Gameboys

This article is about the TV series. For the gaming device, see Game Boy.

Gameboys
Genre	Romance Drama Boys' love
Written by	Ash M. Malanum
Directed by	Ivan Andrew Payawal
Starring	Kokoy De Santos Elijah Canlas
Music by	Emerzon Texon
Ending theme	"Panalo Ka" by Dex Yu
Country of origin	Philippines
Original languages	Tagalog (Filipino) English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	14
Production
Executive producers	Perci Intalan Jun Robles Lana
Production location	Philippines
Running time	10–39 minutes
Production company	The IdeaFirst Company
Original release
Network	YouTube
Release	May 22 (2020-05-22) – September 13, 2020 (2020-09-13)

Gameboys is a 2020 Philippine boys' love web series ^[1] directed by Ivan Andrew Payawal ^[2] and written by Ash M. Malanum, with Perci Intalan and Jun Lana serving as executive producers under the creative production outfit, The IdeaFirst Company. Presented as a screenlife film, it stars Kokoy De Santos and Elijah Canlas as two boys—a live-stream gamer and his fan—who found each other online during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and the Luzon Island community quarantine.

Cast and characters

Main

• Elijah Canlas as Cairo Lazaro, a live-stream gamer with username, Caimazing, being pursued by an unknown gamer and fan, Angel2000.
• Kokoy de Santos as Gavreel Mendoza Alarcon, an unknown gamer with username, Angel2000; Cairo's fan and secret admirer.

Recurring

• Adrianna So as Pearl Gatdula, Gavreel's ex-girlfriend who became his best friend.
• Kyle Velino as Terrence Carreon, Gavreel's ex-boyfriend, Wesley’s lover, And Cairo's online game rival with username, GavreelsOnlyLove.
• Jerom Canlas as London Lazaro, Cairo's older brother.
• Miggy Jimenez as Wesley Torres, Terrence’s lover, and Cairo's childhood friend with username, masterwesley.
• Sue Prado as Leila Lazaro, Cairo's mother.
• Rommel Canlas as Arthur Lazaro, Cairo's deceased father.
• Angeli Nicole Sanoy as Risa Vargas, Cairo's friend.
• Kych Minemoto as Achilles De Dios, Terrence's former fling and now close friend.

Plot

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic Luzon quarantine, live-stream gamer Cairo Lazaro (Caimazing) loses to Gavreel Alarcon (Angel2000) in an online game. When Cairo invites Gavreel for a rematch, Gavreel confesses his love for Cairo and asks for a date with Cairo in return. Although Gavreel wins the rematch and continues to express his love for Cairo, Cairo is hesitant to express his feelings. While both of them slowly bond with each other, Cairo also befriends Pearl, Gavreel's ex-girlfriend and now best friend. Meanwhile, Cairo is having family problems as his father was hospitalized because of coronavirus infection.

Terrence, the ex-boyfriend of Gavreel, tries to get back with Gavreel after he recently broke up with his girlfriend. In an attempt, Terrence creates a rift between Gavreel and Cairo by making Cairo believe that Gavreel used his grandmother, Lola Cora, who died the year prior, to be with Cairo. Later, Cairo realizes his mistake of believing Terrence, and apologizes to Gavreel. Terrence was later confronted by Gavreel, Cairo and Pearl in a group meeting where Gavreel reiterates to Terrence that he will not go back to a relationship with him, and that he is in love with Cairo.

Just when things are getting better between Cairo and Gavreel, Cairo learns from his older brother, London, that their father is not doing well. Cairo feels guilty about his father's situation. It turned out that Cairo ran away from their home, and his father was infected with the virus while looking for him. The story further reveals the reason why Cairo ran away: Risa, Cairo's former best friend who had a crush on him, outed him as gay to his family and friends on social media. Unable to face his family about his sexuality, Cairo ran away from home. Later, Cairo's mother, Leila, tearfully informed him that his father has died.

Gavreel and Pearl continue to support Cairo through his mourning on his father's demise. Both Terrence and Risa apologize for their mistakes and the troubles they caused in Cairo's and Gavreel's lives. Meanwhile, Leila decided to move the family to Bukidnon province, which Cairo hesitantly agrees. Cairo finally confesses his interest for Gavreel. Thereafter, Cairo and Gavreel meet in person for the first time with Pearl's help.

