Child star Zaijian Jaranilla lends voice to Philippines' first 3D animated film

CEBU, Philippines - Like most boys his age, child star Zaijian Jaranilla has to be dragged away from the computer when it’s way past his bedtime as he’s admittedly addicted to online games.

“Simula po mga 12 ng tanghali. Tapos hanggang 10 lang po ng gabi,” he sheepishly answered when asked how many hours in a day he allots to playing DOTA and Final Fantasy, his favorite computer/video role-playing games (RPG). When he has free time on set, Zaijian either sleeps or plays with his PSP console. After attending his classes at Angelicum and if he has no scheduled taping, he goes straight to their family-owned computer shop where he plays non-stop until it’s time to eat and sleep.

Which was why the kid wonder could relate very well to his character in “RPG Metanoia”, the first Filipino-produced 3D animated film and one of the eight entries to this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). In this groundbreaking movie that’s co-produced by Star Cinema and Ambient Media (a company headed by couple Rob Chien and Lea Salonga), Zaijian lends his voice to the central character Nico, who like him, loves playing online RPG all day.

Nico is a 10-year-old boy influenced by his OFW father (voiced by Aga Muhlach) who is also fond of online games. But Nico’s mom (voiced by Eugene Domingo) cannot relate to her son’s passion for video games nor is she aware of the bullying he gets from street kids.

So while both his parents are busy with work, Nico spends his days playing Metanoia, a multi-player online RPG. In the Metanoia world, Nico is Zero, a very strong character that makes him think he is a hero, which is an exact opposite to his weak and timid self in the real world. When the game starts affecting reality, Nico and his friends (voiced by Kapamilya child stars Jairus Aquino, Aaron Junatas, Basty Alcanses and Mika dela Cruz) team up to save not just the Metanoia world but the real world itself.

Vhong Navarro, one of the personalities whom Zaijian looks up to, voices the Internet shop owner who may be a reflection of Nico’s future if the latter continues to be obsessed with online video games.

“Masaya po ako kasi ako yung napili nilang bata na mag-dub sa bida. Magugustuhan po ng mga bata ito kasi maganda. Ginawa po namin ito para sa mga bata at matatanda. Para po ito sa buong pamilya,” said Zaijian in an interview last Saturday afternoon at the Diplomat Hotel. The nine-year-old actor was in Cebu for a promo show at the APM Mall.

He didn’t have a hard time with the dubbing, as he had previous experience voicing Otep, a sea character in “Agua Bendita.”

According to Zaijian, kids will not only enjoy the film, they will also learn important lessons such as: “Kabaitan, magandang asal, pagkakaibigan at pagmamahalan sa pamilya.”

With his big expressive eyes and disarming candidness, Zaijian was such a delight to talk to. He is still referred to by most as Santino, the name of his miracle boy character in the hit teleserye, “May Bukas Pa.”

He narrated how he was discovered at the age of five by a talent manager. “Yung Tito ko po, yung anak niya nagwo-workshop, so yun po, sinali nila ako sa workshop. Yung tumagal na, nagkaroon na po ako ng commercials. Tapos ‘Goin’ Bulilit’, tapos yung ‘May Bukas Pa’...” said Zaijian, who now stars as a jungle boy in the primetime series “Noah” with Piolo Pascual.

He said he doesn’t have a hard time memorizing kilometric dialogue that scriptwriters make him deliver. “Sa ‘May Bukas Pa’, ang haba ng line ko dun. Ganito ka haba,” stretching his arms to illustrate how long his lines were. It serves as good practice because he said he’s also good in memorizing his school lessons.

Because he is quite recognizable and people mob him to take pictures or pinch his cheeks, Zaijian sometimes has to go to great lengths to disguise himself if he wants to play in Timezone. “Minsan po pag nagpupunta kami sa mall, pinagkakaguluhan ako. Kaya minsan nakabalot ako ng jacket, naka-sumbrero, tsaka yung para sa may sakit, yung face mask? Tsaka sunglasses. So minsan nakakapaglaro na ako sa Time Zone.”

We asked if he knows where his earnings go to, and he replied that his parents save them. His dad gives him P100 a day as allowance. “Pag school, isang daan lang. Pag sa taping rin po, isang daan. Dati limang piso lang ang binibigay. Kaya pagdating ko sa school noon, nangungutang pa ako sa kaklase ko kasi wala po akong pambili ng biscuit.”

If you think Zaijian gets special treatment in school because he’s seen on TV, such is not the case as most of his classmates are also artistas. He professes being well-mannered towards his teachers and classmates. In fact, it’s his other classmates who get scolded for not being polite.

“Yung ibang kaklase ko rin po mga artista. Yung isa po yung pinapagalitan kasi hindi siya nagsasabi ng po o opo. Tsaka parang siga. Sinasabi lang, Tsitser! Anong sagot dito?”

Was this classmate of his from ABS-CBN too? “Hindi po, sa GMA. Dalawa po yung kaklase ko na taga-GMA. Yung kontrabida na bata dun sa Trudis Liit, pati yung bata sa Pilyang Kerubin. Tapos meron pong mga siga sa amin. Pag inaaway ako, sinasasabi ko, o ano sapakan na lang tayo?”

That’s just tough talk though. Zaijian knows he must always be a good boy and not fight with his friends. For if not, the RPG-loving and tech-savvy kid might not get his Christmas wish which is an Ipad and, he added, “more blessings.”

“RPG Metanoia” is the first 3D animated film. It is said to be five years in the making, and had 26 animators working for its completion.

“But it is not the first animated film to be entered in the MMFF. During the 34th MMFF, “Dayo sa Mundo ng Elementalia” was the first full-length animated film included as an entry to the annual filmfest.

Other full-length animated films released in the country were “Isko: Adventures in Animasia” in 1995, “Ibong Adarna” in 1997, and “Urduja” in 2008.

Directed by Luis C. Suarez, “RPG Metanoia” will premiere Dec. 25 in theaters nationwide.