Nonconformist Heroine

I was NEVER fond of TV dramas before...until I saw "Ako si Kim Samsoon." Lately, I've been finding myself eager for the next episode and hoping for Cyrus, a rich and good-looking guy, to finally admit that he is in-love with Samsoon. I find the show entertaining and capable of delivering good laughs, but what struck me the most is that - Kim Samsoon is old and overweight. Does that sound familiar? I can't help but notice. Sh*t, that's me!

What I really meant to say was, she doesn't fit the typical heroine of Philippine movies or TV shows. I do know that this show is a remake of a Korean drama, which I still have to see, not for comparison, but just for the sake of watching. Samsoon is poor, a stress eater, a loud mouth, somewhat neurotic, and a poor dresser. But what I like about her is that she fights back and that she is upfront. I like the part where she looks Cyrus in the eye and asks him if he loves her or not. I was taken aback and shouted, "You go, girl!"

I have not seen a lot of Filipino movies or shows in the past 12 years, so in my few years of watching Philippine movies, this is my first time to see an overweight Filipina heroine. If you have seen one, please let me know. In "Ako si Kim Samsoon," the issue of being overweight is placed at a certain limelight; Samsoon is accepted by few and is treated with disdain by a number of characters. The show depicts how overweight people are often times treated by unknowingly insensitive people. Will the viewers who love and cheer Samsoon be able to emanate that same acceptance to real-life overweight people? Will this show be able to convince viewers that overweight people have feelings and that they deserve to be loved too? Or, is this the part of me dreaming?

At first, I was excited about the idea of a nonconformist Filipina heroine, and I thought it was a breakthrough in Philippine television, but I came to realize that the Filipino version was made because its Korean counterpart garnered good reviews and a lot of viewers. In reality, the show was made to make money, unless someone can convince me otherwise. Part of me still wants to believe that the Samsoon character was made to exemplify people who struggle with their weight, who are often times kept in the dark, and are often times the subject of jokes in a number of movies and shows. In my experiences, being overweight is something that is unacceptable to some people.

As I watch the episodes of Kim Samsoon, I empathize with her pain and struggles. I really don't care about the cartoonish scenes, countless OA moments, and the fakish fat look of Regine Velasquez. Some call it baduy, but any day, you'd find me rooting for Samsoon to win her fights and find her happiness - whatever that is.