Pinoy BL Series
Thailand
Sean didn't confess his feelings to Noah on Episode 7: I'm Confused. Instead, Sean had a good conversation with Peachy. Sean shared his secret to Peachy who, because they're close friends, already knew all along. Peachy was supportive and gave sound advice. The delivery of lines still needs work but I'm glad the basic art lessons returned. While the acting was amateurish, I did find the Leo and Lexie exchanges cute. Similar to the actor who played Art's dad, the actress who portrayed Leo's mother seemed too young to play a teenager's parent. In terms of audio-visuals, not much difference when compared with previous episodes. What's in store for next episode?
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I expected the plot/storyline twist on Episode 6: Art is Not Art mainly because the production company messaged me about it last December 8. They asked me to update their MDL profile's cover photo and synopsis (which I did). The primary reason for the changes was because for some reason, Reynan will not be playing his role anymore. Although it felt like a lot of the scenes from the previous episodes were wasted because of the plot/storyline twist, overall, I prefer this new direction wherein fictional Art's actually Sean. At least Carlos Joaquin and Gody have bromance chemistry between them. Hopefully their chemistry develops to something more on the next episodes. While I feel bad for Olivia, Sean's monologue ("I don't think I can do this anymore... should I tell Noah how I feel about him? I don't want to pretend anymore... I want to be myself.") was realistic. Acting was mostly alright. Production technicals were better than the previous episode. By the way, I noticed the female undergarments hanging on Sean's room. Are those his? Confession/revelation time next episode!
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Episode 5: Dream to Find U introduced a few more characters: Leo and Lexie. Although Leo appeared on previous episodes, he was given more screen time on this episode. Art posted the portrait of the man in his dreams. Sean saw the portrait and told Noah who then contacted Art. Script was still generally ok. Acting was a bit cringy though. Audio-visuals were all over the place. At one point, Professor Katakutan didn't have audio. There were even rooster crowing sounds out of nowhere. I also prefer the previous phone call graphics. The twist to this series is up next.
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Surprisingly, this series has a lot to say. Aside from the basic art lessons, I appreciate that Episode 4: Dream of Art, Work of Heart also discussed economic difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic, plight of overseas Filipino workers (OFW), and educational and learning impediments associated with online classes, without losing track of its main plot/storyline about Art and Noah. Sure, screenplay needs to be more natural, but it was generally ok. The same can be said of the acting performance of the cast members. Production technicals still need refinement. Five more episodes!
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Episode 3: The Man in My Dreams had obvious improvements when compared to previous episodes. On this episode, Art seemed to be having communication problems with his girlfriend. He also shared with his best friend Peachy about his dream. Script was natural enough. There were some funny lines ("Do I need to add more packs of abs?"). Acting improved. Gody doesn't seem to have problems taking his shirt off, lol! I like Gody, Reynan, and Carlos Joaquin. They have Filipino (Pinoy) features and vibes that I genuinely appreciate. Compared to previous episodes, audio-visuals were better. I liked that there were outdoor shots. All in all, this episode was better than what I expected.
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A few weeks back, I found out that tonight's the finale of this series. The production company reduced the number of episodes to 9. Although every week we've been posting photos of this series here on MDL and posting updates on Twitter, I haven't really watched the succeeding episodes after its pilot so I'm binge-watching this series right now. Episode 2: Blurry Art introduced Noah and his best friend Sean. I liked that different art works were presented by the students. Not all of them were good but it was a nice way to present themselves. Screenplay was generally ok but the delivery of lines, at times, felt scripted. This was especially true for the basic art lessons that I appreciate. Acting of the lead cast members weren't that good but watchable enough. Those who portrayed the other students didn't seem like actors. Maybe they're real art students? And the audio volume fluctuated. Graphics were tolerable but editing and English subtitles need improvement. On to the next episode...
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Yes, Simon was a pigment of David's imagination but he was also real -- he's one of the boatmen. Episode 10: The Final Wave still had shortcomings but it was fairly decent. It wasn't good but it was ok. At least this episode settled most of the lingering issues. Will David and Simon end up together? I don't know. Possibly. But what's more important was that David was in the process of healing and being at peace with himself. Script was still lousy. The screenwriter didn't even bother knowing the difference between psychology and psychiatry. David, who has schizophrenia, a serious medical condition, needs a psychiatrist, not a psychologist. Acting performance by the actress who conversed with John David was horrendous. The rest of the cast members, including John David, Miguel, and Kyle were watchable though. Audio-visuals were still uneven. All in all, the finale was ok. Let's leave it at that. Please, no more second season!
