Inherently earnest and endearingly fun, this new youth-oriented drama–anchored upon its heartwarming tale about the magic of dreaming together and working together to reach one common dream.
STAR CREATIVES
Actors: Anthony Jennings,Daniela Stranner,Kaori Oinuma,JC Alcantara,Vivoree, Zach Castañeda, CJ Salonga
Genre: Youth, Drama
Premise: A traditional coffee farmer and his crew strive their hardest to help their elusive town reclaim its glory. But an eccentric city girl arrives and ruins everything, putting the friends back to square one (iWantTFC).
Running Time: 45 minutes
Directors: Cathy Camarillo, Barry Gonzales
Watch it on: iWantTFC
Why You Should See It:
As a quiet town with little to no access to technological wonders such as smartphones and cable television, La Guerta, the fictional province of Tuktok, can pretty much stake a claim to being one of the most compact communities in the world—no kidding. The people work together–they lend helping hands to each other as they strive together to reach one common dream.
They are all connected in almost every way, that is.
That connection is clear and vivid in the friendship shared by Rocky (Anthony Jennings), Dan (JC Alcantara), Legs (Kaori Oinuma), Jeng-jeng (Vivoree), Smith (CJ Salonga), and Will (Zach Castañeda) may be the closest of friends one can [possibly] meet in any remote village like La Guerta. They are closely knitted that they named their group W.I.S.E., or ‘walang iwanan sa ere’ (nobody gets left behind), despite their members having unique eccentricities.
Heading the group is Rocky, the village’s resident handyman who loves helping every single La Guertan. The first two episodes allowed the viewers to see him as a leader figure who can propel his entire community into working together, especially when everybody’s going to benefit from it. He is hell-bent on making sure the coffee farm that employs and feeds the entire village makes a profitable return.
A coffee-wine business, which the team W.I.S.E. spearheaded, is on the cusp of making that happen. The arrival of a city girl, Cars (Daniela Stranner), however, presents unforeseen obstacles. Still resolved to meet La Guerta’s goal, Rocky and his friends push forward, but not without forcing Cars to join their cause.
Tara, G, has the beauty of its picturesque setting to mesmerize its viewers. Cathy Camarillo, who is at the helm of the series, obviously tried to maximize that, by showcasing the breathtaking terrains of Benguet. That said, the greater drawing power of this youth-oriented drama comes from the heartwarming story, itself. Sacrifice, dreams, and camaraderie, among others, are the best virtues that the series satisfyingly explored. Dramas of this kind that have graced local television in the past, most had their lenses set on the coming-of-age struggles of the young, but in Tara, G, the scope gets interestingly widened, by involving an entire community.
Inherently earnest and endearingly fun, Tara, G, has the makings of a lighthearted drama. It has both comic energy and a sentimental feel to tickle its audience, and moves at a comfortable pace, enough to let us immerse completely in every La Guertan’s journey. Some lovely sub-story arcs make us look forward to the story more, the most interesting of which is that of Cars, who may be the unlikely salvation La Guerta has been waiting for, after initially causing a ruckus.
Stranner’s take on the character, as well as Jennings’ on his, is so far the most impressive performance in the series, although the series’ entire actor ensemble deserves the commendation.
Tara G is now streaming on the iWantTFC app and web site. A new episode drops every Saturday night. Watch the official full trailer, below:
