1This review may contain spoilers
I dare to say this drama is perfect. And I was stupid enough to almost not watch it. The hype was just too strong and so off putting. WARNING: this is NOT a review for someone who has not seen the show. I just need to express all my thoughts somewhere.
So… Are you bored and tired of the “I’m not gay, I only like you” plot lines in BLs? How much do you wish some shows would address the hardship of coming out? The fear and confusion related to it? How much do you wish to see a well written, heartbreaking conflict that is not based on poorly written and ridiculous random jealousy? How much do you wish to see well written supporting female characters, whose whole arc is not just “I ship two cute boys together”? You get all of that and more in Like in the Movies.
The story revolves around the exploration of sexuality and identity. What makes us who we are? How much should we compromise between who we are, want to be and who others want us to be? How to react when you are both pulled back in line and pushed out of it by people you love and care about? How to make a relationship work when one person has already finished the race, but the other is not even on the track yet? Each character represents a different story, different perspective and different point of view. Their actions might make us angry, sad, heartbroken, happy or annoyed, but we see the reasoning behind what they do. We might disagree, but we understand. And this just proves how good of a writing quality Like in the Movies presents. There are no silly villains, nor over the top crazy exes or evil parents. There are just people. Real people with flaws, fears, hopes and dreams.
“Don’t be scared of the word. You can say it. I don’t mind”.
Vlad was an emotional fluff that spoke the truth and gave everyone some real lessons. I cried because of the words he had spoken. He showed how much being an educator can accomplish. Knowing Karl has no bad intentions, he was willing to explain everything to him, was patient, but firm about his views. As someone who would rather sit down and explain things over getting defensive and offended myself, I truly appreciated and loved that about Vlad. Of course, it was not his responsibility to guide Karl, but his understanding approach just impressed me. Communication is the key, not only in romantic relationships, but also any type of social interactions. He didn’t play mind games, spoke what he thought and felt and it was up to others to accept it or not.
His story is also truly heartbreaking. It shows how stigma and homophobia in a society can shape the way we see and interpret situations, especially at a young age. In the past, he associated every negative and bad action of people around him as a result of him being gay, even if it was not true. But the truth is often meaningless. It’s the perception that matters. It’s the perception that guides your thoughts and feelings. And, like in Vlad's case, it takes years to look at the situation from a different perspective. If society did not present being gay as something bad, Vlad would never assume his dad left because of that. He would never assume his mom was against his relationship because she did not want her son to be gay.
Vlad represents someone who fully accepted himself. Who is proud about his identity and does not want to hide it. Who, after facing so much hurt and struggle, does not waver. Who wants to proudly give and receive love. Who just wants to be happy.
“I don’t know if I’m like you. I don’t even know who I am”
Karl never had a chance to explore who he was. He lived for his brother. He lived as his brother. Getting away from the expectations put on him by his family, allowed him to slowly learn about himself. And it was scary. It was unfamiliar. It felt great when he didn’t think about it, but you cannot shut the thoughts out for eternity. You need to face them one day, but if that day comes too fast, if you are not ready… that can break you. Or push you even more into a corner. And that’s what happened with Karl. External circumstances forced him to face it when he was not ready, when he felt emotionally confused and vulnerable.
He was brave enough to tell his parents about his dream, about the goal of switching majors, about his will to chase his dreams. It was a tough decision to make and required a lot of strength. The aftermath of his decision was still unknown to him, and yet others expected him to do it again. To face the expectations of his parents. To rebuild the identity he had so far, to completely reevaluate how he thought about himself. No time to think, no time to accept, just expected to act accordingly. But he deserved that time. He deserved a minute to explore and get accustomed to who he was. Coming out should have been his decision, that he made on his own terms, in the time that he felt comfortable about.
“But I just don’t know how to get to you (...). I’m still navigating through this.”
Judit represents what happens when driven by guilt, you go from one extreme to the other. She is clearly close to being paranoid and definitely overprotective over Vlad. Taking into consideration the pain she caused him in the past with the words she said, now she does everything she can to save Vlad from disappointment and heartbreak. And she definitely crosses the line doing so.
She acts as a fake ally persona, which is closer to fujoshi. Not knowing the full story and observing her behavior in the first two episodes, one could assume she is another crazy female character without depth who just ships all the guys that are in close proximity (flashbacks to Zol and her “shipping my brother and writing stories about it” behavior). But then, with episode six we get a complete shift of the perspective and actual explanation for her action.
While I still didn’t like her overpowering and overbearing presence, I understood where it came from. As Judit said: she is still navigating through it. It’s obvious her and Vlad never seriously talked about the situation, the past and how to move forward. During that episode she faced her mistakes for the first time, she apologized for the first time. Before that she did what she thought was correct, not what actually would be helpful. As always kids, communication is the key. But even after that confrontation, she still does not completely change her ways. And it’s frustrating, but also realistic. You cannot just change who you were for years after one honest conversation. It takes time, it takes others pointing out your mistakes countless times. Talking with Vlad was a great start. But it was just a start. All the hard work is still ahead of her.
