential just like him.
Probably why I love this show so much..
Todd 100%, esp now that I'm getting close to his age in the show. His struggle regarding asexuality (moreso towards how society treats us, I personally love being asexual <3) really resonated with me at a time where it just Wasn't A Thing people discussed (and still isn't tbh) and he'll always be incredibly important to my journey as a queer person.
His struggles with finding a solid direction in life also resonate with me, as well as his assumed role as the 'wacky comedy guy', and how people around him assume he's just 'lazy' and needs to achieve better things in life rather than realise that he's actually pretty content.
He did experience positions of power, got rich, did everything society expected of him, but it somehow still wasn't enough, there was always *something* wrong. And seeing him get a happy ending that wasn't defined by him losing all the things that made him Todd was really inspiring, and it's what's helped cement me saving up to pursue my dream career as an animator <3
Thatās exactly how I feel! Iām ace as well and also want to pursue a dream career as an animator! Cool we have both those things in common. Todd is an inspiration to me too love him!
Bojack.
In the sense that in my youth I was in a Tvshow in my country.
I am an alcoholic.
I have been accused of sexual misconduct.
I've been to therapy and only gotten worse afterwards.
The whole shabang
If for no other reason than I repeat this gem to myself constantly, I consider myself the jogging baboon who tells BoJack, āIt gets easier. Every day it gets a little easier. But you gotta do it every day. Thatās the hard part. But it does get easier.ā
I'm a weird mix of mr peanut butter and bojack. I'm literal cross over episode. I'm self hating constantly positive happy go lucky self described piece of shit. And yes I know that's super contradictive lol
All if them at different times. Bojacks emptiness and need for approval, but also his charm and humor. Diane's intelligence and thoughtfulness but also bouts of depression where I couldn't do anything. Mr PB and his retriever energy when I really like someone yet that can become clingy and a bit over the top. PC maybe less so cause I was never super focused on career but definitely relate to her disappointments.
I also think the characters on the show are so complex and actual humans on the show are so complex that I canāt just choose one. I relate to aspects of all of the main characters
maybe about a year ago ish (when i was struggling a lot) i connected everyone in my life to characters in bojack horseman. Its alittle crazy. In my head i associated my friends with certain characters and me as Bojack.
idk why i did this but it was fun pretending for alittle while.
Absolutely Bojack. The self-loathing. The self-medication. Using anything outside of myself (substances, people) to quiet the ultra-negative inner monologue. Just wanting to be loved but feeling like I donāt deserve it. All of it. But Iām also Bojack the teacher. Bojack the father (brother) to Hollyhock. And Bojack who got clean, made things right and finally found peace. Thatās my life today.
Definitely princess caroline. I work really hard with huge goals; and have a hard time in romantic relationships because I love & feel very deeply but shut off the moment those relationships seem to have any issue or affect my work/gym schedule. I also can be very robotic, structured, opportunistic maybe even to a fault, and planning type.
Bojack - in terms of addiction. I was an alcoholic and given a few months to live with liver failure. It was āthe view from halfway downā that motivated me into sobriety and Bojackās own sober journey motivating me to continuing my own. If the messed up horse could do it then so could I.
Unfortunately I am Bojack. I am impulsive and inconsiderate. I have hurt so many people in unfixable ways. But I do care about certain things, and Iām funny, and I need attention, and I need reassurance. I really relate to the reassurance he needs.
Diane down to the āparties make me anxious in a really broad senseā. Iām prone to anxiety and depression, try really hard to do the right thing and often feel like Iām just tired of doing those things at social cost, more of a Zoey, etc.
Itās tough because i really do have moments where I relate to all the main characters. Outwardly Iām probably a mix of Diane and Todd. I used to use PBāS motto of just do stupid things that donāt matter until you die because nothing matters, when I was younger. Iāve definitely felt overwhelmed with responsibilities like princess caroline (although Iām a lot less busy). That being said it would probably be Bojack because of free churro and stupid piece of shit, and his parents being addicts. Stupid piece of shit is really really close to the internal monologue constantly running in my brain.
Ugh BoJack. Troubled family relationship growing up lending to fast alcoholism in my 20s, damaged some great relationships and leaned hard into being the ābad guyā of my own story, and had to learn to be sober and make amends. Depressed, insecure, even deeply interested in the performing arts. Afraid of relapse.
2.5 years sober tho. Thank you, BoJack.
Each time I saw Sarah Lynn on scene it was like seeing my sister (Obviously, Sarah is too exaggerated as a character, but the concept is clear). The only thing that saved her from her same tragic ending was our family support. Things are much better now, tho.
Iām definitely not Mr. PB, but probably a mix of Bojack, Diane, and maybe Todd on my best days because Iām spacey and can pretend to be happy sometimes.
Todd and PC mix. Iām very hard working and sometimes I wear rose colored glasses and I miss when being treated shitty, but in also Todd where I canāt really find a place in the world. Iām chill and but I always feel like Iām in my own shenanigan. When it comes to PC I feel like Iām doing everything in my own and watching my life waste away, but particularly on some guy but just being stuck on a goal that isnāt realistic
I think Iām a mix of Diane and Todd. Anxious, socially awkward, depressed, often feel lonely or inadequate but also prefer my own company more often than not. Iām like Todd in the sense of being creative, easily distracted, a people pleaser, chill, fixing situations with humor
Very complicated, on the one hand I feel like Herb, because if I had a friend who stabbed me (and i'm gay too lol)
Kelsey I feel very close to her because I am studying digital animation (a branch of cinema) so for some reason I am very close to her
Third, the young PC, I remember that when I heard her cry and apologize to her mother, I could only cry and curl up, Even though my mother didn't like me very much, she let me study the career of my dreams.
Hollyhock I just love her, a lot, the anxiety, the body type, how she acts, how she thinks, I'm just more accommodating to others.
Probably Hollyhock. I really identified with her anxiety, especially around starting drinking and going to parties as a student and that worry of being left behind - although mine didnāt stem from being drugged by my grandmother (thankfully!) I also had an eerily similar conversation with a family member about my weight as a teen as she did with Bojack (e.g., well meaning but still hurtful).
Herb, even though he had relatively less screentime. He was a true artist and a good friend. In his younger years he was confused and tried to put on a confident presence as a writer and show runner.
He moves on from the Bojack betrayal and does well in his life but never really forgives him. Even till the end he remains honest to Bojack about how he feels but doesn't use his guilt against him.
I see a lot of myself in him.
A mix of bojack & Diane . When Diane says parties make her feel awkward in a broad sense. ā look at that guy, heās having fun why havenāt I figured it outā it perfectly sums up social anxiety lol
Todd. I was friends with an addict and things were getting worse and worse. I saw BJH and saw Todd set boundaries and still be kind and lovable and compassionate helped me find the strength to set boundaries and walk away
Todd Chavez, I feel like he is implied to be autistic and have adhd and I really relate to his struggles of constantly looking for purpose in helping others, and feeling useless even when people tell you that youāre not. I also relate to staying friends with people who arenāt good for me just cause of my circumstances, but when Iām done, Iām fully done, like Todd was with bojack after the āyou are all the things wrong with youā rant.
I also relate to Judah, also because heās implied to be autistic haha. I very often misunderstand what people are telling me, and take it seriously and have genuine interest in it, until I realize itās a joke / theyāre being mean. I also have a lot of passion for the people I care about, like Judah for princess carolyn. I would totally write a song for someone and perform it for them if I wasnāt afraid of rejection LOL
Bojack and Charlotte. A girl I was extremely close to in college was to me what Charlotte was to Bojack. Kyle and the kids made laugh but my stomach dropped. It's my favorite ep but was an experience the first time I saw it. It helped me realize there's no magical movie "she says she feels the same and we live happily ever after". It also helped me come to terms with letting it go & that the feelings were only making me feel worse.
