Serious Expectations VS Hilarious Reality
I REALLY WANTED a proper decent BL musical and I didn't get it at all.I thought this series had so much potential, there were glaringly obvious things that they could have changed to make it better, which was disappointing.
I'm not sure how low budget this series was though, so I have to take that into account.
The acting was mostly terrible, to the point it was hilarious. Adrian (Prince Zeyn) was purely there for eyecandy. Eurwin (Mikey) was the stronger actor and singer. There were a couple of songs I liked, but the rest didn't stand out. Sometimes the songs felt like they came out of nowhere and were kind of jarring. Its just so bad, its actually kinda.... great.
SO AFTER THROWING EXPECTATIONS out the window, I strapped in for the wild ride and found the BL themed Disney style musical actually enjoyable. I really felt like the cast was having fun, and so was I. It was cringey, silly, cheesy, embarrassing and funny.
I won't rewatch this, but I didn't feel the series was a complete waste of my time and gave me a good laugh and a couple of catchy songs.
And maybe one day soon I'll get the BL musical I desire.
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Best musical bl
It's really a fun and heartwarming story with lots of music. Sometimes the music may feel to much but few of the songs are so good. A good mix of bl and Kingdom, rule and what it takes to be a king. I feel like we should have gotten more of the second couple who didn't really get to shine. But it was really the story of the main couple. This was a good show and for the actor who was not really experienced he did a good job on acting for the first time. A really good musical bl to watch. Every kind off age group can check it out.Was this review helpful to you?
It deserves a chance
So, I just finished watching this and I know several other people have reviewed this already, but I think this show deserves some acknowledgement for what it tried to do even if certain aspects flopped. I won't sugar-coat this series...it needed a LOT of work and I'm not sure who gave it the green-light to air with so many blaring issues. That being said, with the Filipino BL industry as up-and-coming as it is, this show actually did a lot of things right.I'll start with the things I didn't like because, with any luck, I can leave people with some hope for this series with it's positives. The acting is horrendous! Scenes are awkward and, more often than not, the actors seemed to have a hard time remembering their lines once they were in front of the camera. As my husband commented at one point "it's like the scene was done in one take and they called it good." However, I think a lot of the awkward acting has a lot to do with the directing. I think a lot of the actors and actresses had potential, but at the end of the day, it's the director who decides if the take they got is good enough and the stitching together of those scenes into an episode is coherent. Clearly, there was something going on behind the scenes causing this lack of judiciousness. Honestly, this is where a lot of the negative rating lies.
Despite the acting and editing, Rainbow Prince has a lot of good things going for it. For starters the plot and concept is pretty good. I realize the idea of an undercover prince seems a bit absurd in 2022, but it's a fairly unique concept for a BL drama. Also, this series as a musical was also ambitious, but spot on for a gay series. Obviously, not every song is hit (cringe, the ChukChuck song) and at times it's weird when decide to break out into song and dance, but those power-ballads (be still my heart, Darwin Lomentigar) were actually pretty catchy and singing (even if it was clearly dubbed) was good. If Disney ever decides to put its money where its mouth is and give us a complete LGBTQ movie/series, they could take some pointers from RP.
Additionally, not everyone was bad at acting and there was a lot of potential. The adults....clearly they had some issues memorizing and delivering their lines. The younger actors, though, actually some pretty good and natural delivery; that's not to say they're great, but there was potential (especially the drag queens and the bellhops). The main couple, and this is important, had chemistry. This is the biggest thing in a BL is making sure the actors (who I never assume are part of the LGBTQ community, unless I know otherwise) are comfortable portraying gay characters. Yes, Adrian's body far outweighs his acting skill, but you know what, I think that gave him the confidence to play a gay character and he makes a convincing gay, playboy prince. Eurwin, too, seemed very comfortable portraying a gay character (and arguably he's probably the best actor in the whole series). Together, they make a believable couple, doing things that gay couples do in real life like blatant flirting, being romantic or handsy in public and lots of innuendoes. It's not a traditional romance as we see in a lot of BLs, but I was happy because I'm usually screaming at the tv as to why a couple has to be so shy about everything.
