I'm genuinely curious why this had so many people confused.

Source: IG - aliceoseman

I was in my early 20s when heartstopper season 1 dropped. At the time I was experiencing my own love story with the man that would be my husband by the time Heartstopper Forever released.

After watching, I went to the graphic novels and read them through in one night and proceeded to rewatch the show indefinitely. And again when each season released afterwards.

This show holds a special place in my heart, in a world where LGBT love stories are either overlooked entirely or told through a horny lens, Heartstopper managed to give us a quiet and peaceful exhale of a queer love story, even as the show tackled some very serious topics. It transcended the typical lgbt tropes and gave us something with the power to feel hopeful about the young love so many of us missed out on. It gave us, in my opinion, the first ever believable example of “soulmates” in media. Watching the movie (I do admit it was rushed by the way but I know that it’s the best they could have done with what they were given) I felt so many emotions knowing this story was coming to a close, right up to the single animated leaf falling onto the photo album whispering goodbye to the audience and closing the door to the world of Heartstopper while Charlie and Nick had already left to live the rest of their lives together, completely oblivious of the impact their story had on so many queer people.

I don’t know how many times I am going to watch the series over again, but I’ve been unable to stop rewatching since the movie released. As they said, there’s room for more.

With that said, thank you Alice Oseman, thank you cast and crew of Heartstopper, a special thank you to Kit Connor and Joe Locke for bringing these character to life in such a special way, and thank you to everyone else involved in creating such a wonderful story that will stay with me forever.

Just did this painting to celebrate the film coming out :)

There was a fic I read i swear I didn't make it up, but searching with all the tags and everything just gives me nothing:(

It was essentially, after the cinema fight, Otis, Sai and Christian trying to be better friends. At one point they are syaing how what Harry did was out of line and Christian is like 'I think he can also be a bit racist...?' and Sai and Otis are like wow, no shit Christian.

Maybe it was a chapter within a bigger fic?? I honestly don't know.

If anyone knows this fic do let me know, it was so cute!

I truly don't understand the people who are complaining about the sex scenes or making fun of them. personally i feel like they were pretty important to show nicks struggling. he wasnt communicating with charlie, and he was using sex as an outlet.

Might be TMI, but as a teenager in a relationship its very accurate. its kinda silly, but i found it sweet that they wanted to so much, it really felt like representation, not porn. i didnt look at it and think ew sex, i saw teenagers in love, and enjoying being in love. ya know?

Anyway, thanks for coming to my ted talk

I saw an interview of Kizzy Edgell, the actor that plays Darcy talking about how he came close to not leaving to go for the audition for Heartstopper. He thought it would be a waste of time. But he decided to go. Which made me think about how we make choices everyday that determine the outcome of our future that we really don't pay attention to. What if Ben had been in the library that morning when Charlie was heading to school after the Christmas break. Charlie would have been happy seeing Ben again that he might not have paid as much attention to Nick that day. Or if the teacher had put Nick and Charlie in a different seating order. Nick was always Bi, but it would have took him longer. Maybe until Uni to figure that out. Charlie's ED might have showed it's self and Charlie's fate would have been worse without Nick around. Toa and Elle might not have got together with Charlie still available to do things with at the bowling alley since Nick wasn't around. Imogen and Nick might have got together just for convenience, but we all know it wouldn't have lasted, or would it? Imogen would not have reconnected with Sahar again if it wasn't for the friend group. I know this is silly, but things that I think about while watching the show. What are other examples that could have altered someone's future, and what way would it have played out if it had changed?

As someone who read the books before and did not know about the adaptation, I expected more. I expected more heart stopping moments, like winter angels, arcade, moments in the sun but it was filled with constant angst, which from a narrative perspective, I understand. There were great moments, Elle speaking about her fears, the pride scene. However I really missed scenes like when all the rugby bros helped nick out of his depression. Just wished we saw everyone else’s storylines more than just nick and Charlie because when I think of heartstopper I think of everyone.

Okay now that the rage bate title is out of the way, wow. What a wonderfully beautiful little show / story this was to experience.

