I'm going to rant about how misunderstood Dear Evan Hansen is because I swear to God no one understands complex characters. Before you guys ask, I do have diagnosed GAD and I don't exhibit symptoms the same way Evan does, but I know people who do.

The second, the SECOND there's a character with anxiety that you can't turn into your UwU child who can do no wrong, you immediately make him out as a disgrace. The show by no means excuses Evan's actions. Just because he wasn't physically punished doesn't mean that he's let off scot free. Did you forget that he lost the closest thing he's ever had to friends? Did you miss the part where he tried to say that he wasn't Connor's friend but then got tangled in a web of lies?

I'm not excusing his actions, he's not a perfect person, what he did was awful, but he's a three dimensional character. Calling Evan a sociopath is not only inaccurate, but it's also completely not okay. I'm sorry people with anxiety aren't perfect. Yes, saying that Evan was the hero is absolutely missing the point, but so is saying Evan was the villain.

Not only that but you'll then go and romanticize Jared and Connor and Alana (Two of whom also canonly have mental illness, and Jared implied to have something) and it really shows that there's never an in between. We either could do no wrong or are the worst people on Earth. I like Jared and Connor and Alana but they aren't perfect and neither is Evan, and they have good qualities as well.

Y'all love asking for morally grey characters but the second you actually get some, you criticize it.

As you can probably guess, Dear Evan Hansen means so much to me and it means so much to other people who dealt with mental illness. There's a reason why Waving Through A Window is such a popular song; because it's incredibly relatable. The score is good! It's just not in a musical theatre style, but it's still good! You Will Be Found is a good song! Even to break in a glove is way too overhated. Good For You and Requiem are some of my favorite songs just in a musical in general.

My intention here isn't to say that you have to like Dear Evan Hansen (It isn't without its flaws) but my intention is to say that it's entirely misunderstood. As someone with anxiety, thank you Dear Evan Hansen.

(Side Note: The movie wasn't as good as the musical but the movie wasn't that bad and I think that people overhate that movie as well.)