I haven't watched your second reaction, I just finished this one so I'm not sure if anyone else responded. You asked anyone who was young today if that's what school was like so here is your answer from a gen-z super-fan of Heartstopper: I read the books through my time in middle school and season one came out when I was still in Highschool (I'm now in college). From all accounts, yes, this is what Highschool is like still. In fact worst things happen then what is depicted in this show in my experience being the same age as the actors in the show. Of course some places are different and some students get lucky, however it wasn't uncommon to hear stories. I ran the Pride Alliance club in my Highschool at the time and everyone in the club was so excited to watch this show. We were happy to see that the British equal to the American Highschool experience wasn't being totally sugar coated, and that the show was making the books impact reach farther audiences. Every one of us had stories we could draw parallels to in this series. Even in a relatively progressive state, in a city, we faced harassment. It was hard to keep the doors open on the club sometimes. This is ten times worst if you were a Trans student. Even teachers would be horrible. I decided to make my senior English project a media analysis of Heartstopper BECAUSE my English teacher was so homophobic and transphobic. He tried to fail me, but I documented all my work with the office in case that happened, and so I graduated! When we told older people of the harassment we faced from other students, nothing would be done either, even in case of vandalism, destruction of property, and even assault. However, regardless of the crap we dealt with from other students and teachers alike, it was amazing for us to see the joy represented in this show. The series isn't all about darkness, while also making the audience aware that the darkness is STILL there. It gave us hope. Anyways, sorry the bit of disorganized ramble but I can totally be of help if you have any more questions about younger gen z queer experiences. I now help run the Lgbt club/activism group at my college! *PS* super excited when I got this in my feed to see a Latina react to this. As a Puerto Rican I was like yes I'm clicking. I wanna see everyone's diverse opinions on this show!! And thank you for taking the time to read my comment

@@angelp2092 My apologies - I'm just seeing this comment for the first time. Thank you for being so vulnerable and opening up to tell your story. You seem like a very resilient person who knows yourself well - not allowing others to throw you off your course. The fact that you made your senior English project a media analysis of Heartstopper, despite that your English teacher was so homophobic, is such a power move and shows your strength. Despite everything you and your former classmates went through in high school, I'm glad you all seemed to enjoy this show for what it is, showing the bad and the good of the experience (although more good than bad since the show is so wholesome). I'm glad you're continuing on, with helping run the LGBTQ club/activisim group at your college! It's always wonderful to meet another fellow queer Latine - I don't meet them often and knowing there's plenty of us actually out there, makes me feel less alone in that part of my identity. Thank you so much for your comment and giving me a better perspective of what it's like nowadays. I really appreciate it!

I can't even imagine since season 1 has been so good so far. I'm excited to see the rest!

Season 1 is sweet but season 2 is amazing

So true

I agree season 2 is so much better

Wait until szn 3

Fun fact echo is a boy 😂 I was so surprised

He's wonderful. I was under the impression he must have been a child actor or something because he's so natural at it.

​@@KristinaEspinoza yeah, Kit is the child actor of the two mains.

the show is reay unrealistic

@@KristinaEspinoza his next two professional roles have been in the MARVEL Agatha spinoff set to release later this year, and in Sweeney Todd on Broadway starting today! He's such a star!!

@@mariebouthillette8101 He's on Broadway now?! Niiiiice. I haven't been keeping up with the Marvel lore but I might be interested in seeing Agatha just for him ☠️

OR because there have too damn few happy queer stories up until this one -- so we've been conditioned to expect the worst...😥

Yeah it was really nice to see someone react like this!

Fictional darling was also really caring, if you had not check her out. She’s really kind and smart, and funny and empathetic. ❤

​@@hobragen she's amazinggg

Also the 3 guys on Reel Time. They really do understand what's going on. (One of the guys looked like he was going to puke when he saw Ben assault Charlie. ) [One caveat is that one of the 3 guys seems to be stoned a lot. (Nevertheless, he has a good heart and empathizes with the guys. He especially likes Charlie.)]

Really? Most I have seen call it what it is, assault.

I agree!!

Couldn't agree more ❤ I'm Charlie's protector!

Thank you for explaining that to me! It makes a lot more sense that Nick was just going along with it in an effort to get back to Charlie as soon as he could.

Everyone is hyping up season 2 - I'm so excited to see where the show goes!

I'm absolutely loving it so far! Excited to keep watching.

Yea agreed!!!

I may actually be interested in a couple of recommendations lol I tend to believe there are some amazing fanfiction writers out there who deserve more recognition simply because of their writing skills. And I'm here, rooting for you to find your Nick! We all deserve to find ours. And I'm actually really excited to see another show where we get to watch the main cast grow up as the story continues. Only other media that has done that for me is probably Harry Potter and Stranger Things. I think it's cool, it's like a time capsule in media form. Happy New Year!

omg, please share the fanfic recs!