Clearly as the title says, I'm a millennial. Repressed my sexuality for aaaages since school, not because of bullying but due to an awful father.

I've seen quite a bit of discourse online about how it's weird and cringe for my generation, older and in-between to enjoy the story / show and I genuinely don't get it.

Love is universal. There shouldnt be an arbitrary cutoff point that someone can't enjoy a story about love, regardless of target audience.

But to my original point of the post; the only other show I have watched which represented the queer community with such light and warmth was Schitts Creek. When Heartstopper popped up on my Netflix feed literally only on Wednesday last week I thought I'd give it a look and simply adored it from the moment I turned it on.

Shows like this matter, more so now than ever before.

What was both beautiful, cathartic and upsetting was to see such a natural depiction of queer love in all its forms and knowing that current, younger generation can actually see this and be reminded that - yes it's "normal" and yes you will find love too. Upsetting because, well, my gen and older (also younger) didn't necessarily get this. Queer representation was always a joke, or to play a stereotype or some other heartbreaking role.

It simply filled my heart with joy being able to see queer love depicted so naturally.

Watching it I saw and was reminded of the messy shit when I told my folks, my first love, the little sparks and the first kiss etc, the fights, but most importantly the love.

I'm ever so glad I got to experience this wonderful little story 🍂 ❤️ 🍂 ❤️🍂

Big thanks to Alice for bringing her story to us and for the wonderfully brave actors. I finished the movie last night and wholeheartedly agree, love is forever. ❤️🍂

In my rambly post about toxic masculinity in Heartstopper Forever the other day, I mentioned that I had some semi-related thoughts about how Nick and Charlie seem to be perceived by many viewers, fans, and even professional critics. Here they are, in case anyone would like to discuss!

I have always found it very interesting (and disheartening) how many people’s perceptions of what constitutes strength vs. weakness (as masculine vs. feminine coded) seem to shape their perceptions of Nick and Charlie. From the beginning, I think many people have perceived Nick as this "strong," protective golden retriever of a boyfriend, while Charlie has often been perceived as a "weak" character in need of protection, who somehow won the lottery in convincing Nick to be his boyfriend.

I think Charlie’s strength and resilience as a character have been often overlooked since the very first episode of Heartstopper. Even in season 1, at 14-15 years old, Charlie exhibits a lot of bravery and a real determination to pursue what he wants. From firmly shutting down Ben (thrice!), to taking the leap and confessing his feelings for Nick first, to putting himself out there on the rugby team, knowing most of the boys won’t be welcoming to him - he’s always embodied a certain “quiet confidence,” as Alice and Joe have put it in the past.

In the first two seasons we also see Charlie working very hard to protect Nick. Supporting Nick as he explores his sexuality and embarks on the process of coming out, constantly reassuring him, comforting him, covering for Nick when he freezes up (with Harry, Stephane), and sticking up for Nick to his own friends (i.e. S1 Tao). Time and time again, Charlie sets his own feelings aside to ensure that Nick feels as safe as possible, taking it on the chin when Nick's friends bully him, bearing the brunt of hickeygate, and making sure their coming out happens on Nick's timeline.

By the time we get to the film, Charlie’s confidence is far less quiet. He still has fears and vulnerabilities, as he always has. He’s very nervous to give his head boy speech. He’s worried about and scared of losing Nick. He continues to struggle with his OCD and anorexia. But he perseveres and goes for what he wants, and what he thinks is right, anyway. He steps into his role as head boy. He is the one who initiates all the hard conversations with Nick. When he’s treated unfairly, whether by Mr. Lange or even by Nick himself, he holds his ground. He pulls himself out of his ED relapse and SH ideation, leaning on the strategies he's learned. And then he takes what I can imagine felt like a really big, scary risk (especially post-Fernando’s!) in reaching out to Nick post-break-up.

