Hello Stranger (2020)

L'amour au temps du Covid

Ça faisait bien longtemps que je n'avais pas vu un drama aussi bien réalisé!
Par le biais de cette critique je tiens vraiment à remercier le réalisateur Petersen Vargas mais également Patrick Valencia, le scénariste, pour nous avoir avoir offert ce petit bijou!

J'avoue qu'au départ j'étais un peu réfractaire à me mettre à ce drama pour plusieurs raisons. Tout d'abord les quelques expériences des dramas philippins que j'ai eu ne m'avaient pas convaincu.e et d'autre part, à ce jour, nous sommes encore environnés pas la crise du Covid et je n'avais vraiment pas envie de devoir y replonger, qui plus est, dans le contexte d'un drama car, d'habitude, quand on se plonge dans une œuvre de fiction, que ce soit un livre, un film ou une série, à mon sens, c'est plutôt pour s'évader un peu de la réalité et des problèmes qui nous entourent plutôt que d'y faire face.

Finalement, j'ai vraiment bien fait d'aller contre mon inclination première car ce drama, malgré quelques petits débuts difficiles m'a énormément touché et m'a montré que malgré une réalité difficile sous-jacente dans l'histoire, il peut se passer des histoires touchantes et merveilleuses.

Les acteurs :

Tous les acteurs qui apparaissent dans ce drama ont un jeu qui est juste et intéressant, malgré, pour certains, un peu de surjeu sur les tous premiers épisodes. Chacun nous montre sa propre personnalité et incarne très bien des personnages de leur âge (pas comme ce que l'on peut souvent voir dans d'autres productions comme des caricatures absolues ou encore des ado / jeunes adultes qui ont des réactions et un parlé sans aucun rapport avec leur époque).

Ainsi, Gillian Vincencio incarnant ici Cristal Santos, la petite amie de Xavier ne nous est pas présentée comme la traditionnelle petite copine du héros sportif, hyper superficielle, rien dans la cervelle et hyper jalouse. On voit très vite qu'il y a au-delà de ça, elle raisonne, elle sait se poser aussi et de ce fait elle casse les clichés qu'on a toujours pu avoir sur ce type de personnage.

Ensuite, concernant la bande de potes de Mico, on voit bien la synergie ainsi que l'amitié qui les lient les uns aux autres, on voit les béguins qui naissent entre les uns et les autres, on pourrait croire que le drama va s'accrocher aux clichés habituels car, dès le début, on s'aperçoit de qui aime qui et du triangle amoureux préexistant, mais là encore, la réalisation fait tout en finesse en cassant les habitudes et en révélant les émotions et les difficultés que chaque personne peut rencontrer pour se déclarer à l'autre ou pour voir une personne aimée en aimer une autre que soi.

Concernant Junjun Sandico (joué par Miguel Almendras), encore une fois, j'ai bêtement cru qu'on aurait droit au personnage type du rigolo de service qui amuse les autres mais pour qui il ne se passe rien. Mais non! Il s'impose de façon naturelle comme le pilier du groupe, il apaise les dissensions, révèle les secrets, aide les autres protagonistes à s'interroger sur eux-mêmes. Il est le ciment des intrigues et nous montre qu'on peut toujours prendre la vie du bon côté.

Enfin, si on parle de notre couple principal, leur histoire est certes bateau (le beau gosse sportif et l'intello introverti), le trait n'est pas non plus trop appuyé et chacun montre une vulnérabilité touchante. Ils savent, l'un comme l'autre véhiculer leurs sentiments et émotions, tout autant que leurs doutes et interrogations, que ce soit concernant leur orientation sexuelle que sur la grande question : va-t-il m'aimer? Au bout d'un moment, même le fait qu'il s'agisse d'une histoire d'amour entre hommes ne compte plus. Il s'agit seulement du rapprochement de deux êtres qui s'aiment et qui rencontrent les mêmes obstacles que tous les premiers amours.

