Padayon (2021) Episode 3: Pribilehiyo (Privilege)

I think I get what this series is trying to do. It's trying to present a boys' love (BL) story with clear Philippine societal issues as backdrop. On Episode 3: Pribilehiyo (Privilege), the discussion of issues like stereotypes for those wearing tattoo, victim-blaming in cases of rape, lack of facilities for online classes, poverty, etc. was much appreciated. My concern is that at times, the inclusion of these topics felt forced. It didn't seem natural and organic especially given that there's little excitement and romance on this series that usually characterize BL stories. On succeeding episodes, I hope this series is able to harmoniously fuse together the couple's chemistry with the social relevance it's trying to promote. Script wasn't as good as previous episodes. Acting was also off at times. Audio-visuals were uneven. Based on the preview, the next episode looks promising in terms of relationship development.

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