Unbreak My Heart, the first collaboration of ABS-CBN and GMA-7, premieres with a bang, bringing to the fore the acting prowess of Kapamilya and Kapuso stars.
The breakthrough TV series also showcases the sweeping vistas of the snow-capped mountains in Switzerland, and features scenic locations in Italy in its first few episodes.
Amid all this beauty, the teleserye brings attention to the struggles of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) abroad in order to be good providers to their families.
Unbreak My Heart had its celebrity watch party at TriNoMa last May 20, 2023.
It was refreshing to see rival networks and their stars coming together in one project. Kapamilya and Kapuso prized talents were present at the watch party, too.
STORY AND MAIN CAST
This love story-slash-family drama depicts characters whose lives are intertwined by a pivotal incident at an airport in Manila decades ago.
Joshua Garcia plays Renz, a nurse who gives up his career in the Philippines in the hopes of getting a better future in Switzerland.
He crosses paths with Rose, the character of Jodi Sta. Maria, a mysterious woman looking for her estranged husband and the daughter she abandoned years ago.
Rose is obsessed with finding her daughter Xandra, but her efforts are being thwarted by her ex-husband Matteo “Matt” Zhang, played by Richard Yap.
She gets help from a reluctant Renz, who finds her situation problematic and blames her for all the bad luck he experiences because of her quest.
Their element of proximity leads to a May-December romance, with Renz releasing all his pent-up emotions through their torrid dalliances.
Rose, overcoming her initial resistance to the innate charrm of Renz—who pursues her despite finding her a nuisance—falls for the young man.
But as it stands, their affair only adds more complications to their already complex lives.
Joshua gets into the character of the overburdened Renz and effectively conveys emotional depth through his eyes.
The 25-year-old actor impresses particularly with his mature acting in his love play with Jodi's character.
On the other hand, Gabbi Garcia slays her performance as Alex, a young party girl with a lot of emotional baggage like Renz.
She has lost faith in love and destiny, and is only interested in casual involvements.
Her character looks pitiful in one scene where her heart gets crushed, then she bounces back by partying in clubs and unleashing her wild side.
But despite her tough-looking exterior, Gabbi is able to infuse vulnerability to her character when needed.
Viewers will be hooked to see the big twist in the story that revolves around the true identity of Alex.
They can also expect a sizzling scene between Alex and Renz—who would eventually get caught in a love triangle with Rose.
Shot in a kitchen, the scene is reminiscent of the iconic pottery scene in the 1990 Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze film Ghost.
This intense sensual encounter is sure to make people see breadmaking in an entirely different light.
THE SCENE-STEALERS
Eliciting cheers from the crowd during the premiere night was the confrontation scene between Rose and her former mother-in-law, played by Laurice Guillen.
The veteran actress can instill fear with a simple look, and effortlessly makes her formidable presence felt in every scene she appears in.
Another lauded confrontation scene took place between Renz and his mother, played by Eula Valdez.
Eula's character works for an aging Swiss man who takes advantage of her because he knows she desperately needs his money.
Eula and Joshua have a meltdown as they confront each other for all the pain they caused each other through the years.
Joshua's character resents Eula for forcing him to leave his job as a nurse in exchange for a miserable life in Switzerland.
At this moment, Joshua is totally immersed in his character—the OFW who is bitter about his life abroad.
Richard, for his part, has not had many scenes yet.
But it will be interesting to see how he will will differentiate his character in Unbreak My Heart from his previous TV series.
THE TRIGGER
The show mainly revolves around a pivotal gun incident at an airport in the Philippines.
The coincidences that stemmed from this gun scene may seem too far-fetched, but they all unbelievably happen and change the lives of the main characters.
Directed by Manny Palo and Dolly Dulu, Unbreak My Heart also stars Sunshine Cruz, Romnick Sarmenta, and Nikki Valdez, among others.
This romance-drama series airs on GMA Telebabad, Pinoy Hits, and I Heart Movies at 9:35 PM from Mondays to Thursdays, 11:25 PM on GTV, and it is also available on GMA Pinoy TV and TFC.
It will also be streamed on Viu in 16 territories outside of the Philippines.