Darna (ABS-CBN, 2022)

Avengers, Batman, Superman, etc Discussion about comic mainstream movies and TV shows.
Post Reply
User avatar
shevek
Producer
Producer
Posts: 3742
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

The new Darna TV series starring the lovely Jane De Leon debuts tomorrow (August 15) on ABS-CBN in the Philippines.
No idea how one would watch it here - are there are any cable or satellite systems which include the Filipino network?
I'm sure eventually episodes will make their way to Youtube or other sources, but in the meantime here is the long-form trailer.
It looks great!

User avatar
five_red
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts: 303
Joined: 9 years ago

shevek wrote:
1 year ago
No idea how one would watch it here - are there are any cable or satellite systems which include the Filipino network?
https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/08/13/ ... ar/1854341

"Witness Darna's maiden flight on Monday, August 15, 8 p.m. across ABS-CBN's social media platforms Kapamilya Online Live, iWantTFC and The Filipino Channel; cable's Kapamilya Channel and Jeepney TV; and free TV's A2Z and TV5 dials."


R5
brdiy
Elder Member
Elder Member
Posts: 472
Joined: 14 years ago




Check out my superheroine-related short stories here:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/brdiy/works
brdiy
Elder Member
Elder Member
Posts: 472
Joined: 14 years ago

Also found this short clip of "Darna Prime"

Check out my superheroine-related short stories here:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/brdiy/works
shzam
Henchman
Henchman
Posts: 79
Joined: 10 years ago

It's actually on the official Youtube channel though you need a VPN to show your in the Phillipines (that's not considered illegal/against forum rules right)?

Jumped on for a bit last night had a couple of hundred thousand viewers and the video below has 800k views as well as English subs :)



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpuuNgM ... aMuex8L9ge
shzam
Henchman
Henchman
Posts: 79
Joined: 10 years ago

brdiy wrote:
1 year ago



Oops didn't see you post this...
User avatar
shevek
Producer
Producer
Posts: 3742
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

I was able to watch this entire episode (not in four segments) with the link that was provided to me in private (thank you).

Episode 1 mostly shows Iza Calzado as the previous Darna, who is a warrior called Zora from the planet Marte, hiding out on Earth and working as an EMT. She looks great in the costume, and has a clearly 'mature' appearance - not the kind of young, angelic face that Jane will have when she dons the uniform (probably in EP2).

Plusses:
There are two transformations. The Darna costume looks great and very authentic. The fight between Darna and the alien robot is pretty good - there's a good degree of violence and destruction although we don't see Darna in any serious peril. The CGI is OK and passable although not near the level of Marvel productions at all. We also see that Zora's daughter (Narda) has considerable fighting ability in her normal form which allows her to save a mugging victim, although she fights in a drab schoolgirl outfit with a long skirt, so there's nothing specifically attractive about it.

It looks like the defeat of the robot may have 'real world consequences' for Darna, as it probably causes the creation of Darna's main supervillainess rival later on in the series (or so I'm guessing from what I saw). That could be a good twist, as the new Darna would have to compensate for that.

Probably one of the most fun things is that the magic stone clearly displays five 'Martean' alphabet characters on it which obviously spell 'Darna'. I hope we see more of those letters in the series. It would be amazing to have a T-shirt with them on it!

Minuses:
Other than the middling CGI... the origin sequence which shows the planet Marte and how the first Darna got to Earth is done in comic book animation. You'd think with all the great comic book artists in the Phillippines that they'd find someone with considerable skills (Mars Ravelo's own art at the end near the credits is fantastic, see below!). But no, the art in that sequence is quite lacking and looks like it was slapped together by an art-school student. I hope I'm not being too harsh but in a well-known famous superhero show, to have such art represent the titular character is disappointing.
mars ravelo darna.jpg
mars ravelo darna.jpg (154 KiB) Viewed 19479 times
shzam
Henchman
Henchman
Posts: 79
Joined: 10 years ago

Well five eps in and they've revealed the costume for the new Darna...

Surprisingly loyal to the original despite prime Darna (her mom) having something a little more conservative.

Think it looks pretty great.

Image
User avatar
five_red
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts: 303
Joined: 9 years ago

005 - www.bilibili.tv - [2040473519]_001.jpg
005 - www.bilibili.tv - [2040473519]_001.jpg (65.24 KiB) Viewed 19390 times
005 - www.bilibili.tv - [2040473519]_002.jpg
005 - www.bilibili.tv - [2040473519]_002.jpg (38.2 KiB) Viewed 19390 times
005 - www.bilibili.tv - [2040473519]_003.jpg
005 - www.bilibili.tv - [2040473519]_003.jpg (21.13 KiB) Viewed 19390 times
005 - www.bilibili.tv - [2040473519]_004.jpg
005 - www.bilibili.tv - [2040473519]_004.jpg (30.94 KiB) Viewed 19390 times
R5
Supergirl763
Neophyte Lvl 5
Neophyte Lvl 5
Posts: 43
Joined: 1 year ago

I watched all episodes (use a VPN) and was surprised by the production value for Philippine standards. Also pleasantly surprised they gave Jane De Leon a classic bikini costume seeing as modern hollywood productions are scared to show off some skin of their superheroines.