La réalisation :

Le fait que les personnages soient éloignés, confinés augmente l'émotion et la pression : ils crèvent d'envie de se voir, de se toucher, de se réconforter. C'est impossible (ou presque). En voyant les images, les situations, on remet en parallèle avec notre propre vie, à nos propres réactions dans ces mêmes situations.
L'effet est d'autant plus important sur le personnage de Xavier qui vit tout seul depuis plusieurs semaines!

Les têtes à têtes que se font le couple principal sont, du coup d'autant plus important, très intimistes. La réalisation a su gérer ça de main de maître car j'ai pu voir des plans aussi bien réalisés que dans des films à gros budget. Je preux prendre pour exemple l'épisode de la chanson de Xavier, on sait que les deux personnages sont séparés, qu'ils ne vivent pas au même endroit. Le décor qui les entourent tous les deux est différent et le plan le montre bien, d'un côté, la chambre de Xavier en blanc et de l'autre, on voit bien la cassure avec une sorte de paravent en bois sombre. Il y a bien une cassure. Mais! Tout au fond, entre les deux personnages qui se font face et sont séparés par le clavier de Xavier ( et par leurs écrans d'ordinateur respectifs qui n'apparaissent pas), on peut apercevoir une plante verte, toute bête, mais qui traverse les deux espaces et qui réunit ces deux scènes pour montrer les deux personnages dans la même pièce, à quelques centimètres l'un de l'autre. C'est juste génial!... ce n'est pas le seul plan comme celui-ci et je pense à revoir à nouveau le drama pour les dénicher.

Bilan :

Je dois avouer qu'à part les petits couacs dans le jeu des acteurs des premiers épisodes, je n'ai pas trouvé vraiment de points négatifs, ou peut-être que je n'ai pas trop cherché entant donné que j'ai vraiment tout apprécié dans le drama. Il m'a réconcilié avec les dramas philippins et je pense voir si d'autres méritent également le détour. Un film faisant suite à l'histoire de Hello Stanger à été réalisé et je vais le voir car, même si la fin m'a également beaucoup plu, il me manque quelque chose.

ATTENTION SPOIL
Même pas un petit bisou? Vraiment?
FIN DU SPOIL

Maintenant, à vous de vous faire votre avis.

Leia Mais

My favorite pinoy bl

I honestly don't know why my attitude towards Hello Stranger and Gameboys were so different. They have similar plots and production but for some reason i ended up loving Hello Stanger so much more. Everything about this mini series is great, the plot, acting, and music are all great. Both couples are really sweet and non-toxic and all of Mico's friends are great lol i wish i had friend like them. The music is also great and i listened to it so much that it was on my spotify wrapped both this year and last year. This show helped me smile through a rough and confusing patch of my life so im thankful for it.

Leia Mais

absolutely beautiful go watch it

this has a typical enemies to lovers kinda vibe but there are wondeful layers to this drama due to such an amazing performance from the cast and the creative writing.

yes, it's very cute sO cute that it'll break your heart and it was bound to happen.

mico is someone who hasn't experienced falling in love and when xavier entered the picture, all emotions riled up. i can not fail to talk about how mico's actor beautifully portrayed his character; from the insecuities of not feeling one doesn't deserve the right to be loved and to a broken heart trying to get back up. the expressions and crying scene of mico coming out to his friends teared me up so hard.... it felt so natural, i honestly wanted to reach out and hug the guy.

xavier, someone who wasn't sure how to handle the situation but was already head over heels for mico. this guy was so used to not having a pair of ears that listens to his thoughts and worries. mico was the right person to make him realise there is someone to talk to and he is worthy to be heard of.

the girls !!! i'm so happy that this is the second filipino bl drama i watched with no toxic/villain female character. it's amazing to see that these female characters are written with thought and care, not just for a plot device or a catalyst to progress the story.

i was so used to those thai/chinese bls having revenge plots involving an ex girlfriend that i was kinda surprised with this one. i love how kokai has such a strong and understanding heart. she didn't brew or plot revenge on mico when she got rejected. instead, she realised they're better off as friends and there is someone else waiting for her. *cOugh* steph *cough* kaiseph is hella adorable btw.

same thing applies to crystal. at first, we saw her as the typical annoying girlfriend. it was so great to see her be mature enough to talk it out with xavier and end the relationship because she knew the guy likes someone else.

i'm really happy with all these filipino bl dramas coming out. i'm stoked to see more!!!

