Why You Should Watch “13 Reasons Why”

Based off of Jay Asher’s famous book of the same name, the Netflix TV series 13 Reasons Why is quickly gaining a place in every fan’s hearts around the internet. But in case the widespread admiration is not enough to convince you to binge-watch the series, below are a couple more reasons why 13 Reasons Why should be on top of your to-watch list.

First, let’s just talk about how amazing of a job the producers did in adapting the book. If you’re not a fan of reading, just watch the series. That alone is enough in delivering the story. As a fan of the book, I can personally vouch for the fact that the show was amazing in realising the book. Even if you’ve read the book, I’d still suggest that you watch the series. There are certain elements from the series that are different from the book but instead of disrupting the narrative, the changes manage to preserve the charm that made the book so unique. In fact, the changes actually enhance and strengthen the narrative from the book; and this is something not a lot of novel adaptation could take credit for.

But on the characters themselves; from the protagonist Clay Jensen, to the side characters, the realisation of characters was amazing. Props to the casting team because I couldn’t imagine a better ensemble. Putting aside their acting chops, as characters themselves, they’re pretty well written. Viewers can clearly see how the characters change throughout the show, how they evolved and devolved, painting a realistic picture of how the human minds work. The characters are also grounded to reality; they are highly relatable, displaying very human and mortal flaws. This creates a sense of relatability, which in turns generate impact; the kind that contributes to changes in reality.

Suicide, bullying and sexual harassment; these are some of the issues brought up in the series. However, what’s really amazing is that it doesn’t try to sugarcoat the issues. And this is why the series is so special. Unlike many series that suffer from romanticisation of problematic and dangerous behaviours, this series shows you what really is happening at schools nowadays and how it’s a bad thing. At a time where the majority of teenagers at school face some form of problem, it’s important that they have a series like 13 Reasons Why to remind them that what they’re doing has its consequences as well as to remind them that the problems they face are real and they should always reach out for help.

Last but definitely not least, is the issue of diversity and representation. A lot of series and films are already including minorities in their production. They have coloured and queer characters but 13 Reasons Why is one of the rarer ones, the one that acknowledges the existence of these class of people, that normalised them yet, at the same time, the series still managed to show how the stigma around the minorities still exist. This declaration is very important due to the fact that it is a mirror of our own current state, a sad reality that must be addressed before we can improve on them.

I should probably stop before I start dropping spoilers on you. However, let me just tell you this; 13 Reasons Why is the kind of series that makes you think before you act because, whether you realise it or not, every school has a Hannah Baker and what happens to her, begins with you.

By: Faz Dzulkefli (@RawrsomeRogue)