As an openly gay teacher in a Secondary school, I have to say this show hits a reality for younger generations. This is the way teenagers are today, you can't criticise a show based on your own experience 10, 15 or 20 years ago.
Funny enough, I was Charlie's age and in secondary school nearly eight years ago now, and the group in the show is exactly what my friends were like, even if most of us were cisgender and straight. I think the show is just capturing the most wholesome, innocent, loving, often awkward, and imperfect teenage experience: the anti-Euphoria experience. It's beautiful.
I went through high school 50 years ago.... I was desperately lonely ... noone to confide in about sexuality ... queens, queers and poofs were dirty old men who hung around public toilets. Whenever gays were mentioned in the media it was in an intensely hostile way. Ironically a number other boys I knew also turned out to be gay but we could never have come out to each other. Fear kept us in our closets. If only we had a TV series like this in 1972!
There are definitely gay groups of friends in schools now! Sometimes they don't even start that way and we all just happen to realize we're not straight
exactly! like my middle school friend group is now filled with gay, bisexual, asexual, and straight people. We all told each other we were straight when we were younger until we came out in high school/college. Now that we're in college, we're befriending more queer people than straight people.
10 or so years ago when I was in high school I was not out. I knew one or two of my friends were queer, but most I had not idea either way. After years turns out more than half of them were LGBT in some way. We definitely find each other, but to be fair its probably the personality and openness draws us in.
Oh my god same here!! In high school we all started out not knowing and then by the end of it we had someone to cover every letter in the acryonmn! 😍 And in primary school too! The friend group I had in my last few years, all of us have turned out queer - I'm not in contact with them any more but they'll pop up on social media occasionally and, im non-binary and asexual, one person's gay, one person's a lesbian, one person's bisexual and trans and idk it's just really nice to think that we found each other and we didn't even realise it 😍
My friendship group is a perfect example of this, there's 8 of us and only 1 is straight but even her we have suspicions of being aro/ace so that means we'd have no one
Came back here after watching them watch the whole thing. It went from them yelling "who wrote the script?!?" to them weeping and speechless at the season finale lol
they said 'hi' over several weeks, and the friendly rugby guy initiates a lot; it's weird for average tv to see, but it's a great way to show instantly a summary of several weeks of getting to be new friends with that guy who is assigned to sit next to you, AND it is perfect for a webcomic (think comic books) to tv show adaptation :)
Just to give you guys some context, the show is based off of a graphic novel series of the same name written by Alice Oseman (she/they). They were directly involved in the writing of the script and casting. A lot of the script was pulled directly from the books, which I highly recommend you read! The animation you see are references to those books. Overall a great show and I hope you enjoy it!
We definitely need more reactions! I’m not even ashamed to say in the 10 days it’s been out I’ve watched it 11 times and read the series 3 times. Properly obsessed.
i mean,, u gotta remember this is a completely different time and era, things have changed from your own time back when you guys were back in school. also looking from a perspective of "the hets already have many cute fluffy light hearted coming of age movies/any medias, that its so fresh to see the same thing for lgbtq+ community". and yes, definitely possible to have more group friends like that now. its pretty realistic from my perspective as someone who's a bisexual, i can relate to a lot of these characters (definitely not ben tho). i relate a lot to charlie personality wise.
@@TiredHumanBeing its okay, thats nice to know! i often feel so called out when i binge-watched this show the first time. like- charlie is sooo me, minus the part where he's apparently quite the jack of all trades part
So glad that things have changed in the last 10 years in schools, and it’s great to read about everyone’s positive experiences. Very true about having the same genre for the LGBTQ+ community
nick and charlie, highschool crush wise, are very accurate. idk about yall but id say hi to someone i like in the hallway everytime i see them too. it literally makes my whole day. also youd be surprised how accurate this show actually is. sure there are still homophobic people, but times are changing… not every lgbtq+ show has to be filled with sadness and drama. its quite refreshing finally getting a wholesome show that shows you loving can be easy. its also just refreshing gettjng a lgbtq+ show where the main “issue” isnt that the character is gay cuz other shows make it seem like a issue. we have this thing at my school called “gay-straight alliance” (very stupid name, but they mean well). anyway, its basically like a ally-lgbtq support group with teacher and students and its amazing. i feel like with my school, no one really cares whats going on with others everyones just friends with everyone and thats the amazing thing about that
Agreed. Sometimes when some golden blue-eyed god WAY out of our league unexpectedly befriends us (and it’s happened to me), sometimes it’s literally all the HI’s shared in passing that get the friendship started, build up the trust & familiarity, & open it up to more.
Heartstopper is not a sugar-coated serie: is a positive show. I read all the volumes of the graphic novel and in the end i wished i had the possibility to read it when i was younger, because it would have helped me figure out my sexuality in a more reliable and positive way. The author knows how to treat with care and respect the serious topics of a queer coming-of-age story, but she also offers a different view for all the teens and people who want to live their sexuality to their fullest in the most healthful way. For years i had the impression that the media mostly represented the queer people as some kind of exotic animal. The kind of animal we are interested in only when it acts "fabolous" or when we see how its life can be dramatic. Of course life can be dramatic. But there's a difference between showing a realistic but still hopeful and positive perspective and a miserable one. It's been done enough. Can we offer more positive and helpful models to the gay teens that nowadays only want to have a...normal life like everyone else? Because i think the majority want to aspire to a model that can improve the perspective of themselves. And if you're gonna read the novel (there's also online), i can assure you that Alice Oseman is going in a direction that is gonna help a lot of people.
The hi thing is actually an important plot point but you have to really know more before you understand that. I don’t want to give into detail because I don’t want to spoil the show for people who haven’t watched the whole thing but it sets Nick up as a counterpoint to Ben.
You guys are too hung up on the word "realistic", whatever that's supposed to mean. Everyone has different experiences. Just because it didn't happen to you doesn't mean it doesn't happen to anyone at all. This is supposed to be a hopeful, wholesome show that also deals with real issues, but apparently you just want every gay show to be sad, pessimistic and tragic. LGBTQ kids/teens NEED shows like this, and the fact that both of you don't realize it is astonishing to me.
I couldn't agree more. Why do so many assume everyone's experience is just like theirs. I came out in the 1970's and my experience has been entirely positive. No bullies, no one i cared about; family, friends, colleagues had a problem with me.
I don't think they realize how relatable this show is to kids TODAY. Especially kids this age. Granted it's only the first episode, but they had so many assumptions and gripes with the show even this early on. Baffles me honestly. Just goes to show that people are too "normalized" to shows that are WAY too dramatized and have adults playing teens.
That's actually the representation that's been given to us in the past. If you grew up in the 90's or early 00's, you'd know that what little representation we got was often dramatic, traumatic, and/or full of angst. Only recently have we just barely started getting some semblance of shows depicting LGBTQIA normalcy, grounded in happiness- not just pain. It's why shows like Heartstopper are vital to the community.
Just saying that's kind of why they're thinking sad and tragic. It's not as easy to get out of that mindset as you think. I understand why they feel the way they do.
You guys are correct that most kids are not as mature as the characters in this show often act. I think more than trying to be realistic, it's trying to model healthy ways of communicating and resolving conflict. It's a theme through all the episodes where things that might blow up into massive drama on other shows are resolved relatively quickly through communication and maturity and supportive relationships. It's hella based and godtierpilled imo
Gay stories don't always have to end sadly or tragically, happiness like this also exists in real life, it's just that maybe you don't experience it and different generations where it's about gen z ❤
You have only seen the tip of the iceberg. This show gave me all the feels and I wish we had a show like this when I was in high school. We have become sooo desensitized to see queer characters being side characters or that there always has to be drama and hate and a queer character getting killed/sexualized/beaten/outed/something bad is about to happen that it’s a shock when we get such a wholesome telling of how things could be. We need to change that status quo. I love this, I need more of this show and the graphic novels are incredible too
The best way to approach this series is to drop the cynicism and be open to a tale where the best of human nature is told through a relationship. There are plenty of other queer stories full of trauma and negativity - what a refreshing change to see good, decent characters cope with their identity and challenges in a positive and constructive way. Nick and Charlie are good and kind, and they support each other in their own ways. We rarely run into people like this in real life who are so consistent, but we are being shown what's possible, and that we can choose the high road. We are spared plot points like cyberbullying, or false, spite-fueled accusations being hurled at the characters - turn the channel if you're looking for that. (I understand that a season two would deal with Charlie's eating disorder - that would certainly add a more serious and relevant element to the story.) If you find it difficult to hear "Hi" so many times, dig deep and you may find its charm. Who knows, you may be won over by the end of the series.
