a. Plot and Storyline: How the plot lines could be improved?

The Adventures of Kween Jhonabelle is a story about a young and ambitious woman
named Jhonabelle who uses social media as way to get through poverty and help with her little
brother’s medical needs. The film focuses on themes of family, resilience, and the dark aspect of
social media. Jhonabelle balances her personal challenges, including estranged family
relationships and her own financial struggles. While the topic of using social media to leverage
poverty is timely and relatable, the film struggles to provide closure to some of its subplots.

For example, Jhonabelle's estranged father’s reappearance and then leaving again, all
of which, feels abrupt and unexplored. The character’s arc has the potential to deepen this
character and to give audiences more context on the character’s motives and his significance in
the actions he performs, but instead left audiences without a clear understanding. Similarly, the
subplot regarding the theft of the funds Jhonabelle collected is never resolved as well. It takes
away any sense of coherency of the narrative as it fails to address the accountability or
repercussions of such a significant event.

Moreover, Jhonabelle’s departure from the milk tea shop where she used to work is
another moment not given much thought from the film. While the job initially represents her
resourcefulness and dedication, the lack of emphasis on her decision to leave, undermines the
character's development and the story's continuity. These gaps not only make the storyline's
logical flow but also diminish its emotional impact.

The narrative missed a few opportunities to create depth and clarity, leaving some key
elements feeling incomplete. First, the backstory about Jhonnabelle’s parents was vague, leaving
viewers with unanswered questions about her motivations and personal life. This lack of detail
hindered the audience’s ability to connect with her character on a deeper level. Additionally, the
fan meeting that Bakikay promised was completely omitted, which was a missed chance to
establish a more meaningful first interaction between her and the other character. Instead of
jumping directly into a phone call for the collaboration, the fan meeting could have served as a
pivotal moment to develop their dynamic further.
 Lastly, the ending lacked the clarity it desperately needed. It would have been much
more satisfying if Bakikay’s camera man had exposed the prank as originally her plan making
Jhonnabell innocent. This revelation would have added a sense of closure and accountability,
tying up loose ends in the story. Overall, while the premise had potential, these gaps in the
narrative left the audience craving a more cohesive and fulfilling conclusion.

b. Themes and Message: Who was the audience for this work? Did the work meet or
exceed the audience's expectations? Explain.

The themes and message of the story really emphasizes the power of social media,
making it appealing to a broad audience but particularly young adults and even families. The
focus on modern digital culture and its potential for community-building is timely and relatable,
suggesting the film aimed to connect with viewers who value social responsibility and personal
growth.

While the premise is compelling, the execution may not have fully met the audience’s
expectations. For an audience seeking an uplifting and cohesive narrative, the unresolved
subplots—such as Jhonabelle’s father’s brief return, the theft of the funds, and the lack of clarity
in the ending—might feel like missed chances to tug the hearts of the viewers. It dilutes the
emotional resonance and leave key questions unanswered, which could frustrate viewers who
expect closure and depth in such a heartfelt story.

On the other hand, the film does succeed in capturing the relatability aspect of its
themes. Jhonabelle’s character highlights resilience and ambition but still being jolly, which is
inspiring traits for the film’s target demographic. Moments like her initial efforts at the milk tea
shop and her determination to use social media to get her brothers surgery align well with the
aspirations of younger audiences. However, these elements lose their impact due to the lack of
emphasis on pivotal transition that sort of removes these elements from the character towards
the end and giving us a close ended plot. While the resonated with its target audience on a
demographical level, its execution falls short of exceeding expectations.
c. Personal Reflection: Would you recommend the movie? Why or why not?
Justify.

I would recommend The Adventures of Kween Jhonabelle for educational purposes

rather than for general entertainment. The portrayal of current social issues and the challenges of
using digital platforms as tools for social advocacy gives significant material to academic analysis
and discussion. With its themes relating to the impact of social media both personally and
collectively, serves as a relevant case study for understanding modern storytelling in the context
of societal challenges.

By its innovative approach to its subject, the film facilitates for students an
opportunity to examine the integration of social realism and digital culture in Filipino cinema. For
instance, Jhonabelle’s vlogging journey illustrates how social media is helping people deal with
personal problems, at the same time, they are learning about how to deal with ethical and
societal aspects of creating a piece of content for public consumption. These are especially
important for discussions in media studies, sociology, and cultural analysis, as they illustrate how
individuals can harness digital tools for both self-expression and practical solutions.

Additionally, the movie shows cultural representation of Filipino communities that

reflects values and resilience. Students can analyze the intersection of tradition and modernity,
as well as tge the representation of social issues in local cinema. Such insights prompts critical
thinking and let learners to evaluate how stories like Jhonabelle contributes to a deeper
understanding of Filipino culture and identity.

d. Characters and Acting: Own idea

When examining the performance of the film’s lead character, it becomes evident that
her portrayal was, at times, somewhat awkward. One such particular instance that stands our
occurs at the store, where after talking with her former classmate, she abruptly transitions into a
conversation with the vendor, where the whole thing feels forced and unnatural. This moment
highlights her initial discomfort, she looks overly conscious of the camera following her every
move. It is clear that the actress was clearly adjusting to the demands of acting on screen.
However, as the film goes, her performance gets better. The reason for this change is that the
actor has gotten more familiar with the filming process. It looks as though she wasn’t used to
being in front of the camera early on, but as she began to get more used to shooting days, her
confidence continued to build. As a result, her portrayal of Jhonabelle becomes more fluid and
believable as the story rolls on.

