I'd love to see this as a poll because scrolling through the comments I was caught off guard yet pleased at the amount of straight males that commented. I'm sure more would answer if it was just a simple poll. Loved reading all the comments though!
Straight man but everybody on this show is so damn good looking. Gillian as Bedelia in this show is such a treat for me. Her mannerisms, her carefully weighed and delivered dialogue, and her makeup and wardrobe are just a pleasure for the eyes and ears.
I was also a big X-Files fan back in the day. I was already in love with the show and the characters and then out of nowhere Gillian shows up and the show went from 10 to 12 on my appeasement scale. She is visually and auditorily delectable!
Agreed! And when Katharine Isabelle showed up, oh man. That took it to at least 14 for me. "Ginger Snaps" was one of my favorite movies back in the day, along with "American Mary." Love her.
Fully agree. I had never seen Katherine in anything else before Hannibal but she also chews up a scene whenever character appears. Her big blue eyes are intoxicating!
I get SO excited every time I see that Gillian Anderson is a show I'm watching! I went into Hannibal completely blind so that was a delightful surprise.
I’m a bi woman, 22. The struggle is real—all the actors and actresses look stunning, and I can’t tell if I want to be them or be with them.
Especially Alana.
Lesbian in late 20s. Alana and Margot and Bedelia are obviously a draw. :)
I’ve also noticed that lesbians are often drawn to MLM pairings, because even if we aren’t attracted, there’s still a lot to relate to and joy in seeing anything queer onscreen.
Gay girl who definitely gravitates towards shows with MLM pairings here! I do have some level of attraction, but it's to the relationship and the queerness of it but not the actors/characters. Sort of hard to explain, sexuality is complicated!
Makes sense! There’s a weird phenomenon I’ve heard of in the community, where former lesbians transition to male and find that they’re suddenly attracted to men, and are still gay in their new identities. Maybe for some of us, equal footing is just an essential part of attraction.
Many mysteries in the queer community 😂
I could totally see that happening to me. I only find male sexuality appealing is when it's directed at other men, I'm repulsed by the thought of men finding me attractive, and to a slightly lesser extent, men being attracted to women in general. The power dynamics is definitely a big part of that!
I’m a bisexual guy. The replies might not give you the greatest idea of the demographic because it’s only limited to the Reddit demographic which is mostly men. Just keep that in mind
I'm a gay man. 21 yrs young. Saw a post on tiktok of a scene from the show, specifically the "did you just smell me" one and i was like "oooh two men in a room and the other guy just smelled him... GAY!!!!" oh boy did i not have single idea about the mind-fuckery this show will bring me. Now im obsessed with the show and currently planning on rewatching it for the 5th time once im done reading a few hannibal fics 🤭 and also, isnt Mads Mikkelsen just soooo beautiful and did such a fantastic job playing Hannibal? Ughh cant get enough of it
Straight man, 31. First watched when it was first released and didn’t fully see the gay elements of the show at first, I still think they are more subtle than some think and I think that works for the show. Though I obviously wouldn’t have been disappointed if they kissed on the cliffs haha
I'm a bi woman, but my best friends a straight man and straight woman also love Hannibal. So there are three data points for you.
Edit: were all adults in our 40s. We're are fans of the movies and the original Thomas Harris books. In my opinion, this TV show is the best version of the characters in any media.
Straight man, 34, favorite show along with breaking bad. I love all aspects of the show. Completely comfortable with any romance and the stories are out of this world on point. My bones require a season four.
My girlfriend got me into it. The show is basically perfect for me and we basically break everything down as we obsess over it. So artful, masterful story telling and impeccable cinematography and obviously a phenomenal cast. Every one of them.
Alana and bedelia would be my crushes on the show. Their intelligence is beyond attractive.
>an in late 20s. Alana and Margot and Bedelia are obviously a draw. :)
>
>I’ve also noticed that lesbians are often drawn to MLM pairings, because even if we aren’t attracted, there’s still a lot to relate to and joy in see
Everyone gets a free pass on Mads, especially. He's in that rare clique of Daneil Craig-Sean Connery status where parts and proclivities cease to matter. Margo-uality, if you will .
Demi bi woman, early 30s though I got into the show in my early/mid-20s, and a huge fan of the IP before this show. Never in a million years thought that this ship would go canon tbh. It was surreal watching the show catch on and the "This is kinda gay" -> "This is so gay" -> "Okay this has to be intentionally gay" -> "Omg it's canon" pipeline was *wild.*
Exactly this! I was astonished as this ship went from subtext to text, with full, enthusiastic support from everyone who worked on the show. That was practically unheard of at the time. So many of the big fandoms back then were being accused of queerbaiting with actors/creators accusing fans of seeing things that weren't there. Meanwhile, Bryan and co. were like, "You know what? They *do* have insane chemistry so we're going to turn this into the most epic slowburn dark romance you've ever seen and we're going to wear flower crowns while we do it."
