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Amazon Prime Video's Off Campus has become the latest obsession of the Internet. Released worldwide on May 13, the series is yet another adaptation of a young adult novel series. The eight-episode series revolves around the lives of hockey players at Briar University. The complicated, steamy relationship between Garett Graham and Hannah Wells becomes the centre of the plot.

As soon as the series dropped, cuts and clips from the hockey drama began doing the rounds on social media. The lead character, Garett, reminded netizens of the famous Fisher brother from Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty. The love triangle in the initial episodes, the friends-to-lovers trope and relationship drama are quite reminiscent of the drama that revolved around Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah. However, the comparisons end there.
 

Off Campus is being viewed as The Summer I Turned Pretty's ‘hotter and more modern’ cousin. While the hockey drama has all the elements to keep the audience hooked, it is simply not right to compare it with the series that concluded its final season last year. Off Campus has its own moments, where it does shine better. The series is designed to be binge-watched with manufactured virality elements. While the series has its strength, the central romance between Hannah and Graham has nothing on the messy love triangle of Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah from The Summer I Turned Pretty. Here's why. Fair warning: Major plot-revealing spoilers ahead for both shows!

Chemistry between the lead stars (or the lack of it in Off Campus) 

Lola Tung, Christopher Briney and Gavin Casalegno gave memorable performances as Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah, respectively. The actors lived the characters throughout the three seasons of The Summer I Turned Pretty to put up an honest show. The chemistry between the stars shone not just in their romantic scenes but also in emotionally heavy montages. Be it a relationship or a friendship, the actors depicted the characters with utmost precision.
 

Style over substance 

The story of Off Campus felt rushed and underdeveloped. The series begins with a fake dating trope, which is abandoned midway with little to no explanation. Then it delves into a love triangle between Hannah, Justin and Garett, which is also skimmed over quickly. The plot of the series seems to rush towards giving Hannah and Garett a happy ending without truly exploring their dynamic completely. The intimate scenes and pillow talk take precedence over the organic growth in their relationship. Even the central romance between Hannah and Garett seems to be explored only at the surface level.

Supporting characters spark more intrigue in Off Campus 
 

It is a win for a movie or series if all characters generate intrigue among fans. However, in Off Campus, the story of Allie and Dean will keep you more hooked than the main characters. In fact, Logan's yearning for Hannah and his sister's life will leave you demanding more, something that the main plot point lacks. Characters like Taylor and Steven kept the audience hooked in The Summer I Turned Pretty as well, but they never hogged the limelight.

Treatment of stronger themes

Both The Summe I Turned Pretty and Off Campus explored important, serious themes. The former dealt with death, loss and an absentee father. While the new Prime Video show features tracks involving sexual assault and domestic violence. However, both these sensitive topics are only skimmed through. While the characters, in their most vulnerable state, confront their demons, the show cuts to their intimate moments. The series appears to be focusing more on the physical relationship between Hannah and Garett, even when their sensitive past demanded more screentime and attention.