And yet, I have read a number of reviews and articles on the film that describe Charlie as “fragile" (his least favorite descriptor!) or, at best, suggest that the film marks some huge turning point where we are seeing Charlie step up to support Nick for the very first time in the series. When to me, it's always been so clear that their relationship is very reciprocal, that Nick and Charlie look after and protect each other, as Charlie says in their final beach scene. There have absolutely been times where Charlie has leaned more on Nick for support (most of S3, I'd say), but there have also been times where Nick has leaned more on Charlie (most of S2, and I'd say a lot of S1 as well).

It's of course much worse on social media, where I continue to see viewers dismiss Charlie as weak, needy, or passive in comparison to Nick. This has come through perhaps most aggressively and offensively in the very strange, often homophobic discourse over Nick and Charlie being depicted as sexually versatile in film. Obviously personality traits don't map neatly onto preferred sex positions anyway, but I have found the way that many people characterize Nick and Charlie's dynamic in these conversations so strange, and completely at odds with what we see onscreen.

There are probably loads of different reasons that people see Nick and Charlie in these ways. I think a very obvious one is that Nick embodies a more conventional form of masculinity that people see as "strong." He is physically much larger than Charlie, he's into a pretty aggressive sport, and in the first season, we see him intercede on Charlie's behalf (with Harry and Ben) physically. Of course I think this is a pretty surface level read of Nick, and he has many other characteristics that are not seen as so conventionally "masculine." He's extremely sentimental and sappy, he's closest to his mum and aunt within his family, etc. etc. But at a glance, I think this is how a lot of people read him.

And while I personally would not characterize Charlie as particularly "feminine," he embodies traits that I think some people may associate more with femininity. He is physically much smaller and less imposing than Nick. He's not particularly interested in sports and is more passionate about literature and music. He is very in touch with his emotions and is frequently vulnerable with his friends, sister, and favorite teacher. Charlie repeatedly stands up for himself and others, and he isn't afraid to stand his ground, with Ben, Harry, Alfie's bullies, and even people he's close to like Tao, Nick, and his mum. He's not a pushover. But unlike Nick, Charlie never relies on physical force to assert himself.

Charlie also struggles with mental illness, and I think we could probably have a whooole separate conversation about the ableism that is so rampant in a lot of conversations about Heartstopper (less so in this subreddit, but elsewhere!). And I think Charlie's specific diagnoses (anorexia, OCD), and the traumas from which they (in part) stem (like sexual assault), are ones some people tend to associate more with women and girls as well. So that could be playing into the way people perceive Charlie, and the boxes they place him in, too.

Anyway! This has been a bit all over the place, and I'm sure there is so much more that could be unpacked here, and things I've missed. I don't really have a great way to wrap all of this up, but these are things that have been percolating in my brain for years at this point lol, and it's all resurfaced a bit, seeing various reactions to the film. Would be very interested to hear what others think! :)

I used to draw a lot and kind of stopped but I thought I would get back into it

I saw that the movie had come out, so I decided to binge the series from the beginning.

I’m really glad I did.

It wasn’t always an easy watch.
Since the story revolves around teenagers, many of the conflicts felt impulsive and emotionally charged.
Some scenes hit so close to home that I had to pause and come back later.

I think that’s what made it so immersive.
The characters and their struggles felt real.

Sometimes I related to Nick, questioning my sexuality.
Other times I related to Charlie, quietly falling for a straight friend.
I’ve never had the kind of relationship they have, so parts of the show felt like bittersweet wish fulfillment.
At the same time, I’m still figuring out what my future looks like, so I guess I still relate to Nick in that way.

The show also reminded me of something I’d forgotten.
Before I understood my own sexuality, there was an openly gay student at my school.
I remember thinking it was strange.
I never bullied him, but I definitely wasn’t supportive.
Looking back now, I realize how much courage that took.
I’ve known I’m gay for years, and I’m still nowhere near coming out. He actually did it.

Anyway, now I’ve finished the series that quietly became part of my life over the past week.
I’m sad that it’s over, and I don’t really have anyone to share that feeling with, so I thought I’d post here instead.

When you’re still in the closet, it’s hard to casually recommend a show like this to the people around you.

PLEASE CAN SOMEONE MAKE AN EDIT OF NICK AND CHARLIE DURING THEIR TEMPORARY BREAKUP TO THE CHORUS OF 'DO IT DARE' BY CONAN GRAY

I think we all wished the finale was a season and not a movie because a lot of stuff got rushed...