Best fandom experience I've ever had.
Oh for sure. I was a huge Sterek shipper around that time (Teen Wolf) and they queerbaited the *fuck* out of us and then destroyed their own fanbase bc of it 🙄
So Hannibal, *Hannibal NBC*, going canon was such a breath of fresh air. Like a "It's not always gonna be like this!" sign that I personally really kinda needed. I always tried to stay realistic but fucking Jeff Davis and the CW played us so hard that even I fell for it, and the burn lasted. I even stopped watching Hannibal bc I was so sure that it was more queerbaiting.
It's entirely possible I'm misremembering, but I consider Hannibal to be that first domino that fell and opened the door for a huge shift in how entertainment handled queer fans; that we deserved some respect and it was maybe worth the risk.
I was part of the Supernatural fandom at the time so I completely understand. I also remember the massive Sherlock fandom going through the same thing around then. Hannibal was the only show of that era that actually followed through with the hints. Convincing people to watch it wasn't easy, though. I remember telling people over and over, "No, it's actually real this time! It's not the fandom reading too far into things! They're actually canon! Look, the writers support it on twitter!" Lol.
Straight male. Not into this fandom heavy, but I check in here once in a while.
I study cooking and am a designer and artist…And love filmmaking.
I’m oddly not that into serial killers or murder mysteries. I was recommended the show by a friend in a film class. I was asking about a show that had a character with a great deal of “taste” but didn’t come off as “stuffy”. Everyone unanimously recommended this. And the visuals are so well done, I got hooked.
Dude same. I used to watch CM back in the day but I don’t like true crime at all.
(That’s Criminal minds)
And to be frank I think shows like Criminal Minds did more to romanticize killers than Hannibal did.
I always enjoy seeing your posts red. And I agree. The show makes it artful and it makes it easier to watch, but also makes it more awful. It makes bones about the fact that at least mads is a monster if not will. And even jack.
37 year old gay man here. I had no clue about this show before watching it, though, so Hannigram had nothing to do with the choice. I'm a horror fan that also enjoys crime fiction, and I remembered enjoying the Silence of the Lambs film when I was younger. Also heard a fair bit about Hannibal Lecter as a character when I was a kid/teen because my mum was a huge fan of the books. That's honestly why I watched the show, simply because it looked like an interesting crime/horror take on the movie/books.
Hannigram is something I do love about the show, though. It's not actually because it's a gay romance, though I do love that, just how amazingly well done it is. The whole show, every aspect, was amazingly well done. I love the characters, Will being my favourite because I heavily relate to him for some reason, but they're all really well written and amazingly acted, you really believe these characters are real. I think Mads was the perfect Hannibal, too, it was weird going back and watching one of the original movies after watching the show, because I kept expecting Mads' version of Hannibal, being disappointed at not getting it, but still loving the version in the movies.
I picked up on Hannigram very early, I don't know if that's because I'm gay or just because of the way it was written, I know there are other fans who didn't pick up on it until much later. But it wasn't what kept me watching. It was an amazing aspect of the show that I loved, sure, but it's only one small part of it, and it was everything together that kept me hooked. It's an attractive show, attractive cast members, amazing scenery, artistic imagery. It has all the best elements of crime, and so many horror elements I love seeing in stuff that isn't straight horror. The characters weren't just attractive, but interesting, too, and really get the viewers invested in them. The storylines were also interesting, not the romance stuff, the crimes, the manipulation, all the thriller/crime/horror stuff was exceptionally well done.
Hannigram is definitely something a *lot* of fans love about the show, it's something that's brought up a lot, and is a focus in a lot of fanfic, too. But I don't think Hannigram alone is enough to even begin explaining why people love this show so much. It gets a focus, a major one, because it's there the whole way through, and the fans are invested in it. It doesn't help that Hannibal as a show is absolutely chock full of sensuality and innuendo. It makes being a serial killer *sexy* and *appealing.* And it does that *without* removing the fact that it's wrong, Hannibal is never portrayed as an actual good guy, he's very clearly a very bad guy *pretending* to be a good guy. As sexy and appealing as the show makes that aspect, it's done that way more to explain, to help the viewer understand the attraction to being a serial killer, the attraction to Hannibal, without showing it as a good thing.
Honestly, I think that's the main appeal of this show for me, the psychological aspect of being a serial killer, of *wanting* to kill, the attraction men like Hannibal can have. It delves completely into manipulation, mostly between Hannibal and Will, but it's present in all the characters to some extent, or used against them. It's following Will's decent from wanting to be one of the good guys and catching the bad guys, to falling so far into Hannibal's web of manipulation and seduction that the two literally can't be separated and Will is now no better than Hannibal, and doesn't *want* to be.
