Oh, Mando! (2020)

Oh, Mando! (2020): A First-Class Pinoy BL Series

Exceptional plot/storyline, superb performance, and wonderful production -- “Oh, Mando!” had all these plus more (like super hot and sexy lead stars, lol!). “Oh, Mando!” is a first-class Filipino (Pinoy) boys’ love (BL) series. It’s a Pinoy romantic comedy (romcom) series with metaphorical fantasy elements in dream sequences.

The symbolic fantasy elements of “Oh, Mando!,” that revolved around gay Rapunzel and Paps Charming, represented real-life issues like family relations; gender identities, sexual orientations, and sexual expressions; and even suicidal tendencies. These issues were clearly shown in the lives of the main characters of this series. Mando, Barry, and Krisha had good character background, depth, and development. Mando was in denial of being gay primarily because he blamed himself for his mother leaving him and his father for a lesbian lover. Bisexual/fluid Barry got cheated on by a boyfriend but he also cheated on his beloved sister Krisha, who was in love with Mando. Hurting his sister drove him to attempt to commit suicide. In more ways than one, Barry and Mando were both problematic characters. Ever since, I’m drawn to flawed characters because they’re realistic and relatable and most of the time, redeemable. There’s no question about it, cheating wasn’t right and what Barry and Mando did behind Krisha’s back was awful. There were no excuses for cheating on this series. And trying to kill yourself will not solve anything. Mando and Barry realized they’re wrong. It took a while, but in the end, time healed all the wounds of the past. Krisha became the star she’s meant to be and she found happiness with her new boyfriend. Barry and Mando were also content with a second chance at being together. But aside from the solid characterizations of Mando, Barry, and Krisha, the support characters were also strong. The stories of the reassuring parents, true friends, and unapologetic professor were seamlessly incorporated into the plot/storyline of this series. Sure, I would have wanted to know more about Mando’s friends Vince and Leslie, but at least their characters were integral to Mando’s development and redemption. Vince and Leslie are my kind of friends -- friends who love me and because they love me, will always call me out when I’m wrong and full of crap. The importance of Professor Siwa’s story cannot be overstated enough. In conservative Philippine society, people still get fired for being gay, and in Professor Siwa’s case, for being a transwoman. She’s a realistic representation of gender-based discrimination in the workplace. But more importantly, with her reinstatement, her story proved that collective action works. And being referred to as Ma’am, Ms. Siwa, after being addressed to as Mr. Siwa for a long time, was a fabulous conclusion to her story. This, and Mando finally being free and admitting to himself that he’s gay, were strong proclamations of triumph.

Script was excellent. Screenplay had funny, heartbreaking, and relevant lines. I loved the hilarious dialogues between Rapunzel and Paps Charming as well as Mando’s humorous internal monologues. Vince and Leslie were always witty. The lines during the confrontation/revelation scene with Mando, Barry, and Krisha was painful. Equally sad were the dialogues between Mando and his parents and Barry and Krisha. There were relevant lines about gender identities, sexual orientations, and sexual expressions uttered by Ms. Siwa that weren’t preachy at all. Yes, the protest chants were a bit cheesy, but they were significant nevertheless.

Magnificent acting performance was evident. The actors made me laugh and cry! Kokoy can do no wrong. It doesn't matter if it’s comedic or dramatic, Kokoy's perfect. He’s an actor's actor. At first, I was worried about Alex but he pretty much held his own throughout this series. He delivered what was expected of him. He was quite good actually. Both Alex and Kokoy looked extra gorgeous on this series. With all those shirtless scenes (and butt exposure scene, lol), they’re certainly among the hottest and sexiest couples in Pinoy BL series. Barbie has always been exemplary and her portrayal on this series was no exception. Veteran actors, especially Joel, were terrific. Renzie and Marynor were awesome as well. Their combo brought some of the funniest moments on this series. I was also glad to see Pinoy BL series actors Migs, Ron, Z, and Sam as guests on this series!

“Oh, Mando!” was really well-made. Production value was pretty high. The dormitory, school, and street settings looked authentic and were very Filipino. I miss fish balls and squid balls, lol! Camera shots were simple yet technically solid. Animation, graphics, and visual effects were mostly fine. Editing was alright. The soundtracks, while not specifically made for the series, were nonetheless appropriate for the scenes. I especially liked “Aray” (Ouch) by Mae Rivera, “Ikaw Na Nga” (It’s Really You) by Andrew Florentino, and “Mabagal” (Slow) by Dan Tañedo and Moira dela Torre.

