Close to a masterpiece, this is the LGBTQ+ community making up for lost time

"This is a love story I wish the world were kind enough to afford us when we were younger. And to those younger than us, believe: this is a love story you deserve now." I remember reading this line from the series creator Juan Miguel Severo's foreword in the wattpad version of Gaya sa Pelikula, which was written earlier this year, and how it pulled a string in my heart. I finished it all and was captivated by his ability to tell stories that immerses you so well. Now that it's here, no doubt, Gaya Sa Pelikula as a web series is just as magical and captivating.

Gaya Sa Pelikula has quite a simple story: two strangers placed in a situation where they would be living together and eventually falling for each other in a slowburn fashion. A BL with a simple story usually wouldn't be a hit, but the magic of Gaya sa Pelikula is on how they turned this simple story in a television masterpiece.

I would like to start with the casting, because oh my God- whoever casted them, from the PangPangs to Justine, Yesh, and to the ever amazing Adrienne Vergara, you deserve a raise. I'm more amazed by the fact that this is the first on-screen acting of Ian and Pao, and so far they're delivering so well. Ian's acting shows that he's already at par with the veterans (he's a theater actor so I really had no doubts about it). And Pao, I know his only acting experience was just for commercials, but being a first time actor on screen, his acting is severely underrated. The way he portrays Karl makes it so raw and real, that I immediately saw myself in his character.

The production of Gaya sa Pelikula is very highly commendable, from the set to the series soundtrack (don't even get me started on this, I believe GSP really made an impact in boosting our severely underrated filipino artists), it really created what Gaya Sa Pelikula is now. The direction is also superb and no doubt it would be because it's JP Habac (who's also the director of Im Drunk, I Love You, one of my faves). But what really made this series magical was the nuances of it all- the small details in the lines, in the acting, in the background, in the thematic elements of the show. It gave the simple story line so much depth and complexity. The simple glances from Karl and Vlad conveyed emotions and lines they never spoke of. The adlibs of Paolo. The comedic switch-up of gifts (that can easily be missed if you're not paying attention). The violin strings playing during Nica del Rosario's Tahanan in Vlad's dancing scene. The color of the shirts they're wearing. The subtle social commentaries. The simple nods to classic Filipino movies. I'm just speechless.

Gaya sa Pelikula, more than anything, has this original Filipino cinematic charm that sets it apart from the rest of Filipino BLs of this era. As a boy growing up with all these straight filipino romcoms, it really made me emotional to see two men falling in love just like how Daniel and Kathryn or Marvin and Jolina (for the older generations, hehe) would in the movies. As cliche as some of the "kilig" scenes would be, Gaya sa Pelikula does it so well that it doesn't feel cliche anymore, and just electrifies you like it was the first time you see this kind of chemistry on screen.

We're still halfway through the series and I'll update this review every now and then but I'm already declaring this for now: it may not be the BL that paved the way, but Gaya sa Pelikula is the gold standard BL in most if not all aspects (production, direction, cast, storytelling, writing) that has the potential to outcompete everyone, in both straight and queer media. This is what the community wished to have seen when they were growing up with all the straight romcom content in the television and movies. This is the LGBTQ+ community now making up for lost time.

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