Leia Mais

Cute!

I finished this in one go. It was just so cute and fluffy omg! It reminded me of my past crushes, and how intense the feelings can be. I couldn't stop smiling throughout the drama. But i cried too :D
I gave the story a 7, because it's a trope we've all seen numerous times, but i like the twist of it being digital. You can definitely feel the awkwardness of first meetings with someone you don't know, and on top of that don't have a good opinion on. Tho, Xavier's and Miko's interactions just go to show that we really shouldn't be too quick to judge. An added bonus is NO toxic females, no unnecessary drama!

I was melting with Miko, as he was slowly realizing he had feelings for Xavier, and the little panic attacks he had while talking/listening about him. Mikos dream and confession were so relatable xD Tho, ngl i was worried Xavier would turn out to be a jerk, i am so glad to be proven wrong.

I must say, episode 4 has my heart, it has all of my uwus XD

Given the limitations and the number of episodes , it pretty good. Actors are super cute too, and they portrayed their roles nicely :D

Leia Mais

BL angkatan corona

Tahun 2020 menjadi tahun PSBB alias di rumah lebih baik, bL ini mengisahkan tentang seorang mahasiswa bernama Mico Ramos (Mico) yang kebetulan ditugaskan dalam sebuah proyek tugas kuliah bersama seorang pria agak kurang memperhatikan kuliahnya dan merupakan mahasiswa lama bernama Xavier de Guzman (Xavier). Dua main role ini mempunya karakter yang berbeda, di mana Mico adalah orang yang rajin, serius, agak pemalu dan fokus belajar. Sedangkan, Xavier adalah seorang yang santai, tidak terlalu memikirkan kuliahnya, senang bergurau dan friendly. Ketika mereka berada di satu kelompok yang sama, hal ini menjadi menarik dan memercikan chemistry yang bagus. Kita dapat melihat bahwa Xavier mempunyai perasaan yang berbeda kepada Mico dan Mico pun perlahan tumbuh perasaan suka, walaupun Xavier sebenarnya punya teman wanita bernama Crystal. Bagaimana kisah mereka? Saksikan seriesnya di YouTube. Momen terbaik series ini adalah saat penampilan drama secara online dan pertemuan mereka di dunia nyata. Ada beberapa tokoh pendukung cerita yang membuat cerita menjadi lebih menarik, lalu ada masalah cinta segitiga dan tentunya perasaan denial. Saya merekomendasikan series ini karena selain dikemas secara ringkas dan sederhana, chemistry yang ditampilkan oleh mereka unik karena di tampilkan dalam bentuk camera web-cam .

Leia Mais

A light, heartwarming story that doesn't pretend to be something that it is not

Hello Stranger is a light series that has that coming-of-age vibe to it, something in the likes of most books in the young adult genre. Miko and Xavier's struggles are easily relatable, because we have all been in their shoes: trying to find their own melody and them finally doing their waltz once the melody is found. Chemistry is also undeniable. The supporting characters' subplot, however, sometimes feel unnecessary and anticlimactic, so I find myself skipping/fast-forwarding. I marveled at the highlight on the themes of friendship and self-awareness. The last two episodes were the best and to give praise to these episodes without spoiling, I would say they're worth the rather slow (but bearable) pace of the first act.

Leia Mais

Thank you Xavier and Mico for making me fall in love all over again.

I wanted kilig and they delivered. I was not expecting this much chemistry!!!

I live for BL kisses well-delivered but I am not even mad this has none. That hug? Aaaggghhhhh! I felt it through my screen.

I was squirming and biting my pillow while watching their cute interactions. I cried every freaking time Mico cries. JC is one hell of an actor. Tony alone can drown the screen with charm but this show did not stop there - Seph and Kookai is super cute, Junjun is heaven sent and Crystal (bless her, may she find someone too). Let's not forget Miss Tina Moran's iconic lines hahahaha

The length of each episode is just right. The angst will make you frustrated and the cute moments will make you squeal. The perfect light and fluffy romance.

