TYPE OF REVIEW : FIRST IMPRESSION REVIEW
No spoilers.
GMA Network’s Pulang Araw premiered its first episode on Netflix yesterday and within the first couple of minutes, you will find yourself stunned by some breathtaking and heartbreaking visuals and emotional moments before sort of reverting back to familiar teleserye dynamics. That will be the biggest challenge for this ambitious series, as it is for any Filipino teleserye. How to have the writing and story maintain the momentum from its strong start and be able to match the obviously meticulous production.
Possibly the best narrative decision of Pulang Araw‘s first episode is to waste no time in dropping the viewer right into the middle of World War II. The series is set to tell the story of four childhood friends in a tumultuous wartime Philippines. The historical drama aspect of the series, depicting this painful moment in the country’s history, should work hand-in-hand with the more character-driven stories about the people who experienced it.
The first episode briefly introduces us to siblings Eduardo and Adelina dela Cruz (Alden Richards and Barbie Forteza, respectively). Eduardo is fighting on the frontlines alongside other Filipino resistance fighters while Adelina continues work as a vaudeville performer during Japanese occupation.
The explosive and brutal scenes of the battlefield within those first minutes set the tone (and the expectations) for the rest of the series. A breathtaking and emotional sequence of scenes. But certainly not something you should expect to see often.
Though there is no confirmation on the number of episodes, it’s not a stretch to assume anywhere from 40 to 60 to 100 episodes.
So it is interesting to think about the kinds of stories the series will be telling in those episodes. For a series that is shaping up to be a historical epic unlike anything ever on Philippine TV, it will be fascinating to watch how the teleserye treatment for such a plot will be executed.
Though you can be sure to expect stunning and meticulous visuals depicting 1930s or wartime Philippines, it’s hard not to wonder if that right balance and tone can be found.
This first episode kind of gives a taste of that as it shifted from the genuinely thrilling opening scenes to a much calmer depiction of the backstory of our two leads. As always, these rewinds to the childhood backstories of the main characters are a teleserye staple. But as necessary as they are to lay the foundation of the series and its characters, it can still feel a bit abrupt. Especially with uniqueness of the daily teleserye format.
Of course, this is only one episode. But as equally emotional as these scenes of childhood Eduardo and Adelina are, they can also feel a bit formulaic. Like being a prerequisite to get things out of the way, rather than be something as captivating as the more action-heavy scenes or the general world building of this historical period of time.
And that’s including some strong performances by Rhian Ramos (who plays mother to the two children) and Cassy Lavarias and Franchesco Maafi as younger versions of Eduardo and Adelina.
It’s hard to get a good sense of a Filipino teleserye in just one episode. Which is usually why I wait until a full week’s of episodes, at least, before writing down First Impressions. But with Netflix releasing episodes a few days in advance of their linear TV airing, I just had to check the series out.
And Pulang Araw, so far, promises for an experience that is unlike anything you might usually see on local television. Its cinematic visuals and attention to period details as well as its strong cast ensemble can be strong enough to carry any potential bumps in the road. But at the same time, the expectation of a realistic and engaging depiction of the Philippines in World War II might just be enough to want to stick with the series as the weeks pass by.
It is always refreshing to see a television series or film be able to show that Philippine TV has not reached a ceiling yet. And that there are still many highs left to reach. Pulang Araw has shown that it is absolutely possible.
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People hiding inside the Borromeo house talk loudly while the Jap soldiers are searching the house. Bad acting and directing. Emotions can be read and felt not only by talking.