“Heartstopper.” Even if you don’t know the show by name, there’s a chance you may have heard about it on your Instagram Explore page or TikTok For You page. Judging by the fact it hasn’t even been out for a month and already has a rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.5 out of 10 on IMDb, it’s a smash hit.

“Heartstopper” came out on April 22, and since then it’s garnered a cult following. The show, based on the graphic novels of the same name by Alice Oseman, is set at an all-boys school in England called Truham Grammar School and follows two boys, Nick Nelson (played by Kit Connor) and Charlie Spring (played by Joe Locke). The former of the two is a sophomore in year 11, and plays for the school’s rugby team and is popular, The latter is in year 10 (the English equivalent of freshman year) and is quiet and reserved and has a small group of friends. 

The show begins with the resumption of school after winter break. Nelson and Spring are sitting next to each other in homeroom, and we see their unlikely friendship grow into something more.

Part of why the show has gained so much popularity among the teenage demographic is its relatability. At the start of the show a member of Spring’s friend group, Elle Argent, is a new student at Truham’s sister school Higgs, and her experience as a new student is very relatable. She is more reticent at the beginning of the series for fear of not making friends, and at some point in all of our lives we’ve been a new kid, so it’s very easy to put yourself in Argent’s shoes. There are also a lot of different LGBTQ+ storylines, from Spring having to face people bullying him after he was outed as gay to Nelson realizing and coming to terms with his being bisexual to Argent switching to a school where she feels more able to be herself as a transgender female, so many members of the LGBTQ+ community can find themselves represented in the series.

There are so many things that keep me coming back to this show. I read the first of the graphic novels before watching the series. I quite enjoyed it, and a part of me was worried that the show would not be true to its source material. I have never been happier to be wrong. There are a few minor deviations from the graphic novels, but for the most part it is an accurate portrayal. This is due mostly to the fact that Oseman was heavily involved in the production of the show. Another thing I love about the show is the soundtrack. I am a huge fan of music, so I was very happy to hear songs from some of my favorite artists such as Beabadoobee, Orla Gartland, Girl In Red, Frankie Cosmos and Waterparks. 

Overall, everything about Heartstopper is perfect, from the cast, to the soundtrack, to the pacing. I fell in love with it from the moment I started watching it, and I’m sure you will too.