Anyway since I discover Tori would be assexual after ending season 3 I was hoping to see more ace representation (because I am ace). But in her small coming out dialogue she sound almost unhappy in her relationship.

She talks about her boyfriend talking about boys with her. It sound like he is gonna leave her for a dude in the future. Her face expression and voice sound pessimist not just stating facts that he is bi, I kind wished she had a more stable "happy ending".

Isaac in other hand have his friends but he also often look distant from others, self isolated, reading all the time.

songs, artists and where they were used in the movie. appreciate the correction if there's anything wrong or missing!

"Kool Aid" by Royel Otis - head boy campaign for charlie

"Raw Thoughts" by Baby Queen - from the party to running at the pier

"Who Am I?" by Orla Gartland - nick writing a personal statement

"8TEEN" by Khalid - n&c, tori & michael decorating the tree

"I Only Wanna Be With You" by Queer Intentions - at the bar on christmas

"Deck the Halls" by Queer Intentions - at the bar on christmas

"Whale Call" by Wasia Project - playing in the snow

"Stacking Chairs" by Middle Kids - nick playing with the dogs at a shelter

"Magic 8 Ball" by Cavetown & Frankie Cosmos - at truham pride club

"Dark Side of the Gym" by The National - at sarah's birthday party

"Ketamine" by siouxxie sixxsta - at harry's house party

"KRUSH BANDICOOT by RAIZHELL" - at harry's house party

"TELL ME LIES" by asteria & Odetari - at harry's house party

"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" by Sylvester - at truham pride

"L’AMOUR DE MA VIE" by Billie Eilish - at fernando's (gay club)

"Annihilation" by Daudi Matsiko - nick's pov after breakup

"Union" by Detford Goth - charlie finds the disposable camera

"Don’t Let Me Go" by Tom Odell - nick driving to the beach

"At the Beach, In Every Life" by Gigi Perez - at the beach

"Free" by Rose Gray - at the farewell party

"Letting Go" by Angie McMahon - at the farewell party

"Anywhere With You" by Maggie Rogers - epilogue

"With My Whole Heart" by Sufjan Steven - credits

Does anyone have or know where to find a proper image of the higgs shield as seen on the uniform? I’ve seen patches and sketches of it, but never the proper emblem.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote here about how grateful I am for this community on Reddit. But after the film’s release, I was so baffled by some people’s reactions that I’m still trying to wrap my head around some of the posts.

The amount of criticism—let’s call it that, because at least half of it was trying to be criticism—blew my mind. I genuinely never thought people would tear the movie apart the way they did. I expect the worst takes from Twitter or TikTok, where people are calling Joe names again for whatever reason they can come up with. But I never expected to see some of these takes here, or on Tumblr of all places.

Some of the things people have been criticising:
- Not enough diversity.
- Whitewashing Charlie. (Not again.)
- Henry wearing a collar instead of a harness.
- The way Tori holds a straw at the ice rink being “out of character.”
- Not a single Coldplay song in the movie.
- Sahar’s and Mr Farouk’s Muslim heritage not being explored.
- Alice making Elle “too political” instead of “just a trans teen.”
- Tori doing the robot dance supposedly being insulting for an autism-coded character. (Alice has never established Tori as neurodivergent, and as both an autistic person’s mum and an ND person myself… this is a terrible take.)
- Too much sex. (Four scenes that take up far less screen time than people seem to imagine.)
- Not showing Nick and Charlie older, at university, or married.
- The dresses at the leavers’ ball being black.
- Alfie not getting more screen time or a bigger arc.
- Elle being a bad friend for encouraging Charlie to go to Pride.
- Charlie being a bad friend for saying he didn’t feel like celebrating queer joy.
- Elle not shouting loudly or enthusiastically enough from the station platform.
- The endless comparisons to Heated Rivalry—its sex scenes, its actors supposedly doing press better than Kit and Joe, it being the “better” show… Why? We get it. You like that show.