Thank you for letting me know! I was hesitant on ordering anything yet because I also don't want to spoil anything S2 related lol

The comic, especially early on, is very much just Nick and Charlie. Eventually all the characters appear, but they are much more fleshed out in the show.

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the support. And others have also told me to be nicer to Tao and Imogen so I'm keeping an open mind for part two (and season 2)!

@@KristinaEspinoza season 1 is amazing. Season 2 is better.

Thank you! I'm so glad you liked the reaction. And I'm happy to know my use of the word "tosser" was correct! I have no idea where it came from but I'm guessing British media just unlocked a past life memory lol

I haven't finished season 1 but am planning to right after Christmas, then continue onto season two. And that's so interesting to find out that Joe Locke's first screen acting credit is this show. I honestly think he's great so far! Kit is also great as well. He and Joe have wonderful chemistry which makes their scenes so fun to watch. Another comment also said S2 is better so now I'm really excited to get to it lol

@@KristinaEspinoza yeah most people agree that season 2's better i think. it makes sense, the filmmaking in s1 is amazing, great cinematography and camera work too but by s2 everyone has improved a lot and you can tell. im very excited for s3 which they just finished shooting a few days ago too

Oh, Young Royals! My heart! ❤️

I'm so sorry to hear that. The people who bullied you should be ashamed. When I was in HS, I wasn't openly queer yet out of fear of being mistreated since the early 2010s were still pretty bad and I didn't know any other queer students in my school for support. It's upsetting to know not much has changed since then. You deserved better.

I'm honestly surprised I didn't flip my desk over lol

But the context!!

I didn't think so at first but he's growing on me. (Even though he wasn't my type at first, I can definitely say that I always loved his beautiful eyes.)

Oh boy lol I'll order a new box today. Thank you for letting me know!

I'm about to buy a set as soon as I finish S1! I can't wait to see how they compare to the show.

I've been looking at Young Royals since you and another comment suggested it. It looks genuinely interesting! Also, I cannot believe I didn't realize that was Olivia Colman. I feel so silly for not noticing lol

I haven't seen either of them! I didn't even know there was a follow-up to Love, Simon. Is it a movie too or a series?

​@@KristinaEspinoza Love Simon is ok, especially for the times as there weren't/aren't many LGBTQ+ mainstream teen movies. The book is definitely better. But the movie is good for reactions as it'll give you a lot to comment on, good vs bad representation, good/bad allyship, etc. Love Victor is not a sequel, but is in the "universe", so you may see the occasional familiar face. It's a series, so you get more development with the characters and I liked it much more, personally. There are 3 seasons. * Bonus rep: the actor who plays Victor is latino (as well as his on-screen family)

That's so cool about Love, Victor starring a Latino actor! Definitely adding both to my list then for future videos.

@@KristinaEspinoza yes! It meant a lot to me, as a latina myself. There's also other black and people of color with appropriate actors, which is great casting! Looking forward to more HS and even more queer content! 🏳️‍🌈

That's so unfortunate, but one relation i'm seeing is that overall gay men get a lot of hate, as i mentioned I am a lesbian and most guys and girls my age find that "hot" or "cool" rather than "nasty" or "weird" as they find gay men, it really is a double standard that is unfortunately present today.

Thank you so much for sharing! I really appreciate it. I'm now planning to also do season 2 as well. Everyone in the comments is telling me it's even better than S1 so I'm excited!

Thank you! I'm glad you loved the reaction 💜 so excited to keep watching

I haven't gotten to season 2 yet but I'll definitely keep my eye out for them when I do lol

Glad I never watched THOSE reactors. Sheesh!

The second part of my reaction to season one should be up today! And you're right, I loved it. Can't wait to start season 2

Joe wasn't cast as Nick...but Kit did try to audition for the role of Charlie

I saw somewhere that the actor for Ben is actually very sweet in real life - definitely says how well of an actor he is that he could make me hate Ben in less than two minutes of seeing him on a screen! ☠️ Also, I can't picture it. I think Joe and Kit were cast perfectly, it's hard to picture them in opposite roles lol I also really like Tori despite that she kept making me jump.

​@KristinaEspinoza Bash calls himself the head of the Ben Hope hate club. He got his twitter account suspended once for bullying because he kept trashing the character that he played.

@@icantthinkofagoodname1838 That is actually so iconic lol

@@KristinaEspinozaI LOVE BASH HES LITERALLY SO SWEET

Hello! Thank you so much for your comment. And after getting a few comments, I've officially decided to react to Young Royals once I finish up catching up with Heartstopper. It just looks so interesting and it seems a lot of people love it! It also gives me an excuse to practice my Swedish on Duolingo lol

@@KristinaEspinozaI don’t know why I’m only now seeing this comment, but omg yayyy I’m so excited!! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it a lot!

