Off Campus vs. TSITP
*SPOILERS AHEAD FOR OFF CAMPUS
I've been seeing a lot of online discourse surrounding TSITP vs. Prime's new YA book adaptation series, 'Off Campus,' that came out on May 13th. While I personally don't think that the comparison is to scale, considering the shows are completely different plots, settings, and romance tropes (no love triangle, ice hockey, college, etc.), I've seen people on TikTok saying that Off Campus beats TSITP by far. I don't know if it's because I'm such a big fan of TSITP, but to me, this seems outrageous.
I've watched almost all of Off Campus and can confidently say that the only couple I am rooting for is Dean and Allie. Garrett Graham just doesn't do it for me at all, compared to Conrad Fisher. The age difference between the two main leads (19 vs. 28) made me very uncomfortable, as to me, as a viewer, it was obvious she was much younger than him. And lastly, the acting. I have found the acting in Off Campus to be pretty terrible. Don't get me wrong, TSITP has had some questionable acting moments, too, but people online bashing the acting in TSITP when debating that Off Campus is better genuinely confuses me. To me personally, Lola and Chris have always stood out with their performances, specifically in S3, and it seems to be showing, considering the work a lot of the cast is getting post-series (Lola with The Young People, Chris with Hacks & The Julia Set). There have been multiple times I paused Off Campus because the acting was THAT bad.
Even the IMDb ratings differ, with Off Campus being 8.2/10 and TSITP being at 7.2/10.
I'm not hating on Off campus at all, as I said, I like Dean and Allie, and I'm sure it will get better as seasons progress. I also have not read any of the books from the series. However, in my opinion, this comparison does not even come close.
What do you guys think who have seen it? Is it because the Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy had a large book following ahead of the show premiering? Again, please don't think this is a direct hate post about Off Campus; this is just my opinion about the comparison that has been going around.
EDIT: Please remember I did say I don't find them comparable story wise, this is just what I have been seeing online. And please keep this discussion friendly, everyone is entitlied to their own opinion!