I think a I saw a pinoy guy here complaining about the over use of english in this series. At 1st it didn't bother…
Pamilya ng mga burgis si Vlad, how he speaks is how I expected him to speak.
They also live in condo units, so that says something. Only Karl is the one who speaks like the average college student since he's only able to live in a condo due to his uncle.
I changed my mind on my previous thoughts about this episode. I'm a Karl stan through and through.
I said, previously, that no one is to blame in this episode. Everyone has their own justified motivations for the actions they made. But someone on Twitter (This is a MUST READ: https://twitter.com/ParengEnzo/status/1324939331417436160) made several points that made me reevaluate my point of view in this episode.
Judit is a highly flawed character, and an opportunity for other so-called allies - despite saying they support the community, but still has reservations on some issues related to the LGBTQ+ - to reevaluate their allyship. A self-proclaimed ally yet has no real sympathy to the plights of the marginalized whatsoever. She's an ally to Vlad and only to Vlad. She, despite pushing several ideas that came out from the language of queer theory, still only has superficial rapport with the LGBTQ+ community. She treats allyship like it's a badge to be displayed, and not something that requires manifestations of real actions.
Vlad is not entirely blameless too. Vlad is the one who has actual knowledge on queer discourse. He has been preaching to Karl about microaggressions, homophobia, issues within the community. He should've understood why Karl is scared, should've been aware of the material conditions Karl grew up in. Karl was born in a less privileged upbringing, staying inside the closet is an act of survival for him. Coming out will only bring social and economic disasters for Karl. There is a possibility that he will be shunned by his own family. Another possibility is that Karl will lose access to the capital provided by his parents to provide for himself. Yet Vlad (and Judit) are the ones who ultimately pushed Karl away from the community, even before he had the opportunity to step into it.
Usually I write something long to articulate what I've felt each episode. But this is too much. I mean, I was already waiting for it. Karl is in the closet. After all that sweet affections and kisses, Karl is still in the closet. The moment he looked at his parents' picture in the table was the moment I knew reality will soon come barging its way.
And it's hard. When the world has been telling you that loving the same sex is wrong all your life, you can't help but be paralyzed with fear and anxiety. It's not Karl's fault for feeling that way, it's also not Vlad's fault for wanting a love that will not be ashamed of him. It's just that the world is unfair to people like us.
I'm gonna stop now, this hits too close to home. It's like I'm re-watching my past self who struggled so hard to come out of the closet. Let's hope a time will come where future generations won't need to worry about this anymore. But, for now, let's fight for our right to not be discriminated anymore.
Kudos to Pao's acting tho. I can literally hear the fear in his voice and his eyes were fucking shaking. I felt really anxious for him too, like damn. And Ian's sobbing was just so heartbreaking.
TL;DR The gays won!!!! Also, read up more on SOGIE for the betterment of our society/ies.
Karl's emancipation is such a powerful, liberating scene. Remember, the first person you will come out to is yourself. And sometimes, getting that person to accept you takes years.
I saw myself in him. Imagine, years of repressing who you really are. Ever since I was a child, almost all the adults - and the children - around me would scold me or call me out if they ever see me move in any way they think is "too feminine" for a boy. They would say "Are you gay? Why do you move like that" or maybe "That's not how a boy should act." And it stays with you for such a long time. You learn to "correct" yourself, you overscrutinize every move you make. My friends back then always say that I move like "a robot," like I don't have full control over my own body, that I move so awkwardly. And they were right, because I'm scared of moving "wrong."
I went to college, away from all the people who personally know me. I lived in a dorm, with strangers, and that ironically helped me and made me forget the feeling that someone was always breathing down my neck. The first time I decided to do something "feminine," nobody batted an eyelash. No one cared. And so I also decided not to care, to not think of what others will think. I also started to question why there are "feminine" and "masculine" traits and actions. Who decided that this thing is under that and therefore shouldn't be done by certain people? Why are things this way? Why does so many people believe things should be this way?
And that's why I don't think that it's too out-of-character for Karl to suddenly be so "feminine" as some of you noted. We have always seen Karl's feminine side, it's just that he's been repressing it for years. It manifests every time he gets surprised. His screams are loud and high-pitched. In the earlier episodes, some of us noticed that he moves very awkwardly, like he doesn't know what to do with his body. That's the true Karl, and what we've been seeing is the Karl that has long died.