It's a shame to hear that schools can be just as bad as when I went. I hope your friend is doing better, or at least is somewhere where she feels safe.

Awh, thank you so much! This made my day. X

In an interview, Kit Connor talked about how early viewers he'd talked to were actually *shocked* that before Nick and Charlie's lips first touched -- no one walked in and stopped them -- Because that has been a common trope in lgbt+ media -- that especially 2 men were not allowed to kiss -- or at least not right away. Kit said as soon as the two boys' uninterrupted kiss happened, he realized that they were going to let this relationship "fly"

Your wish is my command - just finished filming my reaction to the end of Season 1! Should be out by next weekend :)

You do raise a good point that the bullying is probably more intense in all boys school since some boys can be wrongfully taught when they're little that anything considered slightly 'queer' is a negative trait for them to have. I'm sorry to hear about the homophobia in your school - I hope that those few kids who aren't homophobic are able to be uplifting and supportive. Community is so important.

⁠@@KristinaEspinozaNick and Charlie were first introduced as characters way back in 2014, as supporting characters in the author Alice Oseman’s (who is also the screenwriter for the TV adaptation) debut novel Solitaire, which is focused on Charlie’s sister Tori and is set about a year after season 1 of the TV show/volume 1 of the comics. Alice was still a teenager when they wrote it, so their memories of high school were fresh. Charlie’s experiences with bullying and with Ben (and how they impact him.. which you’ll see more of as the series goes on) were always part of the story. I think I remember reading that before they started filming season 1, the show’s creative team consulted with students in the UK about how they experience homophobia and transphobia in schools these days. Many of them felt the bullying in Heartstopper was accurate to their own experiences, others reported more positive and accepting experiences in school, while some had experienced much more severe bullying. It probably depends on the school, and a lot of people do say boys’ schools are notoriously worse.

Thank you so much! I'm actually a bit sick at the moment but part two should be out in a couple of weeks, and then I'll be catching up with season 2 - which everyone tells me is amazing so I'm excited!

@@KristinaEspinozaaww I hope you feel better ❤️ and I’ll keep a eye out!! And yes S2 is amazing just make sure you have tissues I’m a softy too and S2 made me cry a lot haha but it’s an amazing Season, can’t wait for S3 to come out!!

The people who bark or try to trip you sound like little Ben Hopes. I do remember people thinking that anyone who was queer adjacent (like me) was watching them change. I went out of my way to change in bathroom stalls just to make them feel less uncomfortable. Hated that.

@@KristinaEspinoza aw thanks. I’m in 8th grade and pretty much my whole school knows so maybe like 5 people are nice to me

And if you don't want to buy the books. The Webcomic is for free

Yes, the actor's name is Kit Connor. He's been acting since he was 8. He was 17 when season 1 was filmed (the character Nick is 16). He played a young Elton John in the movie Rocketman. Imo, he is a phenomenal actor. (He got an emmy for the first season of Heartstopper. -- as well as other awards.)

Your wording is good - I understood you fine :) And that's so unfortunate! I've gotten another comment as well who discussed their experiences in school and the homophobia they encountered. I'm glad your teachers are accepting - even if the other kids are not. Hopefully, those kids will grow out of it one day and realize how wrong it was. I do remember my school in 2010s and most of those kids grew out of it once we reached adulthood. Unfortunately, one or two will still continue but you'll be graduated by then! I wish you the best!

Thank you for the warning! I'll be sure to have my tissues nearby in case I cry lol

Hi! Thank you so much for watching! I don't have ptosis but I do have goldenhar syndrome (it's rare), which affects some of the nerves in my face, including around my eyes. It also caused something similar to pterygium in one eye which does make one appear bigger than the other. It's totally okay that you asked, no worries! I've never met another person with goldenhar syndrome so I get it about it being rare to meet other people with the same thing lol Also, love that you appreciate the dog barks! It always makes me giggle while editing.

Joe Locke plays Charlie Spring. He also was 17 when the first season was filmed. His character was 14 at the beginning of the first season, and he turned 15 in episode 5.

"He will be a problem all the time" ☠️ Thank you for the laugh!

Now that the teaser for season 3 is up, I can say that Ben goes away after 2x7. Yay!

@@KristinaEspinoza No problem and thanks for replying

I always yell: Look at the context. But I watch on my own, so nobody hears me yell. 🤣

So true. [Try reading book 5 for another (steamier) list] 🤣

Oo ya I did but I’m referring to the Netflix series

@@angieispreppy Got it. Have you looked at the season 3 teaser on KZfaq? (It looks like it will include book 5, as well.

Tao is A LOT (as in amazingly) better in the last 2 episodes of season 2. The 'teaser' for season 3 is up on KZfaq. It looks like Tao will improve even more. Also, more Tori! And Kit Connor's comment was that things between Nick and Charlie are a bit steamier. I'd leave a link, but sometimes KZfaq deletes comments with links in them.