Romance shows on Netflix can be a hit or a miss, but Netflix’s latest release, “Heartstopper,” based on the webcomic by Alice Oseman, has everyone’s heart in a grip.
“So often I watch shows of people in high school or college and feel like they’re things people our age would never do or say, but “Heartstopper” felt so relatable,” said Sara Clark, a sophomore government and politics major.
“Heartstopper,” which was available to stream since April 22, had all the right ingredients for a new age, wholesome teen romance – a relatable plot in a high school setting, a sweet rendezvous of protagonists, endearing side characters and LGBTQ+ relationships that viewers seem to agree were accurately depicted.
“Although they got together in only a few episodes, nothing felt rushed,” Clark said.
“While the show does touch on the heavier aspects of LGBTQ+, it still maintains the almost unadulterated queer happiness – something that I think is majorly absent in popular queer cinema and media in general,” said Mason Thorpe, a senior government and politics and Spanish major.
“Heartstopper” received a nine out of 10 rating on IMDb and a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
“We all deserve to see ourselves represented in the media in happy and healthy ways and I think “Heartstopper” does a really good job of doing that,” Thorpe said.
However, on the topic of LGBTQ+ representation in Netflix shows, not all believe the streaming and production conglomerate does enough.
“I think they started to be more inclusive to have like more people of color in the main romance couple… but then I don't think I've noticed like a lot of LGBTQ representation in new shows coming out,” said Nastasia Belova, a senior civil engineering student. Belova’s favorite Netflix romance show is “Bridgerton.”
Shows where LGBTQ+ couples are the main protagonists like “Feel Good,” “Gracie and Frankie” and “Young Royals,” don’t attract much attention, Sydney Toole, a family science sophomore believes.
“I think that they're there but you definitely have to go much further out of your way to find them and they're not as popular,” Toole said on LGBTQ+ romance shows on Netflix.
Eric Strauss, a junior computer science and psychology major who’s been “out” for years, finds LGBTQ+ shows like “Love, Victor,” a follow up of the 2018 film, “Love, Simon,” bittersweet. While Strauss finds himself relating to the characters on screen, the romance can leave him feeling unhappy about his own love life.
“I think it can be dangerous, if all representation of romantic relationships is just positive stuff,” Strauss said.
However, it all depends on the viewer’s mood, Strauss added. When life gets stressful, romance shows can be the best remedy for some.
For others, romance without some level of authenticity or realism fails to reach them. That’s where reality TV comes in.
Toole claims her favorite romance show on Netflix is reality show “Love Is Blind.” “I think the idea of it is really interesting because it's not something that is normal - the normal way to meet someone,” she said.
“Love Is Blind” revolves around singles trying to find a match to fall in love, “without ever seeing each other face-to-face, as emotional connection attempts to conquer physical attraction,” according to the show’s synopsis.
Strauss, who is also a fan of reality TV, said he enjoyed “Dating Around,” another Netflix reality romance where a person goes on five different first dates to pick one they feel a “true connection” with and pursue a second date with them.
“It was a fun, first-date reality show,” he said, adding “I really like more realistic, getting-to-know-people dating kind of shows.”
When asked what a good romance show is, Toole’s response was this: “I think a good one is like showing real people who are really committed to love and wanting a relationship.”
The definition of a good romance show can change depending on the person, but we believe there’s something for everyone on Netflix’s watchlist.