All in all, I would definitely recommend rewatching “Oh, Mando!,” a first-class Pinoy BL series. It’s a pity that compared to other Pinoy BL series, it’s not being talked about much. Being on iWantTFC (only the first episode’s on Youtube), viewer accessibility has been limited. But if you have the means, please do watch “Oh, Mando!.” It will surely be a great watch.

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I hated the story, I couldn't get over Krisha and Barry's relationship

I wasn’t easy for me to watch this serie because I hated the main storyline, I thought it was horrible and it kept me wondering all the time “how could they do that to her” (I’ll let you know what the main issue was in the next paragraph). I liked that they made an analogy about being in the closet with a fairytale story, I thought it was very original, they also address the difficulties of accepting oneself sexuality and coming out which gives the series a plus and that’s why I gave story a 5.

*explanation without explicit spoiler
There is something that they obviously don't tell you in the synopsis “To move on, Mando goes out with liberated architecture student Krisha and the two become lovers. One fateful day, Barry walks back into Mando's life. Now, he needs to choose -- will it be mind over heart or heart over mind?” and is the relationship between Krisha and Barry and that kills the whole plot for me, it is not that Mando has to decide which one to choose, he actually cheats on her with Barry, and when you know what kind of relationship both of them have, you are left there wondering “hey, wait a minute? Are they going to move forward with the relationship? Why are they not thinking about the girl?”.

*spoiler
It doesn’t matter how much they love each other (they don’t even know each other, they have never spoken more than greeting other than in the dreams they have had, I think it’s just physical attraction), they must haver respected her as a boyfriend and as a brother (Krisha is Barry's sister)!!!!! I can’t conceive how they could be so selfish and lie to her and practically use her. I mean, boy, she is your sister, how could you forget about that??? And the lack of shame?? practically being over each other when she was around, that’s another level of cheating that I can’t tolerate, it was shown that they have a good relationship as sibling and still he did that to her? what could you expect from someone who doesn’t respect their loved ones, the ones they are supposed to love the most, what could you expect for the others? This is just my opinion; I couldn’t get over the fact that Krisha and Barry are "loving" siblings and that ruined the serie for me.

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I went into this series not kowing where it would take me. And I came out of it appreciating it so much!

Story- 10/10
I feel in love at once with all of the characters. Mando, who didn't want to admit to himself that he was gay. Barry, who clearly had issues and was only thinking about his happiness, which wound up making him hurt two people who he cared about. And Krisha, who in the process of looking for love, got hurt by her boyfriend and brother. The supporting characters of the parents also played a role in being there for thier children. I was so proud that Mando's dad supported him when he came out and also explained to him why he should tell Krisha about his relationship with Barry, cause she would hate him more if she found out later. Also, Mando's two best friends were awesome in supporting them.

The introduction of Ms. Siwa and Mando's mom also added to this story cause I felt that this helped Mando accept himself. I will say what did upset me was that yes, Mando and Barry did have relations with each other, but they still continued it behind Krisha's back and that was the only thing that riled me up.

Acting/Cast- 10/10
Hands down thier performance was awesome! They made me love thier characters, hate them, feel sorrow for them and love them again. Kokoy has once again shown us his awesome acting skills and I hope that he continues with it. Alex also stole some scenes for me, especially the ending of episode five as well as into episode six. Barbie, whose character I despised in the first episode, grew on me and made me feel sorrow for her as the series progressed. Even the supporting actors were awesome when they came on the screen.

Music-9/10
Beautiful songs for a beautiful series.

Rewatch Valu- 10/10
I would most definitely rewatch this series again. It was different and refreshing. But then again, all of the Philippines BL's that I have watched have been different from each other, adding something new to this genre.

Overall- 10/10
I would most definitely recommend this series. Why? Cause the story is unique (to me) compared to other stories right now, the acting is on point and it was truly an enjoyable ride. The only issue I have ishow it's not available widely for people to access it to enjoy watching this series.

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Beautiful Philippines Series !

Wow, I'm blown away by the amount of excitement and enjoyment I had while watching this. This took me FOREVER to watch because it's pretty much non-existent where I live, but an angel from the heavens sent me a link (you can message me if you want the link too, forewarning, the ads are all p**n and pretty extreme) and I was finally able to sit and binge-watch. Oh, Mando is a comedic drama that handles very important and heavy topics while the main leads look beautiful and tell a compelling story.