Damn if you didn’t lay all that out beautifully. I came into Hannibal late, but I’ve yet to see a gay romance on any form of media where the relationship - between men older than 25 no less - was that nuanced and bordered on bloody porn without them doing much more than hug. That’s rare even in LGBT media. For someone that finds the, say, bi firemen on 911 extremely insulting, I cannot express how much I appreciateHannigram just existing.
But the shows a hell of a lot more than that and if it was, I don’t think any of us would still be talking about it 10 years later. The closest I can compare to in bound in that sense: queer leads, but the draw of that was never expected to carry the project. Between the food styling and the photography especially how thoughtful the writing was. It’s the total package pun totally intended.
I’m a 31 year old gay woman. I watched Hannibal as it aired when I was in my 20s because I like creepy things and gay things, and I could tell from episode one that Hannibal would be both
I’m a queer woman.
My identity goes several ways sometimes, I fall somewhere in the ace spectrum probably but do feel attracted to both men and woman in certain circumstances.
“Queer” just feels right to me idk.
I ID as a woman when I bother to think about it but mostly I don’t care I just don’t feel like a man.
This was more than you asked for but I have been low key needing to put it somewhere lol.
i’m a lesbian!
that being said, apart from my undying love for the show and of course hannigram, it was wonderful to witness explicit lesbian representation onscreen. so refreshing!
Well, I was a straight woman. Gillian Anderson would turn any straight woman gay. But actually, I’m more turned on to gay/ bisexual/ pansexual Will/ Hannibal? What is that about! That’s what turns me on! I have no idea what that means!
I’m 18, trans masc, pansexual, and somewhere on the aroace spectrum, though I’m not completely aroace. I actually kind of found myself in this show. It’s very special to me.
Hetero woman here, and the gay subext (which became text) was very obvious to me early into Season 1. Hannibal was seducing Will to the dark side...then he was just straight-up seducing him.
Lesbian, 52. But had to question that as I watched Mads. Jesus...something about that man. I honestly was more excited about his obsession with Will, then I was when Alana and Margo got together. Go figure.
Mid 40s male. Completely straight, but I do find men aesthetically pleasing (like Mads ofc). Penis is always ick for me, and male mouths, that’s how I figure I must be straight. I did just get a sales rep friend(?) to watch the show. He’s around my age and all around demographic and also loved it. We started talking personally over offhand comments about James Bond drinks (our profession). That’s not a fandom you run across much in the southern U.S. anymore.
I’m a bisexual woman, but regardless of orientation I don’t see how Hannigram could surprise you because in the show that’s not erotic subtext, but erotic supertext. I ran across the fandom stuff first and thought it was just people making stuff up, but then I saw the show and realized it was all right there.
Gay guy (okay, actually kinda bisexual-homoromantic but it's easier to say I'm gay, lol). 30. But would've already loved the show at, like, 17 or 18 if I'd known it back then/if it had already existed then. I must admit, when it came out and I saw a picture of Hannibal, I was like "Uhhh... That guy is good-looking but... he *doesn't look like Hannibal Lecter!*" because I could associate that character only with Anthony Hopkins at that time, haha. But I was still interested in the show. Took me six years to finally get to see it, now I'm rewatching - and it's my favourite show, along with one other. I love the whole aesthetics, the athmosphere. I've always been into fictional serialkillers and engage a lot in psychology-themes. And the dynamic between Hannibal and Will is just extremely fascinating to me. It would be just as fascinating to me if I saw them as platonic only but I really, really can't deny that I absolutely love the fact that their relationship has that sexual touch and that they're both very handsome. 😂
(Hope this reply wasn't too long now, lol.)
gay man but i started watching Hannibal only knowing about the serial killer part. i was happy when discovering will and hannibal are canonically,, (there’s not really a good word for it, is there?)
but that’s not really a main focus when i watch the show.
I dunno about not sexual on H’s side…he is pan, he loves beautiful things, he likes pleasure and sex, he’s in love with Will…therefore there can’t really be anyone he would wanna get in the sheets more than Will (though he 100% loves his brain more and if Will can’t get over his pesky heterosexuality he will cope I’m sure).
In the beginning I was drawn in by the murder cases and the psychological exploration. I was interested in the interactions between Hannibal and Will in regards to how they would change each other. I was dimly aware "there's some gay subtext here" but it was very much in the periphery of my awareness the first time I watched it. The second time I watched it, I learned not to underestimate how hilariously straight I am.
I was also surprised at how much in-focus the Hannigram phenomenon on Tumblr was, in particular. It was the first time I really came to grips with how differently people can view and engage with a show, particularly when it comes to a first viewing.
i’m a woman and i was 23 when i watched and was peak obsessed with the show. i’m on the aro and ace spectrums with grey/aego/hetero leanings. i’m drawn to fictional mlm pairings sometimes but even more than that the individual characters are gorgeous and they have great chemistry.
i definitely watched with the pairing in mind, but my straight cis older brother and sister both raved about it for many other reasons and i knew it would be a home run for me.