You guys are over 30 years old so, there are 15 years of difference of your struggles of being gay and what happens today. We suffered a lot of bulling and we couldn't enjoy a teenager romance but, it's beautiful to watch that the time is changing and that the activism is working!!!
As someone of that age group/recently left that age group I would like to say that the kind of maturity shown in heartstopper is that far off from actual teenagers act. In fact this is far more accurate than other popular teen shows like Euphoria, Riverdale, and Outer Banks. Also, I think that showing teens acting mature like this sets a really good example for the teens watching the show.
Oh my dear. We have been too traumatized by the real world of gay tragedies. We've conditioned ourselves to think we can't have nice things and shows have to represent that. Screw that, we deserved happiness and it's about damn time. We'll take it, even if a series has to show it to us before it's a common reality. And Alex, you need more hugs to warm your heart.
I have to say I was surprised and a little disappointed in ur reaction to this series. I’ve watched many gay people/couples reactions and everyone of them could relate to what these characters went thru in high school and they were older and younger than both of u. They cried several times throughout the series and just loved everything including the animation which was included because it was based on a comic book series. Granted, not everyone has the same experiences but this series has already changed a lot of lives and is the perfect show for a young person to watch with their parents, friends, etc. So don’t judge it too soon and give it a chance.
I agree with you that kids of that age aren’t always able to express things as maturely as the characters in this show do but I think for that reason it’s even more important that a show like this is on a platform like Netflix. It might be somewhat idealistic at parts but I think it acts as such a great role model for young people in how healthy relationships and friendships should work. I think if more young people grew up seeing show like this we’d have a lot less kids with the toxic homophobic mindsets we see in characters like Ben and Harry
granted I'm American, but as someone who's currently in high school i can 100% confirm that friends groups like Charlie's are pretty commonplace, and people generally are much more accepting (depending on where you go, of course). Great video!!!! constantly made me literally laugh out loud
Instead of being critical to them for thinking queer media is supposed to be tragic or depressing, blame the industry for conditioning our generation that our stories should be told that way. Also just be grateful that you guys will not have to go through what we've had to go through.
Wow. I managed to find a negative reaction for this show and it came from fellow gays of all people. How bitter do you have to be to dislike this show? Complaining that the show is not gritty enough? That there's not enough "straight" perspective? As if we haven't had enough of that already. 🙄
These guys were so bored with the series they decided to record their reactions just because it's popular and it brings them views.. Lame.. Sau cum am spune pe la noi... MIZERABILI!
You are invalidating their experience, they didn't say they didn't like it, I love this series but you gotta keep in mind that majority of the queer community alive to this day have had bad experiences.
@@ezequielmondada6427 they're not invalidating anyone. Just because a lot of the community have had bad experiences doesn't mean everyone has. The show and webcomic/graphic novels are supposed to show the positive experiences of young queer kids. I get that most representation in TV and movies is in a negative light, but that doesn't make this show unrealistic like these guys think.
I was about halfway through the reaction and came to check the comments because I knew they were gonna be harsh and at first I agreed with them, but I finished the video before deciding how I felt about it. I actually really liked that you were skeptical and cringing at first and by the end you were more open-minded. So glad you gave this show a chance!! And that you are giving a different perspective from a lot of the reactions I've watched.
I mean I get how y'all kinda want the story to be "realistic" but this series is fresh and steers clear from the stereotypical gay storylines where it always ends up either of the two main characters dying or breaking up...we need fresh lgbtq+ representations in books and films if we want people to see us in a different side.
As a teenager in school, Yes we do form small groups of queer people and it is very nice that we can all relate to each other (It the funniest thing we just search around and wait for our "gaydar" to go off)
... im sorry but what lol ''this never haqppens'' ''no'' ''were not hearing from straight people'' ......my god , we want representation and we finally get it in a healthy non life ending way and yall complain about it , their playing 14 and like 16 year olds and u make fun of them saying hi on different days, did u go up to friends in school and just not speak till someone said something random to u lol no u say hi, its showing days passing . like do u watch harry potter and go '' nah that wouldnt happen'' ''' wheres the non magic people'' . like what
Dude. It's a montage. It's showing that time passed. They're not saying hi to each other 7 times in a day and nothing else. Just, anytime they come across each other during school over the course of, idk, a few days/weeks? You know, they greet each other like you do with people you know. And if Charlie's a bit breathless, well, he very obviously has a crush.
I've noticed that a lot of people aren't taking your experiences into context. I understand the generation gap and I know representation was harder to find and when there was representation it always ended in sadness or tragedy. That's something older generations are used to. Even a few years ago it would've been crazy to think the words "innocent" and "gay" could work in a show/movie. But times have changed a LOT. Not everyone is accepting of course but people are a lot more open and accepting if lgbtq+ people. It's crucial especially for kids/teenagers to see a show like Heartstopper. It's important that they know you can be who you are and not have it end in tragedy. Heartstopper, while corny and cliché at times is a very important step in lgbt+ media. It's a genuinely wholesome show that anyone can watch. I really hope you guys continue this series! I also hope you guys can open up to the idea that especially present day you are way more loved, and way more appreciated! I hope you guys have a great day :)
I love to see your scepticism melt away as the season progresses, and your investment in the characters and their stories grow. The live reactions are priceless: seeing your faces as the stories unfold and as the show plucks at your heartstrings is a joy.
Hearing you talk about your teachers and them talking about identifying as LGBTQ+ and not talking about it - now, I would hate to assume your ages, but up until 2003, Section 28 was in legislation, meaning schools could not promote or discuss homosexuality. I came out in 2000 and nothing was there for me to learn about sexual or gender diversities. Another reason why shows like this are so important to queer youth now, a further middle finger to Thatcher and her homophobia.
Them saying "hi" to each other so much is important because it leads up to Ben throwing a tantrum when Charlie dares say "hey" to him in public. It goes to show that Nick is the very opposite of Ben from the very beginning Nick already likes Charlie (albeit platonically) and doesn't mind people seeing them interact, despite Charlie being openly gay. On the contrary, he goes out of his way to start interactions with Charlie, even if it's just a simple "hi". That is a big deal, especially coming from the most popular boy in school In my school, if someone dared interact with a gay person, they would automatically be branded as gay as well (and you'll see that later on in the season, when Harry calls Charlie and Tao boyfriends) The only thing that spares Nick this treatment is that he's far too popular and well-liked. People wouldn't dare call him gay, as they see it as an insult. Rugby King Nick Nelson CANNOT possibly be queer, how dare you even insinuate that?! This heteronormative, queerphobic behavior will go to such extreme lenghts in season 2 that it becomes almost ridiculous: Nick makes heart eyes at Charlie the whole time, sticks close to him, flirts with him, and people? just? ignore it? Except for a few of the rugby lads that have always been closer to Nick I really like this show because it portrays aspects of homophobia that are often overlooked: heteronormativity and compulsory heterosexuality, and the effect they have on queer people who just want to be themselves
you definitely should watch the rest of the show. I've lost track of how many times I've watched the entire series and individual episodes. It's just as good and sweet and wholesome as the first episode. It makes you happy and joyful going through the journey with these characters. There are some incredibly sweet and romantic moments to come. The ending... oh my god the ending. I wouldn't worry too much about wondering if it's realistic or not and just go for the ride. It's such a contrast to the normal LGBTQ+ shows and movies where it's usually serious and dark and sad and traumatic. Heartstopper does have a little bit of that, and especially if there's a season 2 and they continue to follow the graphic novel, but it's done in such a loving way. Nick Nelson ends up being an amazing character.❤This show will help so many people and save lives. I wish I had something like this when I was growing up, as seems to be the sentiment of many older LGBTQ+ people reacting and commenting about the show. I was in high school in the mid-to-late 90s and had a tight core friend group of about 6 of us kind of like in this show. We had grown up together and went through all the years of school together. Turns out all of us were somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum in some way or another. We somehow just found each other and became each other's support way before any of us realized or came out.