Episodes

Season 1

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Pass or Play?"	Ivan Andrew Payawal	Ash M. Malanum	May 22, 2020 (2020-05-22)
Cairo is raring for a rematch after his sudden defeat in a popular mobile game. But his opponent Gavreel wants something in return.
2	"Game of Love"	Ivan Andrew Payawal	Ash M. Malanum	June 3, 2020 (2020-06-03)
As Cairo weighs in on Gavreel’s condition for a rematch, he discovers something about his opponent that will taint his trust in him.
3	"Strangers Online"	Ivan Andrew Payawal	Ash M. Malanum	June 12, 2020 (2020-06-12)
Gavreel is eager to regain Cairo’s trust after a misunderstanding. But Cairo, who is still hurting from what he learned about Gavreel, won’t make it easy for him.
4	"One Who is Victorious"	Ivan Andrew Payawal	Ash M. Malanum	June 19, 2020 (2020-06-19)
As Gavreel and Cairo’s relationship continues to grow further, a part of Gavreel’s past will come back to haunt him.
5	"Thrill of the Chase"	Ivan Andrew Payawal	Ash M. Malanum	June 26, 2020 (2020-06-26)
With Terrence coming into the picture, Cairo starts to question his place in Gav’s heart.
6	"Secret Party"	Ivan Andrew Payawal	Ash M. Malanum	July 3, 2020 (2020-07-03)
As Cairo contemplates on making up to Gavreel, Terrence makes his next move.
7	"Elephant in the Room"	Ivan Andrew Payawal	Ash M. Malanum	July 10, 2020 (2020-07-10)
Terrence's burning question sends Cairo and Gavreel into further confusion. Will they finally confront the reality of their relationship?
8	"No Matter What"	Ivan Andrew Payawal	Ash M. Malanum	July 17, 2020 (2020-07-17)
Gavreel tries to reach out to Cairo who remains elusive and inconsolable after his father's demise. Will this tragedy bring them together or pull them apart?
9	"Say It With Love"	Ivan Andrew Payawal	Ash M. Malanum	July 24, 2020 (2020-07-24)
Cairo comes into terms with his identity and realizes how deeply he has fallen for Gavreel. Their longing to be together intensifies as they also try to grapple with the reality of their situation.
10	"Pass or Play 2"	Ivan Andrew Payawal	Ash M. Malanum	July 31, 2020 (2020-07-31)
With his family moving away from the city, Cairo decides to finally meet Gavreel in person. Is this the start or the end of their relationship?
11	"Stay Strong Forever"	Ivan Andrew Payawal	Ash M. Malanum	August 23, 2020 (2020-08-23)
Now that Gav and Cairo have met, what will happen next in their relationship?
12	"Jealousy In The Air"	Ivan Andrew Payawal	Ash M. Malanum	August 30, 2020 (2020-08-30)
Wesley’s sudden reappearance in Cairo’s life makes Gavreel question their relationship.
13	"Crossing The Line"	Ivan Andrew Payawal	Ash M. Malanum	September 13, 2020 (2020-09-13)
With an unresolved issue still hanging over their heads, will Cairo and Gavreel's story find its happy ever after?
13.5	"Alt Gameboys"	Perci Intalan	Ash M. Malanum	September 20, 2020 (2020-09-20)
As Terrence continues his online search for someone to talk to, he makes his way to the dark side of the internet and online dating.

Season 2

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Hi, Lovebirds"	Ivan Andrew Payawal	Ash M. Malanum	July 30, 2021 (2021-07-30)
2	"Work in Progress"	Ivan Andrew Payawal	Ash M. Malanum	July 30, 2021 (2021-07-30)
3	"Feel at Home"	Perci Intalan	Ash M. Malanum	July 30, 2021 (2021-07-30)
4	"A Welcome Surprise"	Perci Intalan	Ash M. Malanum	July 30, 2021 (2021-07-30)
5	"Chip on the Shoulder"	Perci Intalan	Ash M. Malanum	July 30, 2021 (2021-07-30)
6	"Bad News"	Perci Intalan	Ash M. Malanum	July 30, 2021 (2021-07-30)
7	"No Matter What"	Perci Intalan	Ash M. Malanum	July 30, 2021 (2021-07-30)
8	"No Matter What 2"	Perci Intalan	Ash M. Malanum	July 30, 2021 (2021-07-30)

