A healer-warrior who serves as a protector of humanity from supernatural beings from the underworld. Soberano, more known for doing live action roles, was initially hesitant on doing the role of Alexandra remarking that "voice acting is a different game from acting".[10] In contrast to dubbing her own films and commercials, Soberano added that she had to portray a "new character" instead of being her own "natural self".[11]Shay Mitchell, on her part, described her role in the English dub as "super fun, but intense". Mitchell also had to recite some lines in Filipino, a language she has said she is familiar with but not fluent in. She worked with a dialect coach before each voice over session via Zoom.[12]
Rudolf Baldonado coached Soberano to modulate and lower the pitch of her voice for her role.[10] She also had to work on her accent when speaking Filipino.[11] Steffi Graf Bontogon-Mola also voices Alexandra's younger self. Meanwhile, Satomi Kobayashi dubs Alexandra's younger self in Japanese.
The Kambal / Crispin and Basilio
Voiced by: Griffin Puatu (English), Simon dela Cruz (Filipino), Yoshihisa Hosokawa (Japanese)
Twins who serve as Alexandra's bodyguards and are collectively known as the Kambal (Twins).
Captain Guerrero
Voiced by: Matt Yang King (English), Apollo Abraham (Filipino), Ken Uo (Japanese)
Hank
Voiced by: Jon Jon Briones (English), Christopher Carlo Caling (Filipino), Yūki Sanpei (Japanese)
Anton Trese
Voiced by: Carlos Alazraqui (English), Eugene Adalia (Filipino), Ken Yanai (Japanese)
Voiced by: Steve Blum (English), Bryan Allan Encarnacion (Filipino), Atsuki Tani (Japanese)
Production
The series was first announced in November 2018, with Jay Oliva as executive producer and director. Other directors will include David Hartman, Mel Zwyer, and Tim Divar. The series is written by Zig Marasigan, Mihk Vergara and Tanya Yuson. Yuson also serves as executive producer for BASE Entertainment with Shanty Harmayn.[3][13] The series was produced by BASE Entertainment (from Singapore) and animated by Tiger Animation (from South Korea) and Lex+Otis Animation (from the United States). At the Netflix Anime Festival in October 2020, it was revealed that Trese komik artist Kajo Baldisimo and writer Budjette Tan will serve as showrunners.[14]
In 2009, Tanya Yuson was looking for material to adapt for a series or film. She picked up Trese, the graphic novel, following a recommendation. Yuson forwarded the comic to her fellow producer Shanty Harmayn who convinced her that they should pitch the adaptation of Trese into an animated series. They pitched to both production studios within and outside the Philippines; with Netflix Anime agreeing to adapt Trese. In May 2018 Netflix reach out to Jay Oliva, who was based in the United States at the time, to work with a potential Trese animated series. Oliva accepted the role to be Trese's director a month later. A copy of the Trese comics was sent to Oliva, who started working on the series while in his flight to Manila from the United States.[15]
Oliva tried to balance out the Trese animated series to satisfy the existing fanbase and those who were not familiar with the original source material. He intended to retain the source material's central theme of "family and duty" which he describe are "universal ideas and very Filipino".[15]
Three separate dubbings for Filipino, English, and Japanese were made for Trese. In non-Filipino versions, some Filipino dialogue, such as the phrase "tabi tabi po" were used to retain the series' "Pinoy" flavor and encourage foreigners to learn the Filipino language and culture.[16] Among the three dubbings, English was the dubbing that was done first with the Filipino dubbing had to be based on the English version.[17]
Writing
Trese was adapted from the first three volumes of the comics. Originally intended to be standalone by the source material's creators, the series was written in a way that connects the three volumes into one single arc.[18]
Marketing
Trese's marketing promotions have been praised online, including praise for billboards on EDSA and other major streets in the Philippines that include a unique design style to make the billboards appear to have been vandalized or torn.[19] This garnered a great deal of attention from Filipinos on social media, Twitter and Facebook. A popular newspaper in the Philippines, Philippine Star, also put "Trese" on its front page according to their official Twitter account, and Business World (a business newspaper in the Philippines) also put out a major advertisement.[20][21] The media giant ABS-CBN, also promoted the show by replacing the logo outside their ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center headquarters in Quezon City with the logo of Netflix's Trese series counterpart, ABC-ZNN, a fictitious media company used in the show.[22][23][24] ABS-CBN also lit up their ELJ Communications Center building in Quezon City with the word Trese written on their facade.[25]
Music
Kevin Kiner's children Sean and Deana Kiner composed the musical score for Trese.[26] Filipino band UDD performed the theme song of Trese entitled "Paagi" (translates from Visayan for "excuse me"). The song which served as the ending song was written in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The production of the song took place in two phases. Paul Yap, Ean Mayor and Carlos Tanada did the first demo recording at the Wonder Collab Studios after which it was sent to Armi Millare for finalization. Millare revised the "Paagi"'s lyrics and Emil Dela Rosa did the remix and master of the song. Director Oliva characterized the song as "contemporary music but with Filipino instruments".[16]
When a ghost turns up dead and train passengers go missing, Trese’s investigation leads her to an aswang clan by the pier and a corrupt city official.