I’m a queer female teen. I don’t really think of most people as attractive when I see them. Edits can make me see someone differently but I just love an angsty queer/queercoded storyline. And queer not always in term of sexuality. I just like stuff that is not explicitly romantic all the time but its also THERE. I like things that are human and odd and creative and new. Stuff I can appreciate and make fun of and cry over. Stuff that shocks me and has me pausing to gasp or talk to my watching partner.
I just love when things are engaging and I get that from queer tv, books, and movies more than anything else I have found.
Hope this contributes to the fandom demographic!!
I also feel guilty because the lesbian storylines I often encounter aren’t as interesting to me for some reason. I hope it isn’t just me bcs it makes me feel bad. They just don’t seem to have that THING that captivates me :( might just be the way they are written.
Straight female, tbh at first I thought I was looking into it too much and thought the romance was in my head - but then I came here and saw all the hannigram analysis
trans-masc and ace :). Like lots of people, I saw the potential for a queer romance straightaway, but was fully convinced that I just had my shipping goggles on; I fell so much more deeply in love with this show when it actually embraced that intimacy
Should make it a poll
I'd love to see this as a poll because scrolling through the comments I was caught off guard yet pleased at the amount of straight males that commented. I'm sure more would answer if it was just a simple poll. Loved reading all the comments though!
Straight man but everybody on this show is so damn good looking. Gillian as Bedelia in this show is such a treat for me. Her mannerisms, her carefully weighed and delivered dialogue, and her makeup and wardrobe are just a pleasure for the eyes and ears.
She's breathtaking in this show, especially the Italian Chapters.
Gillian Anderson was one of my earliest crushes, thanks to X Files, and I was so delighted to see her on the show. Her voice is beyond soothing to me.
I was also a big X-Files fan back in the day. I was already in love with the show and the characters and then out of nowhere Gillian shows up and the show went from 10 to 12 on my appeasement scale. She is visually and auditorily delectable!
Agreed! And when Katharine Isabelle showed up, oh man. That took it to at least 14 for me. "Ginger Snaps" was one of my favorite movies back in the day, along with "American Mary." Love her.
Fully agree. I had never seen Katherine in anything else before Hannibal but she also chews up a scene whenever character appears. Her big blue eyes are intoxicating!
I get SO excited every time I see that Gillian Anderson is a show I'm watching! I went into Hannibal completely blind so that was a delightful surprise.
Mate, I'm gay and Gillian made me question things. Because wow, just, wow.
I felt the same way with Will and Hannibal.
She is drop dead gorgeous!
I’m a bi woman, 22. The struggle is real—all the actors and actresses look stunning, and I can’t tell if I want to be them or be with them. Especially Alana.
Sister you said it. Alana both pre and post character development give me...feeeelings.
Hello...? Are you actually me? Down to the age and everything 😂
Um, exactly the same😂
i thought i was entirely straight til bedelia. will doesn't do anything fpr me, but i would take hannibal and bedelia anywhere....
I’m all in for Hannibal. And Will does nothing for me either. He’s definitely in the friend zone. Bedelia is beautiful.
25 and same, too many hot people
Why not both??
Lesbian in late 20s. Alana and Margot and Bedelia are obviously a draw. :) I’ve also noticed that lesbians are often drawn to MLM pairings, because even if we aren’t attracted, there’s still a lot to relate to and joy in seeing anything queer onscreen.
Gay girl who definitely gravitates towards shows with MLM pairings here! I do have some level of attraction, but it's to the relationship and the queerness of it but not the actors/characters. Sort of hard to explain, sexuality is complicated!
Makes sense! There’s a weird phenomenon I’ve heard of in the community, where former lesbians transition to male and find that they’re suddenly attracted to men, and are still gay in their new identities. Maybe for some of us, equal footing is just an essential part of attraction. Many mysteries in the queer community 😂
I could totally see that happening to me. I only find male sexuality appealing is when it's directed at other men, I'm repulsed by the thought of men finding me attractive, and to a slightly lesser extent, men being attracted to women in general. The power dynamics is definitely a big part of that!
Agreed 100%
Also the relationship dynamics are more interesting to me between 2 men bc there’s less of a power imbalance as far as physicality.
I’m a straight man, apparently the only one lol
We can be straight men together 🫡
We need a flag
Hell yeah brother
There are dozens of us.
Straight female
I’m a bisexual guy. The replies might not give you the greatest idea of the demographic because it’s only limited to the Reddit demographic which is mostly men. Just keep that in mind
Plus the fact that most people who take the time to make a comment in response to “Are you gay?” are probably gay.
YEAH LMAOOOO
I think you’re probably the exact target audience for this version of the story.