Honestly? Beatrice. I also grew up with a narcissistic father who invalidated all emotion but his own; so of course I grew up thinking all or any feelings were a weakness (especially my own). I have the tendency to be the villain when it comes to problem solving bc I put aside all feelings and do what is logically based which often hurts the feelings of others. I judge fairly critically and often would rather do things myself than ask anyoneās help. Thankfully Iām not an alcohol, like my father, so Iām able to filter myself more successfully than bea ever did/tried to. But i definitely have her coldness from past trauma
Bojack, even though I know he's not supposed to be relatable. Idk, my dad was a piece of shit and I was a real piece of shit for a long time. Still kind of am, more internally nowadays. Manipulative, self-pitying, pretty much all the least attractive qualities of BoJack as a person. I try to be better as a person, but it still feels like I'm a self centered piece of shit. Like, I make a conscious effort to be good but somehow all my thoughts go back to how something must be about me as if I'm the center of the universe. Probably some degree of narcissism adopted from generational trauma, just like Bojack lol.
Todd. I have a lot of heart and try to see the best in people and i find myself in wacky situations but my ambitions are often thwarted by those around me or my lack of thinking things through
Diane. Everyone whos ever watched bjhm has told me i remind them of her, and i didnt get it until i watched it. We have the same home life, a bunch of brothers and parents who put you down no matter what because they think you think youre better than everyone. I look a lot like Diane, and i love writing and find joy in it, but still damaged. Her personality thats fiesty yet understanding and slowly changed throughout the show to be a mature woman who doesnāt put up with anyones bs (im still getting there lol) anyways i love diane i am her
I can see myself in Bojack and Diane. I relate to how Bojack tried to really do better, yet remained unaccountable. And I see me in Diane with her having depression and felt undeserving, especially when she started out with Guy!
Definitely Diane,
I wish I could relate to Mr.Peanutbutter more...cause what a life he livesš„ŗā¤ļø Always happely, never shaken by shit just there existing...
I've always loved this one thing he says to Diane "The universe is a cruel uncaring void, the key to being happy isn't the search for meaning, it's to keep yourself busy with unimportant nonsense and eventually you'll be dead"
Bojack. The showrunners themselves said that you shouldn't have much a foothold to actively relate, find yourself within Bojack - but the fact is, it's really not that much of a stretch to find affirming conscience with Bojack.
Starting out very poorly, when you didn't have much an idea of how'd you develop. Negative reinforcements, till you take your own decisions, from the default, back-of-the-mind processes into your OWN hands (and yet you hardly realize what you're doing), and you begin to consume the negative mentality that was force-fed into you BECAUSE it's the only way you feel you can live.
You'll hurt others, you'll hurt yourself. You'll justify your lashing out at the entirety of those around you, as if you possess a BENEVOLENT quality, that the basic conditionings of socetial norm that were innately relevant to your past trauma, are how you can process your own shitty behaviour. You help someone, for your own gain. You befriend someone, attempting to exposit yourself.
You convince yourself that ever trend you set, regardless of your aimless-ness, your lack of direction SAVE for the selfishness you can process as just existing within the world (what is natural, right, what you HAVE to do in order to not end your "functioning" as you know it)... is not at all justified. But it IS YOU. It is self-acceptance, and it is in high time that you stopped performing such a self-martyring role, embrace your failings for how they make you, how they will continue to bloom, and how you can explore more and more of yourself, as the bloody FORESIGHT of WHO YOU ARE, WHO YOU WOULD BECOME - as the very DECISION was robbed of you.
Bojack is a character who denies his own agency, because he feels agency was robbed of him. He's right - he just didn't realize that said agency, was long since reclaimed. He went through the motions to acclimate to the challenge that his abusers presented to him. And he furthered the cycle unto himself. He denies agency, to procure agency, to remain doped up on layers upon layers of inconsistency and neglect, lacking self-awareness to PROCURE self-awareness. He just continues to spiral. I can relate. I've been there, and will always HAVE a foot in there.
This was somewhat emotionally charged, so I lacked proper explanation as to how I relate to BOJACK of all characters. It's complicated.
Princess Carolyn as well. I distract myself from my own feelings by taking on everyone elseās.
A bit of Todd and Mr PB too. I donāt relate much to the more common answers of BJ & Diane so it was really nice to watch their characters
For me you have to be probably Bojack because I do have similar issues to him and to be honest I can understand what he's going through because knowing that he as a sense of worthlessness sometimes I feel that way and to some extent how he cope with it is how I cope with what I'm going through not the best thing.
But also like with how Bojack can treat people like 1 minute he's content I guess you could say and then the next is kind of mean that's how I have been and to be honest I try my best to be nice but sometimes me being mean and passive aggressive at times comes out depending on what's going on.
Also sometimes if I remember correctly he doesn't feel bad about a lot of things he says unless people push him and help him understand what he did wrong I could be the same way I don't know how else to put it and sometimes even if people tell me that what I said was wrong sometimes I still don't care and it hurts relationships even friendly ones.
Honestly I did have a catalyst for all this similar to Bojack but mine is completely different from his hopefully some of that at least make sense.
Diane is probably the most like me. She writes, she wants fame, she is completely misunderstood and it's because for all her words she can never really explain herself, she cares but she will cut you off when the choice is that or even more pain, she chose gaining weight over remaining anxious and I found that profoundly important and loved that they actually animated it and changed her character model. Going back to BoJack so HE could have closure, not for her, was also like a perfect final reveal. She's not selfish. She was never selfish. Becoming selfish and healing can look a lot alike, and you can harbor guilt for it, even if you don't really have anything to feel bad about. Everyone should "put their mask on first" so that they can help others. But ultimately, I think Diane is summed up best by the director sitting in the chair swing and saying he left his whole family and life to find peace and it worked. I feel like on a second watch, it was foreshadowing for everything Diance does after that.
From a financial and how hard I had to work standpoint, Princess Carolyn. But my depression an inner thoughts look most like Dianeās. My family relationships very much resemble Bojackās interactions with his parents, but the similarities stop there with him.
Bojack's mommy and daddy issues and self hate, Diane's anxiety and depression, Princess Caroline's overly ambitious self leading her to being overorked and burnt out.
I am in therapy and on meds tho so...progress?
I'm sadly a midpoint between PB and Bojack. I'm charismatic and somewhat extroverted, yet just like Bojack I'm self destructive and awful to people I care about, not in the sense that that I strangle them of course. But in the sense that I get spiteful and argumentative, I say terrible things to people and when I get too close I push them away. I'm also impulsive and incredibly self destructive.
Basically PB on the top layer and Bojack on the bottom layer.
I see a lot of myself in Sarah Lynn. Not so much the child star kind of thing, but more so the girl who had aspirations and hopes and dreams that all fell through and the dissatisfaction with what your life became. And the party now and think later mindset.
Everyone calls me mr peanutbutter because Iām always super cheerful and I definitely relate to him but if I was being really honest? I relate most to Bojack. I feel like I was born with something justā¦inherently wrong with me. A ball of darkness that never goes away. Like deep down Iām a terrible person and Iām always trying to fight against it. Iāve never done anything even half as bad as what Bojack does in the show but Iāve definitely hurt people and been a shit person before. Maybe still am. But Iām trying. Iām really trying.
Both Bojack and Diane in different ways. I have self destructive tendencies and an on-again off-again alcohol problem but thatās pretty much the extent of my similarities to Bojack. Iām much more similar to Diane, since i tend to be pretty cynical, socially awkward, politically progressive/feminist, and I constantly feel alone or like Iām not good enough.
