Drama Review: Heartstopper

So I watched Heartstopper ~<3 Idk if it technically 'counts' as a drama, but that's my tag now so I'm rolling with it. I already knew I was going to like it, I'm gradually collecting all the comics in physical form, but the production company really went all out with their editing and everything! The sound design was impeccable and the special effects were really sweet and 100% the right aesthetic to go for to make it really comicbook-esque and I really liked them.

The first season is 8 30 min episodes, so very easily bingeable, and the plot is nothing overly complex. It does deal quite heavily with homophobia and coming out and it does have a scene of sexual assault (forced kissing) and several with verbal harrassment, but the show is pretty quick to comfort the viewer and the characters after these events. Most of the tension comes from the kind of interpersonal issues all teens have: how do I date the person I like? What do I do if I realise my friends are assholes? What do you do if your friends don't like your new crush? It's nice!

The author has some unfortunate negative views about BL and yaoi that I honestly can't support but as someone who was on Tumblr at the same time, I know where they got them from and it's hard for me to be as mad about it as various of the people I know. That being said, I would feel remiss in not mentioning it. Anyone who chooses not to watch because of it is perfectly reasonable, despite of all my love for it.

My favourite thing about Heartstopper is that it feels like a romanticised version of my school years. I never had mixed age forms, but I definitely made fast friends with the girl assigned to the seat next to me. I was the one hanging out with the school weirdos and hiding from people inside at lunch (though I hid in the library instead). I've taken trains just like those to go to the beach. This is a show about people like me, at a school like mine, living in a place similar to where I grew up being happy and queer together and I love it. I don't think I'm capable of being objective about this show and that's okay.

It's also worth mentioning that everyone has alive mums and that Charlie and Nick make a queer friendship group! People like each other in this show, beyond just the romantic relationships. People are friends and I love that! Plenty of ink has been spilled on this show so I won't ramble too long, but it is a show that really touched me. I don't know if I'd recommend it to everyone, but if you're in the mood for two boys learning to love each other, then I think it's definitely worth a shot.