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Hey guys :)
This is the 6th part of my Why you should try article series.
The topic this time is FILIPINO DRAMAS.
My fellow MDLers and I are introducing all MDL countries to you so that you are not missing out on anything. Hope you‘ll give them a try. ;)
(Better view in light - mode)
► This is my team today:
Chimmy: Hello~ my screen name is Chimmy and I used to live in the Philippines for 11 years. I grew up watching Filipino movies/dramas and I like them, so hopefully, you guys will too!
Ann: Hi! I‘m Ann and I‘ve been watching Asian dramas since the early 2000s. I watch all kinds of genres in whatever form it is, whether it‘s a drama, movie, or documentaries.
Rjei27: Filipino/American who lives in Chicago. I love watching Kdramas and BL series but I still don't forget to watch Filipino Dramas.
iambulletproof: 37 years old from the Philippines, been watching local dramas since all my life.
Me: Yo, I‘m Tine, the host of this article series.^^ I confess until recently I never watched a Filipino drama before. I watched a few movies and I‘m currently watching some Filipino BL series...but that's about it.^^ So even better I brought my dear friends with me, who might open the Filipino drama world for me - and of course for y‘all too. ;) Have fun!
Chimmy: I think Filipino dramas are more on a piece of life. What I like about them is I can watch it in the long run and won‘t feel like the drama is not enough, especially because there are so many episodes on one season of a drama. Also, it gives me a roller coaster emotion.
Ann: What I like about Filipino dramas is they are diverse. They are good at delivering moral lessons throughout the drama. Filipino dramas are different from other countries as they will tap into a sensitive story without hesitation and will show you what is really happening in the Philippines.
Rjei27: Heavy Dramas. Revenge type of series. and sometimes RomComs.
iambulletproof: Things I like about Filipino dramas is that it's family-oriented. The Filipino love ‚dramas‘ in their family. Whether its sibling rivalry or family feuds. And almost there is a character for every family member which makes it relatable and can reach a wider audience.
Me: I really like the language. xD Ok, I like all MDL languages here... but Tagalog really sounds totally different. :) From what I saw in My Day etc, the dramas seem to be more natural - or rather: more close to reality in school/friends interactions. But that is only my first impression.^^ And especially this year the Philippines are catching up with BLs and they go all out for it. ;)
Chimmy: People might be hesitant to watch some because it has a lot of episodes. For example, most dramas have more than 50-100 episodes, some might even have more than 200 episodes, but I believe you can overcome it through being patient and just enjoying each episode.
Ann: Most of the people I encounter and asked why they are hesitant to start a Filipino drama is because of the length and lack of English subtitle. For the length, don't worry because each episode is less than 45 mins. and you can easily binge-watch it. You will enjoy watching it as much as I do and you will not know that you reach the last episode already.
Rjei27: It's too long. The classic- and even some of the new ones are too long compared to the regular 16-21 episodes of Kdramas. Although lately through the digital series like Gameboys, Hello Stranger, and other IwantTFC Original Series, it's becoming a trend now to have 6-8 episodes only of Filipino Dramas. I hope they can do more of this kind of series and hopefully it can be viewed on Youtube or Netflix. Right now IwantTFC needs subscription and only fans of Filipino dramas will really subscribe and watch the Filipino dramas.
iambulletproof: Filipino dramas are aired Monday to Friday for approximately 20 minutes each episode. It is lengthy compared to other Asian dramas, and it can extend it's run depending on the ratings. If it's really popular, it can run for a couple of years. The only way you can enjoy Filipino drama is to watch it as it airs, or else you will get overwhelmed by the number of episodes.
