Marahuyo Project (2024)

Engaging Must watch!!!!

As a Filipino who rarely finds myself drawn to local series, the “Marahuyo Project” LGBTQIA+ series was an unexpected and deeply moving exception. From the moment I started watching, I was magnetized by its authenticity and heartfelt storytelling. This series resonates on so many levels, making it impossible not to become emotionally invested.

The fresh, new faces in the cast bring an unpolished, genuine energy to their roles, making the characters incredibly relatable. Their performances are so natural and sincere that at times, it feels less like watching a series and more like witnessing real-life events unfold. The characters’ journeys, struggles, and triumphs are portrayed with such honesty that they mirror the experiences of many in our community, including my own.

The series is beautifully set against a backdrop of stunning Philippine locations, each chosen with a keen eye for detail. The scenery enhances the narrative, adding layers of cultural and emotional depth. From the vibrant streets of the city to the tranquil beauty of the provinces, each setting feels like a character in its own right, enriching the overall storytelling.

What truly sets the “Marahuyo Project” apart is its relatability. The series captures the essence of what it means to be part of the LGBTQIA+ community in the Philippines. The characters’ stories are not just entertaining but also deeply reflective of our societal realities. The themes of acceptance, love, identity, and resilience are woven seamlessly into the plot, making each episode a powerful testament to our shared humanity.

As I watched, I found myself reminiscing about my own experiences, the challenges I’ve faced, and the joys I’ve found in being true to myself. The “Marahuyo Project” doesn’t just tell a story; it invites you to see yourself in its characters and their journeys. It’s a celebration of our diversity and a poignant reminder of the beauty in our struggles and victories.

In every aspect—from acting to location, from storytelling to direction—this series is a standout. It’s a heartfelt tribute to the richness of our culture and the strength of our community. If you haven’t yet experienced the “Marahuyo Project,” I highly recommend you do. It’s a series that will touch your heart and stay with you long after the final credits roll.

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a confident King goes thru the ringer

Overall: I give the production large props for tackling several realistic issues; however, there were too many plot threads for them to develop them all well. Aired 8 episodes about 30 minutes each on ANIMA Studios YouTube channel. Here is the playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMPz9QG8YAxIjGoPfHFugXYAbumaqC0Cj&si=4tZjYcP2X4JCgqlO

Content Warnings: past suicide, grief, hate crime, blood, homophobia, transphobia (including repeated dead naming), manhandling, non con picture taking, unwanted public outing, slap (the series need more trigger warnings on the intro screen as I could see many things being very triggering for some people)

What I Liked
- the intro with some historical information included, integrated historical people in with the present
- an outspoken character that felt like a real person and not a stereotype
- queer representation including a trans female character (and something else but it's a spoiler)
- characters used stereotypes to determine who was queer and then called themselves out about it
- addressed realistic issues like homophobia/transphobia
- some sweet moments and the flag/scene at the end was excellent
- supportive friends, grandma & a dad
- production value

Room For Improvement
- hope that friend was fine in episode 1 when the dean was yelling at them and a character did something suddenly, would have been nice to see a check in about that
- odd that the first thing the grandma says to a grandson she presumably hasn't seen in awhile is to ask what his preferred sexual position was
- the water rescue trope where it was so shallow it looked like he could stand
- a terrible "plan" related to the pool
- what the mom did in episode 4 that isn't really addressed
- in episode 4 it wasn't as emotional as it could have been because they at first weren't clear what happened in the past and they hadn't established that character
- too many plot threads/antagonists, weren't able to develop all of them really well
- in episode 5 it wasn't clear what Lili told her friend
- as much as I hated Marco's actions, Lili saying "nobody loves you" went too far, maybe it was a translation error
- kind of making fun of getting consent in episode 6
- I understand why King said, "it's okay to be (spoiler)" but he should have checked in with that character first (ep 7)

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Build the path to freedom, inclusion and empowerment with empathy