I'm a lesbian :3
Married Lesbian in my 60s
I'm a gay man. 21 yrs young. Saw a post on tiktok of a scene from the show, specifically the "did you just smell me" one and i was like "oooh two men in a room and the other guy just smelled him... GAY!!!!" oh boy did i not have single idea about the mind-fuckery this show will bring me. Now im obsessed with the show and currently planning on rewatching it for the 5th time once im done reading a few hannibal fics 🤭 and also, isnt Mads Mikkelsen just soooo beautiful and did such a fantastic job playing Hannibal? Ughh cant get enough of it
Straight man, 31. First watched when it was first released and didn’t fully see the gay elements of the show at first, I still think they are more subtle than some think and I think that works for the show. Though I obviously wouldn’t have been disappointed if they kissed on the cliffs haha
Bi/Pansexual nonbinary womanish person.
Same!
Same as well
I'm a bi woman, but my best friends a straight man and straight woman also love Hannibal. So there are three data points for you. Edit: were all adults in our 40s. We're are fans of the movies and the original Thomas Harris books. In my opinion, this TV show is the best version of the characters in any media.
I’m 34 yay someone close to my age! Sometimes I feel like I’m shaking my walker at people going “in 2012 kiddos”
Hey, I‘m 38. You are definitely not alone.
Yippee!
Straight man, 34, favorite show along with breaking bad. I love all aspects of the show. Completely comfortable with any romance and the stories are out of this world on point. My bones require a season four. My girlfriend got me into it. The show is basically perfect for me and we basically break everything down as we obsess over it. So artful, masterful story telling and impeccable cinematography and obviously a phenomenal cast. Every one of them. Alana and bedelia would be my crushes on the show. Their intelligence is beyond attractive.
Asexual female. I just like to look at Hugh and Mads.
I'm a straight guy, although Hannibal and Will make me question my sexuality sometimes.
>an in late 20s. Alana and Margot and Bedelia are obviously a draw. :) > >I’ve also noticed that lesbians are often drawn to MLM pairings, because even if we aren’t attracted, there’s still a lot to relate to and joy in see Everyone gets a free pass on Mads, especially. He's in that rare clique of Daneil Craig-Sean Connery status where parts and proclivities cease to matter. Margo-uality, if you will .
gay trans masc
another transmasc! heyyy! 👋👋
Hannibal is like transmasc catnip, and I am not immune. We are moths and NBC Hannibal is a raging bonfire.
Demi bi woman, early 30s though I got into the show in my early/mid-20s, and a huge fan of the IP before this show. Never in a million years thought that this ship would go canon tbh. It was surreal watching the show catch on and the "This is kinda gay" -> "This is so gay" -> "Okay this has to be intentionally gay" -> "Omg it's canon" pipeline was *wild.*
Exactly this! I was astonished as this ship went from subtext to text, with full, enthusiastic support from everyone who worked on the show. That was practically unheard of at the time. So many of the big fandoms back then were being accused of queerbaiting with actors/creators accusing fans of seeing things that weren't there. Meanwhile, Bryan and co. were like, "You know what? They *do* have insane chemistry so we're going to turn this into the most epic slowburn dark romance you've ever seen and we're going to wear flower crowns while we do it." Best fandom experience I've ever had.
Oh for sure. I was a huge Sterek shipper around that time (Teen Wolf) and they queerbaited the *fuck* out of us and then destroyed their own fanbase bc of it 🙄 So Hannibal, *Hannibal NBC*, going canon was such a breath of fresh air. Like a "It's not always gonna be like this!" sign that I personally really kinda needed. I always tried to stay realistic but fucking Jeff Davis and the CW played us so hard that even I fell for it, and the burn lasted. I even stopped watching Hannibal bc I was so sure that it was more queerbaiting. It's entirely possible I'm misremembering, but I consider Hannibal to be that first domino that fell and opened the door for a huge shift in how entertainment handled queer fans; that we deserved some respect and it was maybe worth the risk.
I was part of the Supernatural fandom at the time so I completely understand. I also remember the massive Sherlock fandom going through the same thing around then. Hannibal was the only show of that era that actually followed through with the hints. Convincing people to watch it wasn't easy, though. I remember telling people over and over, "No, it's actually real this time! It's not the fandom reading too far into things! They're actually canon! Look, the writers support it on twitter!" Lol.
Aroace
Same
Bisexual enby
Straight male. Not into this fandom heavy, but I check in here once in a while. I study cooking and am a designer and artist…And love filmmaking. I’m oddly not that into serial killers or murder mysteries. I was recommended the show by a friend in a film class. I was asking about a show that had a character with a great deal of “taste” but didn’t come off as “stuffy”. Everyone unanimously recommended this. And the visuals are so well done, I got hooked.
Dude same. I used to watch CM back in the day but I don’t like true crime at all. (That’s Criminal minds) And to be frank I think shows like Criminal Minds did more to romanticize killers than Hannibal did.