“I don’t want to blame her one day for all the time that I have lost for myself”.
One could say that statement and Anna “running away” from her child is selfish, but it’s the opposite of that. She is not giving up on her kid, but she is not willing to give up on herself too. She is a mother, a great one, who raised her child alone for years, but she is also just Anna, a woman that needs time for herself. Need time to chase her dream, to live and have fun. How could she make her child happy and encourage her to work hard if she gave up on herself? Words are not enough, you need to be a true model for your child. And that’s what she is doing. Feelings are not something we can control. She can love her child with all her heart, but still have these small “what ifs” creeping and poisoning the relationship and bond they have. What if I didn't have her? Where would I be? Who would I be? Would I be happier? Would I be more successful? What would my life look like? The thoughts that we have no control over. So yes, Anna is a badass person and an amazing mother. Even though she is just a supporting character, she also tells an important story that brings more value to the series itself.
Moving away from the characters, I have to admit something: this show slapped me across my dumbass face quite a few times and I’m glad it did. I like to think I’m not one to judge and jump to conclusions (especially negative ones) quickly, and this drama showed me I’m not quite there yet.
It started with the opening scene and my “glorious” thought “wow… way to start a BL with a cliche of 2 pretty guys dancing in random pretty location”. Boy, I was wrong, and when we finally got to see the full scene in episode five, I just felt stupid. It was not “just cliche”, it had powerful messages and quite an impact. “Maybe that’s why it’s such a big deal to me because it’s just a small thing and I still got deprived of it” is quite honestly one of my favorite lines, one of the most impactful, and one that represents well how twisted and wrong the world is.
Another moment that hit me hard was the Judit and Vlad’s conversation I already mentioned. I truly thought she was just hyped fujoshi and there is nothing more to it. And yet again, I have been wrong and I felt stupid for jumping to a conclusion when nothing was even presented to me to validate my position. Don’t know if these two moments say more about me or the BLs as part of the entertainment industry. I was fed poorly written female characters and cliche plot lines for so long, sometimes it’s hard to have higher expectations.
Another thing I loved about Like In The Movies: it had big brain energy. It has been just clever and not a second of screen time was wasted. All the small interactions and details were meaningful and I’m legit too dumb to even notice them all. I just loved how scenes, interactions, small behaviors connected and were explained at different parts of the story. Vlad not liking people touching his hair? Far more than “just because he doesn’t like it”. Small details like that, turned out to have such an emotional and deep root for them. Vlad finishing a scary story with the “corpse in the closet” idea, and then he finds a photo of Karl’s brother in the closet, thinking it’s Karl. Truly big brain energy. There were many moments when I went ”damn… that’s why they showed it a few episodes ago”. Everything connects and everything has a meaning and I’m about to cry from happiness overwhelmed by this perfection.
Now, let’s talk about music. I am not an ost person. Unless the soundtrack is truly outstanding or truly bad, I don’t pay that much attention to it. Here we have the case of “truly outstanding”. Each song was beautiful. They were perfectly fitting for the moments and scenes they were playing for. The lyrics were just the cherry on top of this beautiful cake that brought me to tears. This is ALSO the case of big brain energy.
You know what else is big brain energy? The credit scenes! I’m amazed. Truly. You can tell how much care and thought was put into this show when they decided to even use the credits as a way to convey the message, describe the relationship and its progression. As I said, not a second was wasted. There were no fillers. No line wasted. Everything was crafted perfectly to give us this masterpiece, with quotes at the end of the episodes being the dot at the end of the sentence. Tying it all together, leaving us hopeful, emotional and grateful.
Though this will never be seen by anyone involved in the production, I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. This was an amazing, emotional and engaging journey that will stay with me forever. I cared for the characters deeply, as if they were truly my friends. I cried, laughed and screamed with anger. Thank you for making me this emotional mess.
