From the beginning, the series is a genuine delight, filled with incredible heart and just enough cheese to remind you it’s still kids’ programming.įeaturing Disney’s first animated same-sex kiss between leading characters, The Owl House is a trailblazer for LGBTQ+ representation in animation.
The show follows Luz (Sarah-Nicole Robles) after she stumbles upon a magical world, stumbling into the arms of the eccentric Owl Lady Eda (Wendie Malick), who promises to teach her how to use magic when she’s unable to return to her home. The show comes from the mind of Dana Terrace and has become somewhat of a cult classic since its premiere in 2020. The Owl House is Disney’s most unique and brilliant animated series since Gravity Falls its heartwarming tale of found-family and acceptance makes it the perfect feel-good binge. Netflix has renewed the show for two more seasons already, assuring fans that there’s plenty more wholesome queer storytelling on the way. The popularity of this Netflix Original feels only comparable to Squid Game’s all-consuming popularity from the fall of 2021, securing the streamer a binge-watch that’s actually withstood the test of time.
The series, based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alice Oseman, has taken the internet by storm, setting the record for most time at the top of Variety’s Trending TV chart with five consecutive weeks. It has resonated deeply with audiences, too, as its uniquely heartwarming story gives a whole new meaning to feel-good TV. Heartstopper has gotten across-the-board praise for its depiction of queer joy, especially through its diverse ensamble cast featuring lesbian characters Tara (Corianna Brown) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell), and trans character Ellie (Yasmin Finney). Boys fall in love.” And fall in love they do, in eight half-hour long episodes across a vast array of classic high school scenarios. The tagline for the series says it all: “Boy meets boy. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that there’s no bigger viral hit right now than Heartstopper, Netflix’s queer rom-com that follows the love story of outcast Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and rugby-star Nick Nelson (Kit Connor). Whether you’re looking for wholesome high school romance or juicy college flings, there’s something for everyone in the burgeoning feel-good category of LGBTQ+ representation. With so much queer representation to choose from now, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by choice, but if you’re in the market for heartwarming queer stories, we’ve got you covered.
Only recently has TV stepped away from solely causing its queer characters pain, allowing representation to become more than just coming out stories and tales of the closet. However, a majority of those stories over the years have featured an abundance of queer pain, often through the use of rejection and homophobia as the core wounds inflicted on LGBTQ+ characters. What started as the first inklings of representation through Will & Grace, and fleeting mentions in ‘80s classics like The Golden Girls, has now blossomed into queer stories infiltrating nearly every genre. Queer storytelling has gone through an incredible shift in the past decade.