Pinoy BL Series
Thailand
This review may contain spoilers
90 Days The Series (2020): Good Intention, Not So Good Execution
“90 Days The Series” had intended to highlight an old topic -- human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) stigma -- that has remained relevant because it continues to be problem in Philippine culture and society. It was a bold purpose for a Filipino (Pinoy) boys’ love (BL) series. But unfortunately, the overall execution was found lacking.
“90 Days The Series” spent too much time laying the foundation for the HIV stigma plot/storyline by focusing on Axel and Greg’s problematic relationship only to rush everything towards the end. This series was supposed to have 10 episodes but it was limited to 8 episodes for some reasons. This affected the pace and editing of the entire series. I was really hoping for a complex and/or different handling of the HIV stigma plot/storyline. But instead, with Axel’s death, “90 Days The Series” succumbed to the tiresome bury your gay trope in line with the equally wearisome too good for this problematic earth narrative.
Starting “90 Days The Series” with the meaningful poem “Bahaghari” (Rainbow) by Nicko Mata was a nice touch. But such creativity wasn’t sustained throughout the series. A number of times, screenplay was cringy. There were no funny lines, just preachy dialogues. While the efforts of “90 Days The Series” to promote HIV awareness to combat HIV stigma were commendable, the dialogues nevertheless felt contrived. Don’t get me wrong, there were good and heartfelt lines as well but the whining script just became tiresome towards the end.
Both Aejhay and Brian can act but their acting was monotonous for the most part of “90 Days The Series.” They had generally the same emotional expressions, the same facial reactions, and the same vocal deliveries for most of the overdramatized scenes. And there’s no chemistry between the actors (Aejhay and Brian, Brian and James Andrew). All the supporting cast members need improvement on their acting. Because their characterizations weren’t developed (restricted to being mere video chatmates), they were mostly forgettable except maybe Paul John’s Tito Ricardo.
Production value was at least average. It’s difficult to expect much from “90 Days The Series” knowing that its production company (JTL TV) is composed of student and young filmmakers. Audio-visuals were uneven. There were some sudden audio changes. There were some grainy camera shots. The actors’ make-up distracted more than enhanced the visuals of this series. The soundtrack “Pangako, Paalam” (Promise, Goodbye) by Dain Mapalo was at least ok. But for JTL TV's efforts, kudos are still in order! And thanks to “90 Days The Series” for acknowledging this account, Pinoy BL Series, on their finale post-credits.
All in all, I would only recommend “90 Days The Series” for those who are interested in watching a Pinoy BL series about HIV stigma in the Philippines -- with a fair warning that the series’ intention was good but its execution wasn’t so good.
“90 Days The Series” spent too much time laying the foundation for the HIV stigma plot/storyline by focusing on Axel and Greg’s problematic relationship only to rush everything towards the end. This series was supposed to have 10 episodes but it was limited to 8 episodes for some reasons. This affected the pace and editing of the entire series. I was really hoping for a complex and/or different handling of the HIV stigma plot/storyline. But instead, with Axel’s death, “90 Days The Series” succumbed to the tiresome bury your gay trope in line with the equally wearisome too good for this problematic earth narrative.
Starting “90 Days The Series” with the meaningful poem “Bahaghari” (Rainbow) by Nicko Mata was a nice touch. But such creativity wasn’t sustained throughout the series. A number of times, screenplay was cringy. There were no funny lines, just preachy dialogues. While the efforts of “90 Days The Series” to promote HIV awareness to combat HIV stigma were commendable, the dialogues nevertheless felt contrived. Don’t get me wrong, there were good and heartfelt lines as well but the whining script just became tiresome towards the end.
Both Aejhay and Brian can act but their acting was monotonous for the most part of “90 Days The Series.” They had generally the same emotional expressions, the same facial reactions, and the same vocal deliveries for most of the overdramatized scenes. And there’s no chemistry between the actors (Aejhay and Brian, Brian and James Andrew). All the supporting cast members need improvement on their acting. Because their characterizations weren’t developed (restricted to being mere video chatmates), they were mostly forgettable except maybe Paul John’s Tito Ricardo.
Production value was at least average. It’s difficult to expect much from “90 Days The Series” knowing that its production company (JTL TV) is composed of student and young filmmakers. Audio-visuals were uneven. There were some sudden audio changes. There were some grainy camera shots. The actors’ make-up distracted more than enhanced the visuals of this series. The soundtrack “Pangako, Paalam” (Promise, Goodbye) by Dain Mapalo was at least ok. But for JTL TV's efforts, kudos are still in order! And thanks to “90 Days The Series” for acknowledging this account, Pinoy BL Series, on their finale post-credits.
All in all, I would only recommend “90 Days The Series” for those who are interested in watching a Pinoy BL series about HIV stigma in the Philippines -- with a fair warning that the series’ intention was good but its execution wasn’t so good.
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