Amaya - Ep. 14

Last episode, Bagani and Amaya meet again; he learns she's a slave and she learns he's the son of the man who killed her father. Marikit comes to gloat over Amaya's situation, and the two get into a catfight.

Amaya - Ep. 12

Last episode, Rajah Mangubat, spurred by Dian Lamitan's treachery, slew Datu Bugna; Mangubat's wife Rahu Lingayan [so it's Lingayan, not Linangan], however, totally PWNS Lamitan because she thinks there's something fishy about the matter. Amaya vows to seek justice for her father's death.

Amaya - Ep. 11

Last episode, the snake came to Amaya to warn her of danger. Lamitan had gone to Mangubat to spin lies about her husband, and the rajah had set sail with his warriors for Datu Bugna's tribe.

Amaya - Ep. 10

Last episode, Bayang read Bagani's palm and told him who he was destined to marry, and Amaya and Bagani met again as adults, although they still don't know each other's name.

Amaya - Ep. 9

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! Okay, I'll stop now. On with the recap.

Last episode, Bayang read Bagani's palm because he wanted to know whom he will marry. She was disturbed by what she learned.

Amaya - Ep. 8

Last episode, we saw the young binukots and warriors grow up, and Dal'lang's return.

In the bukot, the young binukot practice their skills. Binayaan plays an instrument while Marikit dances. The latter gets angry because Amaya and Ahak, off to one side, are having a low-voiced conversation while winding some ribbons. Binayaan tries to placate her but she leaves.

Amaya - Ep. 7

Last episode, Bagani and Rajah Mangubat met Amaya for the first time.

After sending Amaya back to her father on the back of one of his men, Mangubat says that he is proud of Bagani for doing two good things [helping Amaya and "fulfilling" his task]. Bagani protests that he is not worthy [uh, why deceive your father then, if you didn't intend to stand by it?] but his father overrides him and declares that they will hold a feast in honor of his son and heir's first tattoo.

Amaya - Ep. 6

Last week, Bugna threw it in Lamitan's face that she can't bear him any more children. He lavishes his attention on Amaya and teaches her weaponry. Lamitan devises a plan to eliminate the little girl.

Inside her bukot, Bugna washes his daughter's feet. He tells her that to get her feet dirty is an affront to her father as datu because her feet are the symbol of her purity. Thus, she must never let her feet touch the ground. She promises to never step on the ground. [Note: This is part of why the binukot's quarters are high up off the ground and why they are not allowed to go out. Also, it possibly harkens to the old folk tales wherein parents promise to never let their daughters step on the ground and something catastrophic happens when the daughter disobeys either willfully or unknowingly.]

Amaya - Ep. 5

Kabanata 6 Ang Tanging Pangarap ni Dal'lang
[Chapter 6 Dal'lang's One Dream]

Last episode, Lamitan tells Bugna that Dal'lang died trying to escape her guards; however, Dal'lang was not wounded and washed ashore on another island.

Datu Bugna goes to Amaya's bukot and holds his baby daughter. Teary-eyed, he asks Amaya's forgiveness for failing to save her mother, and kisses her forehead. Aaaaaaawwwwwww.

Amaya - Ep. 4

Last episode, Datu Bugna took the snakeling away from Amaya and then took Amaya away from her mother.

In the datu's house, a jeweler presents Lamitan with golden combs as a gift for Binayaan. Lamitan observes to her sister Mantal however that even if she draped the child in jewels, she would never have worth in her father's eyes. Mantal said that she should love the child more then. Lamitan answers scornfully that how could she, when the child caused her to disappoint her husband. She then calls for the herbs that she thinks would help her to conceive again.

Amaya - Ep. 3

We ended with Amaya's birth in the last episode, and Rajah Mangubat on his way to their village.

Mangubat's warriors wonder if Bakunawa was an omen of the child's birth. Well, apart from being a sea serpent heralding the birth of a child with a snake-twin. The men speculate that Bakunawa had to leave Sulad, his realm, to go after the moon. With no one to guard them, some of the umalagad may have escaped Sulad and come to earth as a snake... the child's snake-twin. Was the child not being born at this time? Mangubat says that he wishes it was, so that he could kill it already.

A few thoughts on Kapten Barbell reloaded

I never did get to finish watching the first Kapten Barbell series when it aired. I stopped when I couldn't take it anymore. It all kind of grated on me-- although I will admit that Richard Gutierrez is serious eye candy, I didn't like where the plot took the character Teng. So I stopped, and only turned on the TV for the K-drama timeslot. Where, after indulging in my current k-drama flavor, I'd shed tears of rage that I was only tuning in for a foreign drama because I didn't like the local offerings.

Amaya - Ep. 2

After a short flashback to the previous episode we move on with the story. And Bagani gets the award for character development! Little boy's got a mind of his own, it seems.

Amaya - Ep. 1

Premiere Episode



Kabanata 1 - Ang Mabagsik na Rajah
(Chapter 1 - The Fierce Rajah)

The drama's opening scene is that of boats -- caracoas-- coming in to shore, while a woman standing on the prow of one of them chants the exploits of Rajah Mangubat, who grew to manhood in a day after he was born, and who in his first full moon of life went out and conquered another village or banwa. Mangubat [Gardo Versoza, who has come a long way from his Machete days], stands in the prow, flanked by his warriors. A map shows the villages he captures, overlaid with battle scenes, until a big area is indicated to be under his rule.

About Amaya

Amaya (Marian Rivera) is the daughter of Datu Bugna [Cebuano, "blessing"] (Raymond Bagatsing) and the slave-maiden Dal'lang (Lani Mercado). As a princess, she is a binukot [lit. "cooped up" or "caged"] who is hidden from the eyes of men and forbidden to set foot on the ground. She was born with a secret -- she has a twin who is a snake [a nod to the urban legend?]. To her people, this is the sign of a great destiny. They believe that she was born to end the reign of the cruel and oppressive Rajah Mangubat [Hiligaynon, "to go to other lands in search of conquest"] (Gardo Versoza), the chief of all the datus.

Anticipating Amaya

[Cross-post from Simpleng Kaligayahan]

I haven't blogged about this before because I heard there were production problems and feared that it might not be aired after all. You know, kind of like wishing so hard for something that you're afraid you might jinx it if you mention it. But now I'll say it: I'm really really excited about the upcoming GMA-7 drama Amaya.