The stories of the Filipino, from Netflix to Lego

Ever got the wind of Trese, the first Filipino komiks-based anime lending fresh terrors among a steady stream of international horror movies on Netflix, haunted and bewitched with familiar scare and lore: tikbalang, duwende, manananggal?

The journey to Netflix of the Filipino brainchild began when the Filipino co-creators of Trese, Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo, met with producer Tanya Yuson on the potential of the story to appeal to global audiences.

The co-creators had pitched Trese to various different studios in the past, but it was only Netflix that greenlit the when it opened its door in 2018 for stories that could be adapted into anime.

The Netflix direction: Make it authentically Filipino.

Trese was highly inspired by Filipino folklore and mythology, what with its lead character, Alexandra Trese, a supernatural detective.

"In the series, there are so many scenes from Trese that depicted Manila in all of its glory, as well as showing the gritty and dark side of Manila," said Budjette.

Tan's penchant for storytelling began at a tender age: "There was this need or this creative itch that I just needed to scratch as a kid. I picked up random pieces of paper at home, folded it, stapled it, and made my first comic book when I was 10 years old. And that has stayed with me ever since."

A successful career in advertising continually honed his story-telling.

 Today, he is lending his creativity in the Danish company Lego in the ideation of compelling stories for children.

"And, with me having a 7-year-old kid, I feel that I am telling these stories for him."

The universal power of storytelling has bridged generations and cultures, from comic enthusiasts to imaginative young minds playing with Lego.