Maria Clara at Ibarra

This series is new and refreshing to Philippines Teleserye. Also a nice way to introduce Jose Rizal's iconic novel, that is a big part why we are enjoying our independence right now. Dialogues are excellent, actors are all amazing, and story telling is nice. But when Klay started to always insist to be part and change the story, it becomes irritating(for me)I know that is their plot twist perhaps, but I wished they went with the actual story as is as it is already a masterpiece. Well, its still a nice 7/10 for me, but the trying hard "modern" Klay Character is annoying and ruined the show for me.

Edit 10/29/2022: I noticed many people bombing this series with 1 stars which is completely unreasonable, as a kapamilya this series is a solid recreation of the book but with a twist; therefore I am updating my rating to 10, Shame on you, bots and people who voted one which is completely unreasonable unless you've slept through your filipino Noli Me Tangere class or couldn't care less about filipino Heritage, Go read the original book if you dont want the time travelling stuff, thank you.

Original Review: Honestly, I am surprised and thrilled about this series, It is a new and unique way of promoting the book. It offers a topic that haven't yet explored in Philippine teleserye history quite extensively, time travel. This show provides this in a quite humorous yet interesting way in which you might ask yourself what will you do or what would happen if you, yourself time travelled to the 1880's in this fictional world. As someone who love history so much, it is an interesting take on the traditional portrayal of Noli Me Tangere. I am highly invested on the story and I hope GMA wouldn't disappoint, with the coming episodes.

The plot itself is interesting. It's like Midnight at the Pera Palace meets Bridgerton - time travel and period 'dramedy'.

Acting-wise, I only found Chai Fonacier as believable. I get transported to 1884. The worst offenders are Dennis Trillo and Tirso Cruz III. Their poor grasp of how people at the time actually speak shows lack of research and preparation for their roles. As for Barbie Forteza, she has moments that are quite funny and is convincing as a true-blooded Gen Z'er. I truly enjoyed her scenes. With Julie Anne San Jose, I wish she would have enunciated more. At times, I couldn't understand her dialogue. Her singing voice though was amazing.

Production is relatively good given that there's always limited budget for shows coming from the Philippines. I also appreciated them bringing Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo to the small screen, especially for the younger viewers to know more about Rizal's works.

This is a casual watch.

I feel like Maria Clara at Ibarra sets the bar high it'll inspire Filipino filmmakers to do well too. I hope this won't be the only Filipino Serye that will capture many's eyes.

I love how all the actors played their characters so well! They were all is such a great casting! The villains will really get to your nerves and the protagonist's personality will really grow on you. The side characters are worth admiring too, you'll notice how they highlight the "Filipina" beauty. It reminds us how beautiful our natural faces are comparing to the standards now, which Klay might represent.

The writing is great, there's barely cringe scenes (only when a dramatic scene is prolonged a little) but I guess it adds to their character. But I don't think their purpose is only for fillers.

Maria Clara at Ibarra is a great work of art. Every Filipino must see this movie. It enlightens me on many things. I hope others too. As an educator, I should not waver in educating our youths. I should inspire them to learn and appreciate the bits and pieces of our history . We should be proud of our heritage, our culture, ,our history. Because if we will not, who are we as people? Laud GMA for creating such great project. All the characters are portrayed well by all actors and actresses. I love how the story unfolds from one episode to the next. There should be more creations like this . I am proud being a Filipino.