If you've been following me on Twitter, you can definitely attest that there are three things that I care the most: needing rest, work, and On the Wings of Love. As you can see on my last post, there has been a lot of things going on, especially at work -- it has been a crazy roller coaster ride, and despite of all the ~feels~ and doubts that I was going through, I decided to renew my contract at work and face the challenges ahead, no matter how hard they seemed to be.
As of the moment, work has been pretty smooth sailing. Although we have encountered a lot of things the past weeks, there has been a 'great calm' with how things are going, compared to our stressed out moments from our last events. We actually have an upcoming event in Cebu, but since my trip to Coron has been pre-booked months before, my boss was kind enough to let me go, provided that I accomplish everything that has to be done before they fly out.
Anyway, despite all the craziness, one thing that I never failed to do was to catch up with my newest favorite show: On the Wings of Love. I was never a fan of Tagalog Teleseryes, pretty much because I felt like I couldn't relate to any of the things that was happening. The drama didn't feel appealing, and the heaviness of people trying to kill one another was definitely something that does not feed my fancy. However, since I am now working in a field where knowledge about mass media and its audience is necessary, I realized that what we have to offer is actually fun to watch. Before, the only things that I truly appreciated were Indie films, Encantadia, and One More Chance (!!!), but now, I realized that there are other movies (not classic films!) and shows that are actually (1) not corny, and (2) are also substantial.
I'm not being elitist here, but I guess I never really just had the chance to expose myself to Filipino works, maybe because we don't have a television at our dorm room when I was in college, or maybe because the only thing that's downloadable were western series. Eventually, after I graduated and moved back home, my mom's attraction to teleseryes became something that I am so accustomed of, which made me watch more TV shows than what I'm used to. I never got hooked though, until On the Wings of Love started airing. My friends were raving about it, and I decided to give it a chance. Sure enough, it won me over, and now, I'm one of those people who consistently tweet about the progression of the each episodes. I guess I am not alone when I say that this teleserye is THE BOMB, winning over hearts of teenagers, young adults, and adults alike. I even saw a lot of tweets saying that this was the first time that they got so hooked with a local show (include me on that group, yes?). It has become something that grew on me, and if I ever bumped to JaDine sometime soon, I bet the fangirl inside of me would be very happy. I like the two of them, but moreover, I like the characters that they portray.
I wouldn't say that On the Wings of Love is not typical -- sure, it still has its cliche, the very Pinoy formulas that we have been so fond of -- but I could definitely say that it has its magic, and that magic has created a great effect to the masses. But what kind of magic is that, really? Let me try to pinpoint it out for you.
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| Nadine applying for her American VISA for her American Dreams. |
1. The setting for On the Wings of Love hits so close to home.
Unlike your usual Pinoy drama, which involves haciendas, government officials, or elitist families, On the Wings of Love features the life of Leah and Clark, two seemingly normal people, who has big dreams for their families, and works very hard to reach their goals. Their life and family is nothing fancy -- Leah grew up in a humble home with his father and sister, while Clark had a rather dramatic and troubled past. Although there are a couple of added twists for a more dramatic effect, OTWOL still has an element of reality from one point or another, creating a closer bond between the show and its audience.
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| Cherry Pie Picache as Tita Jack |
2. It features the life of OFWs and breadwinners.
Thousands and thousands of Filipinos fly out of the country every year, looking for greener pastures abroad to feed their families and provide their needs. OTWOL was able to capture the hearts of many because it features the real deal behind the misconception that people living abroad is 'living the life'. It goes to show how many jobs they had to take, how steep they have to be, just to be able to provide whatever their family needs (and usually wants) back home.
It also shows what being a breadwinner really means. I never liked that concept of having a 'breadwinner' (especially when everyone in the family is already an adult) because it feels like a free pass to be lazy, to be dependent on someone else for your own luxury. I find it very insulting, on how you can rely your whole life to someone, and just laze around because you know that there will be food on the table whatever happens. Unless you are sick or you have a valid excuse to not work, then move your ass. This is very evident in the characters of Tita Jack's brothers, who would endlessly ask for support, sometimes, even for their own family. I think the placement of these characters are vital, in a sense that people would see how disgraceful it is, and hopefully, convert them into functional human beings, working hard for their own future.
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| Clark as a bell boy; one of his many jobs in San Francisco |
It also shows what being a breadwinner really means. I never liked that concept of having a 'breadwinner' (especially when everyone in the family is already an adult) because it feels like a free pass to be lazy, to be dependent on someone else for your own luxury. I find it very insulting, on how you can rely your whole life to someone, and just laze around because you know that there will be food on the table whatever happens. Unless you are sick or you have a valid excuse to not work, then move your ass. This is very evident in the characters of Tita Jack's brothers, who would endlessly ask for support, sometimes, even for their own family. I think the placement of these characters are vital, in a sense that people would see how disgraceful it is, and hopefully, convert them into functional human beings, working hard for their own future.
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| Team CLEAH forever! |
3. The love story is gradual, and wouldn't smother you with cheesiness.
One of the creators of the show was Antonette Jadone, the brain behind the hit film "That Thing Called Tadhana". Notable for her creative hugot lines both on screen and on her business (Witty Will Save the World merchandise), it is not surprising that there are a lot of noteworthy quotes from Clark and Leah. What I would like to commend, though, was the fact that these lines were carefully placed on the right places, giving the audience just the right amount of cheesiness at the right moment. Thumbs up for team for using the power of spoken word poetry at some parts of the show, too!
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Clark and Leah gradually fell in love for each other, and of course, we have the usual formula of hate-fall in love-be crazy in love type of story. We usually see these types of stories being laid within our very eyes, but then again, the story has its magic, with the chase-twists-kilig-funny moments sewn together through seamless episodes.
Clark and Leah gradually fell in love for each other, and of course, we have the usual formula of hate-fall in love-be crazy in love type of story. We usually see these types of stories being laid within our very eyes, but then again, the story has its magic, with the chase-twists-kilig-funny moments sewn together through seamless episodes.
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| Leah and Tatang Sol |
4. It shows Filipino values like utang na loob, Bayanihan, our love for family, and our conservative outlook on marriage, among many others.
One of the things that OTWOL has been repeatedly touching are Filipino values that are very important to our culture. I honestly think that this is also one of the reasons why the show was able to created a stronger hold to the masses, creating scenes that are easily relatable for everyone. Leah's struggle to stay out of Jigs' and Clark's family, the OFWs providing all the help that they can give to their fellow Pinoys in America, and Tatang Sol's affirmation about marriage's sanctity -- these are all understandable and we can easily point out why these dilemmas were something that the characters take on gravely. These scenes only continues to strengthen the pagkaPinoy of the serye, making it etch deeper into the hearts of its audience.
5. James Reid and Nadine Lustre has an undeniable chemistry.
Well, well. Last but not the least, Clark and Leah has an undeniable chemistry. They make the subtle looks, gentle smiles, and simple gestures work -- which triples the kilig that the fans feel. Honestly, I've never watched any JaDine show prior to OTWOL, but I sure like them now.
A well played move for the usual teleserye formula, a love team with a great chemistry, and a story that hits close to reality -- that's what makes On the Wings of Love. I'm so hooked and I have no shame on this!
Also: I'm back on blogging after a week long hiatus! Will post more in the coming days and finally publishing a lot of my backlogs (yes!). I hope I pick up the pace, though!
