NEXUS
AROTAKENGA / 点评
Heartstopper TV Show | Jak Rāta
88%
If you’ve somehow been living under a rock, I want to extend to you the Netflix retelling of a soon-to-be gay classic. Now, I’m aware that our reviews are commonly of what's popular at that moment, and honestly that’s chill as, but I need you all to take a moment to recognise the importance of a well-told love story. Do I think that it’s a bit of a beaten horse? You know, boy meets boy, one of them isn’t out but they fall in love? Yeah, it’s nothing groundbreaking nor is it completely fresh, but it hits a little bit different.
glad there wasn’t a huge fuss caused over their identity, but that may change moving forward which would make sense for universe expansion. Elle and Tao have enough personality to warrant their own show, with trials and tribulations that don’t even come close to the ones of Nick and Charlie. Speaking of Nick, his mates leave much to be desired. It’s unfortunate that the trope of rugby boys being misogynist, homophobic bigots still exists. But I guess tropes are oftentimes based in reality.
So you have Charlie, your typical nerdy boy who just ca- but wait. He’s not your typical nerdy boy, but rather a satirical version of what you would’ve considered a social outcast. He plays the drums, and he’s comfortable (somewhat) in his sexuality. Nick, being the archetypal opposite, plays rugby and is just one of the lads. Fucking aye. He’s certainly what a lot of young gay men would lust after, but there’s still something differnet about his traits and his interactions with the other characters in the show. I like it, and I can recognise the diverse voices in the storytelling. But here’s where the show excels: the side characters.
Onto the actual body of this show, the relationship between Nick and Charlie. It’s the heavy, will they or won’t they motif, with it not lifting or allowing you to breathe until the very last moments. I, for one, found myself becoming bored with it. I understand the struggle of understanding your sexuality, but the storytelling at times felt like a self-obsessed diatribe with the writers flexing their ability to “understand Gen Z” without realising the emotional turmoil wasn’t being achieved. I’ll give credit to the entire team though, the conversations between the boys were organic and some of those DM’s just had me sent into a spiral. The honest truth about being a Gen Z and dating in 2022 is that you’re going to have to go through the awkward “what u up 2?” messages before inevitably falling in love and realising you’re meant to be. Too optimistic?
Okay, sure they were going for gold in the diverse Olympics, but why is that a bad thing? Charlie's friends are a MTF trans POC, an Asian man, & a white male bookworm. These three are the backbone to what makes Charlie a palatable character, which eases the flow of some of the clunkier storytelling. Even some of Elle’s friends at her new school are just so damn likable, Tara and Darcy being our lesbian queens. Even Elle, being a great representation for a multitude of reasons, has more dimension and complex issues. I’m
30 N.08 / V. 55
Here’s my takeaway from the show. Watch it for the portrayal of gay men as gay men. There’s no beating around the bush, no weird plot change. It’s just an openly gay show about being openly gay. It’s a heart-warming tale that just hits the mark 88% of the time. Onto the 3rd rewatch, lol.