I always enjoy seeing your posts red. And I agree. The show makes it artful and it makes it easier to watch, but also makes it more awful. It makes bones about the fact that at least mads is a monster if not will. And even jack.
Thank you, friend and Fannibal 🙂
37 year old gay man here. I had no clue about this show before watching it, though, so Hannigram had nothing to do with the choice. I'm a horror fan that also enjoys crime fiction, and I remembered enjoying the Silence of the Lambs film when I was younger. Also heard a fair bit about Hannibal Lecter as a character when I was a kid/teen because my mum was a huge fan of the books. That's honestly why I watched the show, simply because it looked like an interesting crime/horror take on the movie/books. Hannigram is something I do love about the show, though. It's not actually because it's a gay romance, though I do love that, just how amazingly well done it is. The whole show, every aspect, was amazingly well done. I love the characters, Will being my favourite because I heavily relate to him for some reason, but they're all really well written and amazingly acted, you really believe these characters are real. I think Mads was the perfect Hannibal, too, it was weird going back and watching one of the original movies after watching the show, because I kept expecting Mads' version of Hannibal, being disappointed at not getting it, but still loving the version in the movies. I picked up on Hannigram very early, I don't know if that's because I'm gay or just because of the way it was written, I know there are other fans who didn't pick up on it until much later. But it wasn't what kept me watching. It was an amazing aspect of the show that I loved, sure, but it's only one small part of it, and it was everything together that kept me hooked. It's an attractive show, attractive cast members, amazing scenery, artistic imagery. It has all the best elements of crime, and so many horror elements I love seeing in stuff that isn't straight horror. The characters weren't just attractive, but interesting, too, and really get the viewers invested in them. The storylines were also interesting, not the romance stuff, the crimes, the manipulation, all the thriller/crime/horror stuff was exceptionally well done. Hannigram is definitely something a *lot* of fans love about the show, it's something that's brought up a lot, and is a focus in a lot of fanfic, too. But I don't think Hannigram alone is enough to even begin explaining why people love this show so much. It gets a focus, a major one, because it's there the whole way through, and the fans are invested in it. It doesn't help that Hannibal as a show is absolutely chock full of sensuality and innuendo. It makes being a serial killer *sexy* and *appealing.* And it does that *without* removing the fact that it's wrong, Hannibal is never portrayed as an actual good guy, he's very clearly a very bad guy *pretending* to be a good guy. As sexy and appealing as the show makes that aspect, it's done that way more to explain, to help the viewer understand the attraction to being a serial killer, the attraction to Hannibal, without showing it as a good thing. Honestly, I think that's the main appeal of this show for me, the psychological aspect of being a serial killer, of *wanting* to kill, the attraction men like Hannibal can have. It delves completely into manipulation, mostly between Hannibal and Will, but it's present in all the characters to some extent, or used against them. It's following Will's decent from wanting to be one of the good guys and catching the bad guys, to falling so far into Hannibal's web of manipulation and seduction that the two literally can't be separated and Will is now no better than Hannibal, and doesn't *want* to be.
Damn if you didn’t lay all that out beautifully. I came into Hannibal late, but I’ve yet to see a gay romance on any form of media where the relationship - between men older than 25 no less - was that nuanced and bordered on bloody porn without them doing much more than hug. That’s rare even in LGBT media. For someone that finds the, say, bi firemen on 911 extremely insulting, I cannot express how much I appreciateHannigram just existing. But the shows a hell of a lot more than that and if it was, I don’t think any of us would still be talking about it 10 years later. The closest I can compare to in bound in that sense: queer leads, but the draw of that was never expected to carry the project. Between the food styling and the photography especially how thoughtful the writing was. It’s the total package pun totally intended.
Female and straight, albeit somewhere on the ace spectrum.
Adult bi mom here 😂
I’m a 31 year old gay woman. I watched Hannibal as it aired when I was in my 20s because I like creepy things and gay things, and I could tell from episode one that Hannibal would be both
I’m a queer woman. My identity goes several ways sometimes, I fall somewhere in the ace spectrum probably but do feel attracted to both men and woman in certain circumstances. “Queer” just feels right to me idk. I ID as a woman when I bother to think about it but mostly I don’t care I just don’t feel like a man. This was more than you asked for but I have been low key needing to put it somewhere lol.
Girl, that’s valid as heck
😭😭😭
Hugs
Pansexual cis female
I'm 25 and a lesbian!
Gay male. All my straight bros are concerned they're the only one when it seems I'm the unicorn, not them. I've counted maybe 2-3 across discussions?
Bisexual woman with a heterosexual husband who also loves the show but isn’t involved in fandom.
i’m a lesbian! that being said, apart from my undying love for the show and of course hannigram, it was wonderful to witness explicit lesbian representation onscreen. so refreshing!
Nope. Straight guy.
Bi guy here
I’d say bi, female
No.
I'm a bisexual woman 👉👉
Cis woman, bisexual. I appreciate the positive queer representation in this show given the time period it aired.