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This is the story that everyone deserves to see
Alright, so now I can finally write my real review of Gaya Sa Pelikula, when I first saw the trailer of Gaya, I knew I had to watch this series cause the trailer had so much packed into it but I was skeptical because I have seen so many series with like great trailers and the series would turn out to be absolute trash but that’s not what Gaya Sa Pelikula was.IF YOU ARE READING THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH THE ENDING QUOTE OF GAYA
‘LIBERATING LOVE AND EQUAL RIGHTS, TO EVERYONE OF US, THE REAL FIGHT IS ON THE OUTSIDE. WE WILL WELCOME YOU WHEN YOU ARE READY’. This is the most important message of the series and what I want you to carry away with you
GENERAL REVIEW
Gaya is what I consider a real-life series, where it reflects actual real-life series. I am so glad it didn’t have any of the tropes you see in a lot of Thai series [I pointed out Thai because I have seen Taiwan doesn’t do this as much even Pinoy series don’t], like the ‘I am straight bro, but I just love you because mystical forces in the galaxy fell in the right places’, no, they gave me real gay characters, they gave me some hard truths about the coming out process, how some people saying the word ‘GAY’ or treat it like a taboo sometimes, they showed most of the fear and emotions that accompany coming, they didn’t paint it like this rosy path and all love, the internal conflict so many people face to come out and be themselves. Gaya was not another annoying jealousy storyline [eyes tharntype 2], it was a series that actually kept its cast small and made sure that no character was left undeveloped and they actually had a story to tell, one which they executed perfectly.
Gaya Sa Pelikula is the life story of you or someone you know; it feels really right from the get-go and everything done in it has a purpose and is very relatable. The story, cast, soundtrack, and acting are a heavenly match and have easily stepped up to become my best BL of 2020, in fact, I stopped characterizing this as a BL but a story about two people meeting and falling in love with each other, it almost emphasizes the fact that their story can be yours too.
Don’t get me wrong when I say I classify the story as a normal story, that’s not to take away from it as bl because they did definitely handle the theme of discovering one’s sexuality and oneself but it felt real to me. I almost don’t know how to explain. The cast members each had a story to tell, a different struggle to tell, a different perspective and it explored different backgrounds meeting and interacting with each other. Like the person who struggles with an identity crisis and a feeling of inadequacy [sometimes linked to their sexuality], the protective family member who sometimes oversteps certain boundaries to protect the one they love, the person with the happy smile all the time but comes from pain and struggle and how that influences their action, they might make you mad, they might have made you tear up a little, they may have made you happy or disagree with their actions but there was no wasted character, each had a purpose and honestly watching this while my day the series was like a balance, I didn’t have to deal with illogical jealousy from stupid exes kidnapping dogs for no absolute reason or trying to murder someone and everyone hugs it out at the end, no each character had a purpose and I loved that about them, that they felt real, they felt like actual people not some weird fantasy of some random person of what a BL feels likes.
CHARACTERS AND DIALOGUES
I feel the dialogues amongst the characters gave a lot of background to the characters and made them somewhat ‘real’ to me. So I would review the characters because of the dialogue they had, especially keywords or parts they said that had a lot of impact on me.
The lead characters, Karl and Vlad have such insane and beautiful chemistry, its mind-blowing, their flow is just so natural, they did not feel forced, which brought a lot to the story. To talk about the characters I would intertwine it with some key sentences and I would actually refer to this person on YouTube that made the best reviews after each episode [ if you check the comment section you would get what I mean]
Vlad is gay and open about it, he is outgoing, quite stubborn sometimes, and gives you this first impression of a rebel, but we come to see that he is this soft, cute loving guy, who is quite vulnerable and has been hurt before. Karl is someone who grew up with expectations and dreams of another placed on him, so he has never gotten the chance to be a person of his own and he is very reluctant to shake the status quo but, shortly after meeting Vlad, he becomes more courageous about his own person.
Here are some lines that I found remarkably interesting and telling of the series
1. ‘I will not be the plot device to trigger someone else’s identity crisis’
This line could honestly easily one of the most powerful lines in the series and one of the scenes that Gaya started to pull away from other series which give us this usual trope of, ‘YOU ARE DIFFERENT’ ‘YOU MAKE ME FEEL THINGS I CAN’T EXPLAIN’ ‘It is JUST YOU AND NO ONE ELSE EVER’, now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying there aren’t people that have only been with one person of the same gender, I mean my friend is an example but the fact that we have been overfed this trope in almost every series makes it tiring and annoying, SOTUS, Dark Blue Kiss, Water boy, Theory of Love, name the series, it is just like a back to back-feeding of being gay is not normal, a once in a living thing. I first loved the fact that Vlad was openly gay and proud of it. This line just held a lot of meaning to me. This line also showed me a little bit of Vlad’s history with the infamous ex that starts all his pain in the first place.
2. Do not be scared of the word, you can say it, it is not an insult, I do not mind
This line could easily be my most memorable line of the series, like if I could forget every single part of this series, I do not think I could forget those words ever in my life. This is basically I think what the LGBT community does not do on our own part sometimes, we do not educate and communicate and that was what Vlad did for Karl [I would focus more on this role in my review of my last few dialogues]. Communication and trust are the most key things in every relationship, and I appreciated how calm a reasonable Vlad was with Karl especially allowing/guiding him to come to terms ‘on his own terms’. This line kind of debunks how homophobia has changed the view of the word ‘gay’ or anything associated with it, as almost taboo, but this line presents Vlad has someone who has gone through it all and has arrived at a position that he loves, a representation that I loved.