Your video is very interesting. IMO this show is important in that it's target adiunces are teenagers. By expressing the lgbtq+ community more lovingly and positively, it supports the teen queer who is currently wandering. It may seem a little unrealistic for those who have been in school a long time ago but I think there should be more optimistic and positive expressions about queers for the future gen. Wouldn't it be too unfortunate for teenagers to build a narrow view of gays by just watching Euphoria?
Just a note: They won't because is not the main propose of the series the main propose of the story on euphoria is drug addiction and mental health, the second theme are abusive relationship, sexuality is not boarded as a main thing in euphoria.
Hearthstopper is extremely necessary yes, and I love it. But¿?Why this fixation to compare with euphoria, they don't even relate at all. Euphoria main theme is not lgbt; is about drug abuse and mental health, there is a greedy way to see the life that people have had to live, yea there are queer characters, like being trans, and how that affect you or how repress your sexuality like Nate's dad, but the main theme is how drugs can get you to be the worst person even for your family and friends. (I said this because this kind of comparison have been becoming a thing in the heartsopper community and they didn't even saw euphoria, both shows are necessary for different people that exist in this world)
Can't blame gays for the mess that is Euphoria- most of the characters are straight. None of the queer characters are gay - Cal is bi. Rue is probably pan.
I'm 29 and we were a group of 9 friends in highschool. Turns out 4 were gay. It's not like we knew that when we started being friends, they all came out 4 years later so the last 2 years of Highschool we were all aware of it. I find that happens a lot in highschool.
There are already a plethora of shows, movies, etc. that has bulies and hetereosexuals and a hetero experience. If you want those, just turn the channel, you're bound to run into one. This is a nice, sweet, more positive LGBTQ+ experience being portrayed and is much needed.
When I saw you guys did a reaction to this I was excited, I hit play, went to full screen and settled in. Sigh, Then I was dissapointed to see the reaction. Now, it's not the end of the world lol, I know that, I still love you both but hear me out. Representation is not just about what we as individuals relate to. It's about seeing different types of people, situations and senarios. Saying "That doesn't happen" Is very dismissive and not in line with what I feel is how you portray yourself usually. That senario absolutely happens, It happened to me, granted the guy turned out to actaully be straight, but we still best friends 16 years later. But even if it didn't happen to me, I would still love the heck out of this show becsaue I understand that this could be the experience of some people. Even if it only happned to two boys in the entire history of the world, they would have had representation and felt seen. The problem with representation in gay mainstream movies is we get the same things over and over. This show while there are predictable themes, gets it right. I'm 7 minutes and 47 seconds in and i'm actually sad at the reaction. Again, I know it's not that deep but I really like watching you guys and I do get invested in what you have to say. This one (reaction) just hits different. I really find this show to be a gem and so I shall stop watching this one reaction video here. I will be back lol. I hope you both are having a great day or night. Stay the wonderful human beings that I see you to be. 😊😊
I come back to this a lot, honestly because you guys reactions to this show (the show that helped me realise I’m bi and come out) I don’t have lgbtqia friends, just straight friends and I don’t know how to be with people who get me honestly
I know I’m late but listening to your conversation about teacher representation made me realize I had 4 teachers in high school who were openly gay. And this was 2011-14. Nobody made a big deal about it either, which is nice.
pls watch more episodes!! it literally just gets better and better each episode and i'm sure you'll find even more relatable moments further into the show skdhfhkfwebgj i definitely did at least
As someone who is bisexual and just graduated last year, I can tell you that my experience with the friend group and with being out at school was super chill. Yes, I had a group of friends and some of us were queer but we were not specifically friends for that. We didn't even give it that much importance. It was just something else about some of us. I was the first one to come out with a specific orientation but we all knew most of us were not totally straight. And I did have the opportunity to meet someone as wholesome as Nick Nelson and we said "Hi" a lot. Still embarrassed at how flustered I got every time I said hi to her. The "jocks" never gave me much trouble even though I'm a nerd and was openly out since year 9, and overall, my real negative experience with being out has come on the family front. School was rather my safe heaven. And I know it's not at all like that for everybody, but it can happen. Just because your experience was different doesn't mean this is unrealistic. And I don't mean to sound prickly or anything, I just think you should know things *are* changing for the better. It's not as harsh as it used to be all the time. It can still be. But it can be fluffy like that too.
Loved coming back to this from atching the episode 8 reaction. Episode 1: Gay cynical hearts, not sure what it was, whether they would like it, getting irked by "hi" and "I don't like this". To Episode 8: Completely gone and fully invested in the charachters.
I was a bit surprised by your reactions at the beginning, but I'm glad that you started to get into the flow of the show after the first 10 minutes. I'd like to see your reactions to the individual episodes, especially episode three, which has one of the best "seeing the light" moments (literally and figuratively) ever filmed (I've watched at least a half dozen reaction series [I have no one to watch this with], and everyone gushes over it!). The series just gets better and better! I read the four books during the week leading up to the show, and while doing so gave me a better understanding of the characters, I really wish that I hadn't done that. I think coming at the characters totally fresh and getting caught up in their lives would have been more fun. But I still have watched it about six times through, and will keep watching it over and over until we get Season 2! As for Olivia Colman, you need to watch the BBC series "Beautiful People" in which she plays mum to a gay boy who dreams of running away from what he sees as his dull life to live among the beautiful people of his imagination. That show (12 eps over 2 seasons) is so fanciful (characters break into song in every episode) and bizarre, but just as loving and wholesome as this. Olivia, and all the cast, are fantastic. Created by the man who wrote "Beautiful Thing," Jonathan Harvey!
OMG. Why am I just discovering your channel now. Watched so many commentators/first reactions to Heartstopper and you guys are simply the best (rip Tina). I'm gonna have to watch all your videos now 💚
I love your reaction. It’s so honest and the best part is that this show surprised you. You were so bad at predicting the story lol (like I was). Because we are all used to see queer awakening with drama. I want a rewatch please!! No that you know the whole story, would be awesome to see you watching episode 1 again. 🥰🥰🥰🥰
i hope when eventually the regular ole internet people watch this remind themselves that these are TEEN characters, charlie is literally like 15, yall when we 15 we were just tryna do fun shit after school like, let them have fun and smile, not every series need to be Euphoria high
It's funny how you keep saying how things are "no realistic" just cuz that didn't happend to you. I think that show just how out of toch you are with the actual state of the LGBTQ youth and the effort we all are making to better the World. Very sad actually.
Love Heartstopper. It's meant for a YA audience but I think adults can learn from it too. And if you're older, you can kind of appreciate the world we should have had from the get go.
Was rewatching your reactions with my dad. And we started debating because he thought you guys were Kit Connor and Joe Locke reacting to your own show. 😂 He loves your reaction to the series and it's something we can bond over. I can't wait to show him your reaction to Red, White, and Royal Blue. ❤
I stopped being in school long ago, but what I do remember is that I was friends with different people during different stages in my life, then life continued and years later found out all that people were lgbt. Like, we called it.
as the other commenters have said, things may have been different when you guys were young and growing up dealing with being gay. Things may not be completely where they should be right now, but I definitely think society has come a long way
I had a gay friend group..and I am straight.. We were the drama, choral, band folk. It was the beginning of the 80's and HORRIBLE. You had to literally worry about someone taking your friends life. Change has come, not perfect but there are less coffins. Real talk, I am happy for the children.❤
I’m new to your channel but I love how unaware of queer media you all seem to be for a channel who talks about queer media! I love watching you learn and figure out what’s going on without the context
Why so, I dunno, negative? That's just sad. I'm probably about your age as well, but I can relate to the show. And even if I don't, I wouldn't base my comments solely on my own experience, that's just so self absorbed. Sorry not sorry.