Leia Mais

Very Relatable and a Heart Warming series

The simplicity of the story yet the writer gave us the roller coaster of emotions made me love this series. Its very relatable depicting real life struggle yet with comedic skits in between will let you experience the laughs and cries. The chemistry of the characters are perfect, i love the cinematography and editing. Plus that these actors are good singers too. Also love the Pinoy take on BL giving different flavors to it, please let us not forget that the backbone of the script is a poem "Sa Kasintahang Nilimot Na" by Benilda S. Santos. Well written and i love how they inject the poem and made such a high quality series. Highly recommended.

Leia Mais

Super Cute

This is a short, sweet and simple story line of the wave of BL's that have come out recently. I like that it's not all about the pandemic. I like that the girlfriend didn't turn out to be a psycho like so many BL's where they are shallow and want revenge. In the beginning, the gf did seem shallow and self-centered but then you realize that it was a failing and unfulfilling relationship. The friends were cool and added to the storyline. I did not think I would enjoy a BL series where they were virtual for almost the whole series AND no kissing but I did. The emotional chemistry and quality of acting between the two leads was really good and kept me satisfied. During this stressful times I really am gravitating to uplifting shows. It also never used the word gay but love. I think it's well worth watching especially for those new to BL.

Leia Mais

this is my 3rd Pino BL and it doesn't disappoint - in each BL we had totally different types of gays. and i mention this, not cause its astounding. but i'm so used to seeing more or less the same types portrayed in BL's that its refreshing to see the variety here - showing u that u can't pigeonhole people, just cause of their sexual orientation - they just people from all walks of life -

but have to say didn't like Mico - tough character to like, its not that he's bad, just personality wise he is self-centered and narcissistic. everyone tends to sympathize with the nerdy gay that has just realized his sexual orientation, someone who is portrayed as the underdog. but in spite of everything Mico is anything but an underdog. and there was some mention / hints of family problems (guess a kind of expiation / excuse for his personality) which came to not... and the little u hear of his mother - she comes off mean. making u feel sorry for Mico. but when u see his actions and attitude, he so isn't the weak pushover that is being taken advantage off.
if anything the one that stole the show (for me) was Xavier - this dude - wow. first off his smile alone is infectious. and then u add his personality, sweet, funny, fun, loving, caring, understanding, strong and flirtatious (but not in a sleazy "i know i'm so hot" way- which he so is :D) more a natural - its freakin oozing from his pores way. and top this all off by being a genuinely good human-being who is also vulnerable and has a sad side - who can help but fall for this big fluffy puppy?!?

it was too short and i feel like Mico was undeserving of his friend's or Xavier, like i mentioned he tends to look at life as in "how this gonna benefit me" attitude - heck his whole outlook is revolving around himself, and maybe its understandable when u think about his family and all that mess - but who doesn't have baggage?? and yet almost every character could put their needs, worries even hurt to the side and treat the individual in front of them with respect and care. giving not only taking.
even the big heartache scene was caused by Mico - where he was so worried he was going to get hurt, he rushed to "run over" Xavier, not even noticing he was left "bloody and broken" - he was to involved in throwing himself a pity party.
and yet this was good and yeah a rewatch - heck need me a daily fix of Xavier's smile, even seeing more of Kookai and Seph budding romance, and last but not least Junjun's quirky personality -

Leia Mais

Predictable

well to be honest i only watched this because of Tony, but so disappointed with the story line which somehow affected their acting execution of the scenes. it's kinda predictable, cliche, unstable and again story is not that great. i think the only reason why most people watched this is because the actors are attractive. and beauty cant get this series far. i was so disappointed with the story build up and it left you hanging. i was not engrossed with the characters and the story, only with their faces. hahahahaha. but to be fair the actors have chemistry but somehow in some scenes there are unnoticeable awkwardness. i love seeing chuchai and patrick. im getting the kilig vibes from them rather than the main actors.

Leia Mais