BLISS RATING: ★★★★
“You are my everything, and I cherish every moment we have, near and far.” – PopAI
This is a very romantic story with solid performances and a very nice flow to it. However, it does have its issues. The biggest one is the not so believable love between the two main characters. While there was some chemistry, there was no spark, no passion, and no real connection between the two. They ‘played’ the parts well and made a beautiful couple, but there just was something about the sincerity of the attachment I found missing and lacking. But that did not totally negate the overall positivity of this series. Everyone here is certainly likeable, and all did a good job of acting. However, some I liked more than others.
The story revolves around Otep (Genesis Allen Redido). Otep is a name I simply adored. His boyfriend is Tau, (Miguel Leonido Villasis). In the beginning, they appear to have been a couple for a while but suddenly Tau breaks up with Otep. The reason is unclear initially but is explained and frankly was understandable. What the reason is the all too familiar price gay people have to pay so that we can maintain and keep family members happy.
Their happiness almost always comes first before ours. Otep takes off for Los Angeles but eventually returns to the Philippines. Not only does Otep reconnect with Tau, but their mutual other friends also reconnect with Otep. Bianx, (Lara Fortuna), Nics, (Shiara Joy Dizon), and Nin, (Renshi deGuzman) have all been friends for many years and their camaraderie is infectious and I rather enjoyed their bantering and teasing. It all seemed so natural and a part of who this group was. They know each other intimately and are incredibly supportive of each other. But they still keep secrets from each other. This group helps Otep and Tau see each other again and help them develop into a solid relationship.
However, there are side happenings that are going on which in some sense steals the thunder from Otep and Tau. Nin is a rather mysterious character who does not want to share what is going on with him and his romantic connections. He is fearful to divulge that he too is in a relationship and that relationship is with a male. He has a relationship with Makisig, (Lance Justin Carr). Most of their relationship is through zooming on the computer as Makisig must temporarily relocate for work at another province.
Their story is so warm, endearing, and fun to watch that I rather enjoyed them more. They seemed to have a deep connection with each other and knew the different nuances of each other’s personality. More importantly, a willingness to accept those quirky nuances. They in essence seemed to have had a better understanding of each other than Otep and Kau had (or at least displayed). Their connection did seem deep and real.
But Nin’s timidity prevented him from sharing his love for him with his circle of friends, although it was obvious to them that there was someone special in his life. They had this endearing term that they called each other that I found cute. They kept calling each other Pangs which I thought was so sweet. (Honestly, I usually detest the overuse of terms of endearment in these series, but in this case, it seemed to have worked.) Their story was a bit more somber as they were so far apart and were agonizing over not being together. As they talk to each other, Nin says to Makisig, “When you miss me, just look at the sky. Always remember that we are under the same sky. Then you will forget that we are so far away from each other.” How sweet is that! I do hope we get to see these two develop their relationship more in Season 2. They were just fun to watch.
There is also a relationship between Blanx and her boyfriend Jet (Ron Angeles), who is incredibly handsome. He does not have a big role, but he adds to the composition of this very tight knit group of friends. Blanx is always mad at Jet for perceived indiscretions or simply not paying enough attention to her. While that does get old, it is what happens sometimes with young relationships, and I found it bemusing.
The end is just full of very good romance and I honestly was deeply moved by it. It was well done and became an almost fantasy-like proposal of commitment. Otep and Kau exchange commitments to each other and promise to fight for each other and never leave each other’s side, Otep says to Kau, “When we were apart, I realized that hello and good-bye are not important. What is important is the in between.” (Hence, the name of the series). I found this to be so moving that it did make me cry. Something so obvious that is indeed so true.
There is an interesting character that is introduced towards the end of the series, that normally would be a ‘throwaway’ character, but he is worth mentioning as I found his character a bit more complex and a bit more confusing. He is a friend of Kau, who’s uncle owns a resort. His name was Ri (Kitson Tan). Admittedly, Ri is breathtakingly handsome. While he helps Tau with the arrangement for Tau and Otep’s special occasion, there is still something sad about him. Like Otep believed, I also sensed that Ri is in love with Tau as well, but it shall go unrequited because he realizes that Tau’s whole world is Otep. It must have been painful to complete all of these arrangements that put the two of them into a more solid committed relationship while he can only look on and pine. He was also the one suggesting that they should give each other bracelets made of pebbles, like penguins do to display their enduring love for the other that they have chosen. I found that to be quite moving and quite beautiful and a stunning gesture of love. There is a scene where Ri is shown throwing his own pebble away. For Tau?
This BL series is not without its drawbacks though. They have a lot of flashbacks. A LOT of them and they show them over and over. Yes, we got the point. There are sound issues as well that made it hard to hear some of the dialogue. At times, I had a hard time following the sequence of events as it jumped from present to past and not all of it flowed naturally. As stated, previously, it is a well-acted series but simply lacked a true intensity about it. The scenes among them as friends were very good, but it was overdone.
The main relationship between Otep and Tau never seemed all that intense to me. Sure, they bantered and caressed and kissed. (There is one kissing scene that I swear is the longest kissing scene I have ever seen!) While their commitment ceremony at the end was sincere and believable, the intensity of their kiss and the staring into the eyes just did not cut it for me. For us to believe, they must BELIEVE they are a real couple. That just did not happen. I found more realness among the ‘Pangs’ than I did between those two. It all seemed so rushed to me and a bit short. They could have spent more time (rather than relying on all those silly flashbacks) to develop these characters. Everything seems so choppy and rushed. These two are good actors and are believable but they just did not seem real. Honestly, they needed to have an acting coach instruct them to not look and act so uncomfortable in kissing or caressing another male. They are cute and I must admit look good in their underwear, but I wanted more intensity with their feelings.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. the series? My first instinct was to name Renshi deGuzman who played Nin since he was so obtuse in sharing his relationship status. And I just loved his connection with his other Pang. But I decided that who I thought had the most influence on this series was Kitson Tan as Ri for reasons I stated above. He played the part so stoically, yet you just knew there was more to his feelings than he was willing or wanting to display. He had such a subtlety of sadness in his expressions when he saw them together that you felt his love for Tau come through. I really choked up when he threw away his own pebble as I just sensed it was for Tau. Just the way he threw it and how he looked conveyed all we needed to know. Very subtle but profoundly moving. Sometimes the best acting is not enhanced with dialogue but with the simple gestures of an individual and Kitson did that with this role. Well done and so believable.
This is by no means a bad series. It just did not reach its potential but if you want to feel good and desire some romance, then this is one to watch. You, like me, just might enjoy watching the ‘Pangs’ more. You will also enjoy the deep affection and joy that they all get from spending time with each other as friends. That really is something to cherish.
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