So, over the last few weeks, I’ve gone over Heartstopper as a show, but I’ve hinted a few times I intended to talk about it as an adaptation, so here we are
Before we begin
TRIGGER WARNING: This review will involve discussing a non-consensual
kiss, discuss themes of depression, eating disorders, self-harm and other
related mental illnesses. If you are uncomfortable with any of these topics, do
not read any further.
SPOILER WARNING: I am going to be discussing both the
Heartstopper show and the comic, I would highly recommend you read the comic,
it’s available for you to read for free on Webtoons, Chapters 1-3 will be the
direct comparison, but elements of chapter 4 will also be mentioned. The show
is on Netflix if you wish to watch that also. I will also be discussing
relevant events from the novels, so spoiler alert in particular for Radio
Silence, but also bits of Solitaire, This Winter and Nick and Charlie. Those
books are available for purchase, if not in book stores then on Amazon both
digitally and physically.
Heartstopper is in a rather unique position as an
adaptation. Alice Oseman, who wrote the comics is also the writer for the show.
So, she’s adapting her own work to screen, what that means is that the show is,
for the most part, a pretty accurate adaptation of the comic. That being said,
there are definitely some changes and omissions, some of which I’ll talk about
here.
The show adapts 3 chapters from the comic. The first episode is based on the first chapter of the comic, episodes 2 and 3 are based on Chapter 2, and the rest of the show based on chapter 3. This may seem like an odd balance but in terms of page count (counting each post as 5 pages) Chapter 1 is 60 pages long, chapter 2 100 pages and Chapter 3 160 pages. But let’s look at the changes
