Maria Clara at Ibarra

I haven't seen any "teledrama" made in the Philippines for a long time. I have always thought most series from the Philippines are unnecessarily long, repetitive and boring. I decided to give this title a shot after hearing about it on Social Media, and boy I'm glad I did!

The script is well-written, funny, witty, and relatable. The characters are mostly likable (except for the villains, of course). The costumes and settings look great (especially considering budgetary constraints of a show produced in a developing country). And most importantly, the story is engaging.

It's amazing how this book was written over 100 years ago (where this series is based on) and still reflects the modern struggles of the Filipino.

My only complaint is how the volume changes from loud to quiet in one episode, and how the music is jarringly cut off from one scene to the next (but that may very well be becasue I'm watching the series online, rather than on local TV).

A recommended 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.

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.

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.

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.