When I pressed “play” on the first episode of “Heartstopper,” I prepared myself for the worst. I rallied my heart to be broken once more by an unrealistic, stereotypical queer romance that categorized their characters into firm, unwavering boxes of “gay” and “straight.” “Heartstopper” however, blew each of my doubts away within the first episode. 

Season one follows the young queer romance of Charlie and Nick based off of the graphic novel series “Heartstopper” written and illustrated by Alice Oseman. While Charlie has always known and been secure in his queerness, Nick follows his own journey learning, understanding and accepting his own sexuality – one of my favroite facets of the show. 

“Heartstopper” portrayed the most realistic and representative LGBTQ+ journey I have ever seen. In less than four hours, I found myself becoming attached to each of the main characters in different ways. 

Joined with other friends, including a lesbian couple, a transgender girl and two straight friends, “Heartstopper” tramples stereotypical queer characters by providing depth and personality to each of the characters – such as exploring the difficult transition character Elle went through to establish her gender comfortably by moving from the all-boys school to the sister school. Thankfully this series doesn’t leave the queer couple dead, heartbroken or abandoned by the end – a trope found in many queer shows. 

Even if you do not identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, the series also follows an over-arching journey of a group of friends learning and adapting through changes in highschool – a relatable topic for many. Referencing to pre-plot bullying of the main character Charlie, “Heartstopper” also touches upon sensitive, toxic realities that LGBTQ+ students face every day of their lives – instead of the regular gloss over that many queer shows portray. 

Themes of love, friendship and perseverance are packed into the show and ties the bow on top; comedy, intricate music choices and emotional moments establish this show as a winner for all audience members. I was so drawn into it that I noticed most of the music choices in the show are songs written and produced by queer artists, such as Girl in Red, Frankie Cosmos and so many more. 

Days after its release, “Heartstopper” has already received a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes as well as a 98% audience approval rate. If all of that was not enough to convince you to add “Heartstopper” to your “To Watch” list, I don’t know what will.