I would wager that the moment you guys became invested in the story, is when Ben started to attack Charlie and try to kiss him, and Nick came to his rescue. Olivia Colman solidified it. ❤️
15:11 My 7th and 8th grade social studies teacher was a lesbian! And I’m currently still friends with her daughter. To be honest she’s been my favorite teacher for many reasons. But mainly because she was able to connect with me and my friends(not part of the LGBTQ+ community) on a more relatable level. We need more teachers like her.
just found your channel today and i'm so excited for *your* character arcs lmao i was 90% sure you would end up loving it even before seeing the pinned comment
As a queer person that’s still in school, yeah we do. Not everyone is super close friends among all the queers but we still make sure to watch out for each other. And I realise how that is a very valuable thing to have! At the same time not all of my friends are queer, and my non-queer friends are pretty much normal about it. And bear in my mind, I live in a somewhat homophobic country.
I gotta say it’s really fun to watch you guys react and your expectations of all the stereotypical tropes we are used to seeing with gay characters being changed right in front of your eyes. It happened to me too, so many typical stuff i expected, didn’t happen and it was refreshing 😀 Love this show, hope you guys finish it, it’s beautiful and wholesome ❤️
The little animations and as you two said "anime like" scenes are portrayed like this because the series is based on the webtoon and these little e. G. Flowers and seagulls are from the webtoon
I’ve been binge-watching a whole heap of Heartstopper reactions (by a diverse range of people) and came across this channel. The early… cynicism, for lack of a better word, is certainly interesting and I think some of the other comments are right to pull you up on some points. The first 10 minutes or so felt like a slog to get through due to the bagging out and reluctance to suspend your disbelief. As a gay man, in what I’m assuming is the same age bracket as the both of you, yes this show might feel a little more ‘cringe’ to us in some parts than others; especially when we try to make comparisons to our own experiences. However I think that for what the show has to offer, in the grand scheme of things, a couple of silly elements help to achieve the intended lightheartedness and act as a foil to the ‘darker’ elements you seem to be anticipating. Heartstopper is well worth sticking with and I think that perhaps, with more time and more episodes, you might be able to come around and understand just how fully life-changing this show will be for young queer audiences - even if it makes older queer views a bit more bittersweet on some level.
As an adolescent/ high school therapist I can attest that the gays start congregating in like middle school now. There's so much representation I had a kid who could come out as NB to me because they felt safe enough to do so and there was enough information out there for them to get the support they need
In elementary school, my principal was gay. He even brought his bf once and it was a scandal amount the teachers, students and parents. My mom showed me that she was an ally but I imagine in a mainly Mexican community most parents weren't. He ended up leaving at the end of the year. I missed him a lot cuz he was a great principal.
I came out as gay in 1996. First to my mum then to everyone else. Nothing changed, I still have all my family and friends. It happens. I'm even still best friends with my ex'en. I do know that not everyone has this positive experiences, so I'm really grateful that I have this. ☺️
(Just FYI I am adult gay male that has watched entire series) Not enjoying this reaction at all ...you were missing the point...it is based on a y/a comic...it is meant to be a positive presentation of LGBT people with representation of some of the negativity they deal with, but they don't focus the whole show on it...this is NOT like an American drama on gays (that is all dark, and angst ridden)...you missed that Isaac and Tao were straight outside at table...you missed it because you weren't really paying attention, and is why you had to eat your words twice in 10 min....quit talking so much and listen a bit before you insist on critic thing...you both saying to send the "i hate you" shows a bit of negativity on your parts...i unfortunately detect a wee bit of toxicity, and possibly what may give our community a bit of a bad rep as well...jaded at 20ish is a sad thing...you all are projecting adult reactions/expectations ONTO a show about teens...come on now/you are adults, not saying adults can't watch and enjoy it...I did..but you cannot expect this show to have the same vibe as a gay show aimed at an older audience...like Young Royals is actually aimed at a slightly older audience, and so on for each show...the writer, and producer wanted this to be family friendly, and acceptable for like 11 or 12 year olds..this isn't meant to have that already jaded/angst ridden 20ish and up vibe to it....subscribed only to follow to see just what your overall points are...very curious is all....your beginning attitudes are part of the problem really...you were kinda like being the flip side of homophobic straight people almost...cause we are gay we can't be positive about ourselves or others..we can't be happy either cause the world treats us so bad...very pessimistic....not cool.
Isaac is actually possibly aroace. The scriptwriter and creator of the comic has talked about this on social media and it will probably be included if they get a season 2.
You are both so good. One of you has the same watch strap as myself AND is the better looking. I'm 75 now and wish so much that my schooldays were so pleasant that the closet door was not so firmly closed. So, despite Thatcher, I"m still gay and loving it!
You know, even if I come from a still super homophobic surrounding, it makes me happy to see much a representation and more accepting people through the internet. There r soo many accepting people and communities now. Hopefully one day I can just get out of here and go somewhere I actually can breath happily. 😊✌
Interesting how many commenters obviously didn’t watch the entire reaction or, if they did, took what they wanted rather than actually listening! So many positive things and a fascinating perspective from you both. Haven’t watched the show - only wanted to view it through your commentary!
8:48 Yes, these groups are actually really common nowadays! In fact, I'm in a group of 20-30 people and there's only a few people who aren't part of the lgbtq+ community. Loved your reaction and I can't wait to see the rest of the series! Also, you guys should watch Julie and the Phantoms - you'll love the relationships in it! 😄
ASWT here, reporting from Episode 8: our hearts melted 🥺❤️
We all love character growth. ❤ 👍🥰
Alex on episode 1: unrealistic this is way too cutesy
Alex on episode 8: My baby Charlie don't hurt him!!!
As an openly gay teacher in a Secondary school, I have to say this show hits a reality for younger generations. This is the way teenagers are today, you can't criticise a show based on your own experience 10, 15 or 20 years ago.
I wish i could double like this comment...i graduated high school last year and this show is almost too relatable it will make anyone cry or smile
Funny enough, I was Charlie's age and in secondary school nearly eight years ago now, and the group in the show is exactly what my friends were like, even if most of us were cisgender and straight. I think the show is just capturing the most wholesome, innocent, loving, often awkward, and imperfect teenage experience: the anti-Euphoria experience. It's beautiful.
Exactly. Times have changed.
I went through high school 50 years ago.... I was desperately lonely ... noone to confide in about sexuality ... queens, queers and poofs were dirty old men who hung around public toilets. Whenever gays were mentioned in the media it was in an intensely hostile way. Ironically a number other boys I knew also turned out to be gay but we could never have come out to each other. Fear kept us in our closets. If only we had a TV series like this in 1972!
@@maisnamfinjita9304 some people tend to forget this is fictional drama, and not a documentary!!
Bear in mind that this is a show for youth that is meant to be wholesome, it’s not meant to be hyper realistic and grown up and depressing
There are definitely gay groups of friends in schools now! Sometimes they don't even start that way and we all just happen to realize we're not straight
exactly! like my middle school friend group is now filled with gay, bisexual, asexual, and straight people. We all told each other we were straight when we were younger until we came out in high school/college. Now that we're in college, we're befriending more queer people than straight people.
10 or so years ago when I was in high school I was not out. I knew one or two of my friends were queer, but most I had not idea either way. After years turns out more than half of them were LGBT in some way. We definitely find each other, but to be fair its probably the personality and openness draws us in.
Oh my god same here!! In high school we all started out not knowing and then by the end of it we had someone to cover every letter in the acryonmn! 😍 And in primary school too! The friend group I had in my last few years, all of us have turned out queer - I'm not in contact with them any more but they'll pop up on social media occasionally and, im non-binary and asexual, one person's gay, one person's a lesbian, one person's bisexual and trans and idk it's just really nice to think that we found each other and we didn't even realise it 😍
yes exactly what happened to me & my friend group!
