TWENTY-TWENTY was such a chaotic year but a lot of people have found peace and escapism via the so-called BL or Boys Love shows.
This subgenre which features homoerotic love stories started back in the 1990s (though its origins can be found even decades before in 1970s manga comics) but only made its way to the Philippine mainstream last year, no small thanks to the pandemic and the charming 2Gether The Series. Since then, as of the unofficial count of yours truly, there are almost 50 BL projects that either have been streamed or aired, or are in production.
One to premiere soon is Pa-Mine, Pare!, a project of the ABS-CBN TV Digital Group (TVDG) that will revolve around two boys, Anton and Davie, who have been best friends and business partners for years. But a kiss will reveal something more about themselves—and their relationship. So says the press release.
Anyway, to give the genre a twist, TVDG is giving fans the power to choose its lead stars, and even its ending.
Between now and February 21, fans are given the chance to vote and choose among Star Magic and Star Hunt’s Gian Wang, Eian Rances, Shoichi Oka, Tan Roncal, and Ali Abinal for the roles of Anton and Davie.
These boys are vying for their votes, actively posting on their social-media accounts and going on KUMU to livestream and campaign for themselves on why they should win. The contest seems unpredictable as all of them seem to be on equal footing, so let’s meet the boys one by one.
First up is Abi Abinal. With his stints in both Star Hunt Academy and Pinoy Big Brother, it seems Abi is used to competing—but based on the media press conference to publicize this project, he seems to be the most timid and unsure of himself. It didn’t help too that the lighting and even his curtain backdrop during the Zoom press conference was a bit abi-smal (see what I did there?). But make no mistake, Abi declared that he is ready to face the challenges posed should he win. His shyness can also be a plus for him as it will fit to the uke or bottom trope of the genre.
Then there’s Shoichi Oka, also a product of Pinoy Big Brother. He actually looks like the love child of Jake Zyrus and Joao Constancia, and chinito lovers will have a field day with him. He is also the “baby
among the contenders but, for me, the most game. In fact, when there was a rather naughty question thrown in by one of the press people during the media event, he volunteered to be the first to answer. He is charming without him even knowing it. Some may argue that he looks too young for either lead role but the way he handled those zinger questions would make you think twice.
Eian Rances is also vying for your votes and based on his Instagram account, he’s got it all—the looks, the body and that naughty demeanor that should make him a shoo-in for the role. He is a matinee idol in the making which may work to his disadvantage as some voters might want him go the usual love team route to launch him but, hey, it has worked for BL actors JC Alcantara, Kokoy de los Santos and Royce Cabrera, so why can’t it work for Eian too, right?
Also campaigning for votes is Tan Roncal, who is also 16 years old like Saochi but looks mature for his age so that’s a plus. What may work for him is his attitude toward this contest, because even though he says he is doing his best to win and prepare for the role, the most important thing for him is that he’s having fun while doing it. Plus points for Tan!
And then there’s Gian Wang. He too was a Star Hunt dreamer and seems to be the most mature of the boys. He talks in a deep, assured voice and, unlike Tan who seems to be taking this voting somewhat casually, Gian is admittedly competitive. It is in his nature, he said in the media conference. And based on his KUMU livestreams, this competitiveness is working to his advantage as he comes across very sensible and primed for the roles at stake.
Anyway, show love to either Gian, Tan, Eian, Shoichi or Abi by going to KUMU or ktx to vote for one of them. Or you can vote for all of them! If you ask me, they all deserve to be part of Pa-Mine, Pare!
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