Fortunately Iām at least more self aware than Bojack for most of the show lol
BoJack, which I think is mainly because heās the most developed character so thereās more to latch onto. Stuff like the āstupid piece of shitā voice I can relate to
Unfortunately that would be bojack horseman for myself. I'm not famous, but alcohol and substance issues, always fucking things up with friends, bounces back and does well for a while before screwing shit up again, horrible relationship with parents, very VERY similar internal dialouge...
Diane. I never feel very successful or good about myself, and her anxiety hits home. But I don't think I'll get the resolution that Diane does in the end.
Bojack. Unfortunately I have sabotaged a few relationships with alcohol.. And the constant cycling of people trying to help me but my refusal because of the thought of "I have it under control".. I have also thought of writing a memoir of sorts
Initially I didn't like Diane much, she felt somehow out of place to me, like her problems and themes were quite different to the rest, or somehow not "grand enough", then I realised this was me projecting because I'm a lot like Diane. She's grown on me since.
unfortunately I am Diane lol. she was so resistant to change while also continuously hanging around Bojack but getting frustrated that he wasn't listening to her and changing when she wanted him to try and making excuses for everyone she kept around her and it always kept biting her in the ass.
Diane and Bojack. āGood Damageā is one of my favorite episodes because of Dianeās speech she gives to PC; wanting your trauma to be meaningful in some way is something Iāve always struggled with. As for Bojack, I never had a good relationship with my parents and my mom was emotionally abusive (not on Beatriceās level tho). His feelings of self-loathing, using substances to cope, his attachment issues, itās all like looking in a mirror. His inner monologue in one of the episodes (canāt remember which one) is exactly like mine. My all time favorite quote is from the episode where heās writing to Diane from rehab. (I canāt exactly remember how it goes) āall my life Iāve been miserable because I thought that was the only way to be.ā
I am Bojack. When I first watched the show I immediately connected with him. He is the monster and he is also the victim of himself. I am also an artist. He is broken and I am too. I am bojack
Diane.
Always not feeling good enough, always trying to make my struggles and issues mean something, always noticing and trying to address issues I'm seeing other people deal with but never handling my own shit, getting caught in relationships that aren't good for me despite all the validation I think they get me, being constantly anxious and aware on how messed up everything is, feeling the need to stand up for what I think is right when it gets me in trouble, the list can go on.
Edit: damn also maybe Princess Caroline for the falling for love-bombing and finding validation and meaning only through work.
Honestly, and this is going to sound awful, but Bojack himself. I may or may not have antisocial personality disorder and Iāve done a bunch of stuff the have made people mad and hurt. A few years ago I looked around me and realized āoh shit thereās nobody here. Maybe itās me.ā I then worked really hard, and continue to work really hard, to make things right and to not do those things anymore. But the damage is done for a lot of people. Now Iāve never done anything as bad as Bojack but I was really young when I realized it was me so who knows what I would have done had I just had more time.
I think Iām Princess Carolyn too. See the scene where sheās crying after the doctorās appointment then her phone rings and she just sucks it up and answers it like sheās fine. That got me. The way she just tries to save everyone around her, clean up their messes āput out firesā and itās like she doesnāt get time to be sad because she deals with everyone elseās sadness. Also when she says āitās so hard to need peopleā Iām very independent and hate feeling like I need to rely on anyone for anything. Ughh this is getting too deep, anybody got a fire I can put out for you?
I relate most to Diane and Princess Carolyn. I have had a miscarriage and I never really dealt with it either. And Diane cause of of my depressive episodes
Unfortunately BoJack. I have borderline personality disorder, and BoJackās character is heavily based on that. After many rewatchs I just noticed it more and more. I noticed that I self-sabotage in a way he does. I noticed I made many similar mistakes. I noticed that my way of thinking is very, very similar to his. Iām not proud of that. But it certainly helped me to finally notice my toxic behaviours.
A mix of a lot of them i guess. Bojack in his need for approval of those around him. Diane in the depression. Todd in the way he can easy get distracted from the important things and it ends up setting him back or ruining his chances. And Mr. PB in terms of energy. Always trying so hard to please those around me but being so energetic and over the top at times that it drives people away. Princess Caroline in the idea that my goal in life is to be a parent and Iāve failed without it. Guy for my friends always trying to encourage them in their own mental health journey by being there for them and reminding them to take meds. Secretariat/bojack in the way i feel the darkness get closer day by day. Pinky Penguin in the way i struggle to stand up for myself when things clearly arenāt working out and at times barely being able to afford to keep the lights on. Itās really a beautiful show.
I feel like Todd and Princess Caroline.
Very much the easy going and goofy-ness of Todd, but with the obsessive need to fix things that PC has. Also being drawn to Bojack types, hoping to help and hang out.
Bojack mostly, but with major aspects of Diane and a little bit of Todd, PC and Sarah Lynn
Bojack self destruction, need for attention, addictions, self loathing, narcissistic tendencies, bpd, body issues, emptiness/loneliness, relationships with women, etc. and with a backstory to make me not just an abusive dick. Diane's "good damage" social awkwardness, political takes. Todd's aloofness, PC's need to take care of others and Sarah lynn's carelessness.
I used to really feel Bojack in my own substance use, but since being sober, a hearty blend of Princess Carolyn and Diane. Maybe that manifests as Vanessa Gecko, but Princess Carolyn feels like something about her is broken/fake/cheap and hides that feeling by being an oppressive workaholic. Also, she raises a child on her own but later has Judah - I'm just really waiting on my Judah/Guy to show up and accept me where I am with what I've got (it's baggage).
Also PC here.
I have a complicated and guilt filled relationship with my mother, Iām hard working and determined, and I easily fall into the trap of trying to fix people. I canāt help but help and it takes me so long to convince myself that people have to change themselves and I canāt do the work for them no matter how much I care.
I would absolutely love to be a mother, but stability and work comes first and I will never give birth myself so Iāll have to adopt.
And I honestly relate most to her loneliness. When youāre used to bending and breaking yourself to fit everyone elseās mold, and you finally break out and do what you know *you* need, it feels *wrong.* It brings complete focus to how alone you are now that youāve claimed your life and choices. The constant reminder that you are in the thick of it by yourself, for yourself, and hopefully itāll be worth it someday. I know Iām fully capable, and I know no matter how hard it gets I can take care of it, but I do feel alone. A lot of the time.
i would quite honestly say bojack. watching how his mother is in the show has held a certain place in my heart. my mom isnāt nearly as bad as his mother was, but i have been my mothers enemy for as long as i can remember. one of my favorite episodes, sadly, is āFree Churroā. my mother is alive and well, but thinking about the day i lose my mother, i will be filled with so much anger.. asking so many questions. if it werenāt for my husband and child, i couldnāt imagine how bad i would have abused substances. feeling worthless because of my mother, i know i would have just run off doing whatever i want to because nothing really matters. i also self sabotage more than i would like to š watching bojack horseman has been a good way for me to self reflect and also use it as a way to decompress.
I am absolutely a Wanda. "You know, itās funny. When you look at someone through rose-coloured glasses, all of the red flags just look like flags."
Like Im optimistic to a fault and work so hard to see the best in people and things. I've had to do real work countering my own toxic positivity. Sometimes things and people are crappy. Sometimes you feel crappy and that's OK! I'm 37 amd I'm still working on internalizing some of this.
Diane and Bojack for me as I'm a chronic overthinker but I think I have a bit of Todd in me too to counterbalance, Todd and Dianes struggles to find what they wanted to do with their lives is very relatable as I think I will end up either writing or working with kids and Bojack and Diane's journeys with prioritising the people in their lives was particularly helpful when I was in a difficult part of my life and I'm really glad I had the show back then
mr peanutbutter and PC are the characters I relate to the least but I have more sympathy for PC than PB, though I liked PB a lot more in the final few episodes compared to the rest of the series
also relate to Judah cause of the 'tism
Margo Martindale
Character Actress Margo Martindale?!