My friendship group is a perfect example of this, there's 8 of us and only 1 is straight but even her we have suspicions of being aro/ace so that means we'd have no one
Came back here after watching them watch the whole thing. It went from them yelling "who wrote the script?!?" to them weeping and speechless at the season finale lol
they said 'hi' over several weeks, and the friendly rugby guy initiates a lot; it's weird for average tv to see, but it's a great way to show instantly a summary of several weeks of getting to be new friends with that guy who is assigned to sit next to you, AND it is perfect for a webcomic (think comic books) to tv show adaptation :)
I did not realize that it was over weeks. Thanks
Just to give you guys some context, the show is based off of a graphic novel series of the same name written by Alice Oseman (she/they). They were directly involved in the writing of the script and casting. A lot of the script was pulled directly from the books, which I highly recommend you read! The animation you see are references to those books. Overall a great show and I hope you enjoy it!
We definitely need more reactions! I’m not even ashamed to say in the 10 days it’s been out I’ve watched it 11 times and read the series 3 times. Properly obsessed.
*Sigh of Relief* I thought it was just me.. lmao.
I feel seen and represented. Thank you
The two leads were on a morning show. The two week old video of the interview has almost 900k views.
i mean,, u gotta remember this is a completely different time and era, things have changed from your own time back when you guys were back in school. also looking from a perspective of "the hets already have many cute fluffy light hearted coming of age movies/any medias, that its so fresh to see the same thing for lgbtq+ community". and yes, definitely possible to have more group friends like that now. its pretty realistic from my perspective as someone who's a bisexual, i can relate to a lot of these characters (definitely not ben tho). i relate a lot to charlie personality wise.
I relate to Tao and a little bit of Elle. Buts mostly Tao, and you didn't ask but just trying to relate Ig.
@@TiredHumanBeing its okay, thats nice to know! i often feel so called out when i binge-watched this show the first time. like- charlie is sooo me, minus the part where he's apparently quite the jack of all trades part
So glad that things have changed in the last 10 years in schools, and it’s great to read about everyone’s positive experiences. Very true about having the same genre for the LGBTQ+ community
nick and charlie, highschool crush wise, are very accurate. idk about yall but id say hi to someone i like in the hallway everytime i see them too. it literally makes my whole day. also youd be surprised how accurate this show actually is. sure there are still homophobic people, but times are changing…
not every lgbtq+ show has to be filled with sadness and drama. its quite refreshing finally getting a wholesome show that shows you loving can be easy. its also just refreshing gettjng a lgbtq+ show where the main “issue” isnt that the character is gay cuz other shows make it seem like a issue.
we have this thing at my school called “gay-straight alliance” (very stupid name, but they mean well). anyway, its basically like a ally-lgbtq support group with teacher and students and its amazing. i feel like with my school, no one really cares whats going on with others everyones just friends with everyone and thats the amazing thing about that
This support group you mention sounds amazing 🥰
Agreed. Sometimes when some golden blue-eyed god WAY out of our league unexpectedly befriends us (and it’s happened to me), sometimes it’s literally all the HI’s shared in passing that get the friendship started, build up the trust & familiarity, & open it up to more.
Heartstopper is not a sugar-coated serie: is a positive show. I read all the volumes of the graphic novel and in the end i wished i had the possibility to read it when i was younger, because it would have helped me figure out my sexuality in a more reliable and positive way. The author knows how to treat with care and respect the serious topics of a queer coming-of-age story, but she also offers a different view for all the teens and people who want to live their sexuality to their fullest in the most healthful way.
For years i had the impression that the media mostly represented the queer people as some kind of exotic animal. The kind of animal we are interested in only when it acts "fabolous" or when we see how its life can be dramatic. Of course life can be dramatic. But there's a difference between showing a realistic but still hopeful and positive perspective and a miserable one. It's been done enough. Can we offer more positive and helpful models to the gay teens that nowadays only want to have a...normal life like everyone else? Because i think the majority want to aspire to a model that can improve the perspective of themselves. And if you're gonna read the novel (there's also online), i can assure you that Alice Oseman is going in a direction that is gonna help a lot of people.
Lol them saying hi is like my favorite thing.
The hi thing is actually an important plot point but you have to really know more before you understand that. I don’t want to give into detail because I don’t want to spoil the show for people who haven’t watched the whole thing but it sets Nick up as a counterpoint to Ben.
You guys are too hung up on the word "realistic", whatever that's supposed to mean. Everyone has different experiences. Just because it didn't happen to you doesn't mean it doesn't happen to anyone at all. This is supposed to be a hopeful, wholesome show that also deals with real issues, but apparently you just want every gay show to be sad, pessimistic and tragic. LGBTQ kids/teens NEED shows like this, and the fact that both of you don't realize it is astonishing to me.
There u go!!!
I couldn't agree more. Why do so many assume everyone's experience is just like theirs. I came out in the 1970's and my experience has been entirely positive. No bullies, no one i cared about; family, friends, colleagues had a problem with me.
Thissss^^^
I don't think they realize how relatable this show is to kids TODAY. Especially kids this age. Granted it's only the first episode, but they had so many assumptions and gripes with the show even this early on. Baffles me honestly. Just goes to show that people are too "normalized" to shows that are WAY too dramatized and have adults playing teens.
This feels a tad bit too aggressive for no reason.
it's really sad how much you think that everything that is gay representation has to be sad and tragic
That's actually the representation that's been given to us in the past. If you grew up in the 90's or early 00's, you'd know that what little representation we got was often dramatic, traumatic, and/or full of angst. Only recently have we just barely started getting some semblance of shows depicting LGBTQIA normalcy, grounded in happiness- not just pain. It's why shows like Heartstopper are vital to the community.
they grew up in a different time. I think once they open themselves up to the idea that times have changed, they might appreciate the series more.
right? it's really sad to see
@@thelastofthemachines ok and that was their and yOUR time....we are not in the 90's anymore are we.....
Just saying that's kind of why they're thinking sad and tragic. It's not as easy to get out of that mindset as you think. I understand why they feel the way they do.
as an outed pansexual- yes, yes I do have a group full of gays and 1 ally🥰
You guys are correct that most kids are not as mature as the characters in this show often act. I think more than trying to be realistic, it's trying to model healthy ways of communicating and resolving conflict. It's a theme through all the episodes where things that might blow up into massive drama on other shows are resolved relatively quickly through communication and maturity and supportive relationships.
It's hella based and godtierpilled imo
It’s probably worth pointing out when you’re discussing the character Charlie that he’s only 14 at this point in the show.
Gay stories don't always have to end sadly or tragically, happiness like this also exists in real life, it's just that maybe you don't experience it and different generations where it's about gen z ❤
You have only seen the tip of the iceberg. This show gave me all the feels and I wish we had a show like this when I was in high school. We have become sooo desensitized to see queer characters being side characters or that there always has to be drama and hate and a queer character getting killed/sexualized/beaten/outed/something bad is about to happen that it’s a shock when we get such a wholesome telling of how things could be. We need to change that status quo. I love this, I need more of this show and the graphic novels are incredible too
I absolutely agree! I am ridiculously obsessed with the story and wish we had it when I was back in high school!
Not every gay story has to be sad and negative like every other form of media that portrays LGBT representation...
The best way to approach this series is to drop the cynicism and be open to a tale where the best of human nature is told through a relationship. There are plenty of other queer stories full of trauma and negativity - what a refreshing change to see good, decent characters cope with their identity and challenges in a positive and constructive way. Nick and Charlie are good and kind, and they support each other in their own ways. We rarely run into people like this in real life who are so consistent, but we are being shown what's possible, and that we can choose the high road. We are spared plot points like cyberbullying, or false, spite-fueled accusations being hurled at the characters - turn the channel if you're looking for that. (I understand that a season two would deal with Charlie's eating disorder - that would certainly add a more serious and relevant element to the story.) If you find it difficult to hear "Hi" so many times, dig deep and you may find its charm. Who knows, you may be won over by the end of the series.
