Handa na ba kayo sa liga ng buhay?
An anime series made in the Philippines is set to conquer the local television landscape—Barangay 143. Jointly produced by Synergy88 Entertainment Media Inc., Singapore’s August Media Holdings, and Japan’s TV Asahi, the new TV series will start airing on GMA-7 in October 2018.
Barangay 143 is a story about love and family set against the action-packed world of street basketball, where stakes are always high and life is the biggest game one must win. With the gritty Tondo, Manila in the backdrop, it depicts the struggles of a young boy from South Korea who comes to the Philippines to search for his father. During his stay, he finds an unlikely family in a team of misfit, whose sole ambition is to bring glory to their hometown.
“The Philippines has a vibrant TV and film industry with a rich culture of storytelling,” said August Media Holdings CEO Jyotirmoy Saha. “Right from the onset, we are determined to develop the show right here so that it captures the essence of life in Manila. I am immensely proud of what we have finally created in Barangay 143.”
Animé authority
Animé fans will surely take this as a treat. The producers assure that Barangay 143 is different but as engaging as Slam Dunk, a popular anime from Japan (also aired locally over GMA-7). “We hope that Japanese creativity will bring light into the Filipino story and characters to life,” said TV Asahi Head of Animation at International Business Department Takahiro Kishimoto.
Another interesting factor about Barangay 143 is the stellar ensemble that comprises its roster of dubbers. Among them are Cherie Gil, John Arcilla, Sylvia Sanchez, Teresa Loyzaga, Julie Ann San Jose, Paolo Contis, Migo Adecer, and Ruru Madrid.
This new animated series finds the perfect home in GMA-7, which has always been the authority when it comes to such genre. “GMA has always been known to support anything that champions Filipino talent and promotes our culture,” said GMA Network First Vice President for Program Management Joey Abacan. “We are immensely proud to be the network carrying the first Filipino anime drama series,” he added. Abacan also disclosed to Tech and Lifestyle Journal that Barangay 143 will also be carried worldwide by the network’s GMA Pinoy TV.
Beyond TV
Barangay 143 will not just be a TV series. It will also have its run in print and mobile—in the form of printed comic series and a mobile game developed for its market. The game is already up for free download on Google Play Store (for Android device users) and the App Store (for iOS users).
“Within the series, the comic strip and even the game we have tried to capture the real-life experiences of the Philippines through the art and the sounds,” said Synergy88 Digital Managing Director and Co-founder Jackeline Chua. “With Barangay 143 Street League, we also created a unique experience that helps players compete with friends in cyberspace but get their wins rewarded in the real world.”