Thirteen Reasons Why You Should Watch 13 Reasons Why

*TW: s*icide and r*ape

13 Reasons Why hit Netflix March 31 and everyone is talking about it. If you’re scared to give into the “hype,” here are thirteen reasons why you should watch 13 Reasons Why:

1. Diverse Characters and Cast: From the promotion pictures, the cast is one of a kind. The cast includes Asian-Americans, like Ross Butler, who plays Zach Dempsey, and Michele Selene Ang, who plays Courtney Crismon, along with Gilmore Girls actress Keiko Agena. The show also has Latino actor, Christian Navarro, who plays Tony. Within the show plot, it deals with LGBT+ relationships as well.
2. Deep and Compelling Mystery: The show’s plot revolves around the reasons why a student named Hannah Baker committed suicide as her fellow friend discovers them through the series of tapes she left behind to the people who caused her death.
3. Brings Awareness to Suicidal Signs: Throughout her tapes, Hannah Baker speaks about the signs she had left and hoped someone would pick up. It allows the audience to be aware of people around us. (While it doesn’t highlight all the signs, it brings attention to some and the motive to research more.)
4. Educates Audience About Rape Culture: Not to spoil anything as the show provides trigger warnings before episodes, it brings awareness about how real and active rape culture is in today’s society.
5. Shows the Effects of Gossip: When rumors spread about someone, it depicts how they can not only ruin someone’s reputation but as well as their confidence. It takes it further to showcases how far they can take someone to react.
6. It’s Relatable: It highlights a multitude of problems high schoolers (and older) face or have face.
7. Talks About the Effect of Small Actions: It shows the domino effect of how a bunch of small actions can lead to large consequences. That’s an idea embedded to us at a young age, but it reminds us of how serious the consequences get as we get older.
8. Brings Awareness About Bullying: It highlights the behaviors found within bullies and how damaging they can be.
9. It Deals With More than High School Drama: The plot and characters are complex and perspective that it provides the audience to see all sides of the story and the after math of tragedy.
10. Cinematography and Editing: The transition between flashbacks and present are clean without confusing the audience. In the past when Hannah was alive, the lighting was bright and open; while in the present where she is dead, the lighting is somber and almost dark.
11. It’s One of Kind: There’s not another show like it that is produced by Netflix. It deals with taboo subjects that some directors and writers are scared to touch upon.
12. Shows That There is Always Two (or more) Sides to the Story: Hannah Baker left behind tapes of the reasons of her suicide all from her point of view. However, as the story progresses, all perspectives are showcased.
13. Shows the Importance of Small Acts of Kindness: It shows how far a random act of kindness could have gone. You never know what someone is going through and kindness would never hurt to try to make someone’s day, or even life.