13:29 who wants a heterosexual perspective in gay stories? Enough of that lol
You guys are over 30 years old so, there are 15 years of difference of your struggles of being gay and what happens today. We suffered a lot of bulling and we couldn't enjoy a teenager romance but, it's beautiful to watch that the time is changing and that the activism is working!!!
Haha not nearly 30 ;) But it’s lovely to read that people are having overwhelmingly positive experiences in schools now!
@@AStoryWorthTelling hahaha ok, then you need a spa day or something because you look older guys
@@ernestomendoza8442 get those glasses checked because these boys are beautiful and don’t look a day over 25 x
@@jackbirchall365 I didn't say uglies, I don't know why you are saying they're beautiful like pretending that I said something about it...
@@ernestomendoza8442 look in the mirror sweetie. Its not a pretty sight. Lol.
As someone of that age group/recently left that age group I would like to say that the kind of maturity shown in heartstopper is that far off from actual teenagers act. In fact this is far more accurate than other popular teen shows like Euphoria, Riverdale, and Outer Banks. Also, I think that showing teens acting mature like this sets a really good example for the teens watching the show.
Oh my dear. We have been too traumatized by the real world of gay tragedies. We've conditioned ourselves to think we can't have nice things and shows have to represent that. Screw that, we deserved happiness and it's about damn time. We'll take it, even if a series has to show it to us before it's a common reality. And Alex, you need more hugs to warm your heart.
Wilhelm and Simon sure said "Hi" or "Hey" quite a lot in Young Royals...
I have to say I was surprised and a little disappointed in ur reaction to this series. I’ve watched many gay people/couples reactions and everyone of them could relate to what these characters went thru in high school and they were older and younger than both of u. They cried several times throughout the series and just loved everything including the animation which was included because it was based on a comic book series. Granted, not everyone has the same experiences but this series has already changed a lot of lives and is the perfect show for a young person to watch with their parents, friends, etc. So don’t judge it too soon and give it a chance.
How on earth can you not love how they say Hi to each other its adorable
I agree with you that kids of that age aren’t always able to express things as maturely as the characters in this show do but I think for that reason it’s even more important that a show like this is on a platform like Netflix. It might be somewhat idealistic at parts but I think it acts as such a great role model for young people in how healthy relationships and friendships should work. I think if more young people grew up seeing show like this we’d have a lot less kids with the toxic homophobic mindsets we see in characters like Ben and Harry
granted I'm American, but as someone who's currently in high school i can 100% confirm that friends groups like Charlie's are pretty commonplace, and people generally are much more accepting (depending on where you go, of course). Great video!!!! constantly made me literally laugh out loud
Instead of being critical to them for thinking queer media is supposed to be tragic or depressing, blame the industry for conditioning our generation that our stories should be told that way.
Also just be grateful that you guys will not have to go through what we've had to go through.
“at least hes fast he can get away” im dying, yall are so funny for no reason 😭😭
pls i cackled at that part
Wow. I managed to find a negative reaction for this show and it came from fellow gays of all people. How bitter do you have to be to dislike this show? Complaining that the show is not gritty enough? That there's not enough "straight" perspective? As if we haven't had enough of that already. 🙄
Right? They definitely didn't understand anything the series wanted to express and explore.
These guys were so bored with the series they decided to record their reactions just because it's popular and it brings them views.. Lame..
Sau cum am spune pe la noi... MIZERABILI!
There is nothing negative about this reaction.
You are invalidating their experience, they didn't say they didn't like it, I love this series but you gotta keep in mind that majority of the queer community alive to this day have had bad experiences.
@@ezequielmondada6427 they're not invalidating anyone. Just because a lot of the community have had bad experiences doesn't mean everyone has. The show and webcomic/graphic novels are supposed to show the positive experiences of young queer kids. I get that most representation in TV and movies is in a negative light, but that doesn't make this show unrealistic like these guys think.
I was about halfway through the reaction and came to check the comments because I knew they were gonna be harsh and at first I agreed with them, but I finished the video before deciding how I felt about it. I actually really liked that you were skeptical and cringing at first and by the end you were more open-minded. So glad you gave this show a chance!! And that you are giving a different perspective from a lot of the reactions I've watched.
You were both cynical as fuck at the beginning, but I'm glad you realized it's not as "nice" as it first appears. It's worth a full watch.
I mean I get how y'all kinda want the story to be "realistic" but this series is fresh and steers clear from the stereotypical gay storylines where it always ends up either of the two main characters dying or breaking up...we need fresh lgbtq+ representations in books and films if we want people to see us in a different side.
As a teenager in school, Yes we do form small groups of queer people and it is very nice that we can all relate to each other (It the funniest thing we just search around and wait for our "gaydar" to go off)
... im sorry but what lol ''this never haqppens'' ''no'' ''were not hearing from straight people'' ......my god , we want representation and we finally get it in a healthy non life ending way and yall complain about it , their playing 14 and like 16 year olds and u make fun of them saying hi on different days, did u go up to friends in school and just not speak till someone said something random to u lol no u say hi, its showing days passing . like do u watch harry potter and go '' nah that wouldnt happen'' ''' wheres the non magic people'' . like what
Dude. It's a montage. It's showing that time passed. They're not saying hi to each other 7 times in a day and nothing else. Just, anytime they come across each other during school over the course of, idk, a few days/weeks? You know, they greet each other like you do with people you know. And if Charlie's a bit breathless, well, he very obviously has a crush.
I love how much Alex is complaining at the beginning of this, now knowing how much he loves the show having watched the entire reaction series. 😂❤
"It's just like very ... 'THIS IS GAY'" said with a flourish in front of a giant pride flag😛
Teachers also STILL get discrimination for being gay (particularly).
After reading some negative comments, I was really waiting for them to say something infuriatingly nasty. They didn't.
I've noticed that a lot of people aren't taking your experiences into context. I understand the generation gap and I know representation was harder to find and when there was representation it always ended in sadness or tragedy. That's something older generations are used to. Even a few years ago it would've been crazy to think the words "innocent" and "gay" could work in a show/movie. But times have changed a LOT. Not everyone is accepting of course but people are a lot more open and accepting if lgbtq+ people. It's crucial especially for kids/teenagers to see a show like Heartstopper. It's important that they know you can be who you are and not have it end in tragedy. Heartstopper, while corny and cliché at times is a very important step in lgbt+ media. It's a genuinely wholesome show that anyone can watch. I really hope you guys continue this series! I also hope you guys can open up to the idea that especially present day you are way more loved, and way more appreciated! I hope you guys have a great day :)
I love to see your scepticism melt away as the season progresses, and your investment in the characters and their stories grow. The live reactions are priceless: seeing your faces as the stories unfold and as the show plucks at your heartstrings is a joy.
Hearing you talk about your teachers and them talking about identifying as LGBTQ+ and not talking about it - now, I would hate to assume your ages, but up until 2003, Section 28 was in legislation, meaning schools could not promote or discuss homosexuality. I came out in 2000 and nothing was there for me to learn about sexual or gender diversities. Another reason why shows like this are so important to queer youth now, a further middle finger to Thatcher and her homophobia.
Them saying "hi" to each other so much is important because it leads up to Ben throwing a tantrum when Charlie dares say "hey" to him in public. It goes to show that Nick is the very opposite of Ben from the very beginning
Nick already likes Charlie (albeit platonically) and doesn't mind people seeing them interact, despite Charlie being openly gay. On the contrary, he goes out of his way to start interactions with Charlie, even if it's just a simple "hi". That is a big deal, especially coming from the most popular boy in school
In my school, if someone dared interact with a gay person, they would automatically be branded as gay as well (and you'll see that later on in the season, when Harry calls Charlie and Tao boyfriends)
The only thing that spares Nick this treatment is that he's far too popular and well-liked. People wouldn't dare call him gay, as they see it as an insult. Rugby King Nick Nelson CANNOT possibly be queer, how dare you even insinuate that?!
