For the first time in my teleserye watching life, I am rooting for a love TEAM. Yes, a team – a partnership and that’s #JamesReid and #NadineLustre aka #JaDine. I confess that I really love JLC and Jericho Rosales, I don’t usually root for a female lead well, except for Judy Ann Santos. But that’s it. I don’t want like their respective love teams. I like admire them as individuals. But with James Reid and Nadine Lustre – I have this feeling of protectiveness that I don’t want them to be paired with other actors. Have I officially joined the bandwagon of Love Teams? Hahaha! I think I have!
So what made me fall in like love with #JaDine ? I have never seen any of their previous work. I’ve only seen them in #OTWOL and I was amazed with their rapport, their banter, their ease with each other. How it’s natural for them to show just the right amount of intimacy without it being too sexual or forced. Natural intimacy between love teams is not easy to *fake*, it will show immediately if one is uneasy. It will come out awkward and strange. But with #JaDine – it’s as if they’ve done it a million times already. It doesn’t come out fake at all. (Or ako lang ba ito since biased ako with them?) They have something natural between them, be it friendship or professionalism – it works and it has been working wonders for them. At the end of each episode you will secretly wish that they end up together. I think that’s the main goal of the casting people, they want to make the audience to want to believe that these two actors can be together in REAL life. I don’t think I’m their target market, because at my age – I honestly couldn’t care less. But #JaDine has somehow piqued my curiosity and has effectively drawn me in. I admit that I youtube their interviews and I must say – they give smart answers, may substance. I think having seen this teleserye first before their past works made me relate to them more. Leah and Clark’s character are not those you find in fantasies. You can see them everyday and relate to their back stories. It’s not the rich vs poor scenario, no one is the underdog, no one is being treated unfairly or inhumanely or is beaten up. They’re on equal footing actually. I don’t think I can remember a series I’ve seen that didn’t have the inaapi plot or a twist of changed babies. The characters of Leah and Clark is so simple that it has been stripped off all the unnecessary characteristics and drama and instead they’re just ACTUAL real people, given realistic challenges to overcome in time. The characters are relatable and I’m sure in every Filipino family, they have their own Leahs and Clarks (not necessarily falling for one another) but the essence of it is that the audience can relate and see similarities with their own lives. Their struggles are true to life. Their love story is quite common but what makes it stand out is that it’s being shown on TV, right before our eyes – literally shown to us, given to us (to watch) to dissect and appreciate – as I said, relatable. I used to complain that teleserye stories are not true to life, they’re very exaggerated but with #OTWOL – most everything is real and relatable. The writing I think makes a big difference, because it’s the story that molded these two characters to become relatable. The writers infused likeable characteristic in them that draws people in to their roles more. I really like how the secondary characters are not eye candy BUT can deliver the perfect amount of support to pop the lead characters more. The support characters act very well and so very naturally too. Their support is not forced nor does it look forced – as I said – very natural, very much like our real friends and people in our lives. I think what’s great with the whole cast is that they’re not trying to step on one another to uplift their own characters. The supporting roles blend very well with the lead characters and it seems that they work together as a team in attacking scenes so that everyone is involved and is part of a particular scene. I like that even the minor roles, like the kapitana or Tolayt’s mom – they all seem so natural! I think that’s why I keep wanting to watch. I’m officially ADDICTED. Ask my Panget even Kailee knows what her mama’s favorite show is now. Hahha!! I can’t fully put into words – basta I’m a fan. A huge fan at that now. The team up, it made me look back on the local love teams that were launched years ago. Did they work? Some of them did, some succeeded and some ended dramatically. Do you remember any of these? Peachy & Wacks (Angelu de Leon & Bobby Andrews) Can you guess where these two are from? Hahaha! Yes, the GMA7 hit teen show TGIS. These two weren’t invloved but they somehow made me wish they were. I watched all their films together, event visited the set to interview them and director Mark Reyes. But their love team was short lived because Peachy got pregnant in real life. GMA7 tried to salvage their love team but wasn’t able to. I remember there was even a movie they made together while Angelu was pregnant. But in fairness, I loved them while it lasted, well actually – I loved them before Angelu got pregnant. I guess at that time, it was hard for me to see the truth that it was all for show. Rico Yan & Claudine Barretto These two were real and reel life couples. Rico Yan was the boy next door, wholesome BF that you can’t wait to introduce to your friends and family. I honestly liked them only in Got to Believe. That movie was so memorable and funny – and it was their last. And I know for a fact that while they were promoting the movie – they were already broken up. So during their interviews and press cons – they were just *acting* for everyone. Most everyone was privy that Claudine was already involved with Raymart Santiago then. Then Rico Yan died. And Claudine was the person everyone blamed. I blamed her too. And I disliked her more, until now. Affected ano? Hahaha!! Jericho Rosales & Kristine Hermosa I loooooved Pangako Sayo! Kristine Hermosa was so perfect there, she was the mestiza helper that fell in love with the arrogant Angelo. In real life I don’t think you’ll ever find a helper that pretty and if you do – delikado. Hahaha! But this teleserye is a classic example of exaggeration. I watched this every night – until I went to Beijing to study. I wasn’t able to finish it though and up to now, I still don’t know how the teleserye ended. I was sad because at the end of this show – Kristine and Jericho were on the rocks. When they broke up, I never saw them in the same way again. They had another series together but it didn’t appeal to me anymore. Hahaha!! I loved Jericho but hated his series with real life GF Heart Evangelista. John Lloyd & Kaye Abad Rovic and Eds. The iconic teen oriented show that launched JLC’s career (I would argue that it was Palibhasa Lalake that made me notice him). Were they together? Honestly, I’ve forgotten – but this show I followed too, every Sunday. Their love team was believable (then) and it aired for a long time. Hahaha!! John Lloyd Cruz & Bea Alonzo I didn’t like Bea but their love team really works. I’ve seen them on TV and in movies, they have this magic in them that I can’t explain. They’re only REEL lovers and it works. They’re not personally involved but it somehow worked. Judy
Ann Santos & Ryan Agoncillo I knew for a fact that Ryan Agoncillo was dating someone long term when he started this series. I knew this because she was a friend. When talk of their supposed closeness came out – I dismissed it because I knew the real score. I was even telling people that it wasn’t true! But I was wrong, because while the show was airing, Ryan broke up with my friend. I felt for my friend but what can we do diba? These two ended up together eventually. Despite what happened to my friend, I still liked Judy Ann Santos because she’s simply a very good actress! Judy Ann Santos & Derek Ramsay Their show Ysabella is the first show that I realized that real love doesn’t need to be in the formula for REEL love team to work. I’ve always had this idea in my head that love teams SHOULD be attracted to one another or at least have the possibility of being together. This team up made me realize that REEL love can also work! They have their respective personal love lives going on for them but I was rooting for them the whole time (on TV). I loved seeing them together on TV. I never thought this team up will work – but it did. (Halata bang Kapamilya?) Hahaha!! Previous posts on #OTWOL & #JaDine On the Wings of Love: James Reid & Nadine Lustre The MAGIC of #JaDine and #OnTheWingsOfLove
Parang dadami pa ang #JaDine blogposts mo, Didi. Wag lang spoilers sa OTWOL ha. 😛