Production

Development

On July 15, 2020, The IdeaFirst Company announced that Globe Telecom's cellular service brand, TM, will be presenting the series' episodes. ^[3] On August 21, 2020, Bench, a Philippine clothing brand, was also announced on social media as the newest sponsor of the series. ^[4]

A few hours before the premiere of Episode 9, "Say It With Love", series writer, Ash M. Malanum, tweeted that three more episodes would be added to the series bringing the total episodes to 13. ^[5] However, the release of these episodes was delayed by two weeks after the Philippine government decided on August 2, 2020 to revert Metro Manila and nearby provinces to Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ). ^[6]

Filming

The first nine episodes of the series were shot completely online because of quarantine restrictions. ^{[7] [8]} Main actors Elijah, Kokoy, Adrianna and Kyle were asked to set up the frames and do their makeup themselves and Ivan directing the shots online. Family members of Kokoy De Santos and Elijah Canlas were also credited for helping with the production as the actors themselves act in their home. Elijah's brother Jerom and father Rommel also acted in the series as the brother and father character of Cairo, respectively.

Future

The IdeaFirst Company announced that it would be making a Gameboys spin-off series entitled “Pearl Next Door” on June 19, 2020. ^[9] Adrianna So would reprise her role as the eponymous character, with Iana Bernardez, Philip Hernandez, Rachel Coates and Cedrick Juan joining the cast. ^[10]

On September 13, 2020, after the premiere of the Season 1 Finale, the IdeaFirst Company announced that the series would have a second season. ^{[11] [12]} Prior to this announcement, the production company announced that it would make a movie adaptation of the series. ^[13] On January 22, 2021, an official teaser for the second season was released on the IdeaFirst Company's YouTube Channel in collaboration with P-Pop boyband group's SB19 single 'Hanggang sa Huli'. ^{[14] [15]}

According to The IdeaFirst Company, the second season was scheduled to be released on May 22, 2022 ^[16] to coincide the "World Gameboys Day." ^[17]

Release

YouTube

The first episode, "Pass or Play", premiered on YouTube on May 22, 2020 at 8:00 PM (Philippine Standard Time). The series is considered the first Filipino BL drama to be produced by a professional media outlet. ^[18]

On September 20, 2020, "Alt Gameboys" (Episode 13.5) was released dedicated to Terrence's journey into the dark side of the internet and online dating, notoriously referred to as Alter (short for Alternate) World. Directed by Perci Intalan, it also introduces a new character, Achilles De Dios.

Netflix

On November 23, 2020, Netflix Philippines' Twitter account announced that a Level-Up Edition will be released globally starting December 30, 2020. ^[19] In keeping up with the “Level-Up Edition”, original scenes were refreshed and re-shot with additional footage, new correspondence and “Vidgram” stories from the characters never been seen before. ^[20] In this version the first two episodes are re-edited into a single episode (titled "Pass or Play?") and consequently all subsequent episodes of the season are renumbered. "AltGameboys"—originally numbered 13.5—is presented as episode 13. ^[21]

TV

The TV broadcast premiered on June 13, 2021 through Heart of Asia Channel in all Digital TV Boxes Nationwide. ^{[22] [23]}

Movie

On July 31, 2021, Gameboys: The Movie was released. ^[24]

Reception

Leo Balante of Rank Magazine wrote, "In Gameboys, there are neither high-octane action, knee-slapping comedy, nor teleserye drama. Neither does it have fancy camera work, visual effects, nor A-listers as leads. All the viewers saw are two young men, in and out of video calls, portraying various levels of onscreen chase, before leading to a denouement that brought viewers to feel, think, and believe in a new order that is beautiful and possible." ^[25]

The movie was featured on Teen Vogue 's best BL dramas of 2021 list. ^[26]