Judging from the first fight between mother Darna and that alien robot the fights ought to be good/decent. I really hope we'll get to see some good peril scenes from Jane De Leon. She just got her powers so there are some opportunities for a villain to give her a prolonged beating. And the show is quite gritty and violent as it shows characters (even Jane De Leon) getting shot in the head; abdomen; shoulder... with blood so I don't think they will back off on the peril. It's evident they got their inspiration from the first spiderman origin movie (fighting against bullies; saving people from a burning building; and a scene in which Jane is able to catch the dishes with a plate before they fall on the ground -> straight scene from Spiderman 1).


If you haven't seen it yet the 1994 movie has a good peril fight scene imo

Last edited by Supergirl763 1 year ago, edited 2 times in total.
brdiy
Elder Member
Elder Member
Posts: 472
Joined: 14 years ago

Not bad. Not as revealing as the past incarnations but they could have done much worse. The production values are great by Phil standards (they air 5 days a week) and the story thus far is ok. Jane looks great in and out of costume.

Image
Check out my superheroine-related short stories here:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/brdiy/works
User avatar
shevek
Producer
Producer
Posts: 3742
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

brdiy wrote:
1 year ago
Not bad. Not as revealing as the past incarnations but they could have done much worse. The production values are great by Phil standards (they air 5 days a week) and the story thus far is ok. Jane looks great in and out of costume.
The fact that this is a *daily* show is mind-blowing. We do have those in the States, but they are news programs, chat shows, game shows, or soap operas. That kind of makes this equivalent to a highly produced soap-opera serial with lots of set locations and special FX.

Which means the story moves rather slowly - the series takes four episodes to set up Narda's character as a selfless civilian heroine who passes her test to become an EMT. By episode 4 (I might be wrong, but by my count she becomes Darna in EP4) she is in a perilous situation whereby the spectre of her mother - or some kind of guiding spirit from Planet Marte? not sure which - appears to deliver the stone to her. It has the "Darna" characters on it in Martean. Then she becomes Darna.

Watch it all if you can, but if not, definitely don't miss Episode 4 for Narda's first amazing transformation. And yes, the costume looks great. Jane is absolutely gorgeous, and so far, perfect for the role. It was an interesting choice to make her red boots platforms instead of heels - probably to make it easier to walk in them. But that takes nothing away from the stunning visual impact.

I can't believe that a TV show from the Philippines has to show Marvel how to make a proper superheroine!
Supergirl763
Neophyte Lvl 5
Neophyte Lvl 5
Posts: 43
Joined: 1 year ago

The only thing I don't like about her Darna transformation is that they gave her colored contact lenses. It seems a bit tacked on. Why not stick with her natural dark eyes ?
brdiy
Elder Member
Elder Member
Posts: 472
Joined: 14 years ago

Test costumes...

Image
Check out my superheroine-related short stories here:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/brdiy/works
User avatar
shevek
Producer
Producer
Posts: 3742
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

brdiy wrote:
1 year ago
Test costumes...
Wish they'd gone with those gorgeous red heels, but thankfully they did do the bare shoulders and bikini top some major justice.
I like how this costume would get "cancelled" in a hot second in any kind of Hollywood-based media. :)
[or criticized to death by sanctimonious puritans, like what just happened to Amandla Stenberg in 'Bodies Bodies Bodies']

So, the next episode comes out tomorrow? or Monday? Can't wait for the Valentina transformation!
User avatar
five_red
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts: 303
Joined: 9 years ago

