The Netflix Series named 13 Reasons Why was released worldwide on 31st March 2017 but gained a huge popularity in a very short while. Currently, it is rated with 8.8 on IMDB and is watched by millions of teenagers. But what are the secrets behind such a great popularity of the 13 episodes that created so much controversy as well as admiration on every social media? Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube etc., all these are invaded by posts on this subject.
Read this article and find out the 3 secrets that made the Netflix series so popular in a very short while.
1. Selena Gomez Was The Executive Producer Of 13 Reasons Why
Probably the key to the success of this Netflix series and its most powerful advantage is that it was produced by Selena Gomez. This influenced a lot the popularity of the series among Selena's fans, mostly teenagers. Also, Selena's most recent song, entitled "Only You", was released especially for 13 Reasons Why and has also attracted a lot of fans for the series.
2. Brandon Flynn (Who Plays Justin Foley) Was Bullied For Real in Middle School
While 13 Reasons Why is based on bullying in high-schools, the real story of Brandon Flynn (who plays Justin Foley in 13 Reasons Why) being bullied in Middle School and of behaving just like Jessica's character (played by Alisha Boe) by dealing with drugs and alcohol, significantly contributed to the credibility of the Netflix series. While sharing the story of him being bullied in school, Brandon also shared his joy to be able to bring awareness of these facts and to stand against such injustices. Also, the chaotic life and the bullying from the series are very similar to the ones that happen for real in high-schools nowadays, and this gained the hearts of so many teenagers that are victims of this kind of emotional, social and even physical attacks.
3. 13 Reasons Why Was Made After The Young Adult Novel Written By Jay Asher
After hitting #1 position in New York Times Best Sellers, the rights of Jay Asher's novel were bought by Universal Studios. This way, the novel constituted the basis of the series, but it wasn't copied, anyway, as a lot of aspects were changed in the Netflix Series. The new characters added and the completely different final of the book are only two of the differences between 13 Reasons Why novel and series. Consequently, the series kept awakening the interest of the ones who already read the novel, too, as it was unpredictable and unexpected.
Despite its millions of fans, 13 Reasons Why has attracted a lot of controversies and the most disappointed were the health professionals.
They claimed that the Netflix series doesn't communicate any real positive messages and it actually teaches self-harming in the last scene and also encourages bullied teenagers to blame everyone other than themselves and to commit suicide. So, after all, is this series worth its great popularity, or is it just a way of playing with the minds of teenagers just like the Blue Whale game?