3. I never said I was a perfect ally. I am still learning through this [I am actually not sure if this was the perfect quote but it was something along this line]
I know a lot of people were not fans of Judith, but I think she represented two important things, family as well as being an ally. Let me start with the ally part, I actually argued with someone about Judith’s role during the dinner and being an ally, but I linked it back to her statement in the past, now I am not excusing Judith for putting Karl on the spot, she crossed the line but at that moment, she was not being an ally but a sister rather, a sister who for the love of her brother wanted to protect him from heartbreak. What she right, we can debate that, but the truth is that is what a lot of family members would do, not just for their gay family member but for any family member. At the ending of everything she was a sibling first before an ally and the truth is that sometimes we are too quick to ‘cancel’ people for not being the perfect ally but honestly, I do not think we have a single perfect ally in the world, every ally is just learning at their own pace and the conditions that surround a particular ally of the community definitely impacts their behavior both past and present, Judith represents that, her change from someone that bullied Vlad with her words when she was younger and naïve to someone ready to protect him shows how a lot of families really process in real life. I feel she was a very necessary character to tie this together. Because Judith shows the potential of people to grow and for their mindsets to change, as well as what a single conversation can change
4. “I don’t know if I’m like you. I don’t even know who I am”
This statement perfectly represents Karl and so many people in the world, when we first meet Karl we understand that his image in the eyes of his parents is very important and we come to learn along the line, his parents stopped differentiating between him and his dead brother. He grew up carrying the burdens of living his brother’s life to make his parents, from a young age he never got to know who KARL FEDRICK ALMASEN was and this is representative of so many people, basically empty shells working around. I mean I was a law student, I have had the pleasure of having parents that have supported me through and through everything but I know so many friends in law school who were just there because their parents were judges or owned powerful law firms and the mere thought of disappointing their parents seemed like an impossible scenario. Many people in life don’t actually know who they really which made Karl’s struggle more real, cause he represented so many people who never got to know themselves, discover what they actually wanted, but the truth is that we need to all face those scary truths, at our own time but eventually we do and if we are forced to face them before it’s the right time, a lot of people will shut off to the world.
I think it was great that Karl was actually given the time to face what he needed to face at his own time [like I said I would treat their contrasts in the review of the last episode dialogues]. The truth is that it is scary to face the truth and we got showed that so many times in Gaya, but what is most important is that we move our own pace, we shouldn’t be forced to rush.
5. I don’t know if I can point to a specific quote to Anna and her child but I felt the need to mention, I think I would probably discuss it with Santi [contrasting Santi with Karl and Vlad]
Anna represents when a change comes into your life, how to accommodate that new change but at the same time not lose yourself, trying to balance out the new change to your entire life while maintaining you, cause sometimes, when you lose yourself, you start to hate that thing or person who changed you. Anna wasn’t abandoning her child with her getaway but making sure she was intact herself, that she was complete as a human, because how do you raise a child if there are parts of you that are fundamentally missing a part, you cannot give what you do not have, hence her actions would impact her child more than mere words [as we see is the pattern with so many families, kids tend to pick up the traits of their parents whether intentionally] and honestly I think every human deserves that tiny bit of greediness and self-love.
For Santi, he mentioned something about not growing up with love in the finale and it reminds me of the privilege that LGBT youth like myself that is in their 20s or younger enjoy. Things were not always like this, we genuinely need to appreciate that people fought to get to where we are and that’s why it bothers me a lot when my generation wants to throw away the work the older generation has done to get to where we are, I know they aren’t perfect, they have messed up majorly but we must also respect and recognize that people before us got us what we have not. I think that’s the problem we face majorly.
I genuinely loved that they didn’t waste any character, each character portrayed a lesson to me.
6. I am going to merge a bunch of statements from the finale
a. I know I am not doing anything wrong but why am I still afraid – Karl
b. I’m gay but I still can’t tell papa, I love Vlad but I am not as brave as him – Karl and Santi replied – Soon
c. I don’t want to be silent about my love, I want to be out there, I deserve it just like you deserve to take your time inside – Vlad.
d. Can we just stay here forever – Karl, I want to take you everywhere – Vlad
I think these statements basically carry the most basic story of the entire series and maybe the most important, everyone deserves to move on their own time and I think that is what made me love Vlad in the end realizing that Karl deserves to move at his pace while he himself didn’t have to give up what he deserved to fit someone else. I know a lot of people were a little disappointed by that ending but I think it was a beautiful ending because it appeared to me that both parties actually loved the other person but they truly were not on the same wavelength in terms of growth, the both realized they both had to make a compromise, not necessarily to the other person but to themselves. Karl listened to Anna to be out there, not ‘OUT’ but we get to appreciate that he is making an effort on his own term to be out there. This symbolizes he is taking baby steps until he’s ready to be out there.