2
"Episode 2"
Mel Zwyer
Zig Marasigan
June 10, 2021 (2021-06-10)
In a flashback, Trese’s father searches for a heart-stealing killer. Trese pursues the sons of two clan leaders who may be behind recent transgressions.
3
"Episode 3"
David Hartman
Tanya Yuson
June 10, 2021 (2021-06-10)
Ramona attempts a blood ritual to exact revenge. Trese, the "boys" and Hank protect an actress as Trese receives a warning of "liars amongst allies."
4
"Episode 4"
David Hartman
Mihk Vergara
June 10, 2021 (2021-06-10)
While Trese fights to undo a spell that sent zombies to attack the police station, Hank tries to uncover details about the coming turmoil.
5
"Episode 5"
Tim Divar
Mihk Vergara
June 10, 2021 (2021-06-10)
After a rash of bombings, the Council makes a surprising decision. Trese discovers who’s been responsible for manipulating recent events all along.
6
"Episode 6"
Jay Oliva
Zig Marasigan
June 10, 2021 (2021-06-10)
With humanity and the supernatural world both in danger, Trese confronts Talagbusao to fight her own destiny—and learns the truth about her father.
Release
Trese was made available for viewing on the online platform starting June 10, 2021[28] in the United States, followed by Singapore on June 11.[29] The release featured six episodes covering storylines from the comic's first three volumes.[18] The show was released in three languages, Filipino, English, and Japanese; with each version having its own set of cast.[30][31]
At Netflix's virtual "Geeked Week" livestream on June 9, the first five minutes of Trese's episode was previewed.[32]
Reception
Trese was in the top 10 TV shows list on Netflix in 19 countries as of June 13, 2021, ranking highest in the following countries: Philippines (#1), Qatar (#3), United Arab Emirates (#4), and Jamaica (#5). Other countries where the show ranked were Austria, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Kuwait, Lithuania, New Zealand, Nigeria, Oman, Serbia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the United States.[33] The series became the highest ranked show on Netflix in the Philippines on the weekend following its premiere date.[34]
Director Jay Oliva was told by Netflix that Trese is "really strong" and reliant on the Philippine market with Oliva expressing possibilities for "multiple seasons" if Trese continues to receive positive reception.[35]
In a review for Rabbit Hole, Shaun Tan wrote that the show "captures the urban grittiness of Manila." He praised the plot, dialogue, animation, and voice acting, calling it "a paranormal Filipino film noir that is both stylish and gripping."[36]
In the online anthropology magazine SAPIENS, Andrea Malaya M. Ragragio and Myfel D. Paluga noted that the show's portrayal of Talagbusao as "a bloodthirsty, male “god of war” whose nature is to wreak havoc and thrive in it" drew largely from American colonial era anthropologist Fay-Cooper Cole's description of him as a “patron of the warriors and of people who run amuck,” which dates back to the early 1900s. As a result, they say that " the Talagbusao depicted in Trese barely resembled what Indigenous communities in Mindanao mean when they talk about this entity or its related forms, called busaw." But Ragragio and Paluga also acknowledged that the show likely changed his characterization "simply to tell an enjoyable detective story, with a Filipino folkloric flair."[37]
Notes
^Although Trese was based on a Filipino komik and had the collaboration of several Filipino animators, the series was produced by BASE Entertainment which is a studio based in Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia.
^Originally released with separate dubbing for Filipino, English, and Japanese. The English dubbing was done first with at least the Filipino dubbing based on it. Netflix considers English as the original language for Trese.
^The series premiered on Netflix globally on June 11, 2021.
^Gomez, Jerome (June 18, 2021). "What you didn't know about Liza Soberano's voice work for 'Trese,' according to her dubbing coach". ANCX. No. While the dubbing crew and voice actors who did the original English version got to create a work from scratch, the dubbing crew and actors for the Filipino version have to work with the finished English version. ABS-CBN. Retrieved July 13, 2021. While the dubbing crew and voice actors who did the original English version got to create a work from scratch, the dubbing crew and actors for the Filipino version have to work with the finished English version.
