Five years since it was aired for the first and second time in 2015, the Maalaala Mo Kaya “Stuffed Toy” episode starring James Reid and Nadine Lustre once again spread kilig and good vibes to their throngs of loyal supporters as it was re-broadcast last Saturday, August 22, on Kapamilya Channel.
In fact, the hashtag #JaDineOnMMK soared to the number one spot of the top trending topics on Twitter in the Philippines and even landed on the Top 40 worldwide as JaDine fans expressed their excitement and thrill to see the former on-and-off-screen pair anew in their sole MMK stint to date, which narrated the love story of Carmina Joven with Pinoy Big Brother Teen Clash of 2010 alumnus Marrion “Yong” Gopez.
The kilig, relatable story
Arguably, everyone of us is wishing for a happily ever after with whoever is “the one” for us, just like in the fairytales we’ve read and the romantic series and movies we’ve seen. And although she wasn’t able to see it in her parents after her mom (Sharmaine Arnaiz) called it quits with her dad, Carmina’s (Nadine Lustre) fascination with those still made her believe that it’s possible for her, especially when she met her crush, ex-PBB housemate Yong (James Reid).
Sparks instantly flew between them as they fell in love with each other on the very first moment that they’ve met. They became close friends and eventually, Yong began to court her by frequently calling and texting her, visiting her at their house, and even cheering for her in her personal pursuits. Even though she had feelings for him, Carmina was unsure if Yong was really her Mr. Right. Thus, she heeded to the suggestion of her cousin (Hiyasmin Neri) to ask absurd signs from the universe for her to easily find out the answers to her questions.
As all of the signs she asked to the universe materialized – from the ring, the stuffed toy, and up to the red shirt – Carmina firmly believed that he’s indeed her “Prince Charming”. Although their relationship got tested when they figured in a long distance relationship after Yong had to go back to Japan for work, they had remained strong and connected by keeping a constant communication.
But her fairytale dreams shattered upon seeing a picture of her “MOO” (their term of endearment which means “My Only One”) with another woman on social media. She broke up with him without giving him a chance to explain and went on to focus on her studies until she graduated high school as the valedictorian. Just when we thought that their misunderstanding would be fixed when Yong came back and confronted her, things actually got worse as it was him who doubted her love for him this time.
After having a heart-to-heart talk with her mom, Carmina realized that true love should not be dependent on signs because it’s actually a choice and something that two people should work on. She eventually made up to Yong by preparing a simple yet sweet surprise for him and they got back together.
On their anniversary, Yong staged a grand, kilig surprise for her inside a mall with the help of her mom and his friends, which probably made many of us utter, “Sana all”.
JaDine’s formidable, unfading chemistry
This episode of MMK was already aired twice five years ago – first was in Valentine’s Day of 2015 and the second was in October of that same year when their teleserye debut On The Wings Of Love was already on its second month.
Since they were still an emerging loveteam then, the kilig they exuded every time they share the same screen felt totally so real. And even though they already broke up early this year, and some of us have already seen this episode a number of times already, we couldn’t help but be still thrilled with their on-screen appearances together. While the chemistry was already there, James and Nadine further astounded us with their remarkable acting skills then.
Apart from them, we should not also miss the impressive performances of the supporting ensemble composed of Sharmaine Arnaiz, Hiyasmin Neri, Andre Garcia, Myrtle Sarrosa, Axel Torres, Erin Ocampo, Kyra Custodio, Aina Solano, Nicole Baranda, Onse Tolentino, Noel Colet, and Marithez Samson.
Of course, the exceptional work did here by Direk Garry Fernando and writers Benjamin Benson Logronio and Arah Jell Badayos, as well as the rest of the crew, were also commendable!
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