Vlad on the other end also understood her deserved not to be someone’s secret [that is genuinely damaging sometimes, speaking from experience] but the most important thing was that he did not force Karl either, he chose to look out for him and be with him, not necessarily in a relationship but being there gave Karl the right support and strength to push forward and for me, that is what love actually is.
As I said, I love Gaya because it didn’t just give me two handsome guys and a lot of skinship, but everything was so well planned, I don’t know if there was a second of the series that was ‘irrelevant’ to the overall story and experience, everything came full circle [or is it cycle] at its own time, no story was rushed, no action was left unexplained, no scene was accidental or without purpose, which I think goes to show great writing on the side of the script. To be able to masterfully explore your script to its full extent and make sure, every single part was explained, the audience wasn’t left hanging on why a specific character acted a specific way, like Judith trying so hard to be there for Vlad because she was lowkey terrible to him as a child, the fact Vlad hated his hair being touched, honestly, I was just as surprised when they explained that it was because it was the last thing his dad did to him before she permanently left which made him feel like he had failed his purpose of saving a marriage, I WAS KUDOS TO THE WRITER, THIS MIGHT BE THE BEST WRITING POSSIBLE. As I said, no character, scene, or moment was wasted
They perfectly complement each other in the cast and characters, they somehow all just felt like the perfect balance, and the fact they never really left that single Unit/building is another mind-blowing thing, like, minus the car scene with Judith, I don’t think they left the building.
OST
I have never been someone that really cares about OST, I am rarely big on OSTs, they don’t really move me, but Gaya’s OST is the first series asides UMWA, history 3, where your eyes linger and the effect, where the OST perfectly fits every part of the series, it makes you feel their joy, pain, and every emotion... Like even if the series was utter trash, which it isn’t, the OST would carry it for me, like 5 songs from the OST made my top 200 songs of 2020, that’s how good it is. Several times I found myself just sobbing or in tears listening to the OST.
The people in charge of the music department were as brilliant as the actors, directors, producers
This was a series that was made with a purpose and they executed perfectly I am so grateful to everyone who was a part of this movement because you truly took us on a beautiful journey, one I would never forget, you made me care for people, made me happy, made me laugh, cry with someone in their pain if that is not arts at its best I don’t know what is. Thank you for bringing this to the world in a year as dark as 2020
IF YOU ARE READ THIS FAR, I WOULD LIKE TO END WITH THE ENDING QUOTE OF GAYA AGAIN
‘LIBERATING LOVE AND EQUAL RIGHTS, TO EVERYONE OF US, THE REAL FIGHT IS ON THE OUTSIDE. WE WILL WELCOME YOU WHEN YOU ARE READY’.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE REVIEW AS MUCH AS I LOVED WRITING IT
BYE FOR NOW
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For the second time this year, the Phillipines has decided to show the world how BL should be done.
Like in the Movies is a beautiful, intelligent, layered discussion of coming out and having the courage to seize control of your life.
Like Gameboys before it, it has the perfect mix of brains and heart.
A sparse production with few characters and even fewer sets, Like in the Movies is obviously another victim of filming restrictions due to Covid19. And yet the show’s filming limitations don’t detract from it. Nothing feels missing.
There’s a lot to like about Like in the Movies right from the first scene, especially around its gleeful embrace of romcom tropes such as fake relationship, forced cohabitation and Odd Couple conflict. But underneath the surface, the show is finely tuned and intricately written but has enough kilig to satisfy the most shallow romcom fan.
If the Phillipines keeps producing BL like this i may not watch Thai BL ever again.
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You are this story
This series is written to be a romantic-comedy that catches the story of young love in cinematic ways like in the movies. Having to watch the six episodes and re-watched it over and over again, I can conclude that this series wasn't just a "BL" but a love story of two normal human beings - this story can be yours too. It is written perfectly in a way that it educates the viewers and normalizes the taboos of society in terms of love between men. Gays can have those cinematic parallels too! And it's okay, they are human who can love and not just comical character that represents lust.The OSTs are divine, the details and symbolism are enough for you to get hooked and the message that it entails every end of the episode will leave you wanting more. As a consumer of these kinds of show, it'll make you realize that you deserve better, it can make you realize how gay stories can be narrated in a way that hetero series are - and this is how love should be portrayed and how members of LGBTQ+ community should be represented.
We are done with the misconceptions, this series is just a top-tier to any boy love content. Story-wise, acting-wise, music-wise and production-wise. Having not to watch this series, when it's totally free on YT is a sin.
