There are technically two protagonists in Big Mouth, Andrew Glouberman and Nick Birch, each of whom are voiced by the two creators of the show, John Mulaney and Nick Kroll, respectively. Sure, there's also Missy, Jessi, Jay, Matthew, Coach Steve, and a whole host of important characters, but it is the pair of best friends that often take up center stage.
Interestingly, Andrew and Nick aren't really similar in most ways — the former is more physical while the latter tends to rely on his emotions. In the end, they aren't exactly opposites either, no matter how much they fight or cut ties with the other person, they will always be drawn to each other.
10 Andrew: His Problems Are Believable
Andrew's descent into the throes and woes of puberty are clearly evident to everyone around him, as much as the poor boy tries to keep it a secret.
He develops acne, body hair, not to mention the perennial need for self-gratification — scientific depictions of the female reproductive system and cat clocks are both equally likely to stimulate his hormones. As unrealistic as these events sound, they are not unlikely to happen to others of a similar age.
9 Nick: A Lot More Personal Insecurity
One of the important things about being a teenager is learning to find a place in the world, which isn't really an instant epiphany. It takes years of insecurity, of wondering about how to handle the responsibilities of oncoming adulthood, before most teens can begin cultivating a sense of certainty.
Nick embodies this stage almost perfectly, considering that he's always anxious about something or other. He feels worse when he sees his friends mature (physically) faster than he does, but it's a natural fact that not everyone gets a growth spurt at the same time.
8 Andrew: Responsible For Most Of The Drama
Andrew's awkwardness, when combined with his utter disregard for personal sanctity, results in some of the most delicious drama in the show. He keeps breaking off ties with Nick, only to get back together again, but he has behaved the worst when it comes to Missy.
After declaring his love for her, Andrew is rejected because Missy isn't ready for a deep commitment, so he responds by throwing a vicious temper tantrum that starts with throwing Lars from his wheelchair and ends with him in a pile of garbage.
7 Nick: Can Be Surprisingly Sensitive When He Needs To Be
As the perfect foil to Andrew's outlandish immaturity, Nick helps balance the narrative by acting like a kind, compassionate adolescent (rather than one whose thoughts are limited to masturbatory methods.)
It is clear that he gets this trait from his parents, who are accepting to the point of exaggeration. They completely understand where Nick is coming from, despite the variety of emotions he displays, and their openness has rubbed off on their youngest son.
6 Andrew: Relatable Family Life (To A Point)
It's sad that the Diane and Elliot Birch style of parenting isn't the most common in the real world; the Gloubermans seem more believable in this context. Marty doesn't care for his son's privacy or individuality, and has a borderline abusive relationship with Andrew.
On the other hand, Barbara and Andrew are affectionate with each other, except when the boy does something mildly inconveniencing and all hell breaks loose. It's important to note that the Glouberman family is occasionally a bit over the top for comedy — how many fathers would forcibly wax their sons' mustaches?
5 Nick: Confidence Levels Are (Sometimes) Through The Roof
An interesting characteristic of the Birch household is that all the three children, Judd, Leah, and Nick, are quite self-reliant with relation to their peers, yet another triumph for Diane and Elliot.
Nick's friendship with Gina Alvarez manifests this confidence into charm, which explains why the Alvarezes immediately took to him. Unfortunately for Nick, however, his love interest doesn't see him as more than just a friend, but this also highlights a common aspect of teenage life.
4 Andrew: Maury Accompanies Him Everywhere
Coming to the real star of Big Mouth, it is the presence of Maurice that makes the show come alive. The Hormone Monster is nothing more than the anthropomorphic realization of Andrew's (& Matthew's) puberty, and, as such, he is over the top with every single emotion he expresses.
Maury augments Andrew's rage as much as he allies with the boy in coming up with sexual schemes — this misshapen horned creature is a fiend, but a beloved one.
3 Nick: Kisses His Best Friend To Prove A Point
Andrew suddenly starts questioning his sexuality, but thankfully not in a homophobic way (as seen through the magnificent cabaret number performed by Freddie Mercury and his motley crew of proud queer musicians.) Of course, the impressionable teen just starts telling everyone that he's gay, except Nick, who later questions him about it.
Andrew goes off on a rant about the impossibility of confirming his sexuality, which is when Nick plants a kiss on his friend's lips for "scientific" reasons. At the end, neither boy comes out as gay, but Nick's act is both sweet and helpful to Andrew.
2 Andrew: Truly The Poster Child Of The Series
Andrew Glouberman doesn't define adolescence as much as stretch its boundaries as far as possible. He isn't the average teenager, but the fact is that nearly every teen has encountered one or more problems faced by him, be it blossoming romances or sexual urges.
Andrew is, in many ways, the sum total of the adolescent experience, a universal cliché who encapsulates the sheer embarrassment that is often packaged together with puberty.
1 Nick: A Flair For Stardom
The show has shown snippets of Nick Birch's theoretical future as Nick Starr, the wealthy and popular host of Countdown to Money with Nick Starr. This version of himself is apparently aloof, considering that he doesn't have any friends except for Andrew 3000, a robot based on teenage Andrew.
While the point of this character is to show Nick the perils of letting his anxiety go unchecked and making the wrong choices, it also implies that he has always been capable of becoming a cultural influencer. In other words, Nick has star potential.
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