#alebarro

Note: (I didn't watch the whole episode but I did see the clip of Ybrahim dying and someone posted their frustration over Alena's character assassination on threads, this is how I keep myself updated 😜)

Amihan chose not to conceive another child with Ybrahim, even if it was "Emre's will." If she can do that, do y'all honestly think Alena is incapable of doing that as well? If you truly know her character, then you know that she will NEVER agree to this bullshit, she was able to stand her ground and refused to grant Lira's plea to get back with Ybrahim so the latter could move on, and now they're making us believe that Alena ultimately agreed to be locked up in a loveless marriage JUST to conceive an heir for Sapiro?

With the news of an upcoming sequel to Encantadia in production, I couldn't help myself but revisit one of my favourite Filipino fantasy show ever produced. I watched all 218 episodes of the requel in a week and started re-watching the 2005 as well.

Growing up I remember trying to convince my mom to let me stay up late enough to watch the show and it was such a big part of my childhood. My sister, our neighbours, and I would pretend to be one of the sang're and try to reenact the show. From their fight scenes to their drama scenes, we did it all. I tuned in until the very last episode of the original version and even tried to learn the language because that's how drawn in I was with the world-building and fantasy aspect of the show.

Fast forward to 2016, I'm well into post-secondary and live outside the Philippines. When I heard about the requel, I made sure that we had GMA Pinoy TV and all the episodes were recorded. That way I didn't miss any episodes. Now, to be honest, I wasn't a fan of 2016 at first. I was very critical of some of the casting, the CGI work, and even the world-building. It felt familiar but not. I missed the mystical aspect of the show and I missed that I was able to suspend my disbelief for 30 minutes to escape to this enchanted place. I didn't get that escape from the 2016 version because it didn't feel magical enough for me. However, over time, I learned to enjoy the show because of its storytelling. I was invested in the characters and what was happening to them which led me to fall in love with Amihan and Ybrahim's romance in this version. I enjoyed the sisters' bond here and wish we saw more of it in the show. I liked how each Sang're got a chance to meet their father and we, the viewers, got to know each of them.

There were a lot of positives from the 2016 version which is why I feel sad that "season 2" of Encantadia will be focusing on a different generation. I understand that Pirena, Amihan, Alena, and Danaya have been the 4 iconic sangres for almost 20 years and it's time for new characters to succeed them. Unfortunately, I feel that the 2016 version had more stories to offer and the Sang'res had more adventures and stories to explore. Especially with the death of Amihan, there were storylines that were abandoned to accommodate Kylie's departure. I just hope that the fans get a proper closure for these 4 Sang'res and aren't left with an opening ending. Kinda like how Encantadia 2005 concluded. Arman, on the back of a dragon, narrates the story of the 4 Sang'res and properly transitions the audience to the new protectors with him, Armea and Cassandra. 2005 gave the audience a definitive conclusion to the main 4 while setting up a potential sequel. This is something 2016 tried to do but left viewers with more questions since they introduced Cassiopea's twin and set up 4 diwanis running on the beach.

Don't get me wrong, I like the actors that are playing the new Sang'res but I do hope this sequel will be a bridge to continue the original 4 stories until its creator can give those characters a proper send off. Also, I would love to see Danaya as a mother and give Pirena and Alena a chance to have children again. Additionally, it'd be nice to see the growth in Lira and Mira. Lastly, I would love to see Amihan reunite with her sisters and get the happy ending that her parents didn't have the privilege of having.

Happy 3 Gabru ! 

Weddings in Encantadia

May naglaro sa gintong orasan ng Etheria, kung kaya't nagpang-abot ang nakaraan at ang kasalukuyan. 

Azpiren! Azulan 2005 meets Pirena 2016.

Alena squared! The two Alenas meet!

Alebarro! Alena 2005 with Ybarro 2016.

Ybralena! Ybrahim 2005 and Alena 2016 takes a selfie.

Like seriously??? WHY are the writers holding onto this unnecessary drama??? What is so wrong about Alena becoming independent and not stressing herself out because of one guy who DOES NOT even love her and has continued to pine for his dead lover even years after her death???

I’m sorry, I’m just so pissed off that after all that development, after all those times she claimed that she has “moved on”… they bring back this dragging plot device because apparently she has free dibs on the lonely guy now that his lover’s gone for good so let’s throw all those independent!Alena development away because she needs to pine over that one guy of whom she did not even share that deep of a happy connection to begin with because apparently this is the ONLY way for her and Ybrahim to be happy again!!!

Like what the FREAK?! STOP MAKING ALENA’S STORY REVOLVE AROUND ROMANCE!!! This was what we were trying to avoid for Alena ‘16, who was mostly known for her love story with Ybarro in the original run. She NEEDS to live for HERSELF and not suffer inwardly for a love that’s nearly hopeless.

STOP BUTCHERING MY ORIGINAL FAVORITE SANGGRE! SHE IS MUCH STRONGER THAN THIS. SHE DOES NOT NEED TO PLAY SECOND FIDDLE. SHE DOES NOT NEED A MAN TO BE FULFILLED.

What they are doing now is reversing Alena back to the way she was when she thought Ybarro was dead. Sure Alena may be stronger this time and has put her focus on her training. But the fact that she’s avoiding the problem instead of facing it head on in order to move on just shows the fact that she’s truly not ready to let go of her feelings for Ybrahim, which is completely absurd!

What I hate the most about this is that the writers are actually seemingly using Alena’s grief to bring back AleBarro in a way that makes fans say “Oh, she’s been loyal to him for so long even when he fell for her sister, she DESERVES to have him because marrying and having a family has always been her only goal in life. Ybrahim needs a heir for Sapiro anyway since Lira is for Lireo, and Alena wants a family so bringing them together makes the most sense. And since Alena is trying her best to be stronger, she’s now more deserving of him because hey, this isn’t going to be like the forced romance we gave them before.”

😑😑😑😑😑

Like, seriously? Do they really think that we’re going to fall for that? Do they really think that we’d magically root for AleBarro because this is the only way that could make them both “happy”?

Look, I do not mind Alena having the husband and family she’s dreamt of her whole life. But why does it have to be with Ybrahim when it has been proven over and over that they were not meant to be? Alena still retaining her long-time feelings for Ybarro is NOT ROMANTIC.

It’s desperate.

Not only that, but this Ybarro-loves-Alena-then-loves-Amihan-then-loves-Alena-again plotline is repetitive. Are Ybrahim’s feelings like some sort of plaything that they can go back and forth and back and forth depending on who’s alive or not? Ybrahim does NOT need another lover after losing Amihan. He should not be labelled as just a Love Interest for any available sanggre.

And even if he does move on, the fact that his feelings for Amihan won over Alena’s even when he tried to choose her many times before just proves the fact that Alena will always become second fiddle in Ybrahim’s heart. The original is understandable because Ybarro’s feelings for Alena never wavered even when he saw her at her worst. But in this version, AleBarro’s reuniting is a big no-no for me.

While there is very little hope for an YbraMihan endgame now that Amihan is gone, I am still holding on to that hope, to that sliver of a chance that Amihan will return even for a short while and prove once again that YbraMihan’s love is unbreakable and eternal. Even a small, lasting memorabilia, a proof of their love for Ybrahim to hold onto (aside from Lira, who was not exactly made out of love) would suffice, and I’m extremely disappointed that we were not even given the closure we needed.