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While I still liked Episode 6: Frenemies, I had issues with its overall flow. There were gaps and jumps and transitions weren't smooth enough. I appreciated the character backgrounds provided on this episode but I feel there are more creative ways to present them than for the characters to seat around and talk about it. At some point those long exchanges got boring. The only one I enjoyed was the conversation between Brendalynne and Josh, even though there weren't any build-ups to their friendship. Acting was mostly fine. Audio-visuals were a bit choppy. And editing had issues. I liked the OSTs though. "Lalim" (Depth) by Kim Allen and "Sigurado" (Sure) by Zack Tabudlo were nice. Two episodes left!
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One Day Pag-ibig Episode 1
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While there were numerous substantive and technical weaknesses, Episode 1 was nevertheless watchable. While simple, the plot/storyline didn't seem bad. The challenge is how to make it exciting enough for the viewers. For a seven episode series, there were just too many characters. I don't know how this series will manage all these characters. It's better to have only a few with clear character background, depth, and development. Screenplay had cheesy lines here and there but there were funny dialogues as well. Acting wasn't good but largely tolerable. Audio-visuals were mostly uneven. There were disruptive background noise and some scenes were too dark. Also, scene transitions weren't smooth. The OST "Kung Pwede Lang" (If It's Possible) by cast member Clark was ok. Overall, it's a series I don't mind watching but I sincerely hope it gets better in succeeding episodes.
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And just like that, baby Butch is dead on Episode 24: Demise. I swear, this series is like a driver who got lost along the way and can't find his way back home. There's just no clear direction. Scenes were extended way too much. Screenplay was dull. It's a pity actually. Both Drei and Erwin can act but their talents were just wasted because of this series' boring script and poor direction. Audio-visuals were no different from previous episodes. The next episode will be this Sunday.
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Vince found David. David has schizophrenia. And Simon was just a pigment of David's imagination. After numerous uneventful episodes, finally, the plot/storyline moved forward on Episode 9: I Found You and it was bonkers. I don't know how I feel about it but at least this penultimate episode was a clear break from the previous tedious episodes. Script had preachy lines and corny dialogues. Acting was still barely watchable. Production technicals were the same as previous episodes. How will this series end? At the minimum, I hope tomorrow's finale is decent.
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Happenstance Episode 4
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What just happened? Seriously, this Filipino (Pinoy) boys' love (BL) series is something else. It doesn't have enough romance but still, it's very good. It's a serious Pinoy BL series. What I especially liked about Episode 4: Viraag were the scenes that I didn't expect. This episode also made me think about those scenes and ask questions. Wade was keeping a secret from Jose Manuel about what really happened to Luis. So based on what Alfie found out, I'm curious, what really happened to Luis? Then after sneaking out of their house, Jose Manuel got arrested and got tortured! Did Luis set him up? Will he die? Thank goodness there's a preview for next week's episode! Screenplay was solid. Acting was fine. Production design, cinematography, sound engineering, musical scoring, and editing were excellent. The set designs, camera shots, lighting, sirens, screams, and the Ferdinand Marcos and Rodrigo Duterte voice overs contributed in providing a sense of authenticity to the representations of the two milieux of 1974 and 2020. The image of Jose Manuel's naked body, bloodied and shaking on top of huge blocks of ice, haunts me (and not in a good way!). I'm actually scared of how this series will end. Can this series sustain its exceptional work? I do hope so.
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Episode 6 was a bitter sweet finale for Book 1. This was a sad episode because Kian's father died and he can't even bury him because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a good reminder of the major challenge that the entire world is facing right now. But this was also a happy ending not only because of the tender moments (I loved the holding hands scene!) but more so because of the character development of Kian. He wasn't selfish after all. Even though it obviously hurt, he was still supportive of Aron who received a scholarship which will most likely mean that they'll have to be away from each other for quite some time. Script was good. Acting was fine. Production design, cinematography, sound engineering, musical scoring, and editing were all satisfactory. Wow, crispy lechon (roasted pig) and tablea de cacao (local chocolate drink)! I miss Filipino food and drinks! Overall, this was a good finale. I'm looking forward to Book 2!
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Episode 8: Against All Odds was a mere extension of the previous episode. In fact, this episode just elaborated on details that were already known about David and Simon. While the script was confused and all over the place as exemplified by the line "you don't need to change who you are to become gay, the reality that you are gay, doesn't mean that there's something wrong with you," it at least emphasized that there's nothing wrong with being "bakla." Similar to the previous episode, this episode had a making love scene that was also tastefully done. This episode had preachy lines and corny dialogues. Acting was still poor. Audio-visuals were still uneven. With only two episodes left, I don't know how this series can finish strong.
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Joey and Jimmy's "almost" a thing now. Episode 23: Tightrope explored the development of their relationship. This episode ended with baby Butch being sick. Given the flood, they seemed to have shot the last scene just after the typhoons in the Philippines. Script was fine. Acting was ok. In terms of production technicals, not much has changed from previous episodes. The next episode will be this Friday!
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