Ultimately, Rainbow Prince deserves a chance. At the very least, it will satisfy your BL fix for a more real-life portrayal of gay romance. You will cringe and you will be disappointed with many scenes, and, ok, the ending needed some work. However, there are definitely some scenes you can go back and watch that'll make you feel warm and fuzzy or make you laugh. So, give it a chance and appreciate its attempt even if it's not the high-point of Filipino BL.
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A romantic musical cliché
This is a total clichê story that i just couldn't help but be interested in and love it, despite all the hella awkward acting and some musical parts that just jumped out of nowhere. I must admit there are some very good musical numbers on it, but there are otherd that are just so skin-crawling-badly-placed that i just had to mute for the time the number was happening. Despite all of that, it is a good show that deserves a shot if you feel so inclined to it, but a re-watch would be a little too much in my humble opinion.Was this review helpful to you?
A cheesy musical that was almost so bad it was good
Overall: I wish they had really leaned into the "so bad it's good" but it didn't quite make it. Watched on YouTube.Content Warnings: a slap, non con touching/sponge bath (guy was unconscious), kidnapping
What I Liked
- the orchestral music was great, some of the musical numbers were okay
- a flirty protagonist who is clear about his intentions*
- made me laugh in several parts
- I liked Mikey's friends and they weren't just played for comedic relief
Room For Improvement
- the remarks about other people's weight
- there was some rough acting which I found hilarious but I don't think it was intentional
- invasive sponge bath while someone is unconscious
- *Mikey's reluctance was dragging on for too long
- too many characters
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This review may contain spoilers
Let's be real- this series is most definitely not for everyone
Where do I begin with this? Well, I have finished watching 'Rainbow Prince'. And what can I say? If you are looking for a drama with a good storyline and amazing acting...continue looking, cause this ain't it! Yet, somehow, I was able to enjoy myself when I watched it.Story-7/10
The storyline is a bunch of wackiness thrown together that you really can't take anything seriously about it. Yet, somewhere deep down (and I'm talking WAY deep down!), the story actually has a positive message. Well, at least I got one. And that is basically be you. Don't let people think that being you is wrong no matter your sexuality. So for that, as well as keeping me entertained each week (except for the last episode- it was a wee bit anticlimactic for me), I'm giving this series a 7.
Acting/Cast-6.5/10
Let's be real- it is not that good. However, there qere moments that seemed unscripted and that somehow worked for this series. Also, when the emotional scenes came for Adrian Dionisio (Prince Zeyn) and Eurwin Canzana (Mickey) in episodes eight and nine, I honestly felt that they did thier scenes good.
And the comic relief of Mr . Wang , Elena, Ryan, Mikey and Art/ Prince Zeyn kept me coming every week. And for that I'm gonna give it a 6.5.
Music-7/10
As this was a musical, there is a lot of signing (and I mean A LOT). There's like three to five songs each episode. Some were good (although a bit cringy). Some were bad (with a lot of cringe). And some just plain right sucked. So, for that I am going with a 7.
Rewatch Valu-6.5/10
In all honesty, I actually DO see myself watching this series again with it's bad acting and not so good singing (for some of the songs). Why you may asked? Because I was entertained each week when I watched a new episode, believe it or not!
Overall- 7/10
I give this series a 7/10. Hey, I know that it is not that good of a series. But it somehow touched me and kept me entertained be it every week I'm cringing at the cheesiness, laughing at the cheesiness, getting annoyed and angry at the Uncle and what he keeps telling Zeyn and also sometimes enjoying some of thier songs. Will I recommend this series to others? I honestly don't know, cause people may not like it or appreciate it the way that I did. And that's understandable.
