Diane Nguyen

Diane Nguyen (born March 19, 1980) is a fictional character from the Netflix animated television series BoJack Horseman.  She is voiced by Alison Brie and was created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. 

Fictional biography 
Diane is a nice, well-meaning, misunderstood intellectual, and a Vietnamese-American third-wave feminist from Boston.  In the first episode of the series, Diane is hired by BoJack's publisher as a ghostwriter for his memoir, having previously written a biography of BoJack's childhood hero, Secretariat.  Diane and BoJack become friends, and BoJack develops romantic feelings for her, only to find out she is dating his rival Mr. Peanutbutter.  In the episode "Live Fast, Diane Nguyen", she and BoJack travel to New York together to meet with the book publisher, but take an unexpected trip to Boston after learning about Diane's father's death.  Later, when they return, Mr. Peanutbutter proposes, and the two become engaged.  The couple marries soon after, and Diane finishes BoJack's book. 

She struggles throughout her career to get recognition for her writing, and travels to the war-torn Republic of Cordovia to make a difference, but discovers that this life is not for her.  Ashamed of returning to her then-husband at the time, she develops a severe bout of depression, during which she drinks heavily, smokes pot, and sleeps disheveled on BoJack's patio furniture.  She is able to reconcile her feelings with Mr. Peanutbutter and gets a job at VIM ghostwriting tweets for celebrities.  She is subsequently fired from VIM, and is hired to write for a feminist blog.  During and after Mr. Peanutbutter's run for Governor of California, their marriage begins to deteriorate and, in season 5, they divorce.  Diane moves into a run-down studio apartment upon separating from Mr. Peanutbutter, visiting Vietnam to rediscover herself.  Later in the season, she begins ghostwriting the TV series Philbert, which BoJack stars in, after showrunner Flip McVickers develops writer's block.  Though the first season of the show is a success, BoJack, under the influence of painkillers, gets involved in a scandal with his co-star, resulting in the show's cancellation.  Diane encourages BoJack to enter rehab, and she sends her friend to the clinic after offering some final words of encouragement. 

Reception 
Diane has been praised as one of the strongest characters in the series, as it has shown her personal growth in addition to that of BoJack, the lead character.  She has also been considered the "voice of reason" in the show, with her story arcs also shedding light on real-world issues.  However, the show has also received criticism over its allegedly underwhelming portrayal of Diane and Asian American culture, especially in the fact that Alison Brie, a white actress, voices the Vietnamese-American Diane. 

See also 
 List of BoJack Horseman characters

References 

Category:Television characters introduced in 2014
Category:Fictional characters from Boston
Category:Fictional characters with psychiatric disorders
Category:Fictional feminists and women's rights activists
Category:Animated characters
Category:Comedy television characters
Category:Fictional writers
Category:Fictional American people of Vietnamese descent
Category:BoJack Horseman characters