Webtoon Review: Trese
Alexandra Trese is a detective of sorts who deals with supernatural cases in the Philippines, primarily operating in the city of Manila. Like her father before her, Alexandra stands between the community of humans and that of paranormal creatures, trying to uphold the “accords” that keep balance. She’s aided by twin bodyguards, Crispin and Basilio (it’s a literary reference) who are also her foster brothers. Often Alexandra is notified of possible cases by Captain Guerrero of the Manila police.
This six-episode animated series is based on the Filipino comic books of the same title by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo. Netflix USA has it in several languages, I chose to listen to it with the Filipino voice cast.
The first episode has Alexandra Trese investigating the murder of a ghost and the disappearance of several train passengers (who have not shown up in the afterlife, to the consternation of those that run that part of the Underworld.) These turn out to be linked to a corrupt politician.
Then there are three seemingly unconnected cases, combined with flashbacks to the childhood of Alexandra and the twins. Surprise, they are all connected and there’s a two-parter to conclude the season. (Plus a sequel hook.)
Good: As the source material is by people actually from the Philippines, it feels authentic and respectful to the local folklore, with updates to the modern age. It’s always good to learn more about cultures I am unfamiliar with.
While some of the social issues touched on may resound more deeply with Filipino audiences, police brutality and celebrity culture resonate well enough for even a foreigner like myself to understand.
The art and voice acting (in the Filipino version) are excellent.
Less good: The very short season forced the writers to compress the character arcs considerably. Alexandra’s relationship with her father is key, so gets the most time, with a bit of development for her mother. But her four older brothers get wordless cameos; it’s not even clear if they are alive or not, since we only see Alexandra reacting to her father’s death. Her sister (Alexandra is the sixth child of a sixth child, which is partially the reason for her special abilities) is more heavily involved than is first apparent, but also gets little development.
Content note: gory violence, body horror, harm to children, human trafficking, suicide. Senior high and up viewers should be able to handle it, but parents or guardians of younger or more sensitive viewers may want to give this one a miss.
Overall: An interesting look at the creative work available from the Philippines. Horror fans especially should enjoy it.