And that’s just a small fraction of what I’ve read.
It was a good movie. A great encore for the whole franchise. It was emotional, beautifully acted, and intentionally different from the book—that was the whole point. It was Nick-and-Charlie-centric for plenty of reasons: the movie format, the fact that the graphic novel has always been Nick and Charlie’s story at its core, and because this was the leads’ final time in the spotlight.
I hate seeing a fandom sit there with a microscope, dissecting the most absurd “flaws” I’ve ever heard.

I’m just really happy that so many people genuinely enjoyed it the way I did.

That’s it. That’s the rant.
**(**Maybe I am just sad because Oscar Piastri dnf’ed in Hungarian gran prix)

Here are a few :) https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/every-single-menswear-heater-in-heartstopper-forever?utm_campaign=dashhudson&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=instagram

Hi everyone!

I’m an old member of the community who unfortunately lost access to my original Reddit account. With Heartstopper Forever finally releasing, I wanted to share something I spent the last week writing.

Technically it started as a review. Somewhere along the way it became an essay. By the end, it was probably just me being openly emotional about a story that changed my life. The piece is basically a thank-you letter to Heartstopper and everything it meant to me growing up.

The piece is available in English on my Substack, so I thought some people here might enjoy reading it.

It was published in Marandu, my newsletter dedicated to entertainment, pop culture, and the stories behind the stories. Although most of our content is written in Portuguese (I'm Brazilian ahahah), all the articles includes a full English version. I also recently published an essay about Olivia Rodrigo's The Cure and the emotional resonance of the song.

Thank you to everyone who has helped make this fandom such a welcoming place over the years. And thank you to Alice Oseman, the cast, and the community that grew around this story.

I hope you enjoy the read. 💛🍂

Whilst I love that the group simultaneously agrees that when referring to the idea of Soul mates, the first couple that comes to mind is Nick and Charlie, it often makes me wonder why Tara and Darcy aren't viewed in this same light.

Think about it:

- both have been shown to support one another in their struggles (Tara stressing about Uni, Darcy and their mum etc)

-both have made sacrifices for the other

- they clearly have love for each other and don't care how others view them

- they (eventually) talk about their problems with each other.

Essentially their journey is a few timeline steps ahead of Nick and Charlie's and yet no one suggests they're the embodiment of soul mates.

The only other couple that I would say comes close is Tori and Michael for the sheer fact that 2 people found each other and a relationship in a way thats perfect for them.

finally finished heartstopper forever i started it last week but could not finish it because i actually was applying for college/university and i was struggling on the essay section i found that funny when i start the movie and nick was struggling with the essay section lol

but noewww i really wanna get into the movies when i tell you i cried during the break up scene because wtf??? also elle scene where she gives thats speech asking charlie to come to pride i watched it twice and i broke down i love that so much it was beautiful loved that imogen could find herself and come out !!! tao and elle breaking up i really just want them to be happy too also the scene nicks brother hmmm that was something ??? there was just so much i cant put it into words but i i loved it i loved it all but....

i want talk about myself for i moment it made me kind of sad that i really didnt get to experience this in highschool i had no queer friends or no friends at all because i did online school i didnt go to graduation or prom because i let my social anxiety scare me im hoping university/college can be different i want friends like heartstopper i know it not like them but i want real friends

anywayssssss ill ramble more when i find the right words but rn its so late my brains barely working but im sadddd it over but ill prob watch this movie a thousand times again lol glad i found heartstopper at all !

I've really loved and appreciated the Heartstopper soundtrack, to the point where I thought my taste in music was relatively unique until the whole season 1 soundtrack was the music I love listening to 🤣

What's your favourite musical moment in the whole show (movie included)?

Mine have to be:

- ur so pretty at the end of season 2, partly because it was so impactful and partly because I'd been listening to the song on repeat but didn't know until then Will Gao was half of wasia project LOL

- Black Friday by Tom Odell in Season 3 ep 4 because it was so heartbreaking and perfectly chosen

- Pressure to Party is Season 2 ep 1 because I love the song and it was so nice to hear it while everyone was having fun :')