Review: Heartstopper

Heartstopper is a recent Netflix series that strays a little from the other series with the theme LGBTQIA+, which in my opinion is a super positive point because it differentiates the Heartstopper series from the others present in the Netflix catalog.

The series was heavily inspired by the comics of Alice Oseman, who also works as screenwriter and executive producer in this sensitive project, with direction signed by Euros Lyn and has exactly 8 episodes, we accompany young people in self-knowledge and conflicts that many of us have forgotten.

The plot develops around the character Charlie, a teenager who is very calm and in his own way and empathetic towards others - in this case, his friends and relatives, dedicated to his studies, but struggling to heal the wounds of the massive bullying he received last year. previous year in high school, since his high school found out about his sexuality, coming out as homosexual.

Everything changes drastically in the new school year and Charlie's life takes on new colors when he starts to sit next to the character Nick, a slightly older, relatively popular and prominent student on the Rugby team, but with many doubts about his sexuality. . Over time, a true friendship is born to later blossom into something sincere and passionate.

The story of Heartstopper in the very first episode seems to focus only on this unlikely romance with a beaten formula - that's what I thought in the first few minutes, but no, the series manages to permeate much more than that, in a delicate and intelligent way.

As the story progresses, Charlie goes through the obstacles of adolescence with the support of a group of friends from his acquaintance, which portrays well how a support network should work - at least in theory. Charlie also goes through questioning situations throughout the drama, but he's not alone.

Charlie's group of friends is made up of the character Tao - his straight, overprotective, jealous best friend, the character Elle, a transgender student who studied with the boys previously and now attends the nearby girls' high school, and Isaac a silent character who unfortunately it doesn't have much prominence in the core.

The episodes of Heartstopper are full of diversity, with the character Tara and Darcy, a couple who are also going through an important moment, publicly admitting their lesbian relationship and the challenges that this entails in their daily lives at school and need to learn to lead with bullying and uncomfortable situations at school.

With great lightness, they show that, despite the difficulty, there is beauty in being who you really are without fear of being happy. This also points out in the series the concern to exemplify different phases of the journey of self-acceptance in adolescence, not only the discovery of sexuality, but also how to correctly deal with the consequences of it.

The Heartstopper series generally brings between the scenes, real and tangible challenges of a young gay teenager, in a sweet tone without losing the essence of a story that launches, in the hearts of many, the hope that life can be complicated. when you are different, but pleasurable and rewarding in the end.

I was relatively happy to be able to watch such a noble project as Heartstopper. It is interesting to follow the 8 episodes, which despite being short, manage to explain very relevant discussions, even at a young age, the characters deal in a very mature way with conflicts, including during the dialogues that are far from forced - something that happens in others.

In addition, between the episodes it is possible to notice graphic elements that refer to the traits of the comic, such as hearts and leaves – several times, they even indicate the passage from one moment to another.

Here is also an example, that the difference that is made in a production that contemplates the presence of the author of the plot and exerts her vision of someone who intimately knows her characters and their steps is remarkable.

While watching the Heartstopper series, I honestly didn't understand the reason for these transitions and animations, but after researching even more about the original work in book format, I could understand better why the direction chose to keep this original feature.

All the additions that the script applies to the screens are consistent with the original story - after researching and delving into the work after watching the entire series, unraveling a subject, or just giving more space to adjacent plots that were not explored in the original comic.

More than just sexuality, Heartstopper's story sheds light on issues that everyone, in general, can identify with, such as valuing feelings, self-esteem and releasing stigma. Heartstopper is a cozy, simple, real series, but that screams yes to love, that opens up the differences and makes you feel how good it is to open up to yourself.

Final Tip for Fans: Download free wallpapers from the Heartstopper series!