This heteronormative, queerphobic behavior will go to such extreme lenghts in season 2 that it becomes almost ridiculous: Nick makes heart eyes at Charlie the whole time, sticks close to him, flirts with him, and people? just? ignore it? Except for a few of the rugby lads that have always been closer to Nick
I really like this show because it portrays aspects of homophobia that are often overlooked: heteronormativity and compulsory heterosexuality, and the effect they have on queer people who just want to be themselves
you definitely should watch the rest of the show. I've lost track of how many times I've watched the entire series and individual episodes. It's just as good and sweet and wholesome as the first episode. It makes you happy and joyful going through the journey with these characters. There are some incredibly sweet and romantic moments to come. The ending... oh my god the ending. I wouldn't worry too much about wondering if it's realistic or not and just go for the ride. It's such a contrast to the normal LGBTQ+ shows and movies where it's usually serious and dark and sad and traumatic. Heartstopper does have a little bit of that, and especially if there's a season 2 and they continue to follow the graphic novel, but it's done in such a loving way. Nick Nelson ends up being an amazing character.❤This show will help so many people and save lives. I wish I had something like this when I was growing up, as seems to be the sentiment of many older LGBTQ+ people reacting and commenting about the show.
I was in high school in the mid-to-late 90s and had a tight core friend group of about 6 of us kind of like in this show. We had grown up together and went through all the years of school together. Turns out all of us were somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum in some way or another. We somehow just found each other and became each other's support way before any of us realized or came out.
Your video is very interesting. IMO this show is important in that it's target adiunces are teenagers. By expressing the lgbtq+ community more lovingly and positively, it supports the teen queer who is currently wandering. It may seem a little unrealistic for those who have been in school a long time ago but I think there should be more optimistic and positive expressions about queers for the future gen. Wouldn't it be too unfortunate for teenagers to build a narrow view of gays by just watching Euphoria?
Just a note: They won't because is not the main propose of the series the main propose of the story on euphoria is drug addiction and mental health, the second theme are abusive relationship, sexuality is not boarded as a main thing in euphoria.
You guys are the reason why shows like Euphoria exist, where being gay is just dramatic and depressing.
Hearthstopper is extremely necessary yes, and I love it.
But¿?Why this fixation to compare with euphoria, they don't even relate at all.
Euphoria main theme is not lgbt; is about drug abuse and mental health, there is a greedy way to see the life that people have had to live, yea there are queer characters, like being trans, and how that affect you or how repress your sexuality like Nate's dad, but the main theme is how drugs can get you to be the worst person even for your family and friends.
(I said this because this kind of comparison have been becoming a thing in the heartsopper community and they didn't even saw euphoria, both shows are necessary for different people that exist in this world)
Can't blame gays for the mess that is Euphoria- most of the characters are straight. None of the queer characters are gay - Cal is bi. Rue is probably pan.
Way harsh Tai.
I'm 29 and we were a group of 9 friends in highschool. Turns out 4 were gay. It's not like we knew that when we started being friends, they all came out 4 years later so the last 2 years of Highschool we were all aware of it. I find that happens a lot in highschool.
Handsome Devil is a good example where the mentor teacher (Andrew Scott) is known (at least to the student) to also be gay!
Charlie is FOURTEEN, and Nick is only a year older! Give them a break!! lol
No, but seriously, this show is INCREDIBLE. Just stick with it.
There are already a plethora of shows, movies, etc. that has bulies and hetereosexuals and a hetero experience. If you want those, just turn the channel, you're bound to run into one. This is a nice, sweet, more positive LGBTQ+ experience being portrayed and is much needed.
When I saw you guys did a reaction to this I was excited, I hit play, went to full screen and settled in.
Sigh, Then I was dissapointed to see the reaction. Now, it's not the end of the world lol, I know that, I still love you both but hear me out.
Representation is not just about what we as individuals relate to. It's about seeing different types of people, situations and senarios.
Saying "That doesn't happen" Is very dismissive and not in line with what I feel is how you portray yourself usually.
That senario absolutely happens, It happened to me, granted the guy turned out to actaully be straight, but we still best friends 16 years later.
But even if it didn't happen to me, I would still love the heck out of this show becsaue I understand that this could be the experience of some people. Even if it only happned to two boys in the entire history of the world, they would have had representation and felt seen.
The problem with representation in gay mainstream movies is we get the same things over and over. This show while there are predictable themes, gets it right.
I'm 7 minutes and 47 seconds in and i'm actually sad at the reaction. Again, I know it's not that deep but I really like watching you guys and I do get invested in what you have to say.
This one (reaction) just hits different. I really find this show to be a gem and so I shall stop watching this one reaction video here. I will be back lol.
I hope you both are having a great day or night. Stay the wonderful human beings that I see you to be. 😊😊
"At least he's fast, He can get away!!" OMG I just lost is out of no where from that ahahaha
Not them assuming Tao is gay when he's the only cis-het in the group 😂😭
I come back to this a lot, honestly because you guys reactions to this show (the show that helped me realise I’m bi and come out) I don’t have lgbtqia friends, just straight friends and I don’t know how to be with people who get me honestly
I got a gay rugby ad in the middle of this video-
My favourite thing to do is watch you guys react to Heartstopper episode 1 followed by you guys reacting to Heartstopper episode 8 😂❤
The series is based on a graphic novel. I wonder if the hole "hey" thing is kind of a tribute to the adaption.
I know I’m late but listening to your conversation about teacher representation made me realize I had 4 teachers in high school who were openly gay. And this was 2011-14. Nobody made a big deal about it either, which is nice.
pls watch more episodes!! it literally just gets better and better each episode and i'm sure you'll find even more relatable moments further into the show skdhfhkfwebgj i definitely did at least
The reason for the comic book moment type things is cuz it's based on a graphic novel.
As someone who is bisexual and just graduated last year, I can tell you that my experience with the friend group and with being out at school was super chill. Yes, I had a group of friends and some of us were queer but we were not specifically friends for that. We didn't even give it that much importance. It was just something else about some of us. I was the first one to come out with a specific orientation but we all knew most of us were not totally straight. And I did have the opportunity to meet someone as wholesome as Nick Nelson and we said "Hi" a lot. Still embarrassed at how flustered I got every time I said hi to her. The "jocks" never gave me much trouble even though I'm a nerd and was openly out since year 9, and overall, my real negative experience with being out has come on the family front. School was rather my safe heaven. And I know it's not at all like that for everybody, but it can happen. Just because your experience was different doesn't mean this is unrealistic. And I don't mean to sound prickly or anything, I just think you should know things *are* changing for the better. It's not as harsh as it used to be all the time. It can still be. But it can be fluffy like that too.
I actually relate to this show a lot lmao- the first episode, even.
Loved coming back to this from atching the episode 8 reaction.
Episode 1: Gay cynical hearts, not sure what it was, whether they would like it, getting irked by "hi" and "I don't like this".
To
Episode 8: Completely gone and fully invested in the charachters.
I was a bit surprised by your reactions at the beginning, but I'm glad that you started to get into the flow of the show after the first 10 minutes. I'd like to see your reactions to the individual episodes, especially episode three, which has one of the best "seeing the light" moments (literally and figuratively) ever filmed (I've watched at least a half dozen reaction series [I have no one to watch this with], and everyone gushes over it!). The series just gets better and better! I read the four books during the week leading up to the show, and while doing so gave me a better understanding of the characters, I really wish that I hadn't done that. I think coming at the characters totally fresh and getting caught up in their lives would have been more fun. But I still have watched it about six times through, and will keep watching it over and over until we get Season 2!
As for Olivia Colman, you need to watch the BBC series "Beautiful People" in which she plays mum to a gay boy who dreams of running away from what he sees as his dull life to live among the beautiful people of his imagination. That show (12 eps over 2 seasons) is so fanciful (characters break into song in every episode) and bizarre, but just as loving and wholesome as this. Olivia, and all the cast, are fantastic. Created by the man who wrote "Beautiful Thing," Jonathan Harvey!
Love the reactions to them saying hi all time 😂😂
Hope you understand now that it’s Nick and Charlie’s “thing”
OMG. Why am I just discovering your channel now. Watched so many commentators/first reactions to Heartstopper and you guys are simply the best (rip Tina). I'm gonna have to watch all your videos now 💚
I'm enjoying coming back to this video after your enthusiastic and frankly loving reaction to episode five, lmao. Oh how the turn tables....