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MASTERPIECE
Wow, how will I ever go back to enjoying mediocre bl series after this masterpiece.I remember seeing the opening scene and thinking what a cliche, cringey scene but then I actually watched episode 5 and the moments and conversation that lead to that dance just made it so beautiful, I thought, oh of course Vlad doesn't want his beautiful head of hair ruffled but the he tells his story and suddenly what seems like a vain quirk becomes so much more, oh there's a random picture of Karl as child so Vlad can gush about how cute he was as a child but no wrong again, this are but just a few instances of how this series turned cliches and tropes on their head and made them meaningful and there was never any wasted actions without reason.
Also this series did something that a lot of LGBTQ series and films fail to do which to not just villify that person not yet ready to come out of the closet or drag him out before he was ready but understand him all without diminishing the strength and bravery of the person who is already proudly out......... and the side characters, Judit who seemed like a caricature until we learn about her past action that are leading her to overcompensate and Anna able to love her child without being an earth mother whose life must end and begin with her child.......the music, the visuals, the story, the acting all 10/10 from me.
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Gaya Sa Pelikula (2020): A Romantic Pinoy BL Series Par Excellence
I consider “Gaya Sa Pelikula” a romantic Filipino (Pinoy) boys’ love (BL) series par excellence that paid homage not only to Pinoy dramatic and romantic comedy (romcom) movies and our most popular love teams but also to Thai BL series. Posters and scenes were adapted from Pinoy dramatic and romcom movies such as “All of You,” “A Very Special Love,” “Don’t Give Up on Us,” “Filipinas,” “Got 2 Believe,” “Hintayan ng Langit,” “LSS,” “One More Chance,” “Sana Maulit Muli,” “She’s Dating the Gangster,” etc. There were also appropriations of Thai BL series “Theory of Love” movie poster series as well as acknowledgements of OffGun and TayNew on the “Gaya Sa Pelikula” post-credits. Some say that there were too many dramatic and romcom clichés and BL tropes (like the fake/pretend relationship trope), but hey, who cares, they really worked on this series!Even with all the clichés and tropes, “Gaya Sa Pelikula” still managed to look fresh because of the well-developed multi-dimensional characters it created. Even with their conflicting views on genders, sexualities, and relationships, both Karl and Vlad were relatable. While Karl's not ready to come out yet, Vlad’s out and proud. I’ve known a lot of Karls and Vlads in my life so I really found them realistic. Ate (Older Sister) Judit, Anna, and Tito (Uncle) Santi were not simply intervening side characters (who definitely meddled out of love, whether we agree with them or not) but relevant players with depth. Being generally a slow burn, “Gaya Sa Pelikula” felt dragging at times but because of strong characterizations, episodes always ended strong.
There were corny dialogues and monologues here and there but they were negligible given the mostly excellent screenwriting. I can understand why others think some lines were preachy but they were powerful messages nevertheless. Screenplay, with its English and Taglish sentences, was generally natural -- at least for middle to upper class Pinoys. Overall, I think the script was largely impeccable.
The strong screenplay actually aided the acting of the lead actors, Ian and Paolo. While there’s always room for improvement (Ian needs to enunciate better and Paolo needs to avoid exaggerated movements), for newbie actors, they did pretty well. For sure, both Ian and Paolo were far better than the newbie actors of other Pinoy BL series! They have outstanding chemistry together and both are very good-looking! As for the supporting cast members of “Gaya Sa Pelikula,” Adrienne and Yesh were great while Franco was ok.
Minus some dark lighting and grainy camera shots, audio-visuals were quite satisfactory with very clear intentions. Every graphic, every item, every shot, etc. seemed to have clear purpose. The soundtracks, while mostly not originally made for the series, were nonetheless perfect for the scenes. The original soundtrack, “Kilometro Zero” by Juan Miguel and performed by Ian, was of course, my favorite among the soundtracks.
In summary, I would definitely recommend rewatching “Gaya Sa Pelikula,” a romantic Pinoy BL series par excellence. Even if you’re not satisfied with its finale, you should rewatch it because it’s a terrific set-up for the second season. Given Juan Miguel’s wonderful Wattpad story about Karl and Vlad, which was said to be the basis for the sequel, Season 2 promises to be even better than Season 1.
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"Just say it. it needs no euphemism, It's not an insult"- Vlad
***latest update***Never have I been so immersed in a series like this. For 9 weeks I would wait in anticipation each episode promised to deliver and deliver it did. I delayed watching the finale because I didn't want it to end. THAT good.
The pain of hiding who you are, the struggle to find the courage to show the world something other than black and white. It's not easy. This series managed to capture all that and more
The plot itself is a masterpiece. If our life was a movie that we were in control of, what end would we choose for ourselves? Would we have the courage to search for places that existed only in fairytales? Would we chase our dreams? Would we love without inhibition? Would we defeat the villain? Would we have the courage to be heroes without masks?
Like in the movies, once it ends and you're back here sitting on your sofa staring off into nothing, only echoes of it remain and I think that's what they portrayed in ep7. Once the movie ends, we are left with nothing but echoes.