Me: For me, it‘s really the drama length. I saw a lot of dramas with a very big amount of episodes - and that is not really my cup of tea. But I believe, if the story is very good and keeps people interested, then it might be not that bad.^^ Thanks for your encouragement, guys. ;D The BL series are short tho.^^
 | Got To Believe Chimmy: It's a 2013 drama and is about the story of Chichay who grew up believing in magic and Joaquin who never believed in such a thing. When both Leads met, they embarked on adventures and situations that they will face together. It's fluffy and light-hearted. It makes my emotions roller coaster. |
This revolves around the girl named Gia, who is bubbly, optimist, and loving. One day, she became a maid of her ultimate Korean superstar crush‘s nephew. Since then, she did everything to woo him over. It makes me believe that anything is possible, even being with your idol. |  |
 | Mara Clara Ann: The drama is about two babies switched after they were born. The two girls meet and become intertwined with their lives. They will find out the truth about themselves. This drama is a portrayal of a rich and poor family. How we treat people from different backgrounds. That‘s what I like about this drama as it is really happening in my country. I like the moral lessons from this drama. |
A farm girl who found a small shiny stone from outer space. It makes her transform into a superhero to defend the people. The story itself is unique as the drama tackles different corruptions of bad guys and how she balances her life. This drama is short compared to the other versions, so that‘s a plus! And it‘s rare to see a woman superhero. ;) She was my idol when I was a kid. :‘D |  |
 | Rjei27: It's about meeting your doppelganger and the bad omen that comes with it. It's a very intriguing story, good acting from the casts and great direction. It's very fast-paced with plot twists. |
I consider this as the first and best BL series from the Philippines. It's about acceptance and love during COVID times. It's very realistic and innovative. The writing is so good and most of all the performances from the casts are so exceptional. I love how they made representation for LGBTQ and not your typical ML's who always say "I don't like boys, I only like you" to cater to the female audience. |  |
 | Wildflower iambulletproof: This took revenge to a whole new level in Philippine TV. Its plot is somewhat inspired by The Count of Montecristo except the Lead is a woman. Who doesn't like a strong female character? |
This puts ‘drama’ in the love triangle. The hair pulling, the face slapping, the yelling is of another level. Imagine your best friend stealing your man. The betrayal will cause you twice the pain. This drama gave the Philippines one of the most intense confrontations ever. |  |
 | My Day Me: Well, I really like it. It's a BL and very short at that, compared to the other xD. It has its own charm and I really like their chemistry. It's also very cute. The story is about Sky who does an internship at Ace's cake company. :) |
Chimmy: ... watching long dramas.
Ann: ... fun and light drama, it‘s easy to watch and it‘ll leave you a smile on your face after watching.
iambulletproof: ...Anything. anything goes in a Filipino drama, from face slapping to kidnapping to comedy, to wife swapping to building explosion.
Rjei27: ... hmmm. I don't know what to answer on this one, lol. I just watch usually on-air Filipino Dramas so I watch it during dinner time and as you know on-air Filipino dramas are typically Mon-Fri unless its digital series which is once a week.
Last Words:
Chimmy: If you don‘t like watching long dramas, I suggest you watch Filipino movies. The Philippines have amazing Rom-Com movies that make you feel uwu.
Ann: I hope you won‘t be intimidated by episodes with Filipino dramas and just have fun watching it. You will laugh, cry, frustrate, and entertain while watching all the characters and story development but satisfaction is at the end of the drama. And if you still can‘t get enough of Filipino dramas, I suggest Filipino fluffy movies and real-life documentaries. Hope you have fun reading this article!
iambulletproof: Before the Hallyu wave, mostly the focus of Filipino dramas is about revenge, infidelity, family feuds. During the 90s, Filipino dramas are heavily influenced by Mexican Telenovela. Then 2000 is all about fantasy series. Now, the trend is leaning to RomCom, Love triangle, and Youth, and that is because of the popularity of Kdramas. Although there is now more variety in genres in Filipino series, it seems still the same plot over and over again, Filipino dramas still lean more to the soapy territory because of the demographic of the viewer it caters to, which are the housewives and the old people who stay at home. With the rise in popularity of the streaming platform, shorter series patterned to kdramas are growing, because it caters now to a younger audience
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Me: I hope you guys enjoyed this article too and maybe found something to watch next. ;) The next article will be the final/last one of this article series and it will introduce... no ... you guys can guess yourselves which country is still missing. ;) See you soon! :)
Big Thanks to my folks:
 Chimmy |  Ann |  |  |
Previous Parts:
I don't own any pictures: They are taken from the MDL sites, Screenshots from Oxin Films YT channel, and Google. Credits to the respective owners. Some pictures might be resized for better fitting. The headers are done by me.
Editing: BrightestStar (1st editor), Aya97(2nd editor)
