Positivities first. Costumes and theatrical properties, bravo! *smacks a chef's kiss* Highbrow Tagalog was the most blessed sound to my ears, aided by the subtitle translation by Nehemiarey Dallego and Norman Baguisa.
However, it would've been much better if Netflix subtitles let viewers know if a character's about to switch to another language, for example, (speaking in Mandarin). Plus, at times, when English is used, it's sort of difficult to catch, as some lines are softspoken. So lines in English should've been subtitled as well, for those hard of hearing.
Moving on, excellent cinematography made picturesque scenes worthy of being brought to life by impressionists.
As always, Tirso Cruz III's superb acting makes viewers want to strangle Padre Dámaso anew. Lou Veloso as Prof José R. Torres, Julie Anne San Jose as María Clara and Dennis Trillo as Crisóstomo Ibarra were a pleasure to watch. Also, props to San Jose's hauntingly beautiful renditions of "Awit ni María Clara" and "Ave Maria".
Initially, it was worrying that goodlooking actors like Juancho Triviño and Kiel Rodriguez were cast, as some viewers might have an unhealthy attraction to unsavoury characters they portrayed. However, Triviño and Rodriguez both delivered as the sinister Padre Salvi and the sycophantic alipores Renato, respectively. Special shoutouts to Chai Fonacier as Lucía, Giovanni Baldisseri as the alférez, Jeniffer Maravilla as Sinang and Felicity Kyle Napuli as Tala.
As for María Clara "Klay" Infantes, her character was likeable. Initially. She's a fiercely protective daughter and a loving older sibling. On top of that, she has a heart for the oppressed.
And yet I must agree with other reviewers here, and elsewhere. This protagonist's smugness consistently grates on one's nerves. Her saucer eyes glaring and popping out with her ego, misplaced indignation and exaggerated "shock", her overly flipping commissures and her neverending smirks, Klay never fails to misunderstand (or advertently "misunderstand") even the best of intentions from Prof Torres, María Clara, Ibarra and Fidel de los Reyes y Maglipol, the resident "canon-character-all-along". Klay also suffers from a not-so-uncommon illness plaguing misguided people: assuming that speaking a few lines in "perfect" English already makes you "accomplished" and "intelligent".
The series could've fared and survived well without this forced character, or her equally forced loveteam with Fidel. In their own right, María Clara and Ibarra are strong, principled and ahead of their time. Klay's a waste of talented actress Barbie Forteza, who performed nicely in other projects like Pepito Manaloto and Kara Mia. Forteza's character in the latter was a sympathetic but strong individual.
Contrarily, Klay's persistent interference with Ibarra and María Clara's personal affairs reminds you of your boyfriend's pestilent officemate, acquaintance or even his classless bestfriend, who swears she feels nothing for your boyfriend, but relentlessly chases after him just to console and delude herself into believing she and your boyfriend have something "special" that you "don't". She's such an expert in victimplaying, using her dysfunctional family, poverty or "societal belittlement" *yawns* as excuses to wear out her welcome with your boyfriend's inherent compassion and longanimity. Yet on and on she harps about how "empowered" and "independent" she is, disguising her disrespectful behaviour and shamelessness as "bravery" and "I-don't-care-what-people-think-of-me" bravado. In other words, a typical pick-me.
Just like Klay. Viewers ought to take a shot each time María Clara, Ibarra, Fidel or anybody from the series exclaims just how "different" she is, shoving her "progression" down our throats.
Which brings us to the final point. The presence of brownface was ironic. Just look up photographs of Andrea Torres (Narcisa "Sisa") and Pauline Mendoza (Juliana "Juli" de Dios) in real life and you'll see. Torres and Mendoza's acting skills are up to par, yes. But can't they find actual dark-skinned talents, just so nobody has to use heavy brownface makeup? Can't-or won't?
Still, if you wish to see an interesting adaptation of Dr José P. Rizal's beloved novels, watching this series can't hurt. As mentioned above, it does have excellent assets.
