This review may contain spoilers
Beautiful, But Flawed
I had read a lot of mediocre reviews of this series, so I put it "on the shelf" for quite a while. But now, having finished it, I can offer my own thoughts.
Plot: Confused. The director indulged himself with lots of extraneous nonsense (e.g. flamboyant characters who just detracted from the mail plot;) abrupt character transitions (e.g. Ace goes in the blink of an eye from obnoxious twit to sweet and loving husband) and general chaotic writing. (Even I could have written better dialogue at certain key points.)
Production Values: Quite good. Filmed mostly in a few locations in Manila (including a real luxury home), the camera work and sound were all good.
Music: Excellent, but limited. The most romantic moments incorporate Paul Ramirez's vocal version of "Hindi Ako Bibitaw," which is gorgeous, and awesomely suited to the theme of the story. I listen to it over and over, and it never fails to bring tears to my eyes.
Actors: The two leads are handsome, charismatic guys and they did the best they could with the script they were given. That said, I found the performances to be uneven. At best, they were wonderful. But there were a lot of indifferent moments, too. (Sky should not be so impassive at key points.)
Here are some of the wonderful moments:
-- The "first contact" when Sky reaches across Ace's desk and grabs his hand to thank him. Miko's shining, eager young face is so endearing. And then rewatch and look at the succession of emotions that Aki plays through. Surprised, a bit offended, then realizing how it made him feel and showing just a bit of a smile. A great scene.
-- Sky in his hospital bed, pleading with Ace "don't leave me. Please. Please." Miko's voice trembling and raw; his eyes full of tears. Completely convincing, and completely wounding for viewers who are sooooo on his side.
-- The Confession dinner. Aki's face shows Ace's anguish at having to reveal himself. And then, at the crucial moment, it is he who kisses Sky. (Later, Sky gets the dominant role, but not in this first kiss. And that transition is very endearing.) And then the soaring music and fireworks in the background, while they embrace. Wow.
-- The Coming Out Dance -- the dance is at first awkward af. Like grade schoolers trying to move together. But then they get the hang of it, and not incidentally they repeat their love for each other. And then they are moving with grace and energy........such a pretty scene -- which ends abruptly when they fly into each others' arms, Sky's hands caressing Ace's cheeks....and another kiss. (The intake of my breath was audible at that point.)
Chemistry: Absolute FIRE. These two make love like they are on fire, and like they are committed to each other for life. (which is the story, after all). The sexy scenes live in my mind -- not because they are explicit (they are not, compared to stuff we all see on the internet) but because the two actors put their souls into showing that love. Honestly, it breaks my heart that we won't get to see them act together again -- they have moved on to other professional activities.
Overall, I would say if you like observing actors' chemistry and don't mind sitting through about 3 episodes' too much silly content, then watch this series. Its flaws will be very quickly evident, but its beauty doesn't show up until Ep 8, and is then well sustained for the last five episodes.
Plot: Confused. The director indulged himself with lots of extraneous nonsense (e.g. flamboyant characters who just detracted from the mail plot;) abrupt character transitions (e.g. Ace goes in the blink of an eye from obnoxious twit to sweet and loving husband) and general chaotic writing. (Even I could have written better dialogue at certain key points.)
Production Values: Quite good. Filmed mostly in a few locations in Manila (including a real luxury home), the camera work and sound were all good.
Music: Excellent, but limited. The most romantic moments incorporate Paul Ramirez's vocal version of "Hindi Ako Bibitaw," which is gorgeous, and awesomely suited to the theme of the story. I listen to it over and over, and it never fails to bring tears to my eyes.
Actors: The two leads are handsome, charismatic guys and they did the best they could with the script they were given. That said, I found the performances to be uneven. At best, they were wonderful. But there were a lot of indifferent moments, too. (Sky should not be so impassive at key points.)
Here are some of the wonderful moments:
-- The "first contact" when Sky reaches across Ace's desk and grabs his hand to thank him. Miko's shining, eager young face is so endearing. And then rewatch and look at the succession of emotions that Aki plays through. Surprised, a bit offended, then realizing how it made him feel and showing just a bit of a smile. A great scene.
-- Sky in his hospital bed, pleading with Ace "don't leave me. Please. Please." Miko's voice trembling and raw; his eyes full of tears. Completely convincing, and completely wounding for viewers who are sooooo on his side.
-- The Confession dinner. Aki's face shows Ace's anguish at having to reveal himself. And then, at the crucial moment, it is he who kisses Sky. (Later, Sky gets the dominant role, but not in this first kiss. And that transition is very endearing.) And then the soaring music and fireworks in the background, while they embrace. Wow.
-- The Coming Out Dance -- the dance is at first awkward af. Like grade schoolers trying to move together. But then they get the hang of it, and not incidentally they repeat their love for each other. And then they are moving with grace and energy........such a pretty scene -- which ends abruptly when they fly into each others' arms, Sky's hands caressing Ace's cheeks....and another kiss. (The intake of my breath was audible at that point.)
Chemistry: Absolute FIRE. These two make love like they are on fire, and like they are committed to each other for life. (which is the story, after all). The sexy scenes live in my mind -- not because they are explicit (they are not, compared to stuff we all see on the internet) but because the two actors put their souls into showing that love. Honestly, it breaks my heart that we won't get to see them act together again -- they have moved on to other professional activities.
Overall, I would say if you like observing actors' chemistry and don't mind sitting through about 3 episodes' too much silly content, then watch this series. Its flaws will be very quickly evident, but its beauty doesn't show up until Ep 8, and is then well sustained for the last five episodes.
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