shevek wrote:
1 year ago
By episode 4 (I might be wrong, but by my count she becomes Darna in EP4) she is in a perilous situation whereby the spectre of her mother - or some kind of guiding spirit from Planet Marte? not sure which - appears to deliver the stone to her. It has the "Darna" characters on it in Martean. Then she becomes Darna.
Episode five. This makes sense, as big events tend to happen at the end or start of a week in these five-nights-a-week shows. I was amazed that they actually gave Darna a few minutes of screen time. Typically on these shows the heroine's first appearance in costume happens at the very end of a week, as a cliffhanger. So to have it happen five minutes before the end of the episode is quite unusual.
Darna19_01b.jpg
Darna19_01b.jpg (886.14 KiB) Viewed 19079 times
For those who are following the show but unfamiliar with the telefantasya genre (and the show is worth a go if you have access, for reasons I'll outline below), let me give you a few pointers of how the genre works from my limited experience:
  • Fantaserye or telefantasya, mix elements of soap opera and fantasy. Popular themes are magic, or myths, or superheroes. They typically run weekday evenings, five episodes each week, in schedule slots dedicated to this type of show. Because of the high episode rate, supporting characters often have their own storylines that run parallel to the main hero's story, just like on a daytime soap. It is not uncommon for supporting superheroes to be added to the cast as the series progresses.
  • Unlike in Western shows like Supergirl or Wonder Woman, the superhero doesn't necessarily get a big action sequence in every episode. Most shows seem to aim for of at least one big action sequence per week, and then have the hero do other minor stuff (scenes that don't require fight choreography and pyrotechnics) the rest of the time.
  • There seems to be an unofficial rule on most shows that the title character (mostly) has to appear at least once in every episode, although the writers sometimes 'cheat'. They'll put a transformation in the cliffhanger, or they'll start an episode with a brief aftermath scene if the previous episode ended on an action sequence. You may therefore only get a brief glimpse of the lead superhero in some episodes. Also, be aware, if a whole load of episodes go by with hardly any action, expect a really big spectacular soon.
  • Each series seems to run for a pre-planned duration, and they don't usually have a second season. It is rare (unknown?) for a show to get cancelled mid-way through its run. So in many ways they are like very lengthy mini-series, that run for between 60 to 160 episodes, then end with a definitive finale episode.
  • Because of the huge episode count, it is typical for a series to be broken up into chapters. Each deal with a single story arch and/or villain. A chapter can be many weeks long, or there can be a new chapter every week -- it depends upon the format of a given show. If a show has a short chapter length, you'll often find they have rotating cast of villains (like the 60s Batman.) If a show has a long chapter length, typically villains get defeated and don't some back. There also often a super-villain, the lead character's arch enemy, who lurks in the shadows throughout the whole series.
  • There's always at least one hospital storyline. Just like on a daytime soap opera, actors need to have leave periods away from production. So typically at least once during the series the hero will be hospitalised, at death's door, for one week (exactly!) to cover for the actor's absence. Sometimes this happens more than once for really long running shows. It is a pain, but it is just part of the format and unavoidable. (Why they can't come up with an excuse more original that a coma, however, is beyond me!)
  • You'll find these types of shows in India and Thailand too, although with some variations to the format. In India have sequel shows that are not direct continuations of a series, but heavily based on a successful show that just came to a close. (A bit like how the Final Fantasy games are sequels, yet unrelated.) In Thailand these big-budget fantasy shows may run three nights a week, say Friday to Sunday.
I can't believe that a TV show from the Philippines has to show Marvel how to make a proper superheroine!
Well that's because they stick to the classic Golden Age / Silver Age model of superheroes. They didn't go through a period like Western comics did in the 80s of making everything grim 'n' gritty and aimed at the adult market and comiccon geek audience. The Pinoy live action superheroes are still good wholesome uncomplicated family fun, just like the Carter Wonder Woman or the Reeve Superman. And that -- if nothing else -- is one reason why you should try to see past the language barrier and cultural differences and give them a go.


R5
Damselbinder

shevek wrote:
1 year ago
brdiy wrote:
1 year ago
Test costumes...
Wish they'd gone with those gorgeous red heels, but thankfully they did do the bare shoulders and bikini top some major justice.
I like how this costume would get "cancelled" in a hot second in any kind of Hollywood-based media. :)
[or criticized to death by sanctimonious puritans, like what just happened to Amandla Stenberg in 'Bodies Bodies Bodies']

So, the next episode comes out tomorrow? or Monday? Can't wait for the Valentina transformation!
God you can't bloody help yourself can you
User avatar
Mr. X
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 4597
Joined: 11 years ago
Contact:

shevek wrote:
1 year ago

Wish they'd gone with those gorgeous red heels, but thankfully they did do the bare shoulders and bikini top some major justice.
I like how this costume would get "cancelled" in a hot second in any kind of Hollywood-based media. :)
[or criticized to death by sanctimonious puritans, like what just happened to Amandla Stenberg in 'Bodies Bodies Bodies']

So, the next episode comes out tomorrow? or Monday? Can't wait for the Valentina transformation!
she Hulk actress is already griping about "misogyny" and exploiting the female form.
Supergirl763
Neophyte Lvl 5
Neophyte Lvl 5
Posts: 43
Joined: 1 year ago

Just speculation at this point but based on what the main villain (second pic) is saying in the teaser ("Are you giving up Darna ?") it seems Darna will get overpowered by him. I hope it will lead to some nice peril scenes. My first guess on how the series will play out (non-spoiler as I could be completely wrong) : she will fight a couple of minor episode villains next few weeks and get stronger/more experienced; meanwhile Valentina will turn into an anti-hero kind of villain facing off with Darna multiple times. Darna will eventually face off with the main alien guy but get her ass kicked. Valentina will have a redemption arc and help Darna defeat the alien.

Image
Image
User avatar
shevek
Producer
Producer
Posts: 3742
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

Mr. X wrote:
1 year ago
shevek wrote:
1 year ago

Wish they'd gone with those gorgeous red heels, but thankfully they did do the bare shoulders and bikini top some major justice.
I like how this costume would get "cancelled" in a hot second in any kind of Hollywood-based media. :)
[or criticized to death by sanctimonious puritans, like what just happened to Amandla Stenberg in 'Bodies Bodies Bodies']

So, the next episode comes out tomorrow? or Monday? Can't wait for the Valentina transformation!
she Hulk actress is already griping about "misogyny" and exploiting the female form.
Yup.

Let's get back to talking about the series. Mr Five_Red gave us an extremely good litany of useful information about the Southeast Asian genre of telefantasya, and it's really going to help us understand the Darna series so much better, so let's thank him for it and keep watching!
User avatar
shevek
Producer
Producer
Posts: 3742
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

Episode 6 finds Darna wondering how she is going to change back - she enters a secluded shed, and is almost caught in her transformation when she accidentally says her own name (the change-back trigger), but she becomes Narda just in time to avoid detection by the nosy Regina (who is also gorgeous - she reminds me a lot of the actress who played Shiv in Stargirl, similar face and hairstyle). Memory throws us back to the 70s when Diana Prince either gets caught, or almost gets caught, during her transformation. It's one of the more anxious moments in a superheroine show that's very exciting.