This doesn't mean, however, that I'm immune from the homophobic tendencies our society have. During the first few seconds of Karl's dance, I was uncomfortable. But why? I also experienced what Karl was doing in front of my screen, why was I uncomfortable? It suddenly made me reevaluate what I've known about SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity and expression), and realized that I still haven't completely overcome my internalized homophobia. I'm grateful that this episode made me realize that.
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT KISS. The dynamic between these two men is incredible. Karl was hungry (I think Paolo remembered the show is supposed to be PG-13 at the very last second because I swear, he was ready to get a taste of Ian's tonsils) for that kiss, then Vlad returned the kiss with such gentleness. It's the culmination of the tension that has been there between them for five episodes.
Not gonna lie, I'm worried for episode 7 now. Vlad asked what Karl is thinking, Karl said he does not want to think, they kissed. But what happens after this, after the "not" thinking? Karl still has problems with his parents regarding his education, his dad's homophobia, the pressure his parents push onto him (Hello, Karl. Most UP students are satisfied when they get a grade of 2.25, lighten up). Vlad still has to settle his problems with his mom, and the mysterious ex.
Each episode is great. Better than most of our teleseryes here, to be honest.
This is the best Filipino BL series of 2020 by far. Production and Acting is superb. Im sad that this is short…
The cast and crew are actually gunning for a second season. If the "script" (this can be read on Wattpad, if you're curious. I also deleted something spoiler-y, sorry to anyone who read that lol) is any indication, it should be just as good. I hope we receive a good news once the series ends.
TL;DR This series is phenomenal so far. Kudos to everyone involved in the production of this web series.
Episode 5 really struck a chord with me. Especially with Vlad and Karl's conversation about the prom, on how a small, ultimately inessential event became such a "big deal." In the context of the Philippines, a country where a huge majority are conservative and largely """tolerant""" - as long as we adhere to stereotypes, don't call for equal rights and make ourselves visibly known to the public consciousness, of course :) - when it comes to LGBTQ, there are many things that heterosexual people take for granted: holding hands in public, kissing, appropriate representation in media (!!!), experiencing a high school romance, not having anxiety because of who you are, and so much more.
There's a belief in our community that our "teenager phase" begins when we are in our young adulthood stage, a period in our lives where we are already in college or applying for job positions. The time where we "make-up for lost time" (this is the ending line of the episode) and fully act like the teenagers we've all ever wanted to be.
We also finally understand Anna and why she acts in such a straightforward, almost aggressive manner. She had to fight to get to wherever she is now. She's a single mother who got pregnant when she was a teenager. She was alone, and faced society's judgments at such a critical stage in her life. She somehow managed to pull herself together with her child and assert herself to the world. Being a single mother, especially one who got pregnant at an early age, is not an easy situation under a patriarchal society. Seeing this makes me anticipate what's going to happen with Judit's character development.
THAT dance scene, with Karl first leading Vlad, sees the way Vlad's looking at him; it's as if he is beginning to realize something. Then it turned into a dream sequence (it became a space that only contained the two of them, away from reality, just like what Anna mentioned earlier) and we now see Karl being led by Vlad during the dance. Vlad is singing to him the line "And why should we even feel confused and lost?," like he's telling Karl to ignore his worries, take the risk, and fall. The dream sequence ended and Karl went back to their condo unit, paralyzed and holding his beating heart (Does this sound familiar? Because it should). The sad thing I realized after rewatching the episode, the fantasy stopped when the lights turned on. As if they can only be truly themselves when they were in the dark. Hopefully we can change that in the future, so that our future LGBTQ+ kids will finally have no reason to fear just like how we've feared society's reaction to our identities.
Additional note for the first scene since nobody's pointed it out yet, Karl was talking about the kiss that Julio and Tenoch, the two male protagonists, shared with each other during a threesome scene with Luisa, the female protagonist. He was confused because they were supposed to be straight, why did they kiss then? That's why Vlad told him to "not think too much about it" and "think more on what [he's] feeling." It was Karl discovering the concept of bisexuality. The scene is also connected to the last scene with Karl following what Vlad said and finally realize what he's feeling.
