Heartstopper Series Analysis (Essay Example)

Heartstopper is a brand new British Netflix original series. It is an exciting coming-of-age romance story based on a Webtoon comic by Alice Oseman. It focuses on the life of Charlie Spring, a gay student and how he falls in love with a boy who sits next to him in form class. It also follows the story of Charlie´s friends and the problems they face together. I tis incredibly heartwarming seeing all the nice moments Charlie is experiencing but it also doesn´t shy away from more grave topics like bullying.

Firstly, Heartstopper is a significant step in queer representation. Right in the first episode we learn that two out of four people from the friendgroup whose story we´re following are queer. One, Charlie, is a gay boy who is out to his school already. The other, Elle, is a trans girl who just transferred from an all boy´s school to an all girl´s school. We get multiple instances even over just one episode of both gay and lesbian couple kisses. In the show we see healthy homosexual couples but it also reminds us that even gay couples can be dysfunctionial. The series also shows us the struggles of figuring out one´s sexuality and problems you can face after coming out. Though their experiences, we can clearly see how our characters deal with bullying caused by homophobia and transphobia but also how important it is to have supportive people around. 

While the plot is heavily based on romance and crushes it is not the only thing that gets explored. We get to see how romantic relationships can affect friendships we´ve already had. In the show there is contrast between Charlie´s new and healthy relationship and his previous abusive one. Important to Charlie is also his family relationships. His father is very protective, drives him to parties and is always avalible to pick him up from them whenever he feels to stressed or bullied. His sister is there when he feels very angry because he thinks his friends got into fights because of him. The series also showcases how society pressures people into straight relationships and the hardships that come with being in a gay one.

We cannot forget the story is taking place in a high school environment. Our main protagonist – Charlie, goes to Truham Grammar School for boys but we also see characters from Harvey Greene Grammar School for Girls like Charlie´s friend Elle or her new friends she made there. There are also a lot of afterschool activities like a band formed by students from both schools in which Charlie plays the drums. When Charlie´s crush Nick sees him run fast in gym class, he asks Charlie to join the Rugby team because they need reserve players. Even despite the fact that most of the Rugby team are stereotypical popular mean boys who bullied him back when he came out, he agrees because he wants to spend more time with Nick.

The story might not be fit for everyone but the struggle of going through high school is universal. Even though they might not get much screentime, you will definetly find a character you relate to. It might not have the perfect writing or some thing don´t really make sense but that´s how  life is. Chaotic, imperfect and oftentimes akward.