It's only 40 seconds of Jane in the Darna costume in this episode (other than brief flashbacks) but it is just sheer beauty.
Here's one of the best shots.
darna in shed ep6.jpg
darna in shed ep6.jpg (37.8 KiB) Viewed 18872 times
From the previews for today, it looks like Narda will soon be in peril, "stalked" and tied up in a chair. Let's see how she gets out of that!

Also, there is now a Wikipedia page about the show. So when you tell other people about the show (and I'm trying to tell as many as possible)
please refer them to the page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darna_(2022_TV_series)

And then have them go to Youtube to see a Week 1 recap. That's the only thing posted so far that's watchable for free on Youtube. My guess is that ABS-CBN will post weekly recaps there to get new viewers caught up.

User avatar
five_red
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts: 303
Joined: 9 years ago

shevek wrote:
1 year ago
Episode 6 finds Darna wondering how she is going to change back - she enters a secluded shed, and is almost caught in her transformation when she accidentally says her own name (the change-back trigger), but she becomes Narda just in time to avoid detection by the nosy Regina (who is also gorgeous - she reminds me a lot of the actress who played Shiv in Stargirl, similar face and hairstyle). Memory throws us back to the 70s when Diana Prince either gets caught, or almost gets caught, during her transformation. It's one of the more anxious moments in a superheroine show that's very exciting.
That was quite funny. She keeps shouting "Darna!" expecting to revert back, and nothing happens. Then she mutters to herself "How do I change back to Narda?" ... and immediately ... BLAM!

This means our heroine has to be very careful about when she says Narda's name. Remember the old trope where someone will ask "But what happened to Jane?" and the heroine will respond "Oh don't worry about Jane. I saved her from the bomb just in time and she's waiting for you outside." An accident waiting to happen, if you ask me. :laugh:

One of the things I'm wondering is the logistics of how the stone works in this new series. Possibly I'm over-analysing things, but in the one example we've seen so far of Darna reverting back to Narda we didn't see her 'recover' the stone. This begs the question: can she swallow the stone then switch freely back and forth by saying "Darna" or "Narda", until she decides to regurgitate it..?

Btw, if anyone can source English subtitles for this series (as in separate sub files, VTT, SRT, etc.) then let me know. I can find videos with the subs burnt in, but I can't find them as optional extras.

R5
User avatar
shevek
Producer
Producer
Posts: 3742
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

five_red wrote:
1 year ago
This means our heroine has to be very careful about when she says Narda's name. Remember the old trope where someone will ask "But what happened to Jane?" and the heroine will respond "Oh don't worry about Jane. I saved her from the bomb just in time and she's waiting for you outside." An accident waiting to happen, if you ask me. :laugh:
I'm also thinking that the idea of an anagram simply doesn't exist in this universe, or it's a very special magical concept from Marte that Earthlings are completely ignorant of. I mean, the obvious letter interchangeability of those two names is just one step of incredulity beyond Clark Kent taking off his glasses. It's not just a naming convention, like every one of Superman's girlfriends having the initials "L.L." - it's an actual key to her secret identity.
User avatar
five_red
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts: 303
Joined: 9 years ago

shevek wrote:
1 year ago
five_red wrote:
1 year ago
This means our heroine has to be very careful about when she says Narda's name. Remember the old trope where someone will ask "But what happened to Jane?" and the heroine will respond "Oh don't worry about Jane. I saved her from the bomb just in time and she's waiting for you outside." An accident waiting to happen, if you ask me. :laugh:
I'm also thinking that the idea of an anagram simply doesn't exist in this universe, or it's a very special magical concept from Marte that Earthlings are completely ignorant of. I mean, the obvious letter interchangeability of those two names is just one step of incredulity beyond Clark Kent taking off his glasses. It's not just a naming convention, like every one of Superman's girlfriends having the initials "L.L." - it's an actual key to her secret identity.
Nobody suspects that Superman is secretly mild mannered reporter, Clark Mupersan, not even his best friends Bruce Matban and Diana Womanwonder. :laugh:

R5
brdiy
Elder Member
Elder Member
Posts: 472
Joined: 14 years ago

^In this version, the "original" Darna's alter-ego's name was Leonor, which was far removed from Darna. It seems she had been preparing her daughter to take on the mantle of Darna since birth, so it wasn't really a wise decision for her use an anagram when she named her daughter. :D
Check out my superheroine-related short stories here:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/brdiy/works
User avatar
five_red
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts: 303
Joined: 9 years ago

brdiy wrote:
1 year ago
^In this version, the "original" Darna's alter-ego's name was Leonor, which was far removed from Darna. It seems she had been preparing her daughter to take on the mantle of Darna since birth, so it wasn't really a wise decision for her use an anagram when she named her daughter. :D
I was curious, so I looked it up. According to Professor Google, Narda is not a common name in the Philippines. In 2002 there was an indie rock band formed in the country called Narda (they played at Club Dredd, named after another comicbook character.) There was also an Estonian-born American actress named Narda Onyx (1931 to 1991) -- you'll no doubt remember her from guest roles in The Beverly Hillbillies, The Man From UNCLE, and her supporting role as Maria in 1966's Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter. Aside from that, nothing.