The story was complex, entertaining, and emotional. From the first episode to the last, the two leads are in a movie. In their own world, weaving their own stories. In almost unrealistic coincidences they accidentally find themselves living together and they grow to enjoy each other's company. They fall in love and have that blissful period where there is nothing they need to think about except each other. But as a wise man once said, love doesn't make the world go round. This was a time of self-discovery for one lead and a time of self-love for the other.
Maybe if they had met later in life or earlier, would things be different? One not wanting to hide anymore and the other too afraid to come out, things rarely end well.
The finale was truly a masterpiece and left me feeling soft. In reality, you have to end things to have new beginnings. If you did things differently, then it would have ended differently, yes. But regrets are things you whisper to yourself in the night. Alternate endings only exist in your mind. Would you have the courage to step out of your movie? Of the world you locked yourself in? The ending was a happy one in my opinion.
This movie taught me that it's okay to change your dreams. It's okay to be proud of things you have achieved. It's okay to be scared when you're not what people perceive as normal and most importantly it's important to know when to let go. After all, "we are too fabulous to be cautionary tales".
Venture into the unknown and who knows, you might just find that place they told you never existed.
To all you beautiful beings out there, lift your head up high. The sky is never the same. You wouldn't wanna miss this view.
**previous review**
I LOVE IT. Its only 3 episodes out but I'm already in love with it.
It usually takes me around 5 episodes to really get into a BL but this one hooked me from the start. Episode 3 was especially good. I would say it is even better than MyDayTheSeries.
From the acting to the story to the music, its really on par with Korean production. The camerawork and sound are SOO good. My fellow BL people will know why this is so important. I have rarely come across a BL that has this good production and that too with a small budget.
The chemistry of the two leads is electric. I am living for it. They are doing such a great job. There are no unnecessary dialogues and no irritating side characters. The conversations have a beautiful flow to them and in my opinion, 30 minutes is too short. WE NEED MORE.
The music is well-timed and there are no excess bgm effects which is such a relief. The OSTs are so beautiful.
I was skeptical at first but after "gameboys", and now "like the movies" I can say with certainty that Philippine BLs are coming for the BL industry and they might just give Thai BLs a run for their money.
NOTE: I will come back to edit this review later, but I can definitely recommend it. For those who are hesitating, DON'T.
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Best BL of 2020
This is the best BL of 2020! Every member and ally of LGBTQ can relate to a scene or two. This BL is not just a series but it amplifies the voice of LGBTQ longing for acceptance of same sex relationship without prejudice. Every scene is written with the intention to educate at the same time makes as feel how beautiful to be in love. Its not just Karl’s and Vlad’s story. Its our story because at one point in our life we are Vlad, who just want to be loved and be proud of it. Karl who are afraid to go out and face the judgement of the Society. Ate Judit, who just want to protect her siblings or Ana, who is a true friend.The music is on point, it conveys the feeling of every scene. All of the actors are fantastic as well. I love all the aspect of this BL.
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This review may contain spoilers
sweet jesus, what a true gem.
this is not just a drama. it's a masterpiece, worthy to be viewed and appreciated by many in museums and art galleries.there was not a single episode where you do not feel anything. it's not dull, overdramatic or too ridiculous (that scene of karl cooking eggs while having an interview begs to differ) that you would think... "oh. this is a retelling of people in the real world who are going through the exact same emotions. this hits hard. i guess i'll be crying myself to sleep for weeks from now on"
can i talk about how clever the writers and everyone involved in this is? are we not going to talk about the smallest details and use of symbolism to further make an impact (as if it's not alrEADY hitting hard af) on the story????
oH, what about the ost? the sheer impact the ost has and how it moves the audience because the lyrics itself can summarise what's going on in the episode? bRUH even the ending credits with the quotes are telling you something
i love that all characters were also involved in the story and the audience were able to hear sides of their stories. it's not centered on clichés and "imma corner my boi against the wall *insert cheesy music*" anna, karl's uncle and judit. they all have their own stories and i love that we had the chance to hear it.
karl and vlad. two people with different pasts and different inner struggles. even though i understood vlad's side of the story, i think i was still pretty bitter and upset of vlad in episode 7 because i can relate to how karl felt. it's just not easy to say it out loud when you've had so much comfort being in that box. it's scary not knowing what others would say, if you can come out of that box and look at others with a calm face. others would say it's just a word but to those who know how it feels, it can seem like a threat.
"I don't want to be silent about my love. I've done that enough. I want to be out there. I deserve it. Just like you deserve to take your time inside."
i'm so happy with episode 8 and seeing vlad actually make amends with karl. it's the perfect closure i can ask for. even though we don't see them officially together, we can see there's hope, chance, a better understanding toward each other and all of these can contribute for a healthier relationship.