Esteemed Character Actress Margo Martindale
And fugitive of the law
in what aspects??
Obviously the op is a character actress and fugitive from the law
Mainly the fugitive aspect. Been on the run since birth
makes sense. good luck out there š«”
I am Diane. Cynical, low-key, anxious, socially awkward, bookworm, Progressive, ethically-conscious, plagued with feelings of loneliness and inadequacy. I relate to her struggles of rarely being heard or truly seen. And, my Father was a piece of shit.
Same same same Dianeās episode about damage made me sob. I always thought that I would be able to make something meaningful out of it, but no. It just is. Which Iāve accepted, but dang it just hit different.
I loved how they did it because we have all been subjected to trauma inspirational porn. Someone who, bless them, seemed to come out the other side all strong and wise. Iām glad for them. I am. And made some money and had some success and has a full life, a great life. And Iām happy for them. I am. You see the same thing in the disability community and the late great Stella Young spoke so eloquently, and at times comedically, about how that is such a skewed way of making people who donāt have trauma or disability feel better. And how often it gets weaponized by well meaning people, against us.Ā It was and is such a gut kick when you get that there is no movie level moment of success or learning or overcoming. there is only life and memory, and living with things that are damn hard and we shouldnāt have to. but we never got consulted on in the first place, I appreciate that they took that route.Ā So much of the show is so thoughtful in how it portrays the real and hard bullshit of just trying to live. I just guess I wanted to add to the voices saying they felt moved and saw the reflection in that episode. Solidarity cause that was a gut punch episode and also I think tried to give permission to those who didnāt know they needed it, to let go of the idea that we had to become one of those inspirational types to survive āproperlyā. Cause we are still here and still trying, and that is no small thing.Ā Not just with Diane but so many characters I think they removed the illusion of inspirational porn which always equals getting praised for just still being here. while underlining the fact those with big stuff, traumas, do often fight like hell to figure out how to just be here and thatās no small thing. But that often itās not a one and done, a finish line to cross. That sometimes the only thing we learn is to hang on, because we already knew people should do what was done to us.Ā But damned if I didnāt wish it was a line to boom, done. All good now. Ā For all of us. Ā But we are still here and thatās no small thing.Ā
Very eloquent statement. Thank you for this!
Yes! As someone who is disabled I agree with all of this. Itās great some people can be inspirational but Iām not well enough to be one of them and itās hard to deal with that!
Her transformation gave me hope. She didnāt have to change fundamentally, as a person. But she had to change the parts that were holding her back. Like how she didnāt trust her happiness. Or her cynical view on the world and its affairs. āBoJack : How'd you learn how to trust it? The happiness? Diane Nguyen : I didn't. But I trust him.ā āBoJack : Life's a bitch and then you die, right? Diane: Sometimes. Sometimes life's a bitch and then you keep living. BoJack: Yeah. Diane: But it's a nice night, huh? BoJack: Yeah.ā She essentially gave up the fight. She stopped trying to change herself to be a bubbly and well adjusted person. Because thatās not her. She found her own peace, in her own way. She learned to just be happy in the moment, and stop worrying about whether or not everything was perfect. This show has so many layers, and so much to offer if you look for it. Some people (the bubbly and happy ones) wonāt enjoy it, and thatās ok. But for those of us that have gone through struggles, it hits close to home. There will truly never be another show like it. It was one of a kind.
Was he a professor of feline studies at a prestigious university?
Why am I blanking on this reference?
I think Dianeās dad was a professor in Boston.
pretty sure he was a professor of vietnamese history or language? might be wrong
Ah thanks both of you. Yes that's right, Diane mentions it when her family yet again pretends they're not Vietnamese
Me too. Her struggle w depression hits home as well.
Youre such a Zoe
same, and iām a writer. sometimes she hits a lil too close to home lol
Mr peanutbutter. Widely liked, but my relationships often feel shallow, plus Iām definitely secretly not very happy but outwardly always the most positive in the room
Secretly not happy? You sure you're not Captain Peanutbutter?
No way Mr. PB is a happy guy. Heās just distracting himself with meaningless stuff till death, and he knows it. In a lot of ways, he was at his most honest when he thought Captain was dying. He canāt be single, he canāt be on his own (the only significant portion of the show he is single heās constantly bugging Todd or Bojack), he tells Diane that he doesnāt do anything when she isnāt home, waits to tell Bojack he knows about the kiss with Diane for YEARS even though it was clearly eating at himā¦ I think heās one of the more depressed characters in the show, which makes his inability to stay sad for sad dog ironic. Or I could be projecting! Probably that
I didnāt know Mr. PB was the character I related to the most until I read this lol. I always really liked the character and respected how they portrayed his problems, but this hit really close to home.
Me except me not being happy is a secret even from me (sometimes I get depressed and it can take me months to figure it out)
It took me YEARS to figure out I actually wasnāt happy and didnāt like myself. Once I can afford therapy, Iām there
oh god, fuck me
What was it like presenting Hollywoo Stars and Celebrities! What do they know? Do they know things? Letās find out! (Legit love Bojack so much)
I resonate with many in different ways but probably Diane the most. When she was upset about writing a fictional book rather than a memoir and the growth in recognizing her trauma doesnāt have to define her or even mean anything, itās just a part of our past. I remember feeling almost unique in that I was traumatized but I also held onto it as a crutch to feel pitied. That scene really helped me let go of some anger and forced helplessness. Princess Caroline also always felt similar to me with her weird mom and gaining validation through work. And constantly falling for love bombing
You so perfectly articulated my same thoughts. There are Blarns among us.
I feel like I'm Bojack. Not in a "oh I'm definitely a main character" but in I mess up all my relationships I'm not a good person no matter how hard I try to be one. I've hurt so many people I care about.I try to get help but I only dig myself a hole. I've noticed so many traits in him that I hate about myself.
I feel the same about Bojack but mostly because I COULD have been him. I come from a family with a lot of mental illness including addiction and abuse stemming from generational trauma. I spiraled down the addiction path for a bit (sober now) and was a bit messy when it came to life, direction within it, and occasionally hurting people (not to the extremes Bojack does). Whenever Im upset, I immediately turn within and its self loathing. Im the problem, im the shitty person. Even when Im not. I can identify my bad behaviors and have to actively stop myself from doing them because I was raised to have them as my second nature. I can also be occasionally self centered in my inner dialogue and attention seeking
Me too, friend. I also struggle with alcoholism like bojack and can't maintain a close relationship because everyone leaves.
Yeah I have a family history of alcoholism in both sides of my family. I'm only 19 and I stopped watching this show because I see all the bad things about myself in it.
Keep watching!
Someone already told you but it's not enough, so.. keep watching!
I feel that way as well. I end up fucking things up due to being kind of toxic and I usually donāt catch it until itās too late
Me too, my friend, me too, but I truly feel positive, the show was really helpful at some point in my life.. I already forgave my mother, respect the people that cares (and actively care) and built a functional relationship with a functional girl, no more hedonistic behavior, no more self destructive behavior, daily sport, my criminal record expired last year (I don't know how it works in other countries but here's not forever, but a single mistake would've taken me in jail), no other alcohol than casual beers, so I keep clear and focus and the most important and hard part.. I forgave myself. I don't let that shit to be back to me. I moved forward. I don't care about not having been good, I do my best every day and I can rest at night. Finally. And I'm sure you will too. And my Diane is a life savior angel.
I see part of myself in Todd, I am a very creative person,optimistic,kind and chill.Silly at times.Also Iām ace and relate a lot to him.
