Netflix’s Heartstopper was released on April 22 and based on the webcomic and graphic novel by British author Alice Oseman. The coming-of-age LGBTQIA+ love story follows Charlie and Nick as they navigate their lives as LGBTQIA+ teens and the love they share with each other.
The gentle leaves of spring
As an openly gay highschool kid, Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) faces bullies and relationship problems on the daily. However, a romance blooms into the picture when he meets forum seatmate and “rugby king” Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), who’s in the process of self-discovery.
From the moment Charlie and Nick first interact, short and sweet hellos are met with a loving gaze. The actors played these characters wonderfully, capturing the essence of their personalities and the love they have for each other.
Of course, a coming of age story wouldn’t be complete without a lovable friend group. Token straight friend Tao Wu (William Gao) adds a pinch of jealousy into the mix, while Elle (Yasmin Finney) and Isaac (Tobie Donovan) complete the friend group dynamic perfectly. But let’s not forget Tara (Corinna Brown) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell), another wholesome pair to be excited about.
Everyone in the friend group has their moments to shine, especially with their special quirks and individual relevance to the story. With each actor playing well off of each other, there’s surely a lot more to see in this bunch’s adventures together.
The chilly breeze of fall
It isn’t all flutters and flowers in Charlie and Nick’s love story. Being an LGBTQIA+ couple with coming out problems, a homophobic bully Harry (Cormac Hyde-Corrin), and a toxic crush Ben (Sebastian Croft) are only simplifications that try to spoil all the fun. Despite these, the show doesn’t stray too far from what was promised to its audiences.
With Oseman, the original graphic novel’s creator, at the helm in the writing of the series adaptation, Heartstopper stays faithful to the source material. From memorable scenes and their cinematography, to unforgettable lines between Charlie and Nick一the story translates itself into the series format perfectly.
Differences in mind, however, there are a few changes in the adaptation worth noting.
For example, new character Imogen (Rhea Norwood) adds a bit of tension and pressure for Charlie and Nick’s progress in their relationship. Though not as disruptive, these changes aren’t easily forgotten if one is a fan of the graphic novel.
Heartstopper has clearly gotten audiences lovestruck just with the first glance of its story, and with good reason. With 14.55 million hours of streaming in its first week, we can be confident to see more of Charlie and Nick in the near future.
If you’ve binged your way through Charlie and Nick’s cute love story on Netflix, immerse yourself even more by reading the original graphic novel on Tapas and Webtoon!