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Moc jsem se u tohoto filipínského muzikálu pobavil, a to i tím, jak vážně jej někteří Asiaté píšící recenze na MDL vzali (přitom na IMDb má tento projekt vysoké hodnocení). Ti, kterým se líbí kdejaké projekty s asijskou naivitou, toporností, afektem a plné šklebících se transek, se tady pozastavují, jak to bylo hrozné. Přitom se jedná o gay muzikálovou pohádku pro malé i velké gaye a nejen ty a kdo ji bere s nadhledem, tak se pobaví opravdu krásnými písněmi, ale i výpravou a vše osvěženo hlavními rolemi - 18ti letým princem Zeynem a 19ti letým Mikey-em a promine všechny nedostatky. Vůbec, jakoby tento projekt nepocházel ani z Filipín, je tak hodně jiný ... U muzikálu jde především o písně, a teprve potom o hraní, zazpívali to krásně a osvěžili to příjemným sympatickým zjevem. Jejich matky a dále Angel, Ms.Becky a další také přidali to své. A v poslední čtvrtině posledního dílu jsem se za břicho popadal u scén s banány, pozorováním hvězd a nebo projevem nového krále před "davem" poddaných. Ano, 3.a 4. díl malinko ubral na dramatičnosti, ale to nic nemění na tom, že jsem se osvěžil a v projektu nehledal kdejakou mouchu.
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This review may contain spoilers
Strong vocals with awkward acting and lacklustre storytelling
Rainbow Prince had a original idea, a musical themed BL which was very interesting and entertaining but it struggled in terms of quality. The story telling was average but the biggest issue was the acting.Rainbow Prince is about Zeyn a prince from Zurbania who has to run off to the Philippines after his dad (the king) dies and his uncle Zafar stages a coup. The show mainly explores Zeyn living his new life in hiding in Manillia, with his aid and bodyguard. They work at hotel to survive and it is where Zeyn falls in love the hotel managers son the adorable Mickey who is also the hotel tourist guide. The show explores their romance and Zeyn's plans to return to Zurbania to take the rightful place as King.
Let's start with a positive. One of the impressive parts of the show was the singing and musical numbers. It's really hard to pull off writing numerous original pieces and the singing talent that was shown from EVERYONE was impressive. From the leads, Eurwin is a talented singer and his vocal control is insane but also Adrian shocked me. I thought he couldn't sing but when he finally broke into song half way into the series, he showed he does have the talent. I'm actually impressed by the whole cast, I wish I could go into everyone who slayed their numbers but the list is LONG. I think everyone was booked more on their singing ability rather than acting.
The series quality was unfortunately really rough and all over the place. The plot spent too much time seeing Zeyn's life in Manila when I wish they explored more on his plan to take back the throne in Zurbania. In the end we didn't actually see him plan the take over. We just got numerous scene of him saying he needs to make a plan and the actual scene where he does wins power from Zafar was anti-climatic. Throughout the whole series when it came to line delivery the whole cast appeared to be improvising and it felt very unnatural and interrupted the flow of the show. I'm not exactly sure but it looked like the director was using the first takes instead of redoing shots to get a better result. Also characters had the weird habit of repeating the name of the person they were conversing after saying five words of dialogue. Almost like the audience might have forgotten character names with it.
When it comes to the BL element, the main couple had decent chemistry. The scenes together were some of the best in the series. Eurwin did pretty well in his role and is a pretty good theatrical actor. Adrian is newbie and unfortunately it showed. Sometimes he was decent but other times it felt like he was just having trouble remembering his lines with awkward breaks in between and his body language could be really off. I personally think this role was too much for a first-timer but I think he does have a great future in acting. Although the acting was a bit off, the chemistry between the leads was quite great. I was thoroughly impressed. But I was pissed off about the fake kiss which deflated the roof top scene in Ep7 after they confessed they loved each other. I really think actors need to be okay with doing the BL elements when taking on a gay series.
The side characters impressed me too. Prince Malik and Kevin were pretty cute and I wish they gave them a more intricate story. I feel that would have added more interest. Also their singing scene in episode 10... AMAZING!
