Have you ever felt like you were in love with something when you only have seen it for, like, five minutes? 

Well, that’s how I feel when watching “On My Block,” an original Netflix series with a total of three seasons and 28 episodes. Directed by Lauren Lungerich, Jeremy Haft, and Eddie Gonzalez, “On My Block” follows a quartet of bright, street-savvy friends who are navigating their way through high school, including all of the triumph, pain, and newness they experience along the way. Lifelong friendships are tested as Monse, Ruby, Jamal, and Cesar confront the challenges of adolescence and life in their predominantly Hispanic and black neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles in this coming-of-age comedy series.

My expectations were not high, only because a lot of people were talking about it and not in a good way. I’m going to be honest, through the first couple of episodes I didn’t really care for this show. But in the third episode, everything picked up and I fell in love. I ended up watching Season 1 in less than a day. This show made me laugh and cry at the same time. The storyline was so interesting that I couldn’t help it but to watch Season 2 and finish it on the same day. I liked how much I could relate to it, I liked how it comes from a perspective that relates to many kids who live in communities like ours in Passaic. 

The show also stressed the importance of family and how much teenagers overcome during their high school years. Netflix did a great job of touching on a lot of sensitive topics, including poverty, race, gangs, gun violence, gender identity, and social status. 

Passaic Preparatory Academy students had a lot to say about this show, too, especially after “On My Block” won our poll of most popular Netflix shows.  

“I think it’s a good show because it deals with issues that occur in neighborhoods like ours, but of course it is also comedic and exaggerated for entertainment purposes,” said Nathfelli Garcia, a junior. “I would definitely recommend it to others.” 

Prep student Hansel Villar, who voted for this show in the poll, said, “What I liked most about it is that it deals with high school problems that eventually people have to deal with. It’s a coming-of-age story. It also talks about how family has a great influence on you.”

If you don’t know what to watch, especially during this quarantine, you should definitely check out “On My Block.” Just do yourself a favor and don’t be like me and watch it all in a day, because you will be, like me, waiting a long time for the next season to come out. 

The final word: I would definitely say “On My Block” rates a 9.5 out of 10. It was a good show, but it took some time for it to really catch my attention. I recommend that everyone watch it.