By: Shaina Semaña
Sometime early this year, a new wave of romance genre came our way. Quite new but equally serving the right amount of kilig, Boys’ Love series—or more popularly referred to as BL—is a progressive genre of romance which is definitely here to say. If you’re a newbie and doesn’t know a thing about BL series, you’re missing out! So, check this SEA Wave article for a quick Boys’ Love Series 101 crash course.
Now, if you’re already a fanatic and looking for more series to watch, then you’re in luck because here’s SEA Wave’s High Five list—on-going and upcoming—for you to indulge on this quarantine.
#MyDay
Photo from Oxin Films FB Page
#MyDay is one of the most recent BL series in the list, with its episodes still on-going. Different from the youth-centered stories in the list though, #MyDay is about aspiring chef Sky struggling his way to enter a big food company and making his way to the heart of his, of course, masungit boss, Ace. Headlining the series are social media influencer Inaki Torres as Sky and TV personality Miko Gallardo as Ace.
The series is fairly new, only debuting last August 8, 2020, but it is already receiving positive views from in and outside the community, garnering over six hundred thousand views on its pilot episode. It’s produced under Oxin Films and Prime Event Productions Philippines Foundation Inc. You can watch it on Oxin’s YouTube account with new episodes per week.
Sakristan
Falling on the haters-to-lovers trope, Sakristan is about mischievous student-athlete Zach who is forced to become an altar server for punishment. In his sakristan stints, he meets top student Christian, who is the leader of the altar servers and is tasked to look over Zach. Despite a lot of bickering and arguments, the two form an undeniable bond.
Some may have thought that Sakristan is a bit controversial for its religious themes, it was still well-received among its audiences. It stars Triathlete Clifford Pusing and theater actor John Henry Villanueva and is produced by Darryl Yap, director of the comedy Jowable and under digital creative company, VinCentiments. You can catch Sakristan on YouTube.
Hello Stranger
One of the firsts BL series in the Philippines, Hello Stranger tells the story of two students who are forced to be grouped together in their quarantine online classes. It sounded a bit cliché, but the charm of this series is the opposite-attracts dynamics of the two main characters, Xavier and Mico, played by Tony Labrusca and JC Alcantara.
Dubbed with the ship name XavMi, our main lads are basically two opposite ends of pole. Xavier is your resident fun-loving jock, meanwhile, Mico is the timid, grade-conscious top student. Together, the two seem to be a wrong mix but, of course in a true romcom manner, the two hit it off and an undeniable romance blooms.
Tony and JC are joined by upcoming stars, Gillian Vicencion, Vivoree Esclito, Patrick Quiroz and Migs Almendras in the cast, adding more fun to the youthful show. The series is produced by Black Sheep, directed by Peters Vargas of film 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten. You can watch all 8 episodes of Hello Stranger plus a special behind-the-scenes episode on the Black Sheep Facebook page.
Gameboys
Gameboys is modern dating and quaranflings all rolled into one. Coming from its title, it tells a story about gamer Cairo, and his newfound online friend, Gav. The series is very timely, set in the middle of quarantine, it tells how the Cairo and Gav meet, form a friendship and, eventually, romance online. It was a breath of fresh air with a unique form of storytelling, combining traditional and social media storytelling which appeals really well to its young audiences.
Gameboys was an instant hit, with its pilot episode gaining 1.3 million views on YouTube—and countin. But what’s really great about it though is that it’s not limited to telling a progressive love story. It has elements on family and friendship as well and highlights the current reality of living in the pandemic, never forgetting to subtly educate its audience about the virus and the issues that revolve around it. Which is why the series garnered not just local appreciation but even internationally, with fans from all around the world too.
The series stars mainstream newcomers but indie favorites, Kokoy de Santos and Elijah Canlas as Gav and Cairo, respectively. It is produced by The IdeaFirst Company, which also produced the critically acclaimed film Die Beautiful. You can watch Cairo and Gav’s play the game of love on The IdeaFirst Company’s YouTube account.
Â
Oh, Mando
From Eduardo Roy Jr.’s Tweet
Oh, Mando was supposed to be the first Filipino BL series to be shown but due to the quarantine, filming was put on hold. There isn’t much details released about the series except that it will the story of title character Mando and his self-discovery and love. This was shared by director Eduardo Roy Jr.—director of the award-winning Cinemalaya indie Pamilya Ordinaryo—along with some teaser photos for the show, which he shared in a tweet.
The series will star Alex Diaz and Gameboys’ Kokoy de Santos. Filming has resumed and it’s set to air in iWant with no specific date of release yet. But, rumor has it, it’s gonna be out in the last quarter of the year! So let’s cross our fingers and patiently wait for it.
BL series is quite a new genre, especially in the Philippines. The list is pretty much short for now but with more titles and teasers of upcoming series coming to light, we are sure to be in a kilig-filled ride! So far, what’s your favorite from our list?