**Link to the n*de guys**

The Disney Channel's Vampirina (2025) has the standard Disney teencom tropes: forbidden love, a secret identity, a performing arts high school: Vampire Vampirina Hauntley (really?) must hide her fangness from her mortal classmates, and falls in love with Elijah Van Helsing (Shaun Dixon), unaware that he is a Van Helsing, a born vampire slayer (wouldn't the names give them away?). But the creator is a lesbian, and one of the cast members is gay actor Aariq Manji.

Aariq, son or Rizwan Manji (Schitt's Creek, Peacemaker), has eight acting credits on the IMDB, including episodes of Shameless, Best Foot Forward, and Ramadan America. He starred in Blue Boy (2022), about an Indian-American boy who thinks he's an incarnation of Krishna (depicted with blue skin).

Turns out he's "just gay."

Sachir Bhatt (top photo), who plays a gay Marine in Boots (2025), plays the real Lord Krishna.

More probable representation: a Redditor complains that the vampire girl's companion, the ghost of a child who has been dead for 300 years (Milo Makarika), is a gay stereotype.

As of this writing, Milo Makarika is 12 years old. He quotes Aristotle, is a fan of Buster Keaton, and sang the Frank Sinatra fav "Fly Me to the Moon" at the Jazz Up Kids Concert in Thailand. Probably gay, too.

With all of that representation in the cast, there's bound to be some gay characters at the School for the Performing Arts, probably Cody, the Ghost Companion, and some extras. I'll review Episode 1.3, which has a school dance.

Scene 1: A teacher complains about having to hang banners for the Welcome Dance. Vampirina is all excited; "It's not every day that a vampire is invited to participate in a time-honored human tradition." Her Friend tells her that she needs to invite someone special, "someone who give you butterflies in your stomach." At least she doesn't specify that it has to be a boy.

Vampirina knows just who to ask, as Elijah walks by. Otherwise the hallway is deserted. Would it kill you to spring for some extras, Disney?

Scene 2: Elijah on his bunk in a room, examining the vampire-slaying stake that Mom sent him. Whoa, that set is as plastic and artificial as a department store window. So far I'm not pleased with the verisimiltude of this show. He's shocked by his destructive super-strength, but attributes it to working out too much.

A Mean Girl enters and points out that they're best friends, and Beautiful People, so they should go to the dance together. Nope, he's going to ask Vampirina. She tries to hide her disappointment.

Meanwhile, Vampirina and her Friend pick out their outfits for the dance, while Ghost Companion (Milo Makarika) frets: there's a Van Helsing lurking around, so it isn't safe.

In other news, famous DJ Mini Monster, an alumnus of the school, will be at the dance! So is this a school for paranormal beings?

Scene 3: The cafeteria. Teacher tells Vampirina's Friend that Mini Monster broke his wrist and can't DJ, so will she do it? So why mention him at all? "No, I'm just starting out, I haven't decided on a persona yet." Teacher knows that she took two cartons of milk at lunch, and blackmails her into agreeing. Kids need milk, lady. Why can't she have two?

Meanwhile, Elijah asks Vampirina to the dance with a heart-shaped pizza. Uh-oh, her fangs emerge and won't retract! She gets all flustered, covers her mouth, and runs away without giving him an answer.

More after the break

Scene 4: Ghost Companion is helping Vampirina's Friend find a DJ persona. Vampirina rushes in to complain that she ruined the dance invitation, and now her fangs won't go back in!

Ghost Companion assures her that there's nothing to worry about, she's just going through vampire puberty. They'll retract on their own eventually.

Scene 5: Vampirina decides to stay in the room until the fangs retract. Just put on a mask, say you have a sore throat or something. She asks her Friend to tell Elijah that she's sick, and can't go to the dance.

Back in his room, Elijah is still destroying things with his new super-strength, so he checks the family book and discovers that he's going through Van Helsing puberty. The Mean Girl drops by. Since Vampirina is sick, could they go together?

"Sure. I just have to tell Cody I'm sick, and can't go with him." Wouldn't he see you there?

Wait -- Cody is the one played by Aariq Manji. And he's straight? Well, maybe Ghost Companion will be gay, or there will be gay couples at the dance.

Scene 6: Vampirina awakens (I guess sunlight is ok for her). No fangs! "I've got to tell Elijah!" You can't keep changing your mind! On the way, she runs into the Mean Girl, who breaks the news that she's going with Elijah.

Vampirina still plans to go, so Mean Girl tells her that the theme is "Enchanted by the Bard." You have to wear an Elizabethan costume. She's playing Vampirina to humiliate her.

Scene 7: The dance. Everyone is dressed normally. No one is dancing except a boy with sunglasses (actor/model/dancer Nolan Bowers), and he's alone. Vampirina comes in wearing Elizabethan garb and is ridiculed. The Ghost Companion, dressed as Shakespeare, leads her out: "Let's just go back to your room and watch Paranormal Matchmaker." "No, that's what Mean Girl wants. I can't let her win."

Vampirina's Friend is missing also, so Ghost Companion tracks her down and gives her a pep talk. She doesn't need a persona, she's enough just as she is.

Scene 8: Back at the dance, the teacher is trying to dj ineptly. Vampirina's Friend enters and begins a song. Everyone begins dancing, but I don't see any couples.

It's time to pick the Prince and Princess with a dance battle. Vampirina vs. Mean Girl But Vampirina goes too far, using her super-powers and scaring everyone. Elijah and Mean Girl win the award. Wait -- doesn't Elijah get to battle someone?

Mean Girl apologizes for messing with Vampirina.

Scene 9: They're slow dancing now. I count at least six boy-girl couples and no same-sex pairs.

More stuff happens, but I'm wondering where Aariq Manji is. He's on the fan wiki but not on the IMDB or Wikipedia. I even went trhough three more episodes looking for him. Not there.

Update: Six hours later, he appears in the cast list of Episode 1.13, "First Power Trip," which won't stream for a week or so. But since Mean Girl was dating him, he's going to be straight. That leaves...Ghost Companion?

Nope. In one episode, he turns into a human somehow, and practices a song with Mean Girl. He cautions: "Don't fall in love with me." She promises not to, but he complains "They always do." Dude is straight.

My Grade: A gay showrunner and two gay actors, and it's heteronormativity all the way down. F.

Bonus: I went through almost the whole cast list, and none of the adult men have n*de photos online, so I'm posting some random South Asian guys on RG Beefcake and Boyfriends.

See also: "Deli Boys": Pakistani-American brothers learn a secret about their Dad. With a lot of gay characters and some bonus Pakistani d*cks