Music

Song Title	Performed by	Lyrics by	Music by	Release date	Platforms
Isang Laro	Nasser / Kokoy De Santos	Emerzon Texon	Emerzon Texon	May 29, 2020	YouTube and Spotify
Panalo Ka	Dex Yu	Emerzon Texon	Emerzon Texon	June 23, 2020	YouTube and Spotify
Pag-Asa	Elijah Canlas	Emerzon Texon	Emerzon Texon	July 1, 2020	YouTube
Angel of Peace	Elijah Canlas	Elijah Canlas	Emerzon Texon	July 3, 2020	YouTube
Hiling	Joshua Ronett	Emerzon Texon & Elmer Gatchalian	Emerzon Texon	July 7, 2020	YouTube
My Kind of Love [27]	Elora Españo	Emerzon Texon	Emerzon Texon	July 10, 2020	YouTube
Ngayon	Emerzon Texon feat. Dex Yu	Emerzon Texon	Emerzon Texon	August 7, 2020	YouTube and Spotify
Ikaw at Ako	Emerzon Texon feat. Joshua Ronett	Emerzon Texon	Emerzon Texon	August 23, 2020	YouTube

Awards and nominations

• Best Web Series (Indie Shorts Awards Seoul, 2020)
• Kids: Live Action (International Emmy Kids Awards Nominee, 2021)

Official Selection

• Vancouver Independent Film Festival, 2020
• Los Angeles Asian Film Festival, 2020
• Indie Shorts Awards Buenos Aires, 2020
• Amsterdam World International Film Festival, 2020

See also

• Oh, Mando!

References

1. Escosia, Matthew (July 9, 2020). "A running list of Filipino BL series you can watch". Film Geek Guy. Archived from the original on July 20, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
2. Cruz, Marinel (June 25, 2020). "Filipino BL series 'Gameboys' reaches a million views after only 2 episodes". INQUIRER.net. Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
3. "Presented by TM". YouTube . Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
4. Sibonga, Glen. "Bench bagong sponsor ng Gameboys" . Retrieved September 19, 2020.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
5. "Episode 11, 12 and 13". Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
6. "See you again in two weeks' time". YouTube . Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
7. Calderon, Ricky (July 4, 2020). "Go, Gameboys!". The Manila Times. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
8. "'Gameboys' – the pandemic's breakout hit". The Manila Times. July 23, 2020. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
9. "The IdeaFirst Company". Facebook . Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
10. "Pearl Next Door". Twitter . Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
11. Guno, Niña (September 14, 2020). "'Gameboys': The triumphant Filipino BL series gets season 2". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
12. "Gameboys Episode 13: Crossing The Line". YouTube . Archived from the original on September 14, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
13. Calderon, Ricky. "Movie in the works for 'Gameboys' YouTube series". Philippine Star . Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
14. "WATCH: Cai and Gav get really close in 'Gameboys' season 2 teaser". Rappler . January 22, 2021. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
15. Balboa, Jen (January 23, 2021). "'Gameboys' season 2 teaser comes strong with SB19 song 'Hanggang Sa Huli'". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
16. ABS-CBN News (May 17, 2022). "Pinoy BL series 'Gameboys' season 2 to stream on KTX starting May 22". ABS-CBN News. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
17. Cruz, Marinel (April 5, 2022). "'Gameboys' Season 2 BL series more romantic and intimate". INQUIRER.net. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
18. Smith, Chuck (July 3, 2020). "How online BL series 'Gameboys' injects Pinoy flavor, resourceful flair in the genre". GMA News Online. Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
19. "The rumors are true! Ahh!! Caimazing and Angel2000 are finally headed to Netflix, Gameboys Level-Up Edition drops on December 30. See you". Archived from the original on December 11, 2020.
20. "Filipino BL 'Gameboys' gets global premiere as 'Gameboys Level-Up Edition'". Interaksyon. November 23, 2020. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
21. "Gameboys Level-Up Edition | Netflix". Netflix . Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
22. "'Gameboys' now on TV". Daily Tribune . June 28, 2021. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
23. Bigtas, Jannielyn Ann (May 25, 2021). "Filipino BL 'Gameboys' to have TV premiere on GMA The Heart of Asia in June". GMA News Online. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
24. "'Gameboys the Movie': A story of love and friendship amid a pandemic". l!fe • The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
25. Balante, Leo (November 7, 2020). "'About Damn Time': Elijah Canlas and Kokoy de Santos--An Origin Story". Rank. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
26. Williams, K-Ci (December 16, 2021). "The Best BL Dramas of 2021". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
27. Urrutia, Ian. "The 'Gameboys' soundtrack redefines romance in the time of pandemic". CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2020.

External links

• Gameboys at IMDb