Let's get used to his name, JP Habac, because this Filipino filmmaker is going to provoke lively controversies, raise dormant consciences and enliven an independent film scene, in need of exponents like him.
After pleasantly surprising us with the critically and popularly acclaimed 'Like in the Movies', in 2020, or other dramas and films, such as 'Meet Me Outside', 'Drag You & Me', or the short film 'I'm Drunk, I Love You', from 2017, now returns with the series 'Marahuyo Project'.
In its 8 episodes, about 35 minutes long, we will meet King.
You either love King or hate him. There is no middle ground, and everything will depend on the person you are.
As punishment for his irreverence in the face of power and homophobia, the principal of his high school gets rid of the progressive student and sends him to finish his studies in Marahuyo, his place of origin, where he returns after leaving in his childhood.
And there we, the viewers, join their journey, which began long before the first scene.
Ricardo Matayog, his real name, is similar to many other activists for the rights of gays, lesbians, transsexuals and bisexuals, for being a dreamer, empathetic, a lover of justice, but also for his deep ideological positions: his anti-imperialism, anti-totalitarianism, anticolonialism, antifascism, anticlericalism..., inherited from his grandmother and his own experience of fighting homophobia.
If the world were fair, instead of presidents of nations with a long history of invasions in order to plunder natural resources behind supposed "humanitarian interventions" or imposing sanctions on third parties for not bowing to their hegemony, people like King would be recognized. with the Nobel Peace Prize.
Better, if the world were fair, people like King would not exist, since homophobia would only exist in school textbooks.
King's story is much more than the story of a human being faced with violence, discrimination, homophobic persecution, and the violation of the Human Rights of LGBTIQA+ people. King is the essence of a country with joys, sorrows and a lot of faith to rise up every time logical and illogical setbacks bring it to its knees.
King is Philippines. King has the essence of any Filipino. He is a person who has been through a lot, but still clings to the fact that things can get better, because he has great energy and faith.
King is a natural leader. He is chosen by the group for his actions. He is capable of leading at any level of the organization he is creating and meets the needs of those who, due to their prejudices and fears, hide their homosexuality to comply with what a conservative country with strong patriarchal and heteronormative traditions demands of them.
King calls, in each episode, and many times masterfully breaking the fourth wall, to reflect on everyday life, common events (or not), social representations inherited from patriarchal hegemony, the world with its lights and shadows. …
Like many others, King fights for the acceptance of the LGBTIQA+ community in Philippine society, to accelerate policy reforms and to establish programs to ensure the inclusion of its members in the political, social and economic life of the country.
That is why he immediately points towards the Church, because he perfectly recognizes that it has faithful followers in the Philippine political sphere, who have blocked any bill that tries to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity, as well as prevent already existing conquests in other places in the world, such as two people of the same sex being able to marry, carry out a joint adoption, or have the right to have their sex change reflected in the Civil Registry.
Likewise, understand that political institutions easily give in to the influences of the Catholic Church when it comes to limiting the rights of gays, lesbians, transsexuals and bisexuals.
King will always be valid, as long as there is a discriminated person in the world, for whatever reason.
Regardless of the topic that the audiovisual deals with (the life and adventures of an activist for the rights of LGBTIQA+ people dedicated to making a difference in his community of origin through the creation of the first organization that brings together the members of said group in its campus, the defense of human rights, community empowerment and much more, and that is where a very important conflict begins), is a pretext to address many things that are happening in that country.
Like all Quixote, King needs his Sancho. Venice (Ian Vila), a teenage man wrapped in the wrong body, will ride alongside him against all the windmills that will arise in his path and try to stop him.
But there is also the King who loves, the one who falls in love, and in this aspect he is also faithful and committed. Since his return to the island, he has been attracted to Ino (Neo France Garcia, in his acting debut), the heir to a legacy of conservatism and heteronormativity, who will play a fundamental role in achieving the young activist's plans from his position as president. of the Student Council.
Their lives intersect precisely upon King's arrival at the Marahuyo dock, when he accidentally bumps into Ino, like a parable about the unpredictability and irony of destiny.
The great merit of 'Marahuyo Project', the first Filipino queer series presented by Anima Studios, directed by JP Habac, based on the creative idea of ​​the director himself and Benson Logronio and Fatrick Tabada, is the social denunciation against the violation of Human Rights of Filipino LGBTIQA+ people.
Another of his achievements is stealing the audience's ovation despite having a patriarchal society as a setting. Art is followed by the masses, what it legitimizes almost becomes law, often in a stronger way than what the country's legislators could say, refusing to approve measures that protect the members of this human community against discrimination.
It works in favor of the series that the script intelligently discovers the psychological profile of the main character and correctly recreates everything that happens in his private life, elements that tend to humanize 'Marahuyo Project'.
King is played by Adrian Lindayag, a young actor known for his role as Dominic Cruz in the 2020 film 'The Boy Foretold by the Stars', and as Dominic Benjamin Fuentes Cruz in the series 'Love Beneath the Stars', 2021, with a high range of records that knows how to do its thing well and projects an overflowing sympathy that encourages the viewer, because its maximum interest and priority is to advocate for freedom and for people to be happy in the way they want.
The actor composes his activist for the rights of the LGBTIQA+ community with determination, a difficult challenge because he is very far from the things he has done. And he achieves it, with the maturity of an actor who grows on stage in accordance with King's own rhythm, a resilient human being, with shocking energies.
'Marahuyo Project' is also a kind of contemporary "Odyssey": returning to the origins, letting ourselves fall into the arms of the sirens that ask us when we pass by and accepting the temptations or maintaining the commitment to yourself to move forward.
Magnificent and complicated like life itself and necessary, like the fact of discovering that a future promise of cinema, JP Habac, has become an author of the present and we will have to count on him from now on.

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