YMMV / ABNKKBSNPLAko?!

• Critical Dissonance: The critical ratings for the movie are abysmal, not helped by the fact that the novel is regarded as one of the best Philippine books ever written in the 21st century. Regardless, it's still a well-loved film by Filipinos.
• So Okay, It's Average: This is the conclusion most negative reviews for the film reach; it's not So Bad, It's Good, and is fun, but lacks depth.
• Strangled by the Red String: Roberto and Special Someone's relationship is one of the most, if not the most, underwritten aspect of the film. All we know is that Roberto was infatuated with her at first sight because she's pretty, and then his crush (which is based on looks alone) is treated like true love; we see glimpses of him being her rebound on the regular whenever Ken cheats on her; until they somehow get a Happily Ever After. Compared to the rest of the film, the pairing leaves plenty to be desired.
• Values Dissonance: Portia's character is pretty representative of some fucked-up ideas Filipinos have about sexuality, particularly queer sexuality, as she "becomes a lesbian" because Bob rejected her. This reflects a lack of understanding of both being a lesbian and bisexuality. (The idea that a woman can just "choose" to be a lesbian all because a guy rejected her is a lesbophobic myth; and that the likely possibility she's actually bisexual never gets acknowledged is biphobic erasure.) Unfortunately, this has always been quite a common narrative in Filipino media, although things are improving slowly.

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