Filipino dubs are not cringey
When Netflix dropped the trailers for Trese, I couldn’t stop watching them. I was enthralled from start to finish. All three Alexandra Treses from the Filipino, English and Japanese dubs left me excited. I was on the edge of my seat just seeing parts of our folklore and mythology come to life through an animated show. My previous encounters with Philippine mythology and urban legends were borrowed copies of True Philippine Ghost Stories and the MMFF slapstick and jumpscare films that don’t give the supernatural world justice. So Trese, to me, is everything that I’ve been waiting to see for a long while.
Be honest, how many times did you replay the different TRESE trailers today? ?????? pic.twitter.com/RRWFocr879
— Netflix Philippines (@Netflix_PH) May 21, 2021
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So imagine my surprise when I learned that there were people who called the Trese Filipino dub baduy or cringey. Honestly, you do you. If you want to watch Trese in the English dub or Japanese dub, go ahead. It’s okay to admit that it might not be your cup of tea. If you have a bone to pick with the deep Filipino used and the casting choices, let it out. And then, look the other way. Just don’t look down on those who’d want to watch the Filipino dub. It’s 2021, don’t let crab mentality do its thing.
Filipino dubs might not be for you, but they’re very much necessary. Dubs make content a lot more accessible to far-off areas and have brought entertainment to different people. So when you poke fun at it, you might also be poking fun at those who rely on dubbed shows for entertainment and to learn the language. Plus, the Philippine voice acting industry is bursting with talent. They deserve as much attention and credit as their counterparts in different countries, and Trese is a step towards that.
At least the Trese Filipino dub is rightfully pointing the spotlight to a wonderful, all-Filipino voice cast. It’s a mix of esteemed Filipino celebrities and professional voice talents with Rudolf Baldonado, a well-known voice actor-director, at the helm. Liza Soberano (Alexandra Trese) is joined by professional voice talents such as Simon dela Cruz (Crispin and Basilio) and Apollo Abraham (Captain Guerrero), who lent his voice to Dragon Ball Z dubs. The Trese Filipino dub is giving these talents a bigger platform to shine and a wider audience to reach.
Even the English cast rounded up a roster of voice actors who are of Filipino descent such as Dante Basco (Bagyon Kulimlim), Darren Criss (Marco) and Manny Jacinto (Maliksi). If we’re talking representation in mainstream media, Trese’s team is doing all it can do to highlight Filipino talent. They’re following through by putting our stories, our talent and our culture on the radar.
I think we can all agree that Maliksi pic.twitter.com/x4Fdxtuef8
— Netflix Philippines (@Netflix_PH) May 21, 2021
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Trese is opening up a new world not only to Filipinos around the world but to international audiences, too. It’s another peek into our culture, beyond the usual karaoke-trained biritera/biritero and Jo Koy skits that turn us into a punchline. Instead, our crime-fighting supernatural detective has been given a platform to impress different audiences the way the Witches of Salem, Jujutsu sorcerers and the half-children of Greek Gods did.
With Trese premiering worldwide, hopefully, everyone around the world gets to enjoy an animated show. One that gives them a different, but a welcome encounter with Trese’s world and Philippine folklore.
Art Alexandra Lara
