It’s an undeniable fact: Filipinos love soap operas.
And since I’m a Filipino, I also like soap operas. This sounds like some logic exercise from school but seriously, there’s more to this than logic. Here’s the story:
Since the day we bought our first TV set when I was in grade school, soap operas have always been in our family’s watchlist. From Mara Clara up to Tayong Dalawa, I have watched almost all soap operas of ABS-CBN (and er, yeah, some of those GMA shows). I can still vividly remember the Rico-Claudine love story in Mula sa Puso, the clashing characters (and hairstyles) of Rosario, Rosemarie and Rosenda of Saan ka Man Naroroon and even the tragic bus accident in the beginning of Esperanza.
But in recent years, the mushrooming of Tagalized Korean soap operas have destroyed my appetite for Pinoy ones. Korean TV series are so good that they make even the best Pinoy “teleseryes” look drab.
Maybe it’s in the way Korean shows portray the scenes. Even the most absurd and unbelievable situations become believable (think of Jan Di being bathed with flour and eggs in Boys Over Flowers).
Korean characters are so unique. And the storylines are simple and yet still unforgettable.
As I look at today’s Pinoy soaps, I’m a little bit disappointed. While ABS-CBN is upping their game through socially relevant and values-filled TV shows, their romance stories are still several notches below their Korean counterparts. It’s even more appalling when I look at the shows of GME. The titles alone are mundane. Totoy Bato and Ang Babaeng Hinugot sa Aking Tadyang? What, are we going backwards to the time when Dolphy was still young and wrinkle-free?
It’s just sad.
The bright side is, we can still take pride on the dramatic talents of our actors like the stars of Tayong Dalawa, and the social relevance and values in May Bukas Pa.
I hope there will be some upgrades in future Pinoy shows. After all, there’s still time to improve. May Bukas Pa.
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