I guess we can scoff, but a certain other superheroine decided to call herself Kara Danvers, then announced to the world that her Kryptionian name was Kara Zor-El. And we also have Princess Diana of Paradise Island and Diana Prince. The latter example at least has the excuse of having been dreamt up during the Golden Age, when times were simpler.


R5
User avatar
shevek
Producer
Producer
Posts: 3742
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

Well, those who complain about pretty much nothing happening in the second She-Hulk episode can also take reassurance that not a whole happens in Episodes 7 and 8 of the Darna series, either. No new Darna footage is shown at all. Narda gets chloroformed and kidnapped by an Extra (alien-infected human) but she doesn't transform - she just wriggles out of his poorly tied ropes, and then takes pity on him as a nice family guy with problems, so there's never any sense of peril or distress. A citizen scientist also finds out that the green crystals are causing the Extras to mutate, but the viewers have already been aware of that for a while, so there's really no new information.

If you skip to Episode 9, you get some new flying footage of Darna soaring above the city as Narda revels in the new confidence of using her powers, but then she transforms back into Narda and doesn't fight anyone. She sees an apparition of her dead mother Leonor. On the enemy end of things, we see some motivation for Regina wanting to make her father proud which is going to motivate her in becoming the villainess.

I'm noticing two common telenovela tropes: 1) there's a whole scene with no words where Regina and her father just do a bunch of "turning and looking" with dramatic music behind them. Very soapy. and 2) when villains get angry, they tend to throw and smash things in anger, especially glasses of alcoholic drinks.

Oh, and the "Martean World" art in the series is created by famous Filipino artist Leeroy New. Although he's not credited yet on this Wikipedia page
for doing so. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeroy_New

Still think that the Regina character looks a lot like Cindy Burman (Shiv) from Stargirl. See for yourself!
janella as regina in darna.jpg
janella as regina in darna.jpg (14.62 KiB) Viewed 18678 times
cindy burman.jpg
cindy burman.jpg (4.14 KiB) Viewed 18678 times
User avatar
five_red
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts: 303
Joined: 9 years ago

shevek wrote:
1 year ago
Well, those who complain about pretty much nothing happening in the second She-Hulk episode can also take reassurance that not a whole happens in Episodes 7 and 8 of the Darna series, either.
Five episodes a week. You can't expect Darna in every episode. She'll likely be back in episode ten for the weekend cliffhanger.

What amazes me is how many of the supporting characters have their own story. The mayor is taking bribes from local businessmen, and may deliberately be trying to reactivate the alien menace the original Darna buried in the quarry. Narda's potential love interest is fighting corruption in his police department, and his father may have been assassinated because he was the only honest cop on the force. Narda's frenemy, Regina, is trying to use social media to highlight the mayor's corruption, but one wonders if she has a hidden agenda. Even the town's local fast food peddler is secretly Fox Mulder in disguise, seeming to have pieced together the clues of what's going on with the shape-shifting aliens.

If you think about the CW cape shows like The Flash and Supergirl, there's a hell of a lot of padding to fill up the run time, because the actual superhero action amounts to only a few minutes per episode. And the same here with Darna, except the padding between the hero showing up runs over several episodes because of the schedule. The difference is that while the supporting storylines on shows like The Flash are instantly forgettable touchy-feeling relationship mush, the supporting storylines on Darna seem to be actually quite interesting. Even without Darna showing up, I'm fairly invested in knowing what Regina is up to, and why the local police force are protecting anyone who wears a particular type of medallion.

Still think that the Regina character looks a lot like Cindy Burman (Shiv) from Stargirl. See for yourself!
They definitely go to the same hair stylist.

My guess is that Regina is being lined up to be the show's Lena Luther -- unaware that her friend and enemy are actually one in the same person. (That said, I'm a little behind with the episodes.)


R5
brdiy
Elder Member
Elder Member
Posts: 472
Joined: 14 years ago

Think of the first month as the first 2 episodes of a 24 episode season. Like it or not, this show is following the traditional daily soap formula which is pretty much the norm in the Philippines.

Give it time. There's about 150+ episodes to go! 😅
Check out my superheroine-related short stories here:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/brdiy/works
User avatar
shevek
Producer
Producer
Posts: 3742
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

brdiy wrote:
1 year ago
Think of the first month as the first 2 episodes of a 24 episode season. Like it or not, this show is following the traditional daily soap formula which is pretty much the norm in the Philippines.

Give it time. There's about 150+ episodes to go! 😅
Oh, this is not a criticism. I realize the format of telefantasya and I'm in it for the long haul.

It's just more of an observation (that way, if people want to see full-on Darna action, there are parts that they can skip, if need be)
and also a comparison (since She-Hulk is unspooling at the same time)

When "nothing happens" in an episode of She-Hulk, it means there is a lot of "Ally McBealing" (scenes in the law office, or with her family, or out in the bars, or having sex with some guy) since there are basically NO sideplots - everything revolves around Jen and how A-MAY-ZING she is.