I love your reaction. It’s so honest and the best part is that this show surprised you. You were so bad at predicting the story lol (like I was). Because we are all used to see queer awakening with drama.
I want a rewatch please!! No that you know the whole story, would be awesome to see you watching episode 1 again. 🥰🥰🥰🥰
i hope when eventually the regular ole internet people watch this remind themselves that these are TEEN characters, charlie is literally like 15, yall when we 15 we were just tryna do fun shit after school like, let them have fun and smile, not every series need to be Euphoria high
It's funny how you keep saying how things are "no realistic" just cuz that didn't happend to you. I think that show just how out of toch you are with the actual state of the LGBTQ youth and the effort we all are making to better the World.
Very sad actually.
Love Heartstopper. It's meant for a YA audience but I think adults can learn from it too. And if you're older, you can kind of appreciate the world we should have had from the get go.
Was rewatching your reactions with my dad. And we started debating because he thought you guys were Kit Connor and Joe Locke reacting to your own show. 😂 He loves your reaction to the series and it's something we can bond over. I can't wait to show him your reaction to Red, White, and Royal Blue. ❤
I stopped being in school long ago, but what I do remember is that I was friends with different people during different stages in my life, then life continued and years later found out all that people were lgbt. Like, we called it.
as the other commenters have said, things may have been different when you guys were young and growing up dealing with being gay. Things may not be completely where they should be right now, but I definitely think society has come a long way
Well that’s fantastic to hear ❤️
i do love that nick notices charlie in the most teenager way: damn he runs real fast
I just wanna say: please react to the entire season pleasssse... I think you are gonna get a surprise
I had a gay friend group..and I am straight.. We were the drama, choral, band folk. It was the beginning of the 80's and HORRIBLE. You had to literally worry about someone taking your friends life. Change has come, not perfect but there are less coffins. Real talk, I am happy for the children.❤
I’m new to your channel but I love how unaware of queer media you all seem to be for a channel who talks about queer media! I love watching you learn and figure out what’s going on without the context
Why so, I dunno, negative? That's just sad.
I'm probably about your age as well, but I can relate to the show. And even if I don't, I wouldn't base my comments solely on my own experience, that's just so self absorbed. Sorry not sorry.
I would wager that the moment you guys became invested in the story, is when Ben started to attack Charlie and try to kiss him, and Nick came to his rescue. Olivia Colman solidified it. ❤️
15:11
My 7th and 8th grade social studies teacher was a lesbian! And I’m currently still friends with her daughter. To be honest she’s been my favorite teacher for many reasons. But mainly because she was able to connect with me and my friends(not part of the LGBTQ+ community) on a more relatable level. We need more teachers like her.
just found your channel today and i'm so excited for *your* character arcs lmao i was 90% sure you would end up loving it even before seeing the pinned comment
As a queer person that’s still in school, yeah we do. Not everyone is super close friends among all the queers but we still make sure to watch out for each other. And I realise how that is a very valuable thing to have! At the same time not all of my friends are queer, and my non-queer friends are pretty much normal about it.
And bear in my mind, I live in a somewhat homophobic country.
I gotta say it’s really fun to watch you guys react and your expectations of all the stereotypical tropes we are used to seeing with gay characters being changed right in front of your eyes. It happened to me too, so many typical stuff i expected, didn’t happen and it was refreshing 😀 Love this show, hope you guys finish it, it’s beautiful and wholesome ❤️
The little animations and as you two said "anime like" scenes are portrayed like this because the series is based on the webtoon and these little e. G. Flowers and seagulls are from the webtoon
Lol. if you don't like the "hi", you should give up now.
PLEASE 😭
Haha good to know ;)
I’ve been binge-watching a whole heap of Heartstopper reactions (by a diverse range of people) and came across this channel. The early… cynicism, for lack of a better word, is certainly interesting and I think some of the other comments are right to pull you up on some points. The first 10 minutes or so felt like a slog to get through due to the bagging out and reluctance to suspend your disbelief.
As a gay man, in what I’m assuming is the same age bracket as the both of you, yes this show might feel a little more ‘cringe’ to us in some parts than others; especially when we try to make comparisons to our own experiences. However I think that for what the show has to offer, in the grand scheme of things, a couple of silly elements help to achieve the intended lightheartedness and act as a foil to the ‘darker’ elements you seem to be anticipating.
Heartstopper is well worth sticking with and I think that perhaps, with more time and more episodes, you might be able to come around and understand just how fully life-changing this show will be for young queer audiences - even if it makes older queer views a bit more bittersweet on some level.
As an adolescent/ high school therapist I can attest that the gays start congregating in like middle school now. There's so much representation I had a kid who could come out as NB to me because they felt safe enough to do so and there was enough information out there for them to get the support they need
i really love your opinions, because you really reflect and makes me laugh at the same tiem 😊
In elementary school, my principal was gay. He even brought his bf once and it was a scandal amount the teachers, students and parents. My mom showed me that she was an ally but I imagine in a mainly Mexican community most parents weren't. He ended up leaving at the end of the year. I missed him a lot cuz he was a great principal.
I came out as gay in 1996. First to my mum then to everyone else. Nothing changed, I still have all my family and friends. It happens. I'm even still best friends with my ex'en. I do know that not everyone has this positive experiences, so I'm really grateful that I have this. ☺️
(Just FYI I am adult gay male that has watched entire series) Not enjoying this reaction at all ...you were missing the point...it is based on a y/a comic...it is meant to be a positive presentation of LGBT people with representation of some of the negativity they deal with, but they don't focus the whole show on it...this is NOT like an American drama on gays (that is all dark, and angst ridden)...you missed that Isaac and Tao were straight outside at table...you missed it because you weren't really paying attention, and is why you had to eat your words twice in 10 min....quit talking so much and listen a bit before you insist on critic thing...you both saying to send the "i hate you" shows a bit of negativity on your parts...i unfortunately detect a wee bit of toxicity, and possibly what may give our community a bit of a bad rep as well...jaded at 20ish is a sad thing...you all are projecting adult reactions/expectations ONTO a show about teens...come on now/you are adults, not saying adults can't watch and enjoy it...I did..but you cannot expect this show to have the same vibe as a gay show aimed at an older audience...like Young Royals is actually aimed at a slightly older audience, and so on for each show...the writer, and producer wanted this to be family friendly, and acceptable for like 11 or 12 year olds..this isn't meant to have that already jaded/angst ridden 20ish and up vibe to it....subscribed only to follow to see just what your overall points are...very curious is all....your beginning attitudes are part of the problem really...you were kinda like being the flip side of homophobic straight people almost...cause we are gay we can't be positive about ourselves or others..we can't be happy either cause the world treats us so bad...very pessimistic....not cool.
100000% agree.
FACTS!
True 100 percent, they just deleted my comments for saying the exact same thing lol.
Insert Tao. THANK YOU
Isaac is actually possibly aroace. The scriptwriter and creator of the comic has talked about this on social media and it will probably be included if they get a season 2.
You are both so good. One of you has the same watch strap as myself AND is the better looking. I'm 75 now and wish so much that my schooldays were so pleasant that the closet door was not so firmly closed. So, despite Thatcher, I"m still gay and loving it!
You know, even if I come from a still super homophobic surrounding, it makes me happy to see much a representation and more accepting people through the internet.
There r soo many accepting people and communities now.
Hopefully one day I can just get out of here and go somewhere I actually can breath happily. 😊✌
Interesting how many commenters obviously didn’t watch the entire reaction or, if they did, took what they wanted rather than actually listening! So many positive things and a fascinating perspective from you both. Haven’t watched the show - only wanted to view it through your commentary!
8:48 Yes, these groups are actually really common nowadays! In fact, I'm in a group of 20-30 people and there's only a few people who aren't part of the lgbtq+ community. Loved your reaction and I can't wait to see the rest of the series! Also, you guys should watch Julie and the Phantoms - you'll love the relationships in it! 😄