Series Thoughts: Tuca & Bertie (Seasons 1& 2)

• Released: 3 May 2019
• Creator: Lisa Hanawalt
• Amount of seasons: 2
• Seasons watched: 2
• Rating: 3.5/5

Synopsis

The (mis)adventures of two bird women, outgoing Tuca the toucan and more quiet Bertie the songthrush. 

My Thoughts

So when I first got into this series I pretty much had the same thoughts, questions and expectations as most people. With how similar it looks to Bojack Horseman, of course people would start comparing the series and questions would arise as to whether or not the two take place in the same universe. Answer to the latter question: no, they don't. But I don't think the comparisons are unfounded, either.

Both have the classic Lisa Hanawalt's distinct anthropomorphic animals drawing style, both share generally the same animation style and quality, both are comedy shows aimed at an adult audience starring anthro animals living alongside humans in a city, etc. However, the despite all these comparisons, the shows still wildly differ.

For one, Tuca & Bertie is way more cartoon-y than Bojack Horseman. Bojack definitely had its toony moments, but it rarely interacts with the "real" world these characters inhabit. This is not the case for Tuca & Bertie, where all kinds of bonkers and fourth-wall breaking shenanigans are constantly happening and interacting with their world. I'm not saying one is better than the other, I just think the differences are interesting. Tuca & Bertie I personally also find to be funnier than later Bojack seasons.

The series follows a larger storyline and isn't completely episodic, with Bertie overcoming her trauma and both her and Tuca having ups and downs in their friendship from time to time, but most of the episodes are episodic and contain a contained story which may or may not contribute to the overall series plotline. I honestly quite like this, I like series with a really tight continuity now and again, but I feel like this is the more fitting format for a more cartoon-y series such as this.

I personally think the series is really funny, but like its equine cousin it also isn't afraid to go dark and serious from time to time. I really do think I should issue a trigger warning for some depictions of sexual assault and specifically a CSA trigger warning for the Jelly Lakes episode. It's mostly minor or only told to other characters, but it's still prominent enough for me to be put off by due to my own experiences.

The series also mostly deals with the issues young-adult women such as Tuca and Bertie face. While I don't identify as a woman anymore, I still obviously relate to some of their struggles due to being AFAB. And even if I wasn't, I do believe that the series portrays everything well and understandable for others.

There are many things to like about the series, from the wacky gags and world building to our main characters (and Speckle) and of course the good handling of the more serious subjects. My main gripe with the series would be the animation. Just like in Bojack Horseman, it feels a bit awkward and stilted. It's not a major criticism as I do think that good writing/characters is/are more important than good visuals, but it still would've been nice if it had been a bit more flexible and fluid. You can do amazing things with puppet animation if done properly, but I guess they just didn't have the budget or couldn't here for whatever reason.

After season 1 was released by Netflix, it was very unceremoniously cancelled not much later, however luckily it has since been picked up by Adult Swim and recently released its second season, with (I believe) a third on the way. 

While I wouldn't call this one of my favorite series, I definitely think it's one of the better adult animated ones I've seen. I don't have a favorite out of Tuca & Bertie and Bojack Horseman per se, but I do think I like Tuca & Bertie better than late Bojack so far. I really think the latter was the strongest in its early seasons. Will I ever give Bojack its own Series Thoughts? Eh, I'll have to see about that.