A simple and heartfelt story of a normal BxB relationship

In Between the Series is definitely not the flashiest BL series that the surging Philippine market has to offer. It’s cast are basically newbies (both leads were student-athletes and this is Genesis’ first acting work), it does not offer romcom vibe, and to be honest, the trailer and sneek-peaks often portray the series as too dark, bland, and boring. So why watch this?

The story is rather simple. Best friends who turned lovers, until Tau (Migs Villasis) broke up with Tep (Genesis Redido) due to a reason that only he knows why. A birthday celebration turned reunion allowed them to meet once more, either to rekindle their relationship or end it for good.

Acting-wise, it was obviously awkward at first but the cast became comfortable as the episodes went. You can really see them as your own circle of friends, either during your childhood, school days, or adult life. Chemistry of the cast was on point. The leads are truly believable as friends-turned-lovers-turned exes. Overall, I can say that everyone adds value to the story. The emotions that they expressed were very natural. You can imagine yourself laughing, crying, teasing, getting jealous, or being serious just the way they portray it in the series.

Music is great, no doubt. Cinematography is one of the best out of all the Pinoy BL series.

So what are the weak points? I’d say there are two. First, the pacing. It was somewhat on the slow side even for a melancholic series. Fillers filled the start of the series and flashbacks ruled the latter parts. While I am into the idea of using them to emphasize the leads’ story ‘between their last goodbye and second hello’, I felt that they’ve used them a bit too much at some points. Second, the storyline and scriptwriting, while great at some areas, felt weak at some parts. There were sometimes when I thought that the time for the episode can be used to resolve some side issues, expose the sweet side of the lead and side couples more, or simply advance the story a tad faster rather than filling it with repetitive scenes. This is especially true considering that each episode has only around 13-16 minutes of real running time less credits, opening scenes, and other non-episode stuff.

Overall, I can say that this series is worth the watch and the time. If you can get past the fillers and flashbacks, you’ll surely get invested with the cast, the story, and the music. Also, it has one of the most satisfying yet believable endings out there. This is currently in my Top 5 best Pinoy BLs, though I can’t say the other four here. Hope to see a tighter, faster-paced Season 2 and Pangs Spin-Off.

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