Let's Dive In.

The production was so nice. We get to see inside the beautiful scenery of The Philippines, and I think this series has been the best so far in letting the audience experience its refined surroundings, countryside, and cityscape. The rides on the bike were absolutely breathtaking, the end where they're dancing on the bridge is magical, and I loved every second of it. I have nothing bad to say when it comes to production, however, I understand the whole "fairytale" of the story was needed to advance the plot, except, there were times it was just real cringe and I couldn't keep a serious face (maybe that was the goal..?). Overall, production gets a big pat on the back from me!

Moving onto the plot. I LOVED every single second of it from episodes 1-4 until they kind of just lost a bit of my respect until the end of episode 5. Cheating is something that happens every single day and it's a realistic story, so I wasn't necessarily mad about the cheating aspect, but I don't think it was executed as well as it could've been. Barry is so protective of his sister and says constantly that he doesn't want her to get hurt, and that she's the only one who truly understands him, except, you then go and have a secret relationship with her boyfriend? With no guilt? No remorse? He knows how it feels to be cheated on, and yet, he just doesn't feel that for his own sister? It felt like the writers had taken that side of the story and threw it in the trash. It made me a bit sick to see them flirting while Krisha stood 10 feet away. And Krisha is just the sweetest human being ever. She outright supports her brother's sexuality, fights for the LGBTQ+ community, and just so much more. I honestly haven't enjoyed a female character in BL in a while, but she was everything and more. Finally, Mando starts to feel some guilt and comes out to his father (beautiful, done so well) and finally lets it out to Krisha about his secret affair with her brother. It was a hard scene to watch, but again, the actors executed it so well. by the end, the show gained my respect. Again, however, I do think they rushed Krisha's pain and hurt. I loved how we actually get to see her go through the suffering and agony of the situation, but it just kind of dropped at the end. Most noticeable due to her brother's suicide attempt, but still, that pain doesn't just subside after just a while. I'm happy she ended up with another guy, so I can't complain too much.

I do want to praise this series, however, for doing a fabulous job at handling suicide and harming oneself. Barry's story is hard-hitting. This series might've been pretty funny, but it truly shows pain better than I could've imagined. It's hard to watch Barry's scene in the bathroom, but it really is something incredible. I applaud this series for being able to handle a storyline like this and do it well. Another great subject that I've seen no other series ever in BL do is have a fully-fleshed out transexual storyline that was probably the cherry on top. Mr. Siwa comes out as a transwoman and everyone is supportive except the school. They all held a protest for her that showed the school she belonged there. It was such a nice transition from the beginning to the end. I loved it, I loved it more than anything. For a BL to handle a trans story without making it comedic or making the transwoman overly flirty or just downright creepy is astonishing. Another round-of-applauds to the production team.

Overall, I really enjoyed this show. The first episode captured my attention in a snap. It does a wonderful job at sharing Mando's story and his giddy and lovely personality. It also doesn't hurt that Alex is a very beautiful man, and I rewatched the scene with him coming out of the pool in his speedos like five times. Wow, just wow. Mando's mother's storyline was really nice too. I'm glad how that was operated and executed. I HIGHLY recommend this series. It's one of the best-produced Philippines BL's I've ever seen. The story, while it could use some tweaking, is pretty darn good.

Rating:

Story: 8.5 - Again, the story wasn't the best it could've been, but I still really enjoyed it. The trans storyline, the lesbian mothers, the handle meant of suicide -- it was all really well. I'll take 1.5 stars off for the no-remorse cheating during like all of episode 4, but other than that, it was pretty perfect.

Acting: 9 - Kokoy shows us a groundbreaking performance that's almost a 360 from his character in Gameboys. It just shows how versatile and how skilled he is. I loved him so much. Alex did a really good job too, some scenes he could've done better, but I think it was still really good. Barbie did really well, the lesbian couple was good. Mando's friends did a decent job, and all the other supporting characters were okay.

Music: 8 - My favorite was the song on the bridge. It gets the majority of the stars. I really liked the music, it went almost perfectly with this series.

Rewatch value: 1 - Again, I don't rewatch, cause I have more shows to finish, but I will for sure be coming back to watch Barry walk in slow-mo. damn, that boy is beautiful.