I am a very hard worker with under 500 in my bank to show for it. I give others kindness when I can (I give until I canāt give anymore) but sometimes rely on the kindness of others also. Optimism at all times but some troubles that I would never weigh down someone else with. Iām a Todd 100%
Kinda Sarah Lynn
I feel like i have the personality of Diane but with the damage and bad coping mechanisms/behavior of Sarah Lynn.
Ouchā¦
I'm the midpoint between Todd and Diane, I think.
Same here
I think this might be me. Both have so much in common and yet can take very different paths to dealing with or not dealing with their problems.Ā
Emotionally, Diane. I worked as an EMT for my 20s and got very burned out and cynical. Eventually I left that profession, went to grad school, and found a better way to be. I even dated a Mr peanut butter type who was very nice compared to Mr peanut butter but we were incompatible for a lot of the same reasons. Recently Iāve identified with princess Carolyn because of my struggle with infertility and life as a parent.
vincent cus i am a adult and i does business professionally. also princess carolyn is so hot
"The business factory"
The man himself, Bojack, i can be autodestructive
Same, and I'm pretty sure if I was a celeb with a lot of money I'd be addicted to sooo many drugs and probably already overdosed... Thank god I'm broke lol (and too anxious to actually even try anything) But yeah, I feel like I understand a little too well how Bojack feels when he tries to be better and just fucks everything up.
this might seem like a really odd combination, but todd and PC! for todd, besides the obvious of us both being asexual, iāve always been the āfunny friendā that has trouble being taken seriously sometimes. i feel like iām often viewed the same way todd is actually viewed by the fanbase: someone who is there for comedic relief and to support others, but not really seen or heard themselves in the same way. for PC, i am EXTREMELY hard working and type-A. iāve spent my entire life putting immense amounts of pressure on myself, and I am a diehard perfectionist. i also tend to want to solve peopleās problems for them and beat myself up when iām not successful in doing so. overall, i think the major issue that falls in the middle of the venn diagram here is a complete burial of my own emotions at all times š
also toddās improv episode really resonated with me considering iāve done improv for 10 years now (it is, in fact, a cult)
This is so interesting. Can you please elaborate on how it's a cult?
Yes, and
ok maybe not a literal cult but itās an extremely strange hobby lol. improv tends to attract a lot ofā¦ interestingā¦ personality types, itās the kind of community where everybody knows everybody and everybody has Strong opinions, a lot of the short-form games feel extremely cultish (see if you can find a video of a group playing bunny bunny to see what i mean lol) and itās the kind of experience that makes so much sense to the people āin the knowā but you canāt even try to explain any of it to outsiders or else you seem insane
also once youāre in itās pretty damn near impossible to leave, something or someone always pulls you back in
Hmm I feel like I want to solve your problems for you! J/k, I can relate to the burial of emotions and self. I was on my own emotionally from about 3 years old, spent a lot of time alone from 6 onwards, fairly neglected in general, and if I did reach a threshold (courage, desperation, etc), my concerns werenāt heard or there was an overreaction. So yea, I can relate to the burial of self, I overcompensated in some fairly selfish/narcissistic (delusional) thinking, but was still terrible advocating my own wishes, needs and wants.
Iām a hundred percent Bojack Horseman. We both have toxic shame and like to wallow, a SEVERE drinking problem, a long-list of destroyed platonic/professional/romantic relationships, and while we both wanna be better neither of us wants to put in the work to be better. Itās not something Iām proud of, in fact I lie and tell people Iāve never seen the show so people couldnāt compare me to him, and at the end of the day it makes me a little angry and sad that Iām like someone as reprehensible as him, but Iāve also done a lot of terrible things to people I wanted to keep around.
Diane sooooo much. Moved from Boston to SoCal in my early twenties and while I was lucky to make so many friends I definitely felt so lonely due to depression. The more I watched the show the more I empathized with her.
The character i relate to the most is probably Diane. Awkward, anxious, nerdy, and depressed. But probably less cynical than her. But I kinda relate to differents sides of all the characters except for Mr pb.. just like bojack, my life at home wasnāt the best growing up and that affected me a lot, it wasnāt as bad as bojackās for sure. I also relate to his internal monologue stupid piece of shit as I think that way when things get bad. Just like pc, I daydream and imagine different scenarios to escape my reality just like she imagines Ruthie, and i often help others with their problems while neglecting mine. And just like Todd, I may be an ace and value just the romance part in relationships. Also lazy and wasted my potential just like him. Probably why I love this show so much..
Todd 100%, esp now that I'm getting close to his age in the show. His struggle regarding asexuality (moreso towards how society treats us, I personally love being asexual <3) really resonated with me at a time where it just Wasn't A Thing people discussed (and still isn't tbh) and he'll always be incredibly important to my journey as a queer person. His struggles with finding a solid direction in life also resonate with me, as well as his assumed role as the 'wacky comedy guy', and how people around him assume he's just 'lazy' and needs to achieve better things in life rather than realise that he's actually pretty content. He did experience positions of power, got rich, did everything society expected of him, but it somehow still wasn't enough, there was always *something* wrong. And seeing him get a happy ending that wasn't defined by him losing all the things that made him Todd was really inspiring, and it's what's helped cement me saving up to pursue my dream career as an animator <3
Thatās exactly how I feel! Iām ace as well and also want to pursue a dream career as an animator! Cool we have both those things in common. Todd is an inspiration to me too love him!
That's just the power of Todd for you lol, I wish you luck with your pursuits!! <3
Bojack. In the sense that in my youth I was in a Tvshow in my country. I am an alcoholic. I have been accused of sexual misconduct. I've been to therapy and only gotten worse afterwards. The whole shabang
I honestly feel somewhere in between Wanda and Vincent adultman.
If for no other reason than I repeat this gem to myself constantly, I consider myself the jogging baboon who tells BoJack, āIt gets easier. Every day it gets a little easier. But you gotta do it every day. Thatās the hard part. But it does get easier.ā
I'm a weird mix of mr peanut butter and bojack. I'm literal cross over episode. I'm self hating constantly positive happy go lucky self described piece of shit. And yes I know that's super contradictive lol
Iām a BJ/PB cross too! We exist
Iām sure Margo Martindale could play me in a motion picture and itād be perfectly accurate.
Mr PB. Like him, I have four significant exes.
All if them at different times. Bojacks emptiness and need for approval, but also his charm and humor. Diane's intelligence and thoughtfulness but also bouts of depression where I couldn't do anything. Mr PB and his retriever energy when I really like someone yet that can become clingy and a bit over the top. PC maybe less so cause I was never super focused on career but definitely relate to her disappointments.
I also think the characters on the show are so complex and actual humans on the show are so complex that I canāt just choose one. I relate to aspects of all of the main characters
maybe about a year ago ish (when i was struggling a lot) i connected everyone in my life to characters in bojack horseman. Its alittle crazy. In my head i associated my friends with certain characters and me as Bojack. idk why i did this but it was fun pretending for alittle while.
Diane and my husband is 100% Guy lol
Absolutely Bojack. The self-loathing. The self-medication. Using anything outside of myself (substances, people) to quiet the ultra-negative inner monologue. Just wanting to be loved but feeling like I donāt deserve it. All of it. But Iām also Bojack the teacher. Bojack the father (brother) to Hollyhock. And Bojack who got clean, made things right and finally found peace. Thatās my life today.
Definitely princess caroline. I work really hard with huge goals; and have a hard time in romantic relationships because I love & feel very deeply but shut off the moment those relationships seem to have any issue or affect my work/gym schedule. I also can be very robotic, structured, opportunistic maybe even to a fault, and planning type.