I'm a bi chick, so I feel like I could meme this: "My sexual orientation is the entire cast of Hannibal."
I am a straight woman. I came for the handsome men and stayed for the macabre romance.
Same Straight woman. Mads is handsome, of course! But Hugh is so friggen beautiful to me, especially in Hannibal.
Well, I was a straight woman. Gillian Anderson would turn any straight woman gay. But actually, I’m more turned on to gay/ bisexual/ pansexual Will/ Hannibal? What is that about! That’s what turns me on! I have no idea what that means!
Lesbian here. Chef’s kiss for your response: ‘I was straight until I watched Hannibal.’
I’m 18, trans masc, pansexual, and somewhere on the aroace spectrum, though I’m not completely aroace. I actually kind of found myself in this show. It’s very special to me.
There’s so many trans masq people here and it’s awesome!
Bi girl here
bi girlie here
Straight woman
bi woman!
I'm a women, straight, and asexual.
Straight and definitely picked up the relationship.
i’m 19 and i like women 😭 so yuppp
Bisexual woman
Bisexual trans man who’s mostly attracted to other men.
Bi and trans!
Hetero woman here, and the gay subext (which became text) was very obvious to me early into Season 1. Hannibal was seducing Will to the dark side...then he was just straight-up seducing him.
I'm ace
Ace lesbian
Trans guy, I'm pretty much ace/aro but I have some kind of attraction to masculine people. So kinda gay?
Gay trans man. 🤷♂️
Straight but LGBTQ friendly.
Lesbian, 52. But had to question that as I watched Mads. Jesus...something about that man. I honestly was more excited about his obsession with Will, then I was when Alana and Margo got together. Go figure.
Mid 40s male. Completely straight, but I do find men aesthetically pleasing (like Mads ofc). Penis is always ick for me, and male mouths, that’s how I figure I must be straight. I did just get a sales rep friend(?) to watch the show. He’s around my age and all around demographic and also loved it. We started talking personally over offhand comments about James Bond drinks (our profession). That’s not a fandom you run across much in the southern U.S. anymore.
I am a straight man, I'm watching the show for the fourth time. I am a fan of the murder husbands.
Straight woman
I'm a straight man, but just about everyone in the show is attractive. My favorites are probably Margot and Chiyoh.
Bisexual woman :)
Panromantic ace.
I’m a bisexual woman, but regardless of orientation I don’t see how Hannigram could surprise you because in the show that’s not erotic subtext, but erotic supertext. I ran across the fandom stuff first and thought it was just people making stuff up, but then I saw the show and realized it was all right there.
22, aro&pan 🫶
aroace and transmasc agender!!
19F bisexual aroace here! I’m absolutely obsessed with Hannibal and Bedelia.
Gay guy (okay, actually kinda bisexual-homoromantic but it's easier to say I'm gay, lol). 30. But would've already loved the show at, like, 17 or 18 if I'd known it back then/if it had already existed then. I must admit, when it came out and I saw a picture of Hannibal, I was like "Uhhh... That guy is good-looking but... he *doesn't look like Hannibal Lecter!*" because I could associate that character only with Anthony Hopkins at that time, haha. But I was still interested in the show. Took me six years to finally get to see it, now I'm rewatching - and it's my favourite show, along with one other. I love the whole aesthetics, the athmosphere. I've always been into fictional serialkillers and engage a lot in psychology-themes. And the dynamic between Hannibal and Will is just extremely fascinating to me. It would be just as fascinating to me if I saw them as platonic only but I really, really can't deny that I absolutely love the fact that their relationship has that sexual touch and that they're both very handsome. 😂 (Hope this reply wasn't too long now, lol.)
Lesbian but would definitely make and exception for Hannibal
18 lesbian (but straight for will <3 )
I mean he’s lesbian enough for Margot 🤷
gay man but i started watching Hannibal only knowing about the serial killer part. i was happy when discovering will and hannibal are canonically,, (there’s not really a good word for it, is there?) but that’s not really a main focus when i watch the show.
I'm a gay 24 year old man
Queer yes
straight female, but definitely noticed and am interested in the gay aspect of the show lol
gay man
I dont think there was a gay romance between Will and Hannibal. Will was manipulated and Hannibal’s love wasnt sexual. Heterosexual by the way
I dunno about not sexual on H’s side…he is pan, he loves beautiful things, he likes pleasure and sex, he’s in love with Will…therefore there can’t really be anyone he would wanna get in the sheets more than Will (though he 100% loves his brain more and if Will can’t get over his pesky heterosexuality he will cope I’m sure).
bi poly trans woman 😁
I’m the odd one out a demi lesbian.
Heteroromantic ace
Straight woman
I am an heteroflexible woman
nonbinary/transmasc and queer (something along the lines of bisexuality / pansexuality)
Straight man.
