Jerald Lee Leonen
This review may contain spoilers
There's a Cai and Gav and Pearl in all of Us
Upon many recommendations, I saw Gameboys by The Idea First Company. What I felt lacking in Hello Stranger, Gameboys had oodles of. The series is about two young gamers challenging each other to a friendly game online. Innocent Cairo (Canlas) accepts the challenge of impetuous Gavreel (De Santos) and unwittingly finds himself at the center of his playful advances. If Gavreel wins, then Cairo would agree to be courted by him.Gameboys feels like a series about the emerging world of Gen Z made by Gen Z creators. The story is unique, individual, respectful of gender issues and mindful of the COVID-19 crisis. It is able to give you a full preview of the entire series and the thesis of Pinoy BL all inside of 10 minutes of the pilot.
The storytelling is very fast-paced, the acting is authentic, the graphics are new and sophisticated, and the music guides you to feel what the characters are currently feeling. As the story progresses, backstories are revealed and the characters are given a kind of depth that virtually tugs at your heart and makes you want to cry. It is beautifully told in a very new way, yet it feels so familiar it’s as if you are transported back to the very first time you ever fell in love.
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An Obvious Attempt to Fix the First Season
The story is obviously a damage control to the final act of 2gether. These 5 special episodes did its job. However, the story is still weak and premise is not palpable. 20mins distance in 2 weeks is not that long for Tine to cry out of desperation. I can feel that the actor is over acting this scene, reminiscent of that one time he saw Sarawat with Pam and instantly pour down rivers. The saving grace of the show are the side couples: Man and Type and Phukong and Mil - they're the ones who drives me to finally finish the series after dropping it from episode 3.Was this review helpful to you?
