High Five Reasons You Should Watch Drag Den with Manila Luzon

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By: Arns Santiago

 

Looking for your next show to binge-watch? Better check out Drag Den with Manila Luzon which recently held its first ever Drag Supreme in the season finale of the show. But without spoiling who’s the winner, let’s look at high five reasons you should watch this quirky reality competition streaming on Prime Video.

 

Drag Queens, Drag Queens, Drag Queens

How do you spell iconic? It’s spelled, D-R-A-G, honey!

Drag Den wouldn’t be a smoking hot pot of entertainment without its main ingredient, drag queens.

Hosted by legendary drag queen and Drag Race alumna, Manila Luzon, eight talented drag queens from different parts of the Philippines graced the stage of the first season of the show: Lady Gagita, Barbie-Q, Pura Luka Vega, Shewarma, Aries Night, NAIA, Maria Cristina, and O-A (Odasha). With each queen having their own strong personality and set of skills, you can expect one heck of a competition week after week. You’ll root for some; you might hate some, but you’ll love all of them nevertheless with their loud and proud personas that makes the show insanely entertaining to watch.

But at the heart of this show is none other than the art of drag that queens do an amazing job at showcasing and because no one gets eliminated in Drag Den each week, you get to see how the contestants bond with each other and build a sisterhood of drag.

 

Reality Show Extravaganza

What do you get when you put eight talented drag queens together and throw them out of the box challenges? Well, not just an intense competition but piping hot tea of drama and shade that people love to watch on reality shows.

Although Drag Den is dubbed as a drag pageantry reality competition television series, you still get all the goodness of reality TV. Which means a simple conversation happening between the contestants can turn into a heated argument with matching walkouts and yelling in a blink of an eye. So, expect some backstabbing, backstage tension, rivalries, and a whole lot of tears on the eight episodes of the show’s pilot season. Watching the queens engage in a catfight verbally and physically onstage is like a guilty pleasure that we just can’t get enough of. And Drag Den’s unpredictability makes your viewing experience all the more thrilling as you never know what’s going to happen next. (Just like the big twist with the surprise judges in the final episode)

 

Unique Format & 100% Pinoy

Before anything else, don’t confuse RuPaul’s Drag Race or any of its international spin-offs including Drag Race Philippines with Drag Den because it is a completely original show of its own. What also sets it apart from other drag-centric shows is its unique format and the fact that it is 100% Filipino from the creators of the series down to each challenge the contestants face in each episode.

The series is produced by Cornerstone Studios and Project 8 Projects; with Rod Singh as the series creator, director, and producer. As stated by the host of the show, Manila Luzon in the beginning of each episode, Drag Den is a “Pinoy Drag Reality Pageant”, so the show is heavily influenced by Filipino pageantry. The challenges all focus heavily on Filipino traditions and pop culture and the costumes that the contestants wear is all made by Filipino designers. Drag and the Filipino identity are the front and center of the show, shining light on all the great things about the two.

Drag Den also stands out from other reality competitions as it has no elimination, meaning all contestants get the chance to showcase their talent and abilities episode after episode. The only elimination that happens is when the final three queens are chosen on Episode 6. Meaning you’ll get to join the eight contestants through out the series of out of the box challenges and tasks that you haven’t seen yet in any other drag series.

The show’s production value is also commendable with its consistency with the underground den theme from the set design to all the props used on the show.

 

Fearless and Unfiltered Content

Let’s be clear, Drag Den is an entertaining show, but it’s also a woke and fearless one. It not only allows the contestants to express their artistic visions through drag, but also their advocacies and opinions on important matters. From the spiels to challenges to even comments made by judges or contestants, Drag Den shows no fear when it comes to tackling issues relevant to the Philippines no matter how controversial they are.  They tackle the topics head on and create conversations about them. This show won’t just make you laugh or be entertained from the drama and challenges, it will also open your minds to see beyond the drag looks.

As one of the contestants said, you must use your platform for something bigger than yourself and Drag Den does just that. It isn’t just about beauty and comedy, it’s also about family, acceptance, and empowerment. The queens also show their vulnerability at times, allowing the audience to see the other side of them that many don’t get to see when they perform.

However, being that the show is streamed online, there are almost no restrictions when it comes to what the contestants can say and do, so expect profanity and even taboo conversations within the queens and at times, some nudity that’s still censored.

 

Queer Power, Comedy Gold and Creativity Galore

Expect no dull moment on this show as Drag Den will amaze, entertain, and even empower you with each episode.

To say that the show is funny is an understatement because the queens never let an opportunity pass to make each other and the audience laugh with their constant witty banters and jokes that never miss the mark. Drag Den is also a delight to watch with the presence of viral TikTok content creator, Sassa Gurl, who serves as the show’s “Drag Runner” who constantly interacts with the contestants and causes a riot of laughter every time she arrives.

This show may be a competition featuring eight talented LGBTQIA+ drag queens, but it’s also a platform that allows them to lift each other up as well as the members of their community by showcasing just how talented and capable they are. You’ll be amazed with the stories the contestants share and you’ll be equally awed by their ability to pull of looks that are out of the box and creative. With the wide range of challenges, all with different motifs, expect a variety of looks, from mesmerizingly beautiful to even terrifying.

It also pays tribute to drag in the most beautiful way possible, by allowing it to have a platform to reach the Filipinos and showcase just how talented Pinoys are in the art form.

 

Drag Den is really a melting pot of everything great about the queer community as it’s full of laughter, creativity and empowerment which makes it a must watch for all ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between.

All 8 episodes of Drag Den with Manila Luzon is streaming exclusively on Amazone Prime Video.

Have you watched Drag Den with Manila Luzon? What’s your favorite moment from the show? We’d love to know! Share your thoughts in the comment section.