Filipino Mythology in Pop Culture

Filipino mythology has started to gain recognition and influence in various forms of pop culture. We have a blog series called Mythical Showdown where we talk about the shows and their interpretations of Filipino mythology!

There are spoilers in that blog series, so if you want to watch and interpret it before reading, here are some examples of movies, shows, video games, and other media where Filipino mythology is showcased:

Movies:

  1. "Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles" (2012) and its sequel "Kubot: The Aswang Chronicles 2" (2014) - These horror-comedy films revolve around the aswang, a popular creature in Filipino mythology.
  2. "Mallari" (2023) - A horror film inspired by the Philippines' first documented serial killer. A doctor scours his family's occult history for a way to prevent his fiancee's death, only to find secrets that link to a series of 19th-century murders.

Shows:

  1. "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" - A re-imagined origin story of Sabrina Spellman, who struggles to live as a half-witch, half-human.
  2. "Grimm" - A fantasy drama series following Portland detective Burkhardt, descended from a line of warriors known as Grimms, defends his city from magical creatures, the Wesen, which are part-human and part-animal.
  3. "Lost Girl" - This supernatural drama follows a succubus, Bo, as she fights between the light and dark fae to learn about her past.
  4. "Trese" (2021) - An animated series based on the Philippine graphic novel of the same name, featuring Alexandra Trese, a detective who solves supernatural crimes involving creatures from Filipino folklore.
  5. "Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia" (2008) - An animated film that incorporates Filipino mythology and folklore into an adventure story about a young boy who enters a magical realm.

Video Games:

  1. "Anito: Defend a Land Enraged" (2003) - A role-playing video game that draws heavily from Filipino mythology, featuring creatures such as the aswang, tikbalang, and kapre.

Literature and Graphic Novels:

  1. "Trese" by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo - The graphic novel series that inspired the animated show, featuring the adventures of Alexandra Trese in solving supernatural crimes in Manila.
  2. "The Mythology Class" by Arnold Arre - A graphic novel that follows a group of college students who enter a class that explores Philippine mythology, leading them on a journey into the world of mythical creatures.
  3. "Kwento Comics"
  4. "Diwata Komiks"

These examples showcase interpretations of Filipino mythology throughout pop culture. Like storytellers before us, they serve as a means to promote and preserve Filipino folklore, providing a platform for audiences around the world to appreciate the rich and diverse mythological heritage of the Philippines.

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