YOUNG Filipino pop-rock band The Juans has released a short film for its latest hugot single “Ano Ba Talaga Tayo?” featuring Elijah Canlas and Miles Ocampo.
“Ano Ba Talaga Tayo?” talks about situationship, a type of relationship where two individuals act like a couple despite not having any official labels. It is not clear where they stand and how they really feel about each other.
The nine-minute and 28-second short film uploaded on The Juans’ YouTube channel opened with Ari (played by Ocampo) waking up to message notifications from Joms (portrayed by Canlas), asking if he could visit her. Ari then popped the question: “Ano ba talaga tayo?”
The next scenes took a trip down memory lane, showing sweet moments that Ari and Joms shared. It then shifted to serious and heartbreaking conversations between the two, with Joms asking Ari what went wrong in their relationship and telling her that marriage might not be for him.
The film ended with Ari walking away from her situationship with Joms, after catching him holding hands with another girl in a club and confronting him about their real score.
“Nakikita mo lang ako ‘pag wala kang nakikitang iba. Sige nga Joms sagutin mo nga ako ngayon. Ano ba talaga tayo?” Ari bravely asked, which took Joms by surprise.
While some praised Ocampo and Canlas’ acting in the John Manalo-directed short film, many shared their painful dating experiences on the comment section, reminding others that they deserve the love that brings clarity and assurance and not mixed signals.
“Itigil niyo na ‘yang situationship, MU [mutual understanding], o kung ano mang tawag niyo diyan na wala naman talagang label,” a netizen said. “Deserve natin ng love na sigurado at hindi tayo pag-iisipin ng halaga natin.”
As of writing, the short film has garnered over 91,400 views on YouTube.
Ask for clarity
“Ano Ba Talaga Tayo?” was released on April 25.
In a press statement, The Juans said that the single is inspired by real stories and realities of modern dating, highlighting relationships that lack clear boundaries and are filled with uncertainties.
“‘Ano Ba Talaga Tayo?’ explores how easy it is to get stuck in the talking stage that might go nowhere, and how hard it is to walk away when your heart’s already all in,” the band emphasized.
“The song is confused yet hopeful, raw yet melodic, exactly what it feels like to be in the gray area between something and nothing,” it added.
The new track opens with a heartfelt lyrics: “Ilang buwan nang magkausap, ‘di pa rin sigurado; Laging napapaisip kung ano ba talaga tayo; Katulad ka lang ba ng iba? Kung kailan nasanay na biglang mawawala?”
If listeners ever catch themselves confused, The Juans said that “Ano Ba Talaga Tayo?” is a reminder for them that it is okay to ask for clarity in relationships.
“You deserve clarity, not confusion. It’s time to stop romanticizing the what-ifs and start getting the answers you deserve,” the band stressed.
“Ano Ba Talaga Tayo?” is The Juans’ third music release this year, