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My Eyes! They Burn!
Terrible. That's one way to describe this series. It started off with so much potential but went downhill with every other episodes aired. I honestly tried my best to like it but the show wasn't convincing enough.The acting was so poor from both main leads, that it felt like the actors were just reading out their lines with no emotion and don't even get me started with script writing. It was so cringe as hell, that I even felt sorry for the actors at one time.
The only thing good about this show, was the wedding scene for the cast of Safe Skies, Archer. P.S, if you haven't seen that series, go watch instead.
If you are considering to watch this series, I advise to see something else. It's that bad.
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Missed potential of a highly anticipated show
I got really drawn into the whole universe when Rain in España came out and have been keeping up with the adaptations as they released. Safe Skies, Archer (as many would agree) was the best from the series, Rain In España was the first one to come out and I loved it very much too and overall I just love Luna’s character. I did enjoy Chasing in the Wild, it wasn’t per se bad but not as memorable as the other two.Ever since RIE, I had a specific image painted in my head of Sam, she felt so objectively kind and at the same time so mysterious. Which is why when they announced her series I was thrilled:
Story and characters:
Let’s start with the story. The premise was quite interesting to follow when looking at Sam’s character development. Essentially the image I built of her inside my head before was proven quite wrong, I thought she was this untouchable character where in reality she was fighting for her freedom. I really liked that they focused on exploring her true feelings and her overall personality.
Some dislike Lance’s role as Clyden, I personally didn’t really mind it? I was more into sam’s character. Their chemistry is fine as well but nothing that special, and that’s kind of it. I could see a great deal of potential with a story surrounding Sam the well known party thrower and “epitome of kindness” who has to secretly fight for what she wants to do and her freedom however I don’t really like how they tackled the storytelling…so many awkward moments where it feels actors are just reading the script (one could blame it on their acting but I wasn’t content with the lines themselves and the screenplay) The story just felt so…bland. Naomi’s addition was great but I feel like they could have expanded more on that and mapped their interactions better since she was quite a pivotal character in Sam’s life, otherwise she didn’t feel much like that at all and I didn’t feel any sympathy towards her throughout the show.
This may be a hot take but I think they could have focused more on Sam’s development rather than her love story (not saying it shouldn’t exist I love romance but it just felt forced at times and their interactions were kinda weird).It just feels like missed potential considering, me and probably many others were anticipating Sam’s story the most. The last few eps especially felt rlly anticlimactic. Honestly I’m rlly disappointed with how this turned out :(
But I did like the soundtrack and seeing the old beloved characters again. So that’s a plus.
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This review may contain spoilers
Huge Let Down
Acting has never been the forte of the Viva One cast. The only reason for their popularity is the nostalgia train that they ride on. With the univerkada series so far- Rain in Espana, Safe Skies Archer and Chasing in the wild, even though the acting was not great, the plot was interesting. Had a lot of interesting moments that makes you wait for the next episode. Avenues of the diamond (AOTD) just didn't have it. Lance Carr was a terrible cast choice and with Aubrey, the chemistry was just not there. Heaven Peralejo (Luna) and Gab Lagman (Sevi) had more chemistry in Rain in Espana than them and they didn't even have any romantic moments!Because of the fizzled out chemistry, this drama couldn't even ride the nostalgia train properly. The freshness, cuteness and sillyness of a romance that starts in college was simply not there.
There's a scene in Chasing In The Wild where Elyse calls Sevi babe by mistake. Just that 10 second scene is more interesting than the 16 episodes of AOTD combined.
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Deliciously mediocre, immensely addictive arranged marriage trope
The fourth installment of the University Series is here to satisfy again yet one of your favorite romantic tropes: arranged marriage coupled with grumpy sunshine. No matter how cringy or cliché the plot is, I always find myself coming back for more for this mediocre OTT TV series.Avenues of the Diamond revolves around Sam (Aubrey Caraan) a friendly, party girl who finds herself in an arranged marriage with Clyden (Lance Carr) a snobby medical student. Forced to live under one roof, will their personalities continue to clash, or will they prove that opposites do attract and eventually find themselves falling in love?
First off, there is a very specific time that I crave to watch a no-brainer tv series—full of predictable plot, subpar acting and overdone premise. Nevertheless, I find myself enjoying this kind of mediocre TV show. Primarily, it is because of how the fresh face in the cast offers a breath of fresh air that practically forces the audience to root for their unvarnished talent. I believe Aubrey and Lance are brimming with potential. They’ve got the aura and face card already. They just need more projects and acting workshops to hone their crafts.
Aubrey’s portrayal of an outgoing, fashionable college student hits the mark. Her pink outfits make her radiate and highlight how pretty she is inside and out. Her younger and older selves were differentiated through their hair length and both styles suited her well. Her lean, tall physique just even proves she is the right pick to pull off a model look.
On the other hand, initially I found Lance’s acting to be stiff and monotonous. I don’t know if it’s an incurable disease among actors but it’s always the leading man who acts as the freeloader because he can’t act well while his leading lady’s back hurts from carrying the entire show. To be fair, Lance does a good job portraying grumpy-turned-heart eyes over our sunshine Aubrey. I thank the heavens for those specs because they really make him look hot. As the story progresses, his face card started to grow on me but not his acting skills. His unnatural movements and monotonous delivery of lines are painfully obvious because Aubrey’s acting is way better. By the time we reached the midpoint of the show, I can see he’s appeared to be more relaxed and natural in his acting so I’m naturally proud of his improvement.
The show attempts to gradually build up the core conflict, however, the pacing stumbles, leaving the narrative overly drawn out. Some scenes come across as fillers, trying to foreshadow hints but lacks the compelling hook. The central conflict also revolves around mental health, which is a sensitive theme, so I expected a more nuanced direction, but the execution here feels incredibly surface-level and clumsy.
What makes Avenues of the Diamond stand out, though, is how the plot centers on balancing career and love. It teaches us that love comes at the right time. It should not be hurried. Healing takes time, making your dreams come true takes time and the right man will wait at the right time.
Clyden is the epitome of a man who understands and cares deeply for his lover. He was never selfish, never forcing himself on her and never making her choose between him and her career because he knows how her modelling career is important to her.
Thank God Aubrey doesn’t have to choose between dream career and dream husband and in the end, she got all of them. I’m glad both our main characters allowed their careers and love to fully grow and flourish because it really paid off and resulted in an unconditional love that truly stood the test of time and survived all the trials and tribulations.
Ultimately, Avenues of the Diamond shines brightest when it’s highlighting the foundational pillar of an emotionally safe, healthy, and nurturing relationship—being an empathetic and supportive partner. If only the number of episodes were reduced and the pacing was tighter, this romcom would easily hook anyone from start to finish. Overall, this was a decent guilty-pleasure watch but it’s such a shame this fourth installment wasn’t as popular as the previous installments. I hope that someday it makes its comeback or resurgence because this show is truly a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.
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ANG GANDA
Dec 8, 2025OMG i finally finished this show, i am so happy na finish ko na siya.
I really love watching VivaOne Teleserye since it helps me strengthen my Tagalog since I am not as fluent. It really makes me feel satisfied with the adaptation since I also read the wattpad novel version.
Sam and Clyden's story hits so damn different, knowing everything that they put me through.
I really love the cast, I know people were a bit harsh on the actor portraying Clyden but at the same time, maybe its just that high Filipino beauty standards, nevertheless, he still is pogi for me to be Clyden.
Among the University series, you can really tell, this one had good budgeting! And I hope it keeps up especially with the on-going show right now with Arkin and Via.
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