It has been said that good things
come to those who wait. For “Barangay 143,” the joint
Filipino-Singaporean-Japanese produced animated series which started airing late
last year on GMA7, it was a long three-year journey through development hell
before its first episode premiered in the Kapuso network on October 2018. Since
then, it has not only gathered a modest fan following in its primary home
country, but also been an attractive option for television awards. In fact, an Asian-regional
award-giving body has begun announcing nominations for “Barangay 143,” a grand
gesture to the combined production teams and their hard work.
The Manila Bulletin has it that the Asian Television Awards, which
honors achievements in television programs in Asia, has nominated “Barangay
143,” a collaborative animated production between the Philippines’ Synergy88, Singapore’s
August Media Holdings, and Japan’s TV Asahi, for several award categories. These
include Best 2D Animated Programme, Best Direction (Fiction), Best Theme Song
for four songs in the show’s soundtrack, and a Best Actress in a Leading Role
for Julie Anne San Jose, who provides the voice of female lead character Vicky
Sebastian. August Media Holdings CEO Jyotirmoy Saha notes of the news, “It’s
really nice to know that our efforts have paid off.”
Already, “Barangay 143” has had
its share of accolades before the Asian Television Awards revealed its
nominations. It walked away from the recent Asian Academy Creative Awards with
a winning nod for Best Animated Program or Series (2D or 3D), proving the
pedigree of the show that has been branded as the first true Filipino anime. “Whatever
we produce, it needs to stand out in terms of quality and storytelling, as in
every aspect of filmmaking,” says Saha. “The recent nominations of the series
make it clear that we made something more than the usual.”
In a story spanning two nations
and cultures, “Barangay 143” follows Filipino-Korean cager Bren T. Park (Migo
Adecer), a national team player who suffers a personal tragedy and travels from
Seoul to Manila to find the truth about his birth father. In the rough Tondo neighborhood
of Barangay 143, he finds himself recruited into the local street basketball
team despite his reluctance to play following the trauma of losing his Korean
family. Still, he regains his passion with help from the Puzakals’ Coach B
(John Arcilla) and his daughter Vicky (San Jose). His rival is Filipino team
star Wax Rivera, son of the country’s basketball league president, who may hold
the key to Bren’s past.
The animated series is scheduled
for 26 episodes, of which 14 have aired from October 2018 to June 2019. “Barangay
143” is currently on season break, with the show resuming in 2020. In the
meantime, the Gala Night for the Asian Television Awards in which the Filipino anime
has been nominated in will take place in December over at Singapore.
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