This review may contain spoilers
I liked this series a lot. It certainly had its flaws, but I think the strong points more than made up for that.
Pros: Unlike so much of the BL universe this is a highly professional production. Good sets, beautiful camera work (the scenes on the bridge) mostly top-quality actors who gave very good performances. Nice music. I'm glad they pushed through and completed it despite the pandemic and ABS-CBN's problems -- it would have been a shame to leave it uncompleted.
Another pro is the representation of various sexual minorities, which included very sympathetic depictions of their problems and struggles. It's great to see the mainstream media companies in the Philippines espousing these themes.
I liked the actors/representations of all the main characters. I thought Mando's father was a particularly good depiction of a man who has faced his own struggles and come out better (more accepting) for them. And the trans teacher was great. The only one I didn't really care for was the goofy friend. Such a repulsive stereotype!! (And such a clash with the values in the rest of the characters)
Cons: I didn't care for the "Rapunzel" sequences. Kokoy in a wig was neither sympathetic nor believable. (Maybe I'm biased because I'm a big fan of Kokoy, and those parts didn't show him off very well. The dramatic/struggle/humor scenes were much better for him than the fantasy bits.) I also didn't find the central premise very believable -- that Barry would profess to adore his sister while (figuratively) knifing her in the back and then say "oh no, don't tell because I can't hurt my loving sister." WTF?
I'd recommend giving this a watch, if you want to see how BL productions CAN look if they are done with the right professional inputs and resources. (The iWantTFC platform has various subscription options, and the basic is not expensive. Plus, when Hello Stranger the Movie comes out, it will also be featured on this platform.)
Pros: Unlike so much of the BL universe this is a highly professional production. Good sets, beautiful camera work (the scenes on the bridge) mostly top-quality actors who gave very good performances. Nice music. I'm glad they pushed through and completed it despite the pandemic and ABS-CBN's problems -- it would have been a shame to leave it uncompleted.
Another pro is the representation of various sexual minorities, which included very sympathetic depictions of their problems and struggles. It's great to see the mainstream media companies in the Philippines espousing these themes.
I liked the actors/representations of all the main characters. I thought Mando's father was a particularly good depiction of a man who has faced his own struggles and come out better (more accepting) for them. And the trans teacher was great. The only one I didn't really care for was the goofy friend. Such a repulsive stereotype!! (And such a clash with the values in the rest of the characters)
Cons: I didn't care for the "Rapunzel" sequences. Kokoy in a wig was neither sympathetic nor believable. (Maybe I'm biased because I'm a big fan of Kokoy, and those parts didn't show him off very well. The dramatic/struggle/humor scenes were much better for him than the fantasy bits.) I also didn't find the central premise very believable -- that Barry would profess to adore his sister while (figuratively) knifing her in the back and then say "oh no, don't tell because I can't hurt my loving sister." WTF?
I'd recommend giving this a watch, if you want to see how BL productions CAN look if they are done with the right professional inputs and resources. (The iWantTFC platform has various subscription options, and the basic is not expensive. Plus, when Hello Stranger the Movie comes out, it will also be featured on this platform.)
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