Tuca And Bertie: A Retrospective Look at One of The Most Important and Underappreciated Shows of the 21st Century













st century world we live in, except it isn’t our world it’s an absurdist anthropomorphic filled world full of eccentricity and surrealism. The style is so hard to pin down, it’s like if Cartoon Network had an R-rated show, on bath salts, riding the line of self-awareness and self-indulgence just well enough to be able to balance genuine emotional storytelling and insane humour. If you have visited my blog before or know me in person then I’m pretty sure you know how much I love the Netflix Original 'Bojack Horseman' and when head designer Lisa Hanawalt announced she was creating an original animated show I was without a doubt excited. ‘Tuca And Bertie’ is an outrageous, loud and whimsically obtuse show with a focus on showcasing the female perspective on the 21century world we live in, except it isn’t our world it’s an absurdist anthropomorphic filled world full of eccentricity and surrealism. The style is so hard to pin down, it’s like if Cartoon Network had an R-rated show, on bath salts, riding the line of self-awareness and self-indulgence just well enough to be able to balance genuine emotional storytelling and insane humour.





Portraying the Female Perspective (through birds)





Tuca (Tiffany Haddish), a loud and brash Toucan Bird is coming to terms with her best friend Bertie (Ali Wong) moving out into an apartment with her boyfriend Speckles (Steven Yeun). The show then tackles issues that are solely about expressing female perspectives, this isn’t a show that vilifies men, it vilifies the societal troubles that women face. The second episode explores the harsh reality of sexual harassment in the workplace, as Bertie is assaulted and comes to terms with how difficult it is for a female voice to be heard in the working world. This sounds like a tough, harsh issue for the show to approach, but the way it is done is open, unapologetic and empowering. The tone never drops in this episode, it stays absurd and energetic, the harassment is personified through Bertie’s breast literally coming alive and getting drunk in outrage and this is what is important about Tuca and Bertie. The show doesn’t take its representation and addressing tough topics as some sort of victory lap, it honestly just portrays them in such an outrageous fashion that never ceases to entertain and inform. Hanawalt is proud to normalise and portray these issues, addressing them in her own way, not going out of the way of the characters and plots to try and focus them, instead she is creating a world that is open and realistic to demonstrate this.





A Bizarre World for Bizarre Characters





It goes without saying that the animation is pitch-perfect, each scene is just brimming full of energy and excitement, you can’t help but just sit back and be absorbed by the ridiculous and logic-defying world we experience. Hanawalt gambles on animation stylistic choices, from brief cutaways to weird obtuse jokes, or just genuine inconceivable world-building choices that add to the outrageousness. The trains are snakes, the fourth wall barely stands on its own feet as sometimes little animation quirks are purely for comedic value abandon any logic and consistency. The world is chaotic and out there, nothing really adds up or seems practical, but the show indulges in this, uncompromisingly enjoying every second of its absurdity. It also isn’t afraid to animate taboo subjects, sexual content is openly animated and discussed, it is an attempt at normalising what we see, the character of Tuca almost embodies the show’s outrageous nature and Bertie is the audience surrogate, feeling alienated and not confident in this world. But as the series progresses Bertie is more and more an honest depiction of why society feels alienated from the uncompromising animation style.





How Hanawalt Addresses Mental Health





In the third episode, Bertie has a panic attack that is portrayed through a musical number. Hanawalt understands the complexity in mental health and genuine psychological complexity, confidence and anxiety are a big discussion in the show. Tuca and Bertie are a fantastic double act, utilizing a classic juxtaposing archetypes to highlight character flaws in each other. Bertie is friends with Tuca and admires her confident and loud personality, bordering on envy as she struggles to have the confidence herself. Tuca is a character that feels at odds with her own character, she has recently gone sober, committing to not drinking for 6 months which suggests she’s on this journey to self-organisation. She feels shoehorned by this personality she has built up for herself, struggling to be genuine and show signs of vulnerability. Confidence and arrogance are at conflict in ‘Tuca and Bertie’, this is clear in the Pastry Pete storyline, which addresses how those in a position of power can manipulate and prey on vulnerability. It’s hard to watch yet Hanawalt insists on the tone to be focusing on positivity, community and empowerment. Rather than patronising or romanticising mental health, it shows the messy and complicated side in a ‘Tuca and Bertie’ style.





The Jelly Lakes





Hanawalt utilises a classic Bojack trope and makes the penultimate episode the most emotionally ambitious episode yet. Up to this point the pair had emotionally gone through a lot to reach the point of this episode, it’s a quieter and more toned-down version of the show. The two come to terms with the aftermath of sexual assault, it’s genuinely one of the toughest episodes to watch, Hanawalt portrays just how complicated these characters lives are. The unpredictability and chaotic life we live highlights just when life is tough and focuses on how we come to terms with that. It is empowering, upsettingly honest and something I am still thinking about to this day. Obviously, from a male perspective who hasn’t experienced what Hanawalt is portraying, it is informative and respectful, opening up a sympathetic yet honest thematic concept that teaches tolerance, acceptance and support. Rather than patronising, vilifying or victimising these characters, Hanawalt wants her audience to understand these characters rather than see them as just the victims of their experiences.





Netflix cancelling ‘Tuca and Bertie’ yesterday was a big punch to the gut for me. We don’t get enough TV like this, it’s frustrating when something is full of genuine heart and ambition is just ignored because of its unconventional and challenging storytelling. There aren’t enough female voices in animation, never mind female voices expressing themselves and the female experience in such an open and honest way. Thank you to the animators, to the amazing voice actors but most importantly thank you Lisa, ‘Tuca and Bertie’ will always have an important place in my heart.