In Darna, as five_red explains, since it's a soap opera, there are lots of side plots like any telenovela would have. Only, in the Philippines, most
of them seem to be related to 'corruption' - not surprising when you can do whatever you want if your name is Marcos or Duterte.
Supergirl763
Neophyte Lvl 5
Neophyte Lvl 5
Posts: 43
Joined: 1 year ago

We had one minute of new Darna footage this week but I like the slow build-up approach. I also have a feeling we'll be pleasantly surprised by the peril the heroine will have to go through the show. As her Narda counterpart she already got punched to the ground multiple times; shot; failed to save the earthquake guy;... I won't be surprised if they will also have her lose badly against some of the villains as Darna.

Image
User avatar
five_red
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts: 303
Joined: 9 years ago

I think what they are doing is slowly building pressure on Narda. She was forced into becoming Darna the first time to save the townsfolk from the earthquake, but Narda is still denying that she is worthy of taking over from her mother. This is a break from convention because normally when a hero first acts in costume they pretty much commit to being a hero from that point on. Narda's attitude seems to be "okay, I was forced to do the Darna thing once, but that's my limit". We haven't seen Darna much in week two because Narda has been deliberately avoiding calling upon the power of the stone. She wants to solve problems using her EMT skills, and doesn't think she'll make a good superhero. She's even denying that the 'flying woman' Ding saw exists.

As the series progresses, however, my guess is Narda is going to realise that the events happening in the town are not accidental. There are dark forces at play, both human and alien it seems, and she can't deal with those issues without super powers. So she is going to be reluctantly forced into becoming Darna on more and more occasions, until eventually she is comfortable in the role.

EDIT: one thing I've been meaning to mention is to credit the makeup people on the show. Narda and Darna actually do look very different, enough to fool someone into thinking they were different people if they didn't look too closely. This is a stark contrast to the Angel Locsin and Marian Rivera Darna's, where the heroine looked exactly like her alter ego but in different clothes.

R5
User avatar
shevek
Producer
Producer
Posts: 3742
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

From the previews at the end of Episode 10, it looks like we will see Regina transform into Valentina next week, and there will finally be the iconic pronouncement of "Ding, ang Bato!" when Narda transforms into Darna. Good times ahead!

In Episode 10, it was a bit incredulous, though, that the shapeshifter alien (not sure of his name, I'm watching this series without subtitles) couldn't detect where Narda and Ding were hiding in the forest - they were talking quite loudly and rustling the bushes. I guess it's just part of the dramatic license of the show.
User avatar
five_red
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts: 303
Joined: 9 years ago

I wrote a review. See if you agree with my assessment.


R5
Supergirl763
Neophyte Lvl 5
Neophyte Lvl 5
Posts: 43
Joined: 1 year ago

Image

Many great Darna shots in the new episode and decent fight scene. I am still baffled they dared to go with a bikini piece in a mainstream 2022 production. Interestingly they keep switching between two costumes probably because they decided to change costumes while shooting and didn’t bother with reshoots. The costume on top left image should be the final one as it’s the one advertized on the official poster.
Last edited by Supergirl763 1 year ago, edited 1 time in total.
Mamooche24
Overlord
Overlord
Posts: 545
Joined: 12 years ago

I dont mean to interrupt the discussion here but I feel like weve blown over the fact there was a chloro scene already (in civilian attire, but still) and nobody has clipped it or posted pics of it yet lol

But yes, hopefully we get some in-costume ko's soon. And is she wearing pantyhose? Cant tell.
User avatar
five_red
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts: 303
Joined: 9 years ago

Supergirl763 wrote:
1 year ago
Interestingly they keep switching between two costumes probably because they decided to change costumes while shooting and didn’t bother with reshoots.
Unless [...pauses for dramatic music...] Darna was actually the shape shifting alien and Ding just fell into their trap..!! Yikes!
:shutup:


R5
Supergirl763
Neophyte Lvl 5
Neophyte Lvl 5
Posts: 43
Joined: 1 year ago

five_red wrote:
1 year ago
Supergirl763 wrote:
1 year ago
Interestingly they keep switching between two costumes probably because they decided to change costumes while shooting and didn’t bother with reshoots.
Unless [...pauses for dramatic music...] Darna was actually the shape shifting alien and Ding just fell into their trap..!! Yikes!
:shutup:


R5
Lol who knows. But it is getting more confusing as there appears to be a third costume :

Image

The belt and helmet is different to the other two. This one is effectively the one used on the main poster and it is my favorite out of the three. But on teasers of future episodes she still wears the other costumes at times. Either it's done on purpose or they just didn't shoot in order which is kinda annoying when you start to pay attention to it lol.

edit :

mystery solved : they already shot some scenes before the final design was approved

Image
brdiy
Elder Member
Elder Member
Posts: 472
Joined: 14 years ago

I was so afraid that they would copy Gal Gadot's WW look. I'm just so glad that they chose to go with the more traditional costume.

It's also great that they also released this with English subtitles from the get go. This allowed for a wider audience to appreciate the character.

Btw, the "Extras" kinda reminds me of TV Flash's meta-humans, specifically in the first seasons. They were ordinary humans who suddenly gained powers, in the case of Flash, it was the particle accelerator explosion and here it was thru the green shards from the alien robot.
Check out my superheroine-related short stories here:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/brdiy/works
modal
Neophyte Lvl 2
Neophyte Lvl 2
Posts: 17
Joined: 13 years ago

I wonder if one of the costumes is there for the reason the previous series had two -- one was used for flying, which means it was bigger, to hold the harness in back.
brdiy
Elder Member
Elder Member
Posts: 472
Joined: 14 years ago

Nice episode. Darna being on the receiving end of not a few blows from a fairly minor villain means the prospect of real peril and/or beatdowns in this show are good. Fun times! :D
Attachments
vlcsnap-2022-08-30-10h56m21s672.png
vlcsnap-2022-08-30-10h56m21s672.png (2.11 MiB) Viewed 18184 times
vlcsnap-2022-08-30-10h57m01s249.png
vlcsnap-2022-08-30-10h57m01s249.png (2.38 MiB) Viewed 18184 times
vlcsnap-2022-08-30-10h59m04s399.png
vlcsnap-2022-08-30-10h59m04s399.png (2.79 MiB) Viewed 18184 times
Check out my superheroine-related short stories here:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/brdiy/works
Supergirl763
Neophyte Lvl 5
Neophyte Lvl 5
Posts: 43
Joined: 1 year ago

brdiy wrote:
1 year ago
Nice episode. Darna being on the receiving end of not a few blows from a fairly minor villain means the prospect of real peril and/or beatdowns in this show are good. Fun times! :D
She should get a big beatdown by the main alien villain as he's seen mocking her fighting abilities in a preview for a later episode.
User avatar
shevek
Producer
Producer
Posts: 3742
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

Last night's episode was great in terms of Darna getting into a decent fight - we see her costume both far and away; and we see her costume from the lovely rear position (gorgeous); she's exerting herself in battle; taking a few licks and flying around. There's also a scene where she bonds a bit with Ding while still in costume - what a profoundly beautiful heroine, and a fine contrast with the 'average' appearance of Narda.

Of course I have some issues with the way they set up that main battle scene:
- If Narda and Ding are talking to each other in the bushes for a good five minutes, how does the villain not hear them? And then they move to a second hiding location behind a tree - they're really easy to spot, and yet the villain doesn't spot them? He just keep walking around, pointing his alien gun rather blindly, and monologuing.
- Speaking of which, that alien gun spits serious fire blasts. Yet not only does it never hit Darna or Ding once, it also doesn't set any of the trees and bushes on fire, which it does hit multiple times.
- The villain himself has a pretty lame outfit. Have there ever been any villains (or even henchmen!) in the entire CW / Arrowverse who fought Ollie just wearing a ragged T-shirt, jeans, sandals, and a bucket hat? I don't think so. Even "Ragman" looked better. :)
- What's the point of having the villain turn into flying animals while he's fighting (a crow, an eagle, a bat, etc)? How is he going to more easily defeat Darna as a small relatively defenseless creature? And why does he transform back and forth during the fight (other than to simply showcase their CGI skills)?
- Why did it take so long for Darna to figure which of the two "Dings" was real? She knows he's a shapeshifter from fighting him. Couldn't she just immediately ask him any question about anything that happened before a few hours ago? The fake "Ding" wouldn't know the answer because he wasn't "Ding" yet until a minute ago.
- And finally, how does the villain get defeated in that simple way (no spoilers on that)? Why couldn't he just quickly turn back into a man-size person to avoid such a gruesome fate? :)

Yeah, I know - the writers probably weren't thinking about all of this because it's a telefantasya involving some level of suspension of belief...plus they had five episodes per week to write. Ultimately, I just think it's fun to notice this kind of plotting stuff.

Looking forward to more action tonight - possibly something happens to Regina?
User avatar
five_red
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts: 303
Joined: 9 years ago

shevek wrote:
1 year ago
If Narda and Ding are talking to each other in the bushes for a good five minutes, how does the villain not hear them?
I think they're meant to be hiding in a large wood, and he's meant to be far enough away they he can't hear them whispering, I also think you have to suspend disbelief about the volume of their voices, which is clearly loud enough to be heard by the audience. It's that old tv acting trick of 'whispering' at a normal speaking volume.
Speaking of which, that alien gun spits serious fire blasts. Yet not only does it never hit Darna or Ding once, it also doesn't set any of the trees and bushes on fire, which it does hit multiple times.
The aliens attended the same military academy as the stormtroopers in Star Wars.
The villain himself has a pretty lame outfit. Have there ever been any villains (or even henchmen!) in the entire CW / Arrowverse who fought Ollie just wearing a ragged T-shirt, jeans, sandals, and a bucket hat? I don't think so. Even "Ragman" looked better. :)
To be honest, most of the costumes in the CW shows are totally impractical and uncomfortable for fighting. If you really did want to fight someone in a wood, jeans and a t-shirt would be the best option.
What's the point of having the villain turn into flying animals while he's fighting (a crow, an eagle, a bat, etc)? How is he going to more easily defeat Darna as a small relatively defenseless creature? And why does he transform back and forth during the fight (other than to simply showcase their CGI skills)?
He's trying to disorient Darna by rapidly changing from a large heavy slow ape into a small light fast bird. Not quite "float like a butterfly sting like a bee", but the same principle. As you can see from the episode, Darna has a lot of trouble tracking her enemy when he's zipping between the trees as a small bird. Then he takes her by surprise by materialising as a human behind her back.

R5
Last edited by five_red 1 year ago, edited 1 time in total.
brdiy
Elder Member
Elder Member
Posts: 472
Joined: 14 years ago

five_red wrote:
1 year ago


To be honest, most of the costumes in the CW shows are totally impractical and uncomfortable for fighting. If you really did want to fight someone in a wood, jeans and a t-shirt would be the best option.

R5
Well, the shapeshifter was supposed to have taken the form of an ordinary person to blend in, so that should explain the "costume" (or lack of it). But then again, being an alien, he could have taken the form of some alien being (like that caveman dude from WW's "The boy who knew her secret"), but that would have been more expensive for production. :D
Check out my superheroine-related short stories here:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/brdiy/works
User avatar
five_red
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts: 303
Joined: 9 years ago

If we're on the subject of nit-picking, can I put on record how slow Narda is to respond to an emergency in episode 12? From the time Narda leaves the hall to the time she reaches the stairs and becomes Darna is almost three and a half minutes. Then there's another full minute for Darna to show up back in the hall. If it wasn't for Regina and her grandstanding, everyone would be dead.

This is what you get folks when you remove all the phone boxes and fill every corridor with CCTV -- slow superhero response times! Gone are the days of leaping into a revolving door and coming out in costume. The modern hero has to switch off all their digital devices, sweep the area for cameras, and then find an empty corner that doesn't have a vending machine shoved into it. :laugh:


R5
brdiy
Elder Member
Elder Member
Posts: 472
Joined: 14 years ago

^Well, you did answer your own question, so I would say the response time was plausible, given the difficulty in looking for the proper spot to transform, lol.
Check out my superheroine-related short stories here:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/brdiy/works
User avatar
Femina
Millenium Member
Millenium Member
Posts: 1473
Joined: 14 years ago
Contact:

I just find it amusing that what y'all are gushing over is essentially just a Superheroine themed SOAP.

xD in the hopes of spotting the occasional Bikini clad superheroine they've got you hooked for all of Darna's day to day nonsense. The Evil Twin arc should at least be more interesting with super powers involved.
User avatar
shevek
Producer
Producer
Posts: 3742
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact:

Episode 12 is crucial - a dangerous situation which Regina tries to solve, but where Darna winds up saving the day instead. As a result, Regina's resentment at being eclipsed builds gradually, kind of like Cheetah does with Wonder Woman. Don't miss it - some beautiful shots of Darna in action.

You've got to wonder, though - that building was filled with sharpshooting cops who were surrounding the bad guy. You mean to tell me nobody could have taken a shot (especially from behind) to take out the guy before he could press the detonator?

Also, did you notice how there are always some crowd members frozen with fear, rather than fleeing the situation as fast as possible (which would be logical), just to give the situation a bit more danger since probably a dozen or more would be killed who are cowering on the floor behind plastic chairs? And somehow, Narda manages to sneak away without the bad guy noticing, even though he clearly notices her moving towards the heart attack victim?

This city of Nueva Esperanza is also going to need its own version of Marvel's Damage Control (who I believe will be appearing in She-Hulk, right?).
She clearly smashes a large hole in the ceiling of the mall and then flies back out of it twice. I mean, it's way better than a large explosion in the mall, but still, someone's gotta cover those expenses, right? Maybe bring Erin Esurance out of retirement.

-----------------------------

The best thing about Episode 13 is the reveal of a third sexy woman in costume (when Regina transforms into Valentina, that will make four!). In fact, a tight and shiny black leather S&M type outfit (Batgirl1969, take note) - who seems to be the female commander of the alien forces (like Diana from V). Hopefully she has super powers too, and mixes it up with Darna eventually. I looked up the IMDB but I couldn't figure out who is playing this character, or what the character name is. Is it a new character to the Darna universe, or has a version of her been seen in previous Darna iterations? Inquiring minds, I'm sure, want to know.

I also have one more question about Episode 13. There are a ton of people saying "babaeng lumilipad" (flying woman) in that episode. Over and over and over. Including printed out in newspaper articles. Why is everyone calling her "Flying Woman" when everyone already knows that her name is Darna? Is that a Tagalog term for "superheroine"? Why not just use the term "superheroina" which is standard from Spanish? (Tagalog has absorbed a fair amount of Spanish vocabulary, such as the often-used "pero", which means "but"). Or, why aren't they just simply calling her Darna?

Attn Femina: I don't know if you notice, but I tend to skip over many of the soap opera parts. Whether others in the thread do so, or not, is up to them. As for why they are interested in a soap opera, it's pretty simple: that's how Filipino serial programs are made because that's what is popular. I'm guessing that if this show was made pretty much anywhere in the Latino-influenced world (and the Philippines is definitely included in that, despite the main language being Tagalog), the program would be made as a telenovela with just as much "turning and looking". So yes, that's just what everyone has to deal with to see this.

In contrast, in order to see She-Hulk, we have to deal with a show that tries to be both a courtroom drama (Ally McBeal) and a romantic comedy (Sex and the City) as well as steadily delivering mini-diatribes which break immersion. For now, at least, I'll go with the soap opera.
Post Reply