Overall: 9 - Suggested was 6.5, but I enjoyed this series so much more than that. Yes, some changes should've been made, and the script could've been better, but those things can be overlooked for just how really good the series is. I'll take a star off for some of the aspects of the cheating plot, and the cringe fairytale dream sequences.

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I'm a mess after this, but in a good way

I went into this because of Kokoy, not knowing anything about the drama other than the poster and that Kokoy was acting. Please ignore the bad comments and give this a shot, the series does not disappoint at all. This review is spoiler after spoiler but I'm an emotional mess, and need to get it out.

Music:
10/10 Very fitting and beautiful. Found some new music!
Acting:
15/10 Especially the male leads, and Mando's friends!
Story:
10/10 Very realistic and relatable.
Ending :
Happy!
Rewatch value:
I would watch this again!

At first, the Rapunzel dreamlike narrative was odd and wasn't clicking yet, but when it did , it all made sense. Obviously it was Mando's inner turmoil, denial and self acceptance- but to me him being Rapunzel gave Mando an opportunity to try and be objective by sorta distancing himself from the struggle he was going through. I fell in love with the way Kokoy portrayed Mando. Extremely charming and flawed- but not beyond redemption. Yes, cheating is bad- but what made his character redeemable was that he didn't let the affair drag on, he gave Barry an opportunity to come clean and make things right with his sister, he came out on his own terms, and made peace with his conscience. I loved the fact that he didn't let Barry manipulate him into silence and taking all the blame. After all, it takes two to tango. He also showed great strength by not picking up the phone when Barry called, after the messy break up.

Barry, uhhhh, he is a flawed character as well. With self harm, attempted suicide, and willingness to stay silent - there is definitely a lot to unpack. But he too, is not nonredeemable. He did come clean, although forced to come clean, he explained and tried to make amends later on. It took time, this wasn't a "regular" affair, he cheated with his sisters' boyfriend. The fight he had with Mando, prior to being hospitalized for the attempted suicide, when Mando was trying to break it off was extremely realistic. People , when cornered, when in denial and under a lot emotional stress will try to manipulate and shift the blame, or at least some of it - to feel better about themselves. Unfortunately, I've been cheated on, and when presented with the opportunity to suck it up and admit it, my ex tried to make me feel bad as well, so he wouldn't feel like shit. Apart from the blame game and cheating, i relate to Barry and his (in my eyes) self hatred. People in the comments are complaining about how they handled the topic of suicide, and the brevity of the scene- but i think they handled it very well. Even the sisters "Everything will be okay in the end" was spot on. My friend attempted suicide, and upon first meeting there were a lot of emotions. Mostly crying, shame, and super weak attempts at humor. But after hearing her out, there was no grand philosophical lecture on my side. Just a shoulder to cry on, and comforting soft hugs accompanied by "It's gonna be okay, I'm just glad you're here." There is nothing amazing or clever you can say, and they do have to go to therapy.
Think of it this way. If someone murders somebody the punishment is jail. If you harm yourself, the "punishment" is therapy and facing your demons. If they handled it any other way, the storytelling would falter.

Krisha was definitely being used, but i have a hard time completely sympathizing with her. I feel like the culmination of episode 5 was partly her karma. Hear me out: she showed up at Mando's home unannounced by going through the forms, she was being pushy and nosy when they ran into Mando's mother and refused to listen to Mando when he wanted to leave , she refused to be rejected when Mando told her to stop texting him cause it makes him uncomfortable, and she sorta made it her own little conquest game- the trophy being Mando. Something about the actress also made it hard for me to completely sympathize with her. Although, they way she acted in episode 5 was amazing.

Vincent and Leslie are friends we should all strive to be, and be lucky to have. Open, honest friendship, where people are not afraid to call out the faults. But more than call out, accept us for who we truly are- or rather Mando. I liked that they gave him space and time to come out (even tho it was obvious) , that they gave him advice, and how down to earth they were. They saw the mistake, called him out for it, and gave him advice how to solve it, and more importantly they stuck around to see him get better, and move on from everything.

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Glitters Everywhere

They didn't have to do her like that.
I was expecting a different kind of story, still dealing with the struggles of coming out but I wasn't expecting women to be the butt of the joke and a mattress for men's shortcomings.

Yes, coming out is hard. Loving someone is hard, and sometimes bad decisions are made, but betraying the person who loves you the most and has supported you throughout her life and expecting her to take care of you while you build yourself up again after also destroying her and her trust in yourself? That's too cruel and I can't stand for it.