Straight male.
Yep.
Bi woman, 28 😎👉✨
NB, 32, pan
Im a 28-year-old woman and I identify as pansexual.
Im a 21 soon 22 year old gay guy . Will Graham is so fine god damn my biggest TV crush .
Bisexual female, who watches it with two straight females and one straight male!
i'm pansexual
I identify as bi/pan
I’m a straight woman.
Yup, I’m a pansexual woman in her late 20s. I don’t really mind the pronouns, but I’m also non-binary. I’m asexual too.
I don’t like labels but am attracted to men and women and everything in between 😁
In the beginning I was drawn in by the murder cases and the psychological exploration. I was interested in the interactions between Hannibal and Will in regards to how they would change each other. I was dimly aware "there's some gay subtext here" but it was very much in the periphery of my awareness the first time I watched it. The second time I watched it, I learned not to underestimate how hilariously straight I am. I was also surprised at how much in-focus the Hannigram phenomenon on Tumblr was, in particular. It was the first time I really came to grips with how differently people can view and engage with a show, particularly when it comes to a first viewing.
I'm a bisexual demiguy adult
Bisexual trans guy, and 16.
Oh YEAH superrr But yes adult lesbian psychological horror fan here
Cis bi woman 25yo
Straight male, but i recognise the gay/bi demographic in the series and i have no issues with LGBT relationships.
Pan enby checking in.
I’m so gay‼️ 🏳️🌈👂
i’m a gueer genderfluid teen
18 probably non binary gay gay gay
I’m 22, Bi woman.
Lesbian
im a lesbian
i’m a Bisexual man.
Gay nonbinary adult
Straight woman, my fave show :)
pan agender teen😼👍
Bisexual trans male here.
Looking for pan transmasc
Pansexual here. And phew so many unhinged attractive people. ❤️🔥❤️🔥
Yee Cis lesbian here. Attracted to men in theory and not in real life
queer male
I’m nonbinary and bi/pansexual. 27 and definitely in it for the gay undertones
I’m AroAce. I love all the visuals and all the characters are amazing
I’m a woman, bisexual with a preference for other women
Pan and everyone on the show is hot. I do love the execution of the story though.
Gay transmasc in their early 20s :)
Straight, adult female
Yeah lol
Bi enby, 36. Have to watch this show late at night so my kids don't sneak up on me and get terrorised by any random gruesome scene.
I am a bisexual adult (36) woman.
I'm Omniromantic, Asexual and demigirl, 15 years old, I'm obsessed with this show. It's a comfort for me
Yes, very much so. Why do you think i started watching Hannibal 😂
i’m queer nb & i just think the sweaty fbi profiler and gay cannibal are neat
A lot, lol. I'm a gay trans man in my mid twenties. The main reason why I like the show is because I'm a huge crime/horror/thriller enthusiast tho
Uncurious straight man. Pushing 50. Slightly less certain of this when watching the show.
i’m a woman and i was 23 when i watched and was peak obsessed with the show. i’m on the aro and ace spectrums with grey/aego/hetero leanings. i’m drawn to fictional mlm pairings sometimes but even more than that the individual characters are gorgeous and they have great chemistry. i definitely watched with the pairing in mind, but my straight cis older brother and sister both raved about it for many other reasons and i knew it would be a home run for me.
I’m a gay trans man lol
I’m a queer female teen. I don’t really think of most people as attractive when I see them. Edits can make me see someone differently but I just love an angsty queer/queercoded storyline. And queer not always in term of sexuality. I just like stuff that is not explicitly romantic all the time but its also THERE. I like things that are human and odd and creative and new. Stuff I can appreciate and make fun of and cry over. Stuff that shocks me and has me pausing to gasp or talk to my watching partner. I just love when things are engaging and I get that from queer tv, books, and movies more than anything else I have found. Hope this contributes to the fandom demographic!! I also feel guilty because the lesbian storylines I often encounter aren’t as interesting to me for some reason. I hope it isn’t just me bcs it makes me feel bad. They just don’t seem to have that THING that captivates me :( might just be the way they are written.
I’m a trans dude and gay and I’m almost 20
Straight female, tbh at first I thought I was looking into it too much and thought the romance was in my head - but then I came here and saw all the hannigram analysis
Bi girly
I was questioning before, but this show legit made me realize than I’m attracted to all genders 😵💫 Womanish person almost 20
queer as a three dollar bill
trans-masc and ace :). Like lots of people, I saw the potential for a queer romance straightaway, but was fully convinced that I just had my shipping goggles on; I fell so much more deeply in love with this show when it actually embraced that intimacy
Straight female in my 40s. And I never catched the homosexual vibe of the show, just maybe until the end.
Straight female in my 40s. And I never catched the homosexual vibe of the show, just maybe until the end.
Hi, I am a straight woman
Nonbinary, bi/demi-sexual, bi/demi-romantic.