Banking on relatable themes such as love for family and fate-driven romance, the second installment under ‘Luv Is’ compensates enough for its flaws and delivers a story young audiences will easily fall in love with.
GMA Entertainment Group | Wattpad Webtoon Studios
Actors: Kyline Alcantara, Mavy Legaspi, Therese Malvar, Bruce Roeland, Mariel Pamintuan, Marco Masa, Jackie Lou Blanco, Maricar de Mesa, Jestoni Alarcon
Genre: Teen romance, comedy
Premise:
Running Time: 25-30 minutes
Director: Barry Gonzales
Time slot: Weekdays, 5:40 pm
Why You Should See It
GMA Network’s hit teen romance anthology ‘Luv Is’ makes its highly-anticipated return. This time, it banks on the magic of the up-and-coming love team of Mavy Legaspi and Kyline Alcantara collectively known as MavLine. Like its predecessor ‘Caught In His Arms,’ ‘Love At First Read’ is based on the sensational Wattpad novel ‘Luv Is.’ Its nearly two million reads suggest its massive popularity among young readers. This is not the first time Alcantara and Legaspi are teaming up for a series, but it marks the first time they are actually starring as leads.
Angelica (Alcantara) is a hardworking young lady who lives together with her single mom, Yumi (Maricar de Mesa). She is trying to juggle work and school to help her mom make ends meet. Now a new student in a prestigious college, Angelica needs to adjust to a new environment, which presents challenges she must overcome. Among those challenges is the group led by the campus star player Kudos (Legaspi), the Dao Ming Si of the story.
The web novel on which it is based is as regular as most stories of this kind. It offers nothing spectacularly-unique with its plot and roster of template characters. It is purely fan service. However, ‘Love At First Read‘ has lovely elements that viewers can nevertheless enjoy and relate with.
With many remarkable roles under her belt, Alcantara’s ability to turn a not-so-unique character into something memorable is no longer surprising. Her Angelica is spot-on as a young heroine determined to turn things around for her family. Alcantara takes on the character’s jaded yet optimistic demeanor with ease, showcasing the contrast with fascinating credibility. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to say the same about Legaspi who struggles to navigate the two-dimensional character Kudos. That being said, being with Alcantara in one frame makes his take on the character tolerable. Here’s hoping there will be some conviction, let alone emotional punches, when he delivers his lines in future sequences.
Despite the flaws and overfamiliarity of the story, ‘Love At First Read’ can nevertheless offer a sensational viewing experience. Campus romances have always been known for their resonating stories, especially to teen audiences. This new installment is no different as it similarly hinges on familiar campus romance beats that will surely get the viewers smitten with the leads. Beyond the story’s relatable charm, Alcantara and Legaspi’s strong visual chemistry is also an asset that compensates for where the series lacks.
‘Love At First Read’ airs on GMA Netwrork’s pre-primetime slot, before primetime newscast ’24 Oras.’ Watch the official full trailer, below:
