What About Maria Clara at Ibarra's Characters and Story? (2/3)
Here's the second part of this TV Series review! It's a long one okay. Can't really make it shorter because I have a lot to say about it. 😅
If you haven't read the introduction and the first part then please visit this post. It's for you to have an idea of what I am talking about below. Haha. Otherwise let me tell you the rest of the 2nd part of my review.
‼️ 👉 But of course remember, this post has SPOILERS!!! 😉 Better read the novels or watch the show if you can before reading this.
Are you ready? On with the review!
GMA Drama posted this on Feb 8, 2023 showcasing all the characters. It also says, "The last two weeks" before the show ends. source
◙ Characters and Story (Part 2 of 2)
Going back to Klay as a character, I don't really like her at all. One of the writers, Ms. Suzette Doctolero, seems to have thought of her character because she encountered several Filipinos who are not proud to be one. True enough Klay is introduced with such a prejudice against her own country. It's very sad to see but it's the reality reflected on TV.
Her character also seems like a spoiled and privileged college student. Always looking for the easy way out instead of being an upstanding citizen. Ugh. You can really see she has no sense of nationalism at all despite not being in abject poverty. (Found out it was deliberately done, according to the director.)
I can say she is more of an anti-hero. Why? She is not a good person to emulate at all. Klay is not classy, nor is she respectful to elders. It clearly shows the attitude of what an unbecoming city girl is like. (If that is what many Filipinos are now then it's such a shame.)
Once she got inside the book, she is always sticking her nose in the flow of the story. (Sometimes offering comic relief.) Omg. 🤦♀️ She did learn to be respectful in the fictional world but in the 'real world', we've yet to see it. 😂 On top of that, Klay doesn't even know about history but complains a lot about how the story goes. How annoying. 😂
While watching episodes sometimes I'd like to tell her, girl, that's the 19th century. Duh. Of course it's going to be tragic. 😂 One time she even mentioned Game of Thrones for all the deaths she's seen. Haha, what? 😂
Come on, the Middle Ages was more brutal and crude. Clearly this person really doesn't know anything about history. 😂 Plus she's always trying to change what must only be observed. Wow. 🙄 It's already in the past, we cannot change it. Only the future can be changed IF WE LEARN FROM OUR HISTORY.
For real, I can't wait to watch the finale to know if she will learn her lessons. If not then the show is just a waste if she doesn't have a redemption arc at least. 😂 (Maybe I will edit this once the show is over... 🤔)
I mean come on, she even stole something from her old professor. Utter disrespect represent! 😂 Stealing is a sin and a bad thing to do but if Klay doesn't get punished then we are really in the "golden era". 🤣 Why not when the current highest government official and others in the government are accomplices to the world famous plunderers. 🤮
source
BUT WAIT, Klay also has good qualities of course! We see her as a caring daughter and sister during the present time. As the story progresses, this character also starts to care about the fictional characters. In the book's world, viewers see her as an advocate of women's rights in that era. She also influences Maria Clara to be a better woman.
However for me her only saving grace, the story's better and lighthearted parts, is her love story with Fidel. Yeah, Fidel's character is not in the books at all, just like her. But of course we love seeing them together. They are a match made in heaven! 😂
An irritating, rude and disturbing girl + a pompous, egotistical businessman. Hahaha! 👏 👏 👏 Perfect for each other! 😂 Some of the show's fans even called Fidel the 19th century red flag. 😆
Of course in the beginning he's just a jerk. Not that he changed much in the Noli parts but of course a man in love will always be in their best behavior, eh? 😆 (Character development y'all haha.) Because of this, many females have fallen for Fidel's bad boy charms. This is why KlayDel (Klay+Fidel), or the official term, the FiLay love team became such a hit!
It is said the stars of the show were surprised that we the fans were suddenly shipping the two of them. Haha. Why not when everyone knows Ibarra already belongs to Maria Clara. Klay cannot, I repeat, cannot be the other woman! Omg such a scandal if it happened in that era. 😂
Many fellow fans were complaining about how Klay seemed to be "stealing" Ibarra in several of the earlier episodes. I actually didn't watch the ones where it seemed like the two would fall in love! Ugh! 😛 See how the story makes viewers so invested in it? Goes to show how good it is. 👍
The best thing is, FiLay became one of the reasons the show gained popularity. Scenes would make us scream with delight whenever the FiLay moments are shown. Haha. The writers must be very happy they wrote everything well. We fell right into their "story trap". 😆
Sometimes it is even compared to Korean Dramas too! People mention the Scarlet Heart series often in the social network group I am in. Uh oh, lol. I've never watched that so I have no idea. Oh wait I think I've seen YouTube clips of it but meh.
Anyway, since I watch the livestream of episodes on YouTube, I have also participated in the live chat frenzy about the pair. 😂 The rest of the storyline might be boring to some but the FiLay love story is definitely not. 😆
And who can forget the original love team of Rizal? Maria Clara and Crisostomo, the star-crossed lovers. Ah such a tragic tale... Their story in the series has also made us identify better with them. No longer are they just book characters, they have come alive!
For today's youth, everything in the books are finally relatable and not just old stories to read, thanks to MCI. Students and the general public are more interested in history now because of it. Such is the impact of this very popular and trending Filipino historical fantasy TV show.
Lucia and her brother with Elias in the forest. They are already tulisanes or rebels/outlaws here. source
Okay, now let's be serious and delve deeper in the story. This is about the latter part of Noli and most of the El Fili. The second book is the darker of the two novels based on what I can remember. And that is also where more revolutionary ideas are present.
Because the novels were adapted into this TV show, everyone can finally see how a rebellion is not always bad. I was actually happy they are showing those renegade scenes. And I'm glad many are watching this now because more will see the truth that most people cannot realize on their own.
People will naturally go up in arms when there is much abuse going on. Everyone should realize that the current rebels in our country is not really the problem. In present terms, do you think the government red-tagging civilians is right? In the first place look at what those civilians are doing, are they doing it for selfish reasons or for the good of the oppressed people? Yes there are always bad apples everywhere but we should be wise enough to know the difference. (See episodes 91 and 92 for reference.)
The guardia civil (civil guard or police) and the Alferez (leader of the civil guards) looking for rebels in the forest. source
If you think further, those are the important questions that can arise in our minds from watching this series. But most people are blind to it because if you have never been oppressed you will always laugh at or ridicule people fighting for their rights.
In reality, the so-called rebellion in the country all started with the Katipuneros! To fight for our freedom we had to do something, thus the heroes we know today were called rebels, filibusters by the colonizers (Spaniards). In present times the term seems to have become 'terrorists' because of extremists. That's history right there!
Fighting for freedom is one of the greatest values in Rizal's written work. That is exactly why Rizal wrote the two novels. The books may be fictional but it is showing us and reflecting the origin of revolutions in the country. That's another reason perhaps why one of our historians even cried while watching some episodes!
Maybe this is why intellectuals in the country are finally also watching a local television production again! I have read many posts and comments of people with photos or videos about the series saying they have come back to watching local shows just because of MCI.
The story has captured everyone's hearts including the artists too. Many have been creating fan arts or artworks inspired by the characters and their story. (Oh I have not made any but this review will be my contribution, hahaha.)
source
In terms of the dialogue and line exchanges, I like how the writers did not make the story fully in Filipino. That would make it harder for viewers to relate to if ever. They use more common terms and everyday words instead along with some deeper words which could easily be understood through context. And it doesn't use the Old Filipino language it used to be written in, which are really deep and harder to understand. Haha.
There are even sprinklings of the Spanish language here and there. Oh la la. We can hear the beauty and depth of our national language with a few foreign sentences from the colonists. Good move! I was happy to hear the actors speaking in a foreign tongue. It might not be perfectly said by some of the performers but still it shows the presence of the language coach.
Of course they also put the Filipino translation (as subtitle) of what was being said in Español. Awww. As mentioned this may have prompted me to self study Spanish eventually. 😂 Muy bien GMA Network producers and writers. 👏
Maria Clara at Ibarra Theme Song
Lastly, in terms of making viewers more patriotic, it doesn't really achieve that imho. For me it is still lacking, unlike the movie Heneral Luna which really inspired people to love our country.
As the director stated in an interview, the show's purpose is more of making viewers think and question our present situation as compared to the past. Most likely it's implied patriotism, unfortunately not everyone will get that.
Even Klay does not get it after experiencing Noli. 🤣 Once she got out of the first book, she kept complaining that she couldn't change the story. Still didn't see the value of learning a part of our history. Such a shame really. Some people need a direct to the point visualization/storytelling in order to understand something.
I guess it's not easy to show someone the value of history or patriotism if they are selfish or simply unaware of the concept. For me it's simple, if you love your family, why can't you love your country that nurtures you and gives you everything so you can exist? Why can't you do your best at work or have concern for your neighbors and fellow Filipinos too? In a broader sense, why do we abuse and destroy this planet which gives us life?
Oh I still have much to say about the other characters but let me just end this part with that. 👆 This is already too long. Haha.
In the next part of my review, I will tackle the acting, production design, costumes, etc., and of course the rating. For now, like Klay, I will say "Babu!" (Pinoy slang for goodbye)
On another note, what do you think of the series so far? If you haven't watched it yet, would this be a show worth watching?
XOXO,
@artgirl
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