Netflix's Heartstopper

Based on the Webtoon of The Same Name— And It's Really REALLY Good

The cutest little boys from the cutest little show on Netflix— THAT I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW I EVER NEEDED BUT HERE WE ARE.

I’m not even going to give you a little synopsis because I think you should go and watch this for yourself. It’s short, unbelievably easy to binge on Netflix, and worth every awkward minute of high school embarrassment you get to re-live.

[There’s also a Webtoon turned graphic novel by Alice Oseman that I am currently reading through that is PRECIOUS and ADORABLE and I also highly recommend huehuehue.]

Instead, here is my vague essay highlighting just why you should drop a sunlit afternoon on what has to be one of the most heart-warming and delightful shows I’ve seen in recent years.

This coming from someone who watches K-Dramas and anime more than anything remotely English. So. There’s that.

Wholesome Content

Panic. Is it gay? Is it bi? IDK but it is P-A-N-I-C.

Rachel Aroesti from The Guardian writes that Heartstopper has “no drugs, booze, sex or swearing” and is rewriting how we showcase young love. Very much the antithesis to Euphoria, which, from what I’ve seen snippets of, is very angsty.

Much drugs and drama. A friend once described the Zendaya-led show as being “so painfully melodramatic, but impossible to stop watching” and I’ve taken her word as gospel for Euphoria.

Heartstopper is very different yet similar. There’s a lot of the show that is feels-good and just happy/good vibes. Those are my favorite parts.

But there is complexity in the storytelling; it isn’t all rainbows and butterflies, in spite of how charming and adorable Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson’s (Kit Connor) relationship is. They are absolutely adorable and soft with one another and it is beautiful to see a male relationship represented in careful masculinity and kindness.

However…

There is the very real bullying that comes with being out in an all-boy’s school and the abuse and mental toll that takes.

There is the overthinking and the uncertainty and the absolute terror that comes with finding your true self and daring to share that with the world.

These are major themes that can be so easy to throw at young viewers and then forget about, but not here. Not on Oseman’s watch. These are recurring themes, themes that impact a character’s motivation or emotions and demand to be recognized and dealt with in a healthy way lest self-destructive behaviors sprout.

It looks really wholesome, and it is. But the way they handle some dark themes is amazing. Beautiful. Artistic. And most of all, inspiring.

The friend groups explored in this show are also so damn wholesome. Specifically Charlie’s friends Tao (William Gao), Elle (Yasmin Finney), and Isaac (Tobie Donovan). Not Nick’s friends.

All of Nick’s friends are pricks and he comes to realize that friendship isn’t about trying to fit in and forcing yourself to be something that you’re not, but about being open about who you are and finding those people who accept it no matter what.

Every character feels so real and relatable. They have their own quirks and strong personalities, each one navigating the treacherous waters of high school in their own way, but they all add something fun and unique to the main BL romance we follow.

All together, it is a well-paced and wonderful series, showcasing nuanced characters and a wonderfully developed storyline.

10/10, would recommend.

Comic Medium

They’re all so cute. Also these uniforms are great. Gives me Harry Potter vibes.

I will never understand the absolute disdain some people have for webcomics and books with pictures (which, yes, includes children’s literature). There is a never-ending crusade to diminish art from this field as being lesser or in poor taste, potentially lowbrow content.

I. Hate. That.

Writing is writing. Good storytelling is good storytelling with the advantage of an image or not.

Webcomics are experiencing the backlash of this mentality as it is dragged into the limelight of mainstream culture. The same sentiment tried derailing Roy Lichtenstein’s pop art in the 1960s and debased his work as immature or irrelevant, but the audience appreciation for such work remains unified despite the naysayers and critics.

Comic books and manga used to be made fun of and taken as less-than-seriously, but the rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the hundreds upon thousands of anime Japan releases to an international audience has turned that conversation, if only so slowly, and oftentimes by the advantage of the source material.

Like I’ve said about animation before, the medium doesn’t define a piece’s worth.

I didn’t know this was a thing but I’m here for it. I like it. Go DC, you’re doing something right even when you’re doing everything else wrong :D

Storytelling used to be long-ass epics told around a rickety tavern table, just words on the wind caught in people’s ears. Today, we have the written word, pictures and paintings, films and movies and television.

One is not greater or worse than the other, and at that point it comes down to preference.

A good story will utilize its medium to the fullest and give us an experience we are sure to enjoy.

Just like Heartstopper does :)

What “Love, Simon” Did For the LGBTQ+ Community

Love, Simon (2018) walked so Heartstopper (2022) could run.

I, for one, like Love, Simon as a mainstream movie making waves as openly gay and representative in that aspect.

It’s so perfect and happily rendered, with no real bullying, adversity, or problems facing Simon (Nick Robinson). He is gay, and that seems to be his only discernible feature.

The story is straightforward and easy to follow, the characters not as interesting as the ones we meet in real life.

For what it’s worth, I like the perfect simplicity of Love, Simon. In a media landscape dotted with violent, volatile, and often unhappy renditions of LGBTQ+ people, the happy ending of Simon and Bram (Keiynan Lonsdale) tied together with no consequences and a bow on top feels revolutionary for simply being happy.

Some may argue a little too happy, but for blazing a trail that POC and other LGBTQ+ people can tentatively walk on, I am forever grateful we had this movie at the time that we did.

Heartstopper shares a lot of similarities with its 2018 predecessor, mainly the gay, but also the setting and the intended demographic.

I can safely say that with my qualms about Love, Simon, Heartstopper answers them and makes certain themes and story elements better.

Because it’s great to have healthy, happy representation across the board.

And it’s even better to see them as heroes, instead of queer-coded villains.

But I will never knock a queer-coded villain done well. Just have to find them first.

Look how precious they are.