As streaming increasingly becomes a dominant mode of content consumption–great digital content inevitably found its way into the mainstream as well as some of the most remarkable Web series of the year surfaced.
While traditional is poised to remain king, at least in the next few years, streaming platforms are [definitely] gathering steam at an unprecedented pace that could see the likes of Netflix, Vivamax, WeTV, and iWantTFC taking the chunk of local content consumers.
Major production outfits began providing content to giant streaming services this year. That says a lot about how much change and adapting the local television landscape can allow itself to go through, to remain relevant in the next decade.
In this shift, we stumble upon gems: bold, progressive, and innovative content that directly meets the viewers’ growing demand for more variety and sophistication. Some [simply] granted our wish to see soap-opera-ish dramas and formulaic romcoms on a more flexible non-linear platform.
There’s been a heft of great shows that made waves this year. The following shows proved to be the most remarkable:
iWantTFC’s Click, Like, Share.
This Web drama-anthology is a cornucopia of dark tales stripped off the virtual pages of social media and will return for its third season.
Featuring the most talented young stars of ABS-CBN, Click, Like, Share–is a curious reminder about the consequences of our actions carried out through the powers endowed by technology and social media.
Throughout its two-season run, the anthology brought to light various topics, including stolen personalities, image alteration, and oversharing.
GV Boys on YouTube.
The Web sitcom is hilarious and has that heartwarming charm that somehow resembles the ’90s humor, and modern comedy makes it worth watching! Though there is a struggle in making it work in a digital space–the brilliance in its comic charms produced out of this effort is no less ordinary.
The combined handsome leads–Dave Bornea, Nikko Natividad, and Jerome Ponce–together fulfill the dream of making a semblance of the ‘90s classic, Palibhasa Lalake. In reality–the inherent comic appeal and chemistry made the series a YouTube gem.
iWantTFC and Netflix’s He’s Into Her.
Undoubtedly the breakthrough series of 2021, this word-of-mouth iWantTFC sensation, found its way to Netflix late this year, allowing millions more to experience being sent to ‘kilig’ frenzy.
That’s a nostalgic feeling that surely brings back those moments when most of us fell for the magic of phenomenal love teams like KathNiel and EchoTin. This time, we are given Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano a.k.a. DonBelle, and its cosmic surge since their launch, suggests we are witnessing a new showbiz phenomenon.
Hoy, Love You of iWantTFC.
Filipino viewers have a soft spot for romantic comedies about married couples trying to navigate their married lives.
Even in cinema, we get easily smitten with the likes of Angie and Jed (Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo), and in TV romcoms, we fall for fake married couples like Clark and Lea (On the Wings of Love). That’s a cue taken by Hoy, Love You, which aired two charming seasons in just a year.
Featuring the heartwarming team-up of Star Circle Quest couple, Roxanne Guinoo-Yap and Joross Gamboa, the dynamics of marriage are thoroughly explored here with wit and humor.
Love Beneath the Stars on iWantTFC.
The love between the same sex had never been illustrated in its genuineness form in Philippine cinema until The Boy Foretold by the Stars arrived last year.
The film opened doors for discussions on the ’emotional conundrums,’ brought about by a romance deemed by society to be wrong.
Love Beneath the Stars, the sequel, not only sustains the intent to shed light upon the universality of love but has also explored the challenges faced by those who are bound to it can’t openly express in the hostile environment they’re in.
My Sunset Girl on iWantTFC.
A fatal illness forms the crux of a budding romance between two young people, who are both trying to chase their dreams in this beautifully shot iWantTFC original piece.
Suckers for saccharine romances will be most likely the ones to be enthralled by its beauty, but to My Sunset Girl’s credit, there is much more to see beyond its exquisite yet uncommon flair. Starring Charlie Dizon and Jameson Blake are two of their generation’s most talented TV performers.
My Sunset Girl is one of 2021’s best digital delights.
PasaBuy of WeTV.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a hefty load of shows that conveniently took the current health crisis as a backdrop in telling stories that specifically relate to people.
PasaBuy picks the eponymous e-commerce trend as a driver to push its narrative forward, although, its core, it’s a heartwarming romcom that tells the story of two strangers who had initially had trouble in accepting the brewing romance between them.
Stuck On You via YouTube.
Lengthy but thoughtful conversations keep this quarantine series interesting–enough to hook the audiences until the next episodes.
After what felt to be a long top-tier Pinoy BL-drought, a promise has come with the arrival of Ride or Die’s Stuck On You. Faithful followers of last year’s hit, Quaranthings: The Series, would be surprised to know that this new series’ plot operates in the same universe as the Royce Cabrera and Kyo Quijano-starrer boys’ love drama.
Both Yves Flores and Iyo Canlas had eased in creating that chemistry, which complements enough with the series’ delicate but timely narrative–to push the story forward.
iWantTFC and Netflix’s The House Arrest of Us,
The first ‘digi-movie series’ starred by Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla is beautifully shot, with all the feels and vibe of a movie, and the lethal dosages of ‘kilig’ only KathNiel can generate.
It’s hard to miss the amount of talent that brims in this heartwarming about two young people about to plunge themselves into a vivid but challenging married life. They are given a glimpse of what marriage would look like when the pandemic suddenly forces both their families to live under the same roof.
The show’s frequent trending on the streaming giant, Netflix, is a strong indication of its immense popularity.
Unloving You via iWantTFC.
Easy Ferrer, who was at the helm of 2020 Boys’ Love (BL) hit, BenxJim, lends his magic to iWantTFC’s six-part series, Unloving You.
It tells about the bittersweet romance between two people who are not supposed to fall for each other; although they did, anyway.
Lousa Andalio and Ronnie Alonte thrive in their first Web series, whose charm and crux both reside on the story’s plot. Andalio’s quirk is a sunny spectacle that gives this sentimental love and family story with a breezy appeal, while Alonte’s confident snub demeanor lends their blossoming romance a mysterious charm
Which of these shows are your favorites? Do you have something else in mind? Please consider sharing your thoughts in the comment section.