Just goes to show how this "BL" (I'm still hesitant in putting the series under the boys' love genre) is very different from the usual, classic definition of BLs. It does not cater to the straight female audience - the main demographic of BLs (and yaoi) is straight women, let's not lie to ourselves - the series is for us, people who are part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Of course, it doesn't really cover the entirety of our experiences as gender minorities, but it, at the very least, shows one facet of it. And maybe that's one of the factors why it feels so real, like they're real human beings talking to each other and they just happen to have a camera pointed at them.
I'll post my full thoughts on this series after the show ends. But so far, this series is really "taking back our story."
They also live in condo units, so that says something. Only Karl is the one who speaks like the average college student since he's only able to live in a condo due to his uncle.
I said, previously, that no one is to blame in this episode. Everyone has their own justified motivations for the actions they made. But someone on Twitter (This is a MUST READ: https://twitter.com/ParengEnzo/status/1324939331417436160) made several points that made me reevaluate my point of view in this episode.
Judit is a highly flawed character, and an opportunity for other so-called allies - despite saying they support the community, but still has reservations on some issues related to the LGBTQ+ - to reevaluate their allyship. A self-proclaimed ally yet has no real sympathy to the plights of the marginalized whatsoever. She's an ally to Vlad and only to Vlad. She, despite pushing several ideas that came out from the language of queer theory, still only has superficial rapport with the LGBTQ+ community. She treats allyship like it's a badge to be displayed, and not something that requires manifestations of real actions.
Vlad is not entirely blameless too. Vlad is the one who has actual knowledge on queer discourse. He has been preaching to Karl about microaggressions, homophobia, issues within the community. He should've understood why Karl is scared, should've been aware of the material conditions Karl grew up in. Karl was born in a less privileged upbringing, staying inside the closet is an act of survival for him. Coming out will only bring social and economic disasters for Karl. There is a possibility that he will be shunned by his own family. Another possibility is that Karl will lose access to the capital provided by his parents to provide for himself. Yet Vlad (and Judit) are the ones who ultimately pushed Karl away from the community, even before he had the opportunity to step into it.
And it's hard. When the world has been telling you that loving the same sex is wrong all your life, you can't help but be paralyzed with fear and anxiety. It's not Karl's fault for feeling that way, it's also not Vlad's fault for wanting a love that will not be ashamed of him. It's just that the world is unfair to people like us.
I'm gonna stop now, this hits too close to home. It's like I'm re-watching my past self who struggled so hard to come out of the closet. Let's hope a time will come where future generations won't need to worry about this anymore. But, for now, let's fight for our right to not be discriminated anymore.
Kudos to Pao's acting tho. I can literally hear the fear in his voice and his eyes were fucking shaking. I felt really anxious for him too, like damn. And Ian's sobbing was just so heartbreaking.
Karl's emancipation is such a powerful, liberating scene. Remember, the first person you will come out to is yourself. And sometimes, getting that person to accept you takes years.
I saw myself in him. Imagine, years of repressing who you really are. Ever since I was a child, almost all the adults - and the children - around me would scold me or call me out if they ever see me move in any way they think is "too feminine" for a boy. They would say "Are you gay? Why do you move like that" or maybe "That's not how a boy should act." And it stays with you for such a long time. You learn to "correct" yourself, you overscrutinize every move you make. My friends back then always say that I move like "a robot," like I don't have full control over my own body, that I move so awkwardly. And they were right, because I'm scared of moving "wrong."
I went to college, away from all the people who personally know me. I lived in a dorm, with strangers, and that ironically helped me and made me forget the feeling that someone was always breathing down my neck. The first time I decided to do something "feminine," nobody batted an eyelash. No one cared. And so I also decided not to care, to not think of what others will think. I also started to question why there are "feminine" and "masculine" traits and actions. Who decided that this thing is under that and therefore shouldn't be done by certain people? Why are things this way? Why does so many people believe things should be this way?
And that's why I don't think that it's too out-of-character for Karl to suddenly be so "feminine" as some of you noted. We have always seen Karl's feminine side, it's just that he's been repressing it for years. It manifests every time he gets surprised. His screams are loud and high-pitched. In the earlier episodes, some of us noticed that he moves very awkwardly, like he doesn't know what to do with his body. That's the true Karl, and what we've been seeing is the Karl that has long died.
This doesn't mean, however, that I'm immune from the homophobic tendencies our society have. During the first few seconds of Karl's dance, I was uncomfortable. But why? I also experienced what Karl was doing in front of my screen, why was I uncomfortable? It suddenly made me reevaluate what I've known about SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity and expression), and realized that I still haven't completely overcome my internalized homophobia. I'm grateful that this episode made me realize that.
