Magkaribal Mania

CEBU, Philippines - Yes. My answer is a big YES. Let me spell it out even, Y-E-S. Yes. YES. Yes, I am one hell of a teleserye fan and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I make it a point to call writing and any other activity I’m working on to a standstill when the clock strikes nine, heralding the start of another hour-long sesh in front of the TV wherever I am. And if I am left with no choice but to miss my favorite teleserye because I have to clock in extra hours for trade check, yes, I stream it on line just so I can get my day’s fill.

The obsession started back when I was in gradeschool. Blame it on my yaya for getting her nightly fill on this Pinoy Pop Culture element. Or you can blame it on my having to study in front of the TV while she watched after doing the dishes. The habit of closing my books (and today, my laptop) right in time for my favorite teleserye eventually grew into a lifestyle, or as my debate coach would say it, an obsession, that is hard to part. Withdrawal symptoms, check.

To the average person, teleseryes are your Pinoy equivalent to the original Spanish soap operas or telenovelas. To the teleserye addict, it’s a fine respite from a long day in school or at work and a perfect time to just whisk yourself off to another time and another place, usually amidst a fierce family rivalry rooted back to generations past. Ironically, getting caught in between the crossfires of a convolution of conflicts within the teleserye can be a sweet escape from all the paper work one has to face at work.

With Rubi over and done with (thank God. It already was getting a little bit too gruesome for my taste. Gabriela, kindly throw Hector to prison for Violence Against Women, please!), I’ve fallen head over heels in love with Magkaribal. Read on and discover why I and a slew of other peeps are going gaga over this show.

1. It’s a breath of fresh air. Try to go back down teleserye memory lane and you’ll roughly see similar stories and patterns emerge: poor girl meets rich boy, they fall in love, boy’s family doesn’t like girl because she’s poor, girl works hard to get rich, and yadda, yadda, yadda. Set in the fierce and fabulous world of Philippine fashion, one thing I love about magkaribal is that it does away with the helpless heroine bit and instead revolves around strong and powerful female leads who do not need a Knight in Shining Armor to come and whisk them off from the wicked queen. Here we have a host of wicked female leads who will do anything but let anyone step on them.

2. Wit, what else? Say good bye to corny lines and cheesy exchanges that have long become a trade mark among Pinoy flicks and Pinoy shows. The tense exchanges between fashion nemeses, Victoria Valera and Vera Cruz, are peppered with sarcasm, wit, and drizzled with a lot of class. Get caught in their frequent face offs as they engage in a tug of war not just for total doll domination in the fashion arena but in a conflict that goes back to Victoria’s childhood.

3. Fashion, baby. Yes, the show has already made me want to become a fashion designer, at least, given ample time and a lot of cash to go to business school. Having already had a love affair with fashion in the past years, the show’s showcase of hot couture dresses and signature styles has made it a fashion fiesta. I have keenly noticed that each character has a signature style that reflects her personality and inner struggles. For the fashion analyst, yes, this show is one that’s hard to miss.

4. It’s anything but brainless. I am honestly looking forward to buying my copy of this teleserye when it comes out in DVD. I find it an interesitng specimen for a long review, analysis and critique. Magkaribal is filled with layers upon layers of hidden and multiple meanings. It’s episode called the “Take Over” for example, does not only pertain to Victoria taking over Vera’s prized corporation, Vera Couture. From a different vantage point, it also talked about Gelai taking over Victoria’s place in Louie’s heart; Louie taking over Caloy in their fight for Gelai’s affections; Chloe taking over Gelai as Caloy’s trusted friend, and finally, it could mean Victoria finally taking over her father Manuel’s attention.

5. Taste. Magkaribal is perhaps one of the few teleseryes that are done with utter great taste. It is obvious that the teleserye was well-though of and conceived, unlike many of the teleseryes today that have simply been written to catapult certain starlets into super stardom. The mix of Magkaribal’s powerhouse cast is incredible in that even minor characters lend an interesting air in the show, getting their share of the limelight contrary to teleseryes past where other characters are generally pushed into the background to favor a killer love team.   In Magkaribal, each character is given a chance to fully develop and to stand out.

It’s hard to do justice to a guilty pleasure with a mere 1000-word article. Teleseryes may seem like a thing for the masses but really, it’s a past time that transcends social classes. And yes, I seriously do not mind getting addicted to this. Forget rehab.