I don't believe in forgiveness. It's okay to be angry and sad when you're betrayed. She also needs to process her feelings and she's not allowed to because she has to appease the guilt in someone else's mind. She deserved better.

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well this was a really disappointment - but i think given the plot what did i except?!? a miracle maybe - yeah that's what i hopped would happen, that the writer was a magician who would "pull a freakin unicorn out of their hat" so it fell short or was predictable, as i was the moron who expected miracles...

first off if u got a plot where the bf is double timing with siblings, do u except a good ending? so my first paragraph makes sense?!? cause that's basically the plot - and yet we get a good ending - so calling B.S. - cause Nah! and thats also why even though i was watching the last episode i just stopped cause i couldn't sit there and keep watching total crap -

yeah its also about self-discovery and acceptance... but also of being messed-up and coming to wrong conclusions - not to mention being so self involved, u don't consider or care for others feeling u r so involved in ur own. and there really isn't any redeemable qualities to the mains.
so the brother choses escapism, instead of manning up and enduring the punishment and anger he deserves, the other moron choose to burn the bridge and everything else around, cause he has final realized who he is and he can't "go down" alone - so everyone must suffer as much as he is - why? no rime or reason - sorry this was a load of crock!
everything was just off - there was no common sense used, no logic between action and reaction... so this is a just NOPE

side note - yeah the actor playing Barry is HOT - but i really didn't why "they" had to objectify him so much, it was getting gross -

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Ho! what a disaster!

Episode 1 were exiting, funny and cute, just adorable,
The actor Kokoy was promesing, the old music , the colors, all the editing, was really cool, remind me of those old comedies

I have watched the rest of the episodes only today , 2- 6 short but seems like forever!!!
From a comedy it turn to be a mellodrama, the same old american plot we are so tierd from it and no one watching in anymore and it is fail in the theaters,

The actor Alex is only a shell, What he have to offer except his muscles!? nothing!
if it was a pure comedy it is ok, like those Adam sendler comedies movies, that the actors doesn't know how to play and it is so stupid you forgive them, but is wasn't

At the last episode it was too much in so many ways, Alex didn't seems to be sad , and the forgivness of the sister didn't make any sence, and after all of this betrail and cheating Mando and his bad brother were together?! what an aweful ending,

The only thing that is good in this Was Kokoy, nothing else.

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Outstanding Cast But Too Much of a Polished Story

This series had so much potential but sort of spun its wheels in the sand. It is good and the actors and actresses are all outstanding. The story goes off on too many tangents that are unnecessary and they gloss over the real issues. That is unfortunate because this ensemble has some real acting skills that were never fully realized or used. If you tackle major issues in life, then be prepared to offer some major solutions. Not just cute endings. The dream sequence in this series should not have worked but for me, it did so. Maybe because of its allegorical theme to it.
If you want to read my full review of this series, you can do so at BLBliss.com

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It kept me on my toes, made me confused and made my heart flutter just enough

To be honest I do not know if I want to give this 10 or 9,5 stars but it got 10 stars the sole reason for this is that it has some amazing lines that deal with some of my absolute favorite issues in a very natural not forced kind of way.

The story was not perfect in any way and is probably an acquired taste but it kept me interested, it kept me guessing and it made me put my hand over my eyes once or twice... but still it was very enjoyable as well as relatable with an added bonus of pretty faces, pretty bodies and dimples.

The family representation here is just beautifully done, so are the conflicts within oneself as well as with the outer world, the ost fits in and there is truelley a wide spread of characters that both embrace the stereotype and break it. And I am a firm believer in making way for the spectrum instead of having to distance oneself from the stereotype so added bonus for this. I also enjoyed seeing some of the city in the Philippines it was very charming.

All in all I gave it 10 stars so, yes I liked it and recommend others to watch it too.

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The bl couple's chemistry is surreal.

Exceptional plot/storyline, superb performance, and wonderful production! You must watch!

The messages that are retracted were made with great affection. The narrative is delicious, it's only 6 episodes, which make you want more!
The couple's chemistry is UNDENIABLE! From the first episode!
I still can't find a defect in this bl. Since her sister's been putting on an atrocity show. Even the main couple showing how to really make a quality bl. At first I thought the girl would be the typical "boring girl" who would prevent the main couple from getting together, BUT she soon proved to be affection, and open-minded.

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