Add This Underrated Coming-of-Age Netflix Series to Your List of Wholesome Titles to Watch

(SPOT.ph) It starts with a simple “Hi.” Then another and then another, until countless hi’s have been exchanged and next thing you know, you’ve fallen helplessly in love with a straight guy. Only thing is, you’re openly gay. So now there are a lot of questions: How do you get through the giant wall between you and your happy crush? What if it's made worse by the fact that he's incredibly popular and basically out of your league (even if he were gay)? What if you’re one of the school’s untouchables, an outcast not even allowed to mingle with the common crowd? What if everyone knows how you feel—except for him? 

Heartstopper demands these questions to be answered. We're sure you're familiar with all the tropes we just presented, but this Boys' Love series unravels the story in a not-your-usual format for this type of series—a different quality which is partly where it gets its charm. It’s wholesome, socially relevant, and very relatable, just like our Pinoy BL series. There's probably a slew of more popular titles you've got on your Netflix watch list, but we say this underrated gem is worthy of being bumped up on the slate. Get ready to have your hearts set aflutter like the leaves in the trailer.

Also Read:
A Beginner’s Guide to Boys’ Love, As Told by The Boy Foretold by the Stars’ Director
10 Boys’ Love Series on Netflix That'll Get You Hooked
The Miracle of Teddy Bear Is a Not-So-Typical Boys’ Love Series Worth Streaming on Netflix
This New Anime on Netflix Asks “What If You Woke Up in a Perfect Body?”

Why Heartstopper is, yup, a heartstopper Netflix show worth adding to your watch list

Synopsis of Heartstopper

Heartstopper is a British eight-episode series by Alice Oseman that follows the story of Charlie (Joe Locke), a 14-year-old grammar school student who identifies as a gay boy. He bonds with Nick (Kit Connor), the ace player of the rugby team and the “straightest person one has ever seen” over a fleeting thought about the appropriateness of cramming their homework on the way to class. Sparks did not immediately fly there, though, but a fire did start as the two somehow keep running into each other, minus the fact that they are seatmates (physically close but worlds apart, if you think about it). One day, Nick invites Charlie to join the rugby team, and things get even more interesting.

Theme of Heartstopper

Heartstopper dares to touch on a lot of social issues that are usually brushed aside: bullying and discrimination being just two of the main pressing ones. As a gay boy who’s already out, Charlie becomes a subject of ridicule among other students. Anyone who comes near him or his group is either judged or also considered a borderline outcast. As a result, Charlie mostly keeps to himself and eventually becomes a person who only opens up to people he 200% trusts.

Sadly, this scenario isn’t just a work of Oseman’s imagination—it’s something that usually happens in real life, both in and out of school settings. This makes the show even more relatable, with viewers resonating with one of the series' strongest messages: Treat people with kindness.

What Makes Heartstopper Endearing

While Heartstopper may not be a show that can make time (or our hearts) literally stop, it packs a punch when it comes to relatability hits. It’s sweet and nostalgic, cheerful and conflicting—all at the same time. It reeks of the reality that is bullying, but also speaks volumes of the beauty of legitimately solid friendships built through the test of time. It artfully and tastefully portrays the two different worlds seen from Nick’s and Charlie’s perspectives as we see the contrast and how everything melds together throughout the series.

Another thing that sets it apart from all the wild coming-of-age series that gain traction? Heartstopper doesn’t have booze, swearing, awkwardly mature scenes, nor drugs; instead, it has almost-touching hands, milkshakes, indecisive texting (with tons of editing involved), and more details to nail in the youthful mind- and heart-boggling jungle that is the teenage season. It’s a refreshing take on all the BL series that have gone online so far. If these aren’t good reasons to give Heartstopper (Netflix) a shot, we don’t know what else can convince you. The series has been renewed on Netflix for two more seasons and we think it’s quite obvious the high demand is because of what it brings to the table.