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The Best Series in the Gay-themed BL Genre So Far, Ever
This is the second Boys Love series that I have ever rated 10 because it deserves that rating.Yes, I might have complained about the short number of episodes but the number is justified on how compact, yet impactful the storyline of the series is. I really feel that the storyline is simple as someone who is gay and who has been through this kind of situation or has friends who have experienced the similar situations. However, it's very, very relevant and again, impactful. It has a resonance level to the higher degree and its direction is too superb, the minor flaws I have seen are unnoticeable when the whole art form is taken into consideration.
Editing expertise is very adept. This is one of the biggest factors for the show's success.
Acting of each actor from the main to the supporting is utterly superb. I see the naturalness of the acting of each actor. Viewers of the series, I surmise, can really see themselves in the characters of the series. Despite the actors being unknown before this series, their acting is really surprisingly great.
As for the soundtrack used, this series has the Best set so far. Each song has lyrics that are related to the situations in the series. Each song parallels with the emotions and circumstances of the main characters in certain scenes. I feel like through the series, the hidden musical treasures of the Philippines have been unearthed and showcased in this show for the world to see, hear and zealously listen to.
This is also the BL series that really showcases the reality of LGBTQIA community. As a member of the community, I feel like a part of my story has been demonstrated in this show. There is a sense of empowerment. BL as a form of escapism for some is now used as a platform to relay the voices of the community whose members are still being ostracized in certain societies.
I feel like this review doesn't give justice to what the series has done to the communities, for BL viewers, LGBTQIA and straight allies. I have many things to say about this series but alas, whatever things I would like to share can be summarized with these three words: SUPERB, PERFECTION and IMPACTFUL.
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so beautiful!
i've never written a review before but i just couldn't help myself this time. i really don't think a review can do this show justice because it's so good but i'll try. this show is just so beautiful, well-written, well-made, it is everything i could ask for. there are few shows out there that tell the story of LGTBQ+ people in a way that is so raw and true to our experiences. there are so many quotes throughout this show that hit so close to home and it's just so amazing to see a show get it so right, even if some were absolutely heart-wrenching to hear.the symbolism in this show is beautiful too, it's obvious that a lot of time, effort, and love went into every aspect of it and it really paid off in the end. the characters are fully-fledged people, each with their own story which is sadly rare to see in BL shows, the soundtrack is beautiful, the movie references are so subtle, just everything in this show is amazing.
i would 100% recommend this show to anyone, LGBTQ+ people because it's so refreshing to see our story portrayed so accurately and beautifully, and non-LGBTQ+ people because it gives such a good insight into the lives of people within the community and what it truly means to be an ally.
the only other thing i can say about this show is SEASON 2 PLEASE!!
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This review may contain spoilers
I loved it
Apparently, I never thought that I would be saying this for this series, but this series isn't for everyone. Some people are pointing out flaws, which I guess is understandable. However, when I compare this series to some other shows that I watched this year, this series is in a higher standard than them. I mean, yeah, it's realistic and not what BL's have been giving us for years- but I still LOVED it!Story-10/10
I honestly only saw one thing wrong with the whole storyline and it was that we weren't told the proper time frame in the last episode, so I can see why people can get confused. But I don't think I should take away marks for something that trivial. Otherwise than that, I loved this story of Vlad and Karl. I was happy when they were happy. I cried when they cried. I was glad that Karl admitted that, yes, he was gay, and also that he loved Vlad. Now, I was also actually happy that Vlad and Karl didn't end up together officially, cause Karl wasn't ready to come out and Vlad wasn't ready to go back in the closet for Karl.
The side characters were also enjoyable in this series, even Judit, who, at times, was hella annoying. I believe that they were there to guide the main characters during thier time when they were together.
Acting/Cast-10/10
All actors were good! They were given a script that they were able to portray beautifully. Yes, Palo (Karl) did start off a little rough in the beginning, but as the series progressed, his acting, for me, improved a lot as well. Vlad, hands down, was fricking awesome in this series! I do hope that he gets more roles as I do want to support him! Even the side characters were awesome in thier roles as well!
Music-10/10
The music was AWESOME!!! The songs were able to go with the scenes so beautifully and made you feel the emotions that was being portrayed in the series. Beautiful music! Loved every song!
Rewatch Valu- 10/10
I would watch this again. Why? It's a beautiful story that is being told to us. It also shows that sometimes Life is not like the movies that we watch where we wait for the happy ending. Maybe that's why I like it. Cause eventhough they aren't together as a couple, they got closure and they are friends.
Overall- 10/10
This series is truly a beautiful series. I would wholeheartedly recommend this series. However, if it is fluff and cutesy that you want- this may not be for you. If you want to watch a beautiful breathtaking series that touched real life stories and has a realistic and (for me) good ending, then give this series a go!
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