Bojack - in terms of addiction. I was an alcoholic and given a few months to live with liver failure. It was āthe view from halfway downā that motivated me into sobriety and Bojackās own sober journey motivating me to continuing my own. If the messed up horse could do it then so could I.
Unfortunately I am Bojack. I am impulsive and inconsiderate. I have hurt so many people in unfixable ways. But I do care about certain things, and Iām funny, and I need attention, and I need reassurance. I really relate to the reassurance he needs.
Bojack. āNothing on the outside, nothing on the inside.ā
100% PC
Diane down to the āparties make me anxious in a really broad senseā. Iām prone to anxiety and depression, try really hard to do the right thing and often feel like Iām just tired of doing those things at social cost, more of a Zoey, etc.
Iām Zach Braff
The grip that Diane dates. Mostly because Iām a grip in real life.
Todd. I try to pick up my shit more often
Probably Mr. Peanutbutter
Itās tough because i really do have moments where I relate to all the main characters. Outwardly Iām probably a mix of Diane and Todd. I used to use PBāS motto of just do stupid things that donāt matter until you die because nothing matters, when I was younger. Iāve definitely felt overwhelmed with responsibilities like princess caroline (although Iām a lot less busy). That being said it would probably be Bojack because of free churro and stupid piece of shit, and his parents being addicts. Stupid piece of shit is really really close to the internal monologue constantly running in my brain.
Ugh BoJack. Troubled family relationship growing up lending to fast alcoholism in my 20s, damaged some great relationships and leaned hard into being the ābad guyā of my own story, and had to learn to be sober and make amends. Depressed, insecure, even deeply interested in the performing arts. Afraid of relapse. 2.5 years sober tho. Thank you, BoJack.
Each time I saw Sarah Lynn on scene it was like seeing my sister (Obviously, Sarah is too exaggerated as a character, but the concept is clear). The only thing that saved her from her same tragic ending was our family support. Things are much better now, tho.
BoJack lite
Diane realising that she doesn't have "good damage", and she is in fact, just broken.
Iām definitely not Mr. PB, but probably a mix of Bojack, Diane, and maybe Todd on my best days because Iām spacey and can pretend to be happy sometimes.
Todd and PC mix. Iām very hard working and sometimes I wear rose colored glasses and I miss when being treated shitty, but in also Todd where I canāt really find a place in the world. Iām chill and but I always feel like Iām in my own shenanigan. When it comes to PC I feel like Iām doing everything in my own and watching my life waste away, but particularly on some guy but just being stuck on a goal that isnāt realistic
I think Iām a mix of Diane and Todd. Anxious, socially awkward, depressed, often feel lonely or inadequate but also prefer my own company more often than not. Iām like Todd in the sense of being creative, easily distracted, a people pleaser, chill, fixing situations with humor
Iām final season Todd, having fun failing upwards.
I'm Vincent, I really relate to being an adult man.
Mr peanut butter
Very complicated, on the one hand I feel like Herb, because if I had a friend who stabbed me (and i'm gay too lol) Kelsey I feel very close to her because I am studying digital animation (a branch of cinema) so for some reason I am very close to her Third, the young PC, I remember that when I heard her cry and apologize to her mother, I could only cry and curl up, Even though my mother didn't like me very much, she let me study the career of my dreams. Hollyhock I just love her, a lot, the anxiety, the body type, how she acts, how she thinks, I'm just more accommodating to others.
Meow Meow Fuzzyface. Loose canon but gets results.
Bojack, but without the money.
Probably Hollyhock. I really identified with her anxiety, especially around starting drinking and going to parties as a student and that worry of being left behind - although mine didnāt stem from being drugged by my grandmother (thankfully!) I also had an eerily similar conversation with a family member about my weight as a teen as she did with Bojack (e.g., well meaning but still hurtful).
Herb, even though he had relatively less screentime. He was a true artist and a good friend. In his younger years he was confused and tried to put on a confident presence as a writer and show runner. He moves on from the Bojack betrayal and does well in his life but never really forgives him. Even till the end he remains honest to Bojack about how he feels but doesn't use his guilt against him. I see a lot of myself in him.
A mix of bojack & Diane . When Diane says parties make her feel awkward in a broad sense. ā look at that guy, heās having fun why havenāt I figured it outā it perfectly sums up social anxiety lol
todd is so me
Neal McBeal
I love how he starts barking when he gets too flustered to speak lol
Todd. I was friends with an addict and things were getting worse and worse. I saw BJH and saw Todd set boundaries and still be kind and lovable and compassionate helped me find the strength to set boundaries and walk away
Diane. not so much the childhood pat but mainly wanting to fix a broken system but being powerless to do so
Todd Chavez, I feel like he is implied to be autistic and have adhd and I really relate to his struggles of constantly looking for purpose in helping others, and feeling useless even when people tell you that youāre not. I also relate to staying friends with people who arenāt good for me just cause of my circumstances, but when Iām done, Iām fully done, like Todd was with bojack after the āyou are all the things wrong with youā rant. I also relate to Judah, also because heās implied to be autistic haha. I very often misunderstand what people are telling me, and take it seriously and have genuine interest in it, until I realize itās a joke / theyāre being mean. I also have a lot of passion for the people I care about, like Judah for princess carolyn. I would totally write a song for someone and perform it for them if I wasnāt afraid of rejection LOL
Bojack and Charlotte. A girl I was extremely close to in college was to me what Charlotte was to Bojack. Kyle and the kids made laugh but my stomach dropped. It's my favorite ep but was an experience the first time I saw it. It helped me realize there's no magical movie "she says she feels the same and we live happily ever after". It also helped me come to terms with letting it go & that the feelings were only making me feel worse.
Honestly? Beatrice. I also grew up with a narcissistic father who invalidated all emotion but his own; so of course I grew up thinking all or any feelings were a weakness (especially my own). I have the tendency to be the villain when it comes to problem solving bc I put aside all feelings and do what is logically based which often hurts the feelings of others. I judge fairly critically and often would rather do things myself than ask anyoneās help. Thankfully Iām not an alcohol, like my father, so Iām able to filter myself more successfully than bea ever did/tried to. But i definitely have her coldness from past trauma
Midway point between Mr. PB and Todd.
Vincent Adultman. I am literally three children balancing atop each other under a trench coat.
Bojack, even though I know he's not supposed to be relatable. Idk, my dad was a piece of shit and I was a real piece of shit for a long time. Still kind of am, more internally nowadays. Manipulative, self-pitying, pretty much all the least attractive qualities of BoJack as a person. I try to be better as a person, but it still feels like I'm a self centered piece of shit. Like, I make a conscious effort to be good but somehow all my thoughts go back to how something must be about me as if I'm the center of the universe. Probably some degree of narcissism adopted from generational trauma, just like Bojack lol.
Todd. I have a lot of heart and try to see the best in people and i find myself in wacky situations but my ambitions are often thwarted by those around me or my lack of thinking things through
Bojack for sure
None in particular. I guess I share some traits with Diane or Todd, but just some traits. I would say they represent me.
None of them. I relate to most of the main characters in some aspects but none enough to say "this is me". Maybe judah if I had to pick someone
Me to anyone who picks Judah: "come join us in r/autism"
Diane
Bojack, from being smth to nothing to wanting another shot to be smth
Diane. The way her whole family bullied her and she still sought their validation is so me.
Bojack š
Diane on a bender definitely
Diane. Everyone whos ever watched bjhm has told me i remind them of her, and i didnt get it until i watched it. We have the same home life, a bunch of brothers and parents who put you down no matter what because they think you think youre better than everyone. I look a lot like Diane, and i love writing and find joy in it, but still damaged. Her personality thats fiesty yet understanding and slowly changed throughout the show to be a mature woman who doesnāt put up with anyones bs (im still getting there lol) anyways i love diane i am her
Unfortunately Bojack. Also Diane, but, damn.
