Subito Texto

Subito Texto follows the daily lives of a group of friends, and their 'frenemies', over several years as they move through junior/high school. While it reminds me of the Canadian teen show "Degrassi", and its reincarnation "Degrassi the Next Generation", Subito Texto has a unique feel to it: playing out in a suburban French setting, encompassing a broad number of main characters and their family members.

Like all teen shows, it offers you some typical storylines about cliques vs. Enemies, studious vs. Sporty types, cool vs. Geeky, but it also takes time to portray families and their unique compositions, culture, and traditions for the teens to (hopefully) follow.

A show appropriate for tweens, nothing ever goes completely wrong, and most stories end with a big hug among friends. It would have been nice to see more in-depth discussions around racism and gender roles, as these are vaguely touched upon without actually naming or resolving the issues

Watch out for those sweet moments of true friendships and strong family values, especially when tradition collides with growing pains (and first loves).

I recommend Subito Texto for teens and anglophones interested in a sweet storyline with goofy moments and all, and especially for beginner French language learners (level A1+ or A2).

I give Subito Texto a 4/5 for enhancing French language and PQ culture:

a. Language level: Simple/common teen language level of conversation

b. Conversation pace: Slow pace but can be challenging to follow without a strong French beginner level

c. Use of slang: A lot of local teen slang

d. Cultural insights: Definition of family, family traditions (breaking from them)

e. General interest: Sweet, light, teen drama.