Despite the controversy and nose made on social media in the past weeks, Sakristan made its way to the finale. It is a Filipino BL series that deviates from the traditional aim of the LGBTQIA subgenre. The series has social relevance, in that it discusses principal issues that reconcile faith in the name of the Mother Church and faith in yourself. Acceptance, self-discovery, and compassion are the message it brings to the fore.

The following criteria will be used for this review:

1. Directing
I’ve known Dir. Yap’s style and approach to his projects since I last saw #Jowable the movie. Straightforward, provocative, and sometimes topics in discussion are still treated in Philippine society as taboo, which became Yap’s major contribution as he introduces them in this day and age to young viewers. I’m aware there was an audition for the roles and choosing casts that fit the characters in them made me think that Yap may have selected them not because of talents alone, but the personality each actor carries. However the process of casting, I will honestly say that since some of them are newbies, I just hope that Dir. Yap had required the actors undergo a series of workshops before the shooting started.

2. Writing
Yap is both the writer and director of Sakristan. What I truly admire the series are the lines with underlying meanings in Filipino and Gay Lingo. Sometimes, the mistranslation can be at fault but if viewers only knew the lingua franca used in the series, they would have understood the social context in the story. Undeniably, the scriptwriting is well crafted.

3. Cinematography
Cinematography wise, I would commend the Team using a vintage-like filter in the scenes and the cinematic flavor really comes from the creative reign of the director.

4. Editing
The series is filmed but it feels raw. Notice that some actors who possess brown skin complexion or in Filipino, Kayumangi, are unfiltered, meaning it remains as it is. Perhaps, this is Dir. Yap’s decision too so as to show the physical beauty of Filipino in spite of many of us fancy over white skin.

5. Acting Performance
Truth be told the main leads lack chemistry and cannot execute the lines well. But to demand a performance like the veterans would seem unfair judgment. Of course, as viewers, we see to it they are chosen because they have real talents to offer. Unfortunately, the two actors who play Zach and Christian have to make themselves comfortable of their roles in case they will be casted in future projects. Honestly speaking, I always look forward to the series because the actress who portrays the role of Penelope is so good in acting, and sometimes exaggerated by uttering sarcastic lines.

6. Production Design
Aesthetic is essential in filmography. The series is aesthetic in its own right. Not all viewers will agree with me about that. The shooting location of urban streets and often the characters interacting in school and church highlight the Filipinoness which becomes for me an ideal motif of the series.

7. Official Soundtrack
No doubt the playlist in the series has captivated the soft side of viewers. I won’t further discuss the song one by one, but it is a must to listen to them in times of uncertainty like what we are going through.

Did it meet my expectation? At some point, it did and did not. Though there is little satisfaction in the finale (unexpected), I would still watch a second season depending on three criteria: performance, relevance, and cinematography.