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT KISS. The dynamic between these two men is incredible. Karl was hungry (I think Paolo remembered the show is supposed to be PG-13 at the very last second because I swear, he was ready to get a taste of Ian's tonsils) for that kiss, then Vlad returned the kiss with such gentleness. It's the culmination of the tension that has been there between them for five episodes.
Not gonna lie, I'm worried for episode 7 now. Vlad asked what Karl is thinking, Karl said he does not want to think, they kissed. But what happens after this, after the "not" thinking? Karl still has problems with his parents regarding his education, his dad's homophobia, the pressure his parents push onto him (Hello, Karl. Most UP students are satisfied when they get a grade of 2.25, lighten up). Vlad still has to settle his problems with his mom, and the mysterious ex.
Each episode is great. Better than most of our teleseryes here, to be honest.
Look at this thread for the list of episodes and OST of the series: https://kisskh.at/discussions/like-in-the-movies/56183-official-like-in-the-movies-episode-links-osts-philippine-drama
Still can't believe he's acting and studying (a MED STUDENT!) at the same time.
Episode 5 really struck a chord with me. Especially with Vlad and Karl's conversation about the prom, on how a small, ultimately inessential event became such a "big deal." In the context of the Philippines, a country where a huge majority are conservative and largely """tolerant""" - as long as we adhere to stereotypes, don't call for equal rights and make ourselves visibly known to the public consciousness, of course :) - when it comes to LGBTQ, there are many things that heterosexual people take for granted: holding hands in public, kissing, appropriate representation in media (!!!), experiencing a high school romance, not having anxiety because of who you are, and so much more.
There's a belief in our community that our "teenager phase" begins when we are in our young adulthood stage, a period in our lives where we are already in college or applying for job positions. The time where we "make-up for lost time" (this is the ending line of the episode) and fully act like the teenagers we've all ever wanted to be.
We also finally understand Anna and why she acts in such a straightforward, almost aggressive manner. She had to fight to get to wherever she is now. She's a single mother who got pregnant when she was a teenager. She was alone, and faced society's judgments at such a critical stage in her life. She somehow managed to pull herself together with her child and assert herself to the world. Being a single mother, especially one who got pregnant at an early age, is not an easy situation under a patriarchal society. Seeing this makes me anticipate what's going to happen with Judit's character development.
THAT dance scene, with Karl first leading Vlad, sees the way Vlad's looking at him; it's as if he is beginning to realize something. Then it turned into a dream sequence (it became a space that only contained the two of them, away from reality, just like what Anna mentioned earlier) and we now see Karl being led by Vlad during the dance. Vlad is singing to him the line "And why should we even feel confused and lost?," like he's telling Karl to ignore his worries, take the risk, and fall. The dream sequence ended and Karl went back to their condo unit, paralyzed and holding his beating heart (Does this sound familiar? Because it should). The sad thing I realized after rewatching the episode, the fantasy stopped when the lights turned on. As if they can only be truly themselves when they were in the dark. Hopefully we can change that in the future, so that our future LGBTQ+ kids will finally have no reason to fear just like how we've feared society's reaction to our identities.
Additional note for the first scene since nobody's pointed it out yet, Karl was talking about the kiss that Julio and Tenoch, the two male protagonists, shared with each other during a threesome scene with Luisa, the female protagonist. He was confused because they were supposed to be straight, why did they kiss then? That's why Vlad told him to "not think too much about it" and "think more on what [he's] feeling." It was Karl discovering the concept of bisexuality. The scene is also connected to the last scene with Karl following what Vlad said and finally realize what he's feeling.
Just goes to show how this "BL" (I'm still hesitant in putting the series under the boys' love genre) is very different from the usual, classic definition of BLs. It does not cater to the straight female audience - the main demographic of BLs (and yaoi) is straight women, let's not lie to ourselves - the series is for us, people who are part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Of course, it doesn't really cover the entirety of our experiences as gender minorities, but it, at the very least, shows one facet of it. And maybe that's one of the factors why it feels so real, like they're real human beings talking to each other and they just happen to have a camera pointed at them.
I'll post my full thoughts on this series after the show ends. But so far, this series is really "taking back our story."