Alice Oseman’s “Heartstopper” is a sparkling gem in the coming of age genre. The show itself was based off of the web comic by Alice Oseman herself, and has only continued to draw people in with its witty charm and the sincerity of the story. Naturally, this appeal had fans waiting excitedly for the release of the second season after season one first premiered in April of 2022. Fans were not left disappointed.
In fact, Alice Oseman’s fan base and popularity skyrocketed with Netflix’s release, and has only continued to grow larger as an author and an influencer. She has gone from the webcomic series, moving on to books that follow other characters that fans are already familiar with, to characters fans didn’t know too much about. And now, her show has become one of the biggest forms of queer media for teens and non teens alike.
“Heartstopper” season one follows the story of Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson through the highs and lows of high school, while dealing with the obvious feelings they both have for each other. It is a very touching and lighthearted show that deals with serious topics, without having to lose that lighthearted theme that readers and watchers tend to love. Having the unique, buoyant theme that “Heartstopper” possesses is a nice change to T.V. available to watch. The portrayal of love, struggles, and different experiences brings light to so much and can help so many people.
While the first season touches a little bit on darker topics, such as mental health, bullying etc. The second season goes further in depth about the struggles of dealing with those harsh issues, without losing the actual tone of the story, and the sense of hope that all the characters developed. The way the characters are portrayed completely expands their overall character arcs in general, and helps expand the actual storyline.
That being said, “Heartstopper” does have some triggering subjects that get expanded more in depth in season two. One of the characters overall story-lines involve growing from past traumas and issues with mental health, and how it completely affects him as a person. This includes ocd, anxiety, and eating disorders. However, this character grows to learn he is not alone and finds solace in the people he surrounds himself with.
The overall point of the show and series is to show people that they are not alone, no matter what they happen to be going through. Characters in this show help each other, care about one another and do not let anyone tear them apart. Even when there are some rocky points, the characters always find peace and happiness in one another, something that not many other shows can say about themselves. Most shows intended to make you happy fall under a different demographic, one for young children and adolescents. Whereas shows that are for a more mature audience tend to be wildly inappropriate, or filled with angst and too much drama. “Heartstopper” has a beautiful balance and is truly a family show that is not too mature, or immature either, and has the potential to help a lot of people.
“Heartstopper” just arrived on Netflix on August 3rd, and fans loved it. Fans are already desperate for more content, and are so excited for season three to arrive, just to wow them again.
