It's Got Its Flaws, But I'm Hooked!

My Day is probably the most anticipated filipino BL's, especially on social media! I see so many people mention how excited they were for this series, so of course, I had to check it out when it aired. The first teaser which showed the elevator scene wasn't anything special, but its trailer was very impressive, showcasing a budget and production value that I have yet to see in pinoy BL's. I love that pinoy BL's are getting high budgets! For the budget though, couldn't the slightly blurry cinematography be crisper? The audio could also be clearer. The music, though pretty, is a bit too much, making it feel like a Disney fairytale story with its flourishes which clearly it isn't. The acting could be better also as it felt like everyone was trying too hard. However, I love that this series is taking the classic story of poor meets rich, but with a BL twist. The story is quite interesting and I am already completely hooked just by watching the first episode. Yes, there are some flaws in the story, mainly the mean girlfriend trope and the comedic fat gay trope, but the set-up of Ace and Sky's story is perfect. I love that the series will be exploring parental expectation/pressure in Ace's character. On a side note, I was surprised to hear some English swearing with a few f*ck's said within the first episode. Also, when Sky's brother threw water at Sky's girlfriend when she was frightened by an insect falling on her, I died! That was comedic genius! I LOVED that moment and couldn't stop laughing! On a different side note, I'm okay with product placement in series but when the product being advertised is an instant skin whitening lotion. Just no. There's already a huge colorism issue in Asian countries. We don't need our BL's to perpetuate the idea that fair skin is better and more desirable than darker skin. And there wasn't just one skin whitening product placement, but two! All in one episode! Hopefully, there won't be anymore distasteful product placements in the series.

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My Day (2020) Episode 1

Episode 1 didn't suck! Lol! That's a relief since I was very hopeful about this series especially after they released their official trailer. In terms of production, it was at least at par with Gameboys and Hello Stranger (maybe even better since My Day didn't have to navigate through the pandemic during much of their shooting). Budget-wise, it's almost akin to a Filipino drama series (teleserye). Expensive-looking set designs, product placements, and the long list of people in the credits illustrated just how well-funded this series is. Although formulaic, the plot/storyline was still interesting enough. Some dialogues though didn't sound natural. Miko's acting performance was generally ok. The same can be said of all those who portrayed members of Sky's family. Aki needs improvement though. There were times when he appeared too eager (scenes with Miko) and there were times when his acting was totally flat (scenes with Leilani Kate). The other support cast also need improvement. I didn't like the stereotypical depiction of the bitchy girlfriend and the comic relief effeminate gays -- I'm so tired of such characterizations! There was also some sort of colorism when Ken and Jam promoted and used whitening products. Chukchuk's adorable! Aki and Sky's chemistry needs work. Both are very handsome, obviously. I'm just not yet convinced they complement each other. But we'll see in the next episodes. Audio quality was uneven. The OSTs especially "Hindi Ako Bibitaw" by Paul Ramirez were ok. Overall, the series looked promising.

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