Of fairy and mermaid tales

No! This is not about the Disney princess Ariel, the young mermaid who defied her father, King Triton, because she loved Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid. This is not about the fairy godmothers Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, the guardians of Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. This is about Marahuyo Project and its own set of “fairies” and “mermaids” and their struggles and triumphs as young gay people on a remote island where being different is considered not only bad luck but a curse, and how they muster the courage to find acceptance, strength and that groovy kind of young love — pink love.

A not deadly kind of pride

The Marahuyo Project, produced by ANIMA Studios and created and directed by JP Habac, tells the tale of King (Adrian Lindayag) and his journey back to his hometown, the island of Marahuyo. On the island, he reconciles with his doting grandmother, his estranged mother and forges new friendships.

Eight episodes were shown during Pride Month, and surprisingly, despite limited press coverage, the show received much love and strong word-of-mouth from those who saw the series as a “barkada flick” — only this time, the group had a fine composition of gays and their life in college.

What unfolded on the YouTube Channel were the lives of people who are not from the metropolis. The bucolic location added charm, freshness and the essential conditions needed to make the narrative a more interesting and pleasurable experience.

Some of the most engrossing elements of the narrative include King’s quest to establish a gay organization, the backstory of the man, the Balagtasan king and poet whose name is immortalized and revered as the college’s most iconic personality, and King’s newfound friends, namely Venice (Ian Villa), Lorie (Nour Hooshmand) and Lili (Yani Villorasa).

Of course, true to the core of Filipino coming-of-age gay stories, the antagonists are the resident priest and college dean, played to the hilt by seasoned actors Joel Sarracho and Francis Makil-Ignacio.

As King, Lindayag, the femme fairy from Manila, stirred feelings, awakened fears, brought excitement and moved the young gay people of Marahuyo to speak up and stand together.

Making things rosier for King was Ino (Neo France Garcia), the campus heartthrob, captain of the swimming team and student council president.

Lindayag and Garcia’s chemistry was undeniable. The two characters started with the cat versus dog trope that eventually evolved into two people being there for each other despite their obvious differences. The getting-to-know phase of their characters had all the innocence and kilig feels and moments. The conversations felt and looked so natural, the exchange of besos truly saccharine, their conflict and resolve, and that one satisfying boy-on-boy kiss under a rainbow flag hovering above their heads — my gosh! Auto-in love on!

Also, there was a great deal of sensitivity and sincerity in the handling of the friendship between Venice and Archie (AJ Sison), as well as the relationship between the two young women: Lorie, who is taking baby steps as a lesbian, and Lili, with her intersex reality.

Lindayag, as King and the center of the Marahuyo universe, gave his character drive, energy and honesty. His confrontation scene with his mother, played by Sue Prado, tugs at the heart. The relationship his character shared with his grandmother, played by Peewee O’ Hara, showcases the bond between apo and abuela and her unconditional love.

Pink wishes

What I wish for the Marahuyo Project is a second season so that we can learn more about what happens to the characters and the directions and choices that they will take now that they have embraced who they are.

Perhaps a more understanding batch of authority figures in future episodes. The anger, disdain and immorality card does not help and forever reinforces the “sin” of being gay, especially in the Philippines.

A romantic arc for BFFs Venice and Archie. And we finally get to meet King’s father and see their dynamic relationship.

The Marahuyo Project is a wonderful series that shows how our differences give more color to our lives, erasing misconceptions and helping us understand that there is always more than meets the eye. Yes, it takes an island like Marahuyo, with its fairies and mermaids, to make us all realize that there is beauty in diversity, and all we need to do is open our hearts and embrace everyone with compassion and understanding.

All eight episodes of The Marahuyo Project are available for viewing on the ANIMA Studios YouTube Channel.