The adults really seemed to excel in terms of acting for this show. The acting for Zafar, Zeyn's dad and mum, and Madam Vee. Although their delivery was not typical tv drama, it had a broadway feel to it which matched the musical theatre/Disney genre of the show. Zafar was definitely my favourite character, Apollo completely slayed the role.
Now should you watch this show. If you love singing this a show to watch. However if you're looking for show with a strong interesting story and you can't look past awkward acting this show won't be for you. I recommend viewing the first episode and that should give you a decent view if you like the show or not.
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Off to a great start
I really loved the first episode of this musical Pinoy BL the two leads are both great actors who appear to have the chemistry to pull off their roles as a couple. The storyline is also pretty good; although there is some room for improvement in terms of the secondary characters lines (turn it up a notch writers). I liked the songs that were showcased in this episode, and this also reflects on the actors who are singing. Someone obviously did a good job with the casting in this respect as well. I know that the writers are trying to maintain a degree of mystery surrounding the princes sudden departure from his own country, but the background to this really needs to be addressed soon for the story to progress better. I can’t wait for the second episode, as the first was much better than I expected it to be.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Meu primeiro BL mucical
Enfim, depois de muita espera, Raimbow prince chegou e com ela uma chuva de críticas. A série foi muito anunciada pelas Filipinas, o que gerou uma grande expectativa nos fãs de BL, quero dar minha opinião.Inicialmente, vi muitas críticas à parte musical, mas se o BL é musical, o que vcs esperavam?
A história é fantástica, não tem como imaginarmos ela como sendo real. Em um reino distante, um rei prepara seu único filho para ocupar seu lugar no trono, enquanto seu filho quer apenas curtir a vida, e ao mesmo tempo, o irmão do rei arma um golpe para tomar o reino, tendo como principal arma o conhecimento de que seu sobrinho não está pronto para largar a farra e assumir a responsabilidade de cuidar do seu país. Para iniciar o golpe ele mata o rei, e o príncipe foge para as Filipinas escondendo sua identidade e levando consigo dois guarda- costas de confiança, pois não está pronto para assumir o trono, e é aí que a história ganha forma, pois nas Filipinas o príncipe Zeyn conhece Mikey, seu grande amor, e por ele será capaz de enfrentar tudo. Esse roteiro tem vários pontos de análise. Pra mim, o primeiro deles é que as Filipinas sempre usam mulheres trans ou travestis em suas produções, algo muito positivo, enquanto a Tailândia recentemente fez uma produção grandiosa (Drag i love you), onde a protagonista era drag queen, e eles utilizaram uma atriz mulher ?. Isso é positivo? Com certeza! Quando os papéis não são depreciativos ou apenas cômicos, e isso aconteceu bastante nessa produção. A série teve uma grande produção, isso é inegável. Porém não podemos esperar que uma história de fantasia tenha lógica em tudo, então vou passar meu pano rosa para os outros furos no roteiro.
A atuação do elenco não é magnífica, mas o ator principal é tão lindo que eu nem prestava atenção atuação dele, e não podemos esquecer que a série tem um lado cômico que despretensiosamente nos envolve.
A série tem uma ost maravilhosa, boa parte cantada pelo ator principal, que tem uma voz linda, não posso evitar de recomendar.
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Leider nichts...
Die Produktion könnte recht gut Geld gekostet haben. Die Promotion und Aufmachung zeigt dies genauso, wie einige Schauspieler und verschiedene Drehorte, aufwendige Kostüme usw..Leider ist nicht nur die Story flach. Musicals muss man mögen, ich bin nicht der Freund davon, aber dies macht diese Serie leider weder besser noch schlechter.
Einige SchauspielerInnen sind nett anzusehen, aber ob man sie wirklich Schauspieler nennen kann? Ich habe mich durch 6 Folgen gequält, weil ich dachte, es wird besser - Fehlanzeige. Die Interaktion ist so mies, dass keinerlei Gefühle rüber kommen. Eine der schlechtesten Serien, die ich je gesehen habe. Schade.
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