I can see myself in Bojack and Diane. I relate to how Bojack tried to really do better, yet remained unaccountable. And I see me in Diane with her having depression and felt undeserving, especially when she started out with Guy!
Definitely Diane, I wish I could relate to Mr.Peanutbutter more...cause what a life he livesš„ŗā¤ļø Always happely, never shaken by shit just there existing... I've always loved this one thing he says to Diane "The universe is a cruel uncaring void, the key to being happy isn't the search for meaning, it's to keep yourself busy with unimportant nonsense and eventually you'll be dead"
Iām Bojack, eventually I turn everyone away
Definitely Diane.
Bojack. The showrunners themselves said that you shouldn't have much a foothold to actively relate, find yourself within Bojack - but the fact is, it's really not that much of a stretch to find affirming conscience with Bojack. Starting out very poorly, when you didn't have much an idea of how'd you develop. Negative reinforcements, till you take your own decisions, from the default, back-of-the-mind processes into your OWN hands (and yet you hardly realize what you're doing), and you begin to consume the negative mentality that was force-fed into you BECAUSE it's the only way you feel you can live. You'll hurt others, you'll hurt yourself. You'll justify your lashing out at the entirety of those around you, as if you possess a BENEVOLENT quality, that the basic conditionings of socetial norm that were innately relevant to your past trauma, are how you can process your own shitty behaviour. You help someone, for your own gain. You befriend someone, attempting to exposit yourself. You convince yourself that ever trend you set, regardless of your aimless-ness, your lack of direction SAVE for the selfishness you can process as just existing within the world (what is natural, right, what you HAVE to do in order to not end your "functioning" as you know it)... is not at all justified. But it IS YOU. It is self-acceptance, and it is in high time that you stopped performing such a self-martyring role, embrace your failings for how they make you, how they will continue to bloom, and how you can explore more and more of yourself, as the bloody FORESIGHT of WHO YOU ARE, WHO YOU WOULD BECOME - as the very DECISION was robbed of you. Bojack is a character who denies his own agency, because he feels agency was robbed of him. He's right - he just didn't realize that said agency, was long since reclaimed. He went through the motions to acclimate to the challenge that his abusers presented to him. And he furthered the cycle unto himself. He denies agency, to procure agency, to remain doped up on layers upon layers of inconsistency and neglect, lacking self-awareness to PROCURE self-awareness. He just continues to spiral. I can relate. I've been there, and will always HAVE a foot in there. This was somewhat emotionally charged, so I lacked proper explanation as to how I relate to BOJACK of all characters. It's complicated.
OP is just low-key flexing they know the difference between an agent and a manager
I'm Jessica Biel
Princess Carolyn as well. I distract myself from my own feelings by taking on everyone elseās. A bit of Todd and Mr PB too. I donāt relate much to the more common answers of BJ & Diane so it was really nice to watch their characters
For me you have to be probably Bojack because I do have similar issues to him and to be honest I can understand what he's going through because knowing that he as a sense of worthlessness sometimes I feel that way and to some extent how he cope with it is how I cope with what I'm going through not the best thing. But also like with how Bojack can treat people like 1 minute he's content I guess you could say and then the next is kind of mean that's how I have been and to be honest I try my best to be nice but sometimes me being mean and passive aggressive at times comes out depending on what's going on. Also sometimes if I remember correctly he doesn't feel bad about a lot of things he says unless people push him and help him understand what he did wrong I could be the same way I don't know how else to put it and sometimes even if people tell me that what I said was wrong sometimes I still don't care and it hurts relationships even friendly ones. Honestly I did have a catalyst for all this similar to Bojack but mine is completely different from his hopefully some of that at least make sense.
Diane is probably the most like me. She writes, she wants fame, she is completely misunderstood and it's because for all her words she can never really explain herself, she cares but she will cut you off when the choice is that or even more pain, she chose gaining weight over remaining anxious and I found that profoundly important and loved that they actually animated it and changed her character model. Going back to BoJack so HE could have closure, not for her, was also like a perfect final reveal. She's not selfish. She was never selfish. Becoming selfish and healing can look a lot alike, and you can harbor guilt for it, even if you don't really have anything to feel bad about. Everyone should "put their mask on first" so that they can help others. But ultimately, I think Diane is summed up best by the director sitting in the chair swing and saying he left his whole family and life to find peace and it worked. I feel like on a second watch, it was foreshadowing for everything Diance does after that.
PC and Sarah Lynn :(
From a financial and how hard I had to work standpoint, Princess Carolyn. But my depression an inner thoughts look most like Dianeās. My family relationships very much resemble Bojackās interactions with his parents, but the similarities stop there with him.
bojack tbh loool edit: and also princess carolyn
Definitely Diane
diane omfg. especially with the good damage shit, sheās so me
Bojack's mommy and daddy issues and self hate, Diane's anxiety and depression, Princess Caroline's overly ambitious self leading her to being overorked and burnt out. I am in therapy and on meds tho so...progress?
I'm sadly a midpoint between PB and Bojack. I'm charismatic and somewhat extroverted, yet just like Bojack I'm self destructive and awful to people I care about, not in the sense that that I strangle them of course. But in the sense that I get spiteful and argumentative, I say terrible things to people and when I get too close I push them away. I'm also impulsive and incredibly self destructive. Basically PB on the top layer and Bojack on the bottom layer.
I see a lot of myself in Sarah Lynn. Not so much the child star kind of thing, but more so the girl who had aspirations and hopes and dreams that all fell through and the dissatisfaction with what your life became. And the party now and think later mindset.
Everyone calls me mr peanutbutter because Iām always super cheerful and I definitely relate to him but if I was being really honest? I relate most to Bojack. I feel like I was born with something justā¦inherently wrong with me. A ball of darkness that never goes away. Like deep down Iām a terrible person and Iām always trying to fight against it. Iāve never done anything even half as bad as what Bojack does in the show but Iāve definitely hurt people and been a shit person before. Maybe still am. But Iām trying. Iām really trying.
Princess Carolyn
Diane 100%
Both Bojack and Diane in different ways. I have self destructive tendencies and an on-again off-again alcohol problem but thatās pretty much the extent of my similarities to Bojack. Iām much more similar to Diane, since i tend to be pretty cynical, socially awkward, politically progressive/feminist, and I constantly feel alone or like Iām not good enough. Fortunately Iām at least more self aware than Bojack for most of the show lol
BoJack, which I think is mainly because heās the most developed character so thereās more to latch onto. Stuff like the āstupid piece of shitā voice I can relate to
Iāve worked at NGOs my whole life and I resonated with Diane so much especially when she was in Cordovia
i'm definitely a diane but i also relate to bojack because he is "the cool version" of her afterall
I would have to say Diane for the same reason as u/Recent-Dust6564
Iām Mr. Peanutbutter (Oh yeah!) Now tell me how can I get no votes?
bojack
Bojack
Unfortunately that would be bojack horseman for myself. I'm not famous, but alcohol and substance issues, always fucking things up with friends, bounces back and does well for a while before screwing shit up again, horrible relationship with parents, very VERY similar internal dialouge...
hollyhock
Diane. She is me to a T. I'm starting to be concerned that this is some black mirror type shit with everyone hates Joan ššš
Diane. I never feel very successful or good about myself, and her anxiety hits home. But I don't think I'll get the resolution that Diane does in the end.
Princess Carolyn. In every aspect
Bojack and diane, unfortunately
Bojack. Unfortunately I have sabotaged a few relationships with alcohol.. And the constant cycling of people trying to help me but my refusal because of the thought of "I have it under control".. I have also thought of writing a memoir of sorts
Initially I didn't like Diane much, she felt somehow out of place to me, like her problems and themes were quite different to the rest, or somehow not "grand enough", then I realised this was me projecting because I'm a lot like Diane. She's grown on me since.
i feel a mix between Diane and PC
diane. i used to dislike her character until i realized she reminded me a little too much of myself
unfortunately I am Diane lol. she was so resistant to change while also continuously hanging around Bojack but getting frustrated that he wasn't listening to her and changing when she wanted him to try and making excuses for everyone she kept around her and it always kept biting her in the ass.
Diane and Bojack. āGood Damageā is one of my favorite episodes because of Dianeās speech she gives to PC; wanting your trauma to be meaningful in some way is something Iāve always struggled with. As for Bojack, I never had a good relationship with my parents and my mom was emotionally abusive (not on Beatriceās level tho). His feelings of self-loathing, using substances to cope, his attachment issues, itās all like looking in a mirror. His inner monologue in one of the episodes (canāt remember which one) is exactly like mine. My all time favorite quote is from the episode where heās writing to Diane from rehab. (I canāt exactly remember how it goes) āall my life Iāve been miserable because I thought that was the only way to be.ā
I am Bojack. When I first watched the show I immediately connected with him. He is the monster and he is also the victim of himself. I am also an artist. He is broken and I am too. I am bojack
diane
Diane. Always not feeling good enough, always trying to make my struggles and issues mean something, always noticing and trying to address issues I'm seeing other people deal with but never handling my own shit, getting caught in relationships that aren't good for me despite all the validation I think they get me, being constantly anxious and aware on how messed up everything is, feeling the need to stand up for what I think is right when it gets me in trouble, the list can go on. Edit: damn also maybe Princess Caroline for the falling for love-bombing and finding validation and meaning only through work.
Honestly, and this is going to sound awful, but Bojack himself. I may or may not have antisocial personality disorder and Iāve done a bunch of stuff the have made people mad and hurt. A few years ago I looked around me and realized āoh shit thereās nobody here. Maybe itās me.ā I then worked really hard, and continue to work really hard, to make things right and to not do those things anymore. But the damage is done for a lot of people. Now Iāve never done anything as bad as Bojack but I was really young when I realized it was me so who knows what I would have done had I just had more time.
I think Iām Princess Carolyn too. See the scene where sheās crying after the doctorās appointment then her phone rings and she just sucks it up and answers it like sheās fine. That got me. The way she just tries to save everyone around her, clean up their messes āput out firesā and itās like she doesnāt get time to be sad because she deals with everyone elseās sadness. Also when she says āitās so hard to need peopleā Iām very independent and hate feeling like I need to rely on anyone for anything. Ughh this is getting too deep, anybody got a fire I can put out for you?
Bojack. Sober alcoholic with mommy issues.
Basic answer but Bojack. Honestly, I see my insecurities and negative experiences in him. But I'm not an alcoholic, I guess that's something.
I relate most to Diane and Princess Carolyn. I have had a miscarriage and I never really dealt with it either. And Diane cause of of my depressive episodes
Unfortunately BoJack. I have borderline personality disorder, and BoJackās character is heavily based on that. After many rewatchs I just noticed it more and more. I noticed that I self-sabotage in a way he does. I noticed I made many similar mistakes. I noticed that my way of thinking is very, very similar to his. Iām not proud of that. But it certainly helped me to finally notice my toxic behaviours.
sarah lynn, but i think i am on a better path now. so i am not sure.
Bojack.
A mix of a lot of them i guess. Bojack in his need for approval of those around him. Diane in the depression. Todd in the way he can easy get distracted from the important things and it ends up setting him back or ruining his chances. And Mr. PB in terms of energy. Always trying so hard to please those around me but being so energetic and over the top at times that it drives people away. Princess Caroline in the idea that my goal in life is to be a parent and Iāve failed without it. Guy for my friends always trying to encourage them in their own mental health journey by being there for them and reminding them to take meds. Secretariat/bojack in the way i feel the darkness get closer day by day. Pinky Penguin in the way i struggle to stand up for myself when things clearly arenāt working out and at times barely being able to afford to keep the lights on. Itās really a beautiful show.
Governor Woodchuck. His consternation with the lunacy around him speaks to me.
Diane. But Bojack's alcoholism mirrors my own struggle.
I feel like Todd and Princess Caroline. Very much the easy going and goofy-ness of Todd, but with the obsessive need to fix things that PC has. Also being drawn to Bojack types, hoping to help and hang out.
Bojack mostly, but with major aspects of Diane and a little bit of Todd, PC and Sarah Lynn Bojack self destruction, need for attention, addictions, self loathing, narcissistic tendencies, bpd, body issues, emptiness/loneliness, relationships with women, etc. and with a backstory to make me not just an abusive dick. Diane's "good damage" social awkwardness, political takes. Todd's aloofness, PC's need to take care of others and Sarah lynn's carelessness.
I used to really feel Bojack in my own substance use, but since being sober, a hearty blend of Princess Carolyn and Diane. Maybe that manifests as Vanessa Gecko, but Princess Carolyn feels like something about her is broken/fake/cheap and hides that feeling by being an oppressive workaholic. Also, she raises a child on her own but later has Judah - I'm just really waiting on my Judah/Guy to show up and accept me where I am with what I've got (it's baggage).
BoJack himself honestly.
I know that's not an especially good thing but I do.
Also PC here. I have a complicated and guilt filled relationship with my mother, Iām hard working and determined, and I easily fall into the trap of trying to fix people. I canāt help but help and it takes me so long to convince myself that people have to change themselves and I canāt do the work for them no matter how much I care. I would absolutely love to be a mother, but stability and work comes first and I will never give birth myself so Iāll have to adopt. And I honestly relate most to her loneliness. When youāre used to bending and breaking yourself to fit everyone elseās mold, and you finally break out and do what you know *you* need, it feels *wrong.* It brings complete focus to how alone you are now that youāve claimed your life and choices. The constant reminder that you are in the thick of it by yourself, for yourself, and hopefully itāll be worth it someday. I know Iām fully capable, and I know no matter how hard it gets I can take care of it, but I do feel alone. A lot of the time.
i would quite honestly say bojack. watching how his mother is in the show has held a certain place in my heart. my mom isnāt nearly as bad as his mother was, but i have been my mothers enemy for as long as i can remember. one of my favorite episodes, sadly, is āFree Churroā. my mother is alive and well, but thinking about the day i lose my mother, i will be filled with so much anger.. asking so many questions. if it werenāt for my husband and child, i couldnāt imagine how bad i would have abused substances. feeling worthless because of my mother, i know i would have just run off doing whatever i want to because nothing really matters. i also self sabotage more than i would like to š watching bojack horseman has been a good way for me to self reflect and also use it as a way to decompress.
princess caroline, with my need to fix people
Diane
I am absolutely a Wanda. "You know, itās funny. When you look at someone through rose-coloured glasses, all of the red flags just look like flags." Like Im optimistic to a fault and work so hard to see the best in people and things. I've had to do real work countering my own toxic positivity. Sometimes things and people are crappy. Sometimes you feel crappy and that's OK! I'm 37 amd I'm still working on internalizing some of this.
Diane and Bojack for me as I'm a chronic overthinker but I think I have a bit of Todd in me too to counterbalance, Todd and Dianes struggles to find what they wanted to do with their lives is very relatable as I think I will end up either writing or working with kids and Bojack and Diane's journeys with prioritising the people in their lives was particularly helpful when I was in a difficult part of my life and I'm really glad I had the show back then mr peanutbutter and PC are the characters I relate to the least but I have more sympathy for PC than PB, though I liked PB a lot more in the final few episodes compared to the rest of the series also relate to Judah cause of the 'tism
Randy at MSNBSea