In conrast, the supporting characters do shine brightly — sometimes even outshining

the lead in terms of authenticity and presence. While there are times when these side characters
is aware of the camera, their performances feels remarkably natural and unforced. A great
supporting cast with their own set of relatable and real people roles that seriously lifts the film
itself by allowing their emote and develop these roles with real depth and range. The other side
of this dynamic registers the importance of strong secondary performances, because these
performances support the film’s emotions, and believability.

The casting choices that the filmmakers made to make those characters come to life
were particularly well done. Each actor seemed to embody the roles in such a way as to support
the story's emotional power. For instance, the friend group—whose performances exudes
warmth, friendliness, and energy—opened up the way, imbibing that camaraderie. Similarly, Jhan
Jhan’s portrayal of the fragile, sickly character was compelling, embodying, and that felt both
genuine and poignant. As for Jhonabelle, her portrayal of a Senior High School graduate working
day and night to make money for herself and her sibling really rang true because it also connects
with the struggles of a lot of young adults today.

No doubt the casting director thought things through and made the right decisions to
write the film's story. The casting of the actors who could not only fit the roles but had also the
ability to live into these roles with such an emotional sincerity that might have been lacking with a
less cohesive cast. And while the lead's initial awkwardness was noticeable at the start, the
overall performances, especially those of the supporting characters ignited a sense of reality, and
were believable and engaging enough to coincide with the struggles of the characters. This
dynamic between the lead and supporting cast was instrumental in transforming the film into a
compelling and heartfelt narrative.
e. Sounds and Visuals: Own idea

The Adventures of Jhonabelle is a mixed, but ultimately engaging sound and visual
experience. The film's visuals, though not groundbreaking, effectively capture the vibrant and
youthful energy of its central character and the world she navigates. The cinematography
employs bright, cheery colours that compliment with the rich style of the story, and also serves to
emphasize the film’s lighted and optimistic tone. The locations also play a part in the visual look
of the film, as scenes in busy metropolitan spaces make for the visual challenge and vibrancy of
life of modern day Filipino life. However, at times, the composition feels a bit cluttered, which can
distract from some heavy emotional moments.

As for the sound design, the soundtrack plays a crucial role in just helping support
the narrative. The film utilizes successful contemporary Filipino pop music to give the film some
energy, and to reflect the inner world of the protagonist. Music choices match the youthful,
digital-driven tones to the film and to scenes highlighting all of Jhonabelle’s dealings with social
media. The energetic tracks powering the narrative sets a tone while those more introspective
tracks take on softer, warmer melodies for the audience to connect with how the character is
struggling.

However, the sound editing is sometimes jarring, particularly in transitions between

scenes, and during times of high emotional intensity when the background music feels
overwhelming or tonally off, respectively. That disconnection can take the viewer out of the story
for a moment, affecting the film's overall flow.

Overall, while The Adventures of Jhonabelle gets the sound and visuals right, using
them to create a lively and relatable feeling, there are a few places that escalate that execution
could use a little polish. Though the visual style neatly reflects the film’s narrative and sound
design complements them, sound design and visual pacing inconsistencies don’t fully bring these
out. These of course can be analyzed within a class with a broader discussion on the role of
sound and visuals in narrating and in supporting emotional depth and coherence in film.
f. Direction and Overall Execution: Own idea

The direction and execution lacked in some aspects that hindered the film from fully
realizing its potential. While the themes are strong, the lack of focus in weaving subplots into a
cohesive narrative weakens the impact. For instance, Jhonabelle’s estranged father’s return and
sudden departure could have been a touching exploration of reconciliation showing the
importance of forgiveness and acceptance, but the abrupt handling leaves the audience wanting
more from that father and daughter connection. Similarly, the theft of the funds Jhonabelle
collected—a dramatic plot point—remains unresolved, robbing the story of much-needed tension
and accountability. The direction maybe gave us hints that jhonabelle’s father was the culprit, but
if he was the theft sadly it wasn’t very obvious leading to confusions rather creating this cool
open ended plot.

On a positive note, the film aims to establish a protagonist who is resilient and
ambitious, as evidenced by Jhonabelle's work at the milk tea business and her social
media initiatives. These moments highlight her resourcefulness, but are undermined by a
lack of emphasis when she leaves the job without providing a brief reason for why,
wasting an opportunity to enhance her character arc. Furthermore, the dynamic with
Bakikay could have been strengthened by inserting the omitted fan meeting, which would
have functioned as a critical and interesting point. This may have been an opportunity to
show how larger social media celebrities take advantages of their own fans, providing a
more meaningful ending for young and naive Jhonabelle.

The film’s direction does succeed in capturing the energy and relevance of its themes
but falters in providing closure to key storylines. While the prank subplot and the unresolved
ending may have been intended to spark intrigue, they instead leave the audience with
unanswered questions. A clearer resolution, such as revealing Jhonabelle’s innocence through
Bakikay’s cameraman, could have provided the satisfying closure the story deserved.

Ultimately, The Adventures of Kween Jhonabelle shows flashes of potential, with its
compelling themes and moments of sincerity. With a stronger focus on narrative coherence and
character development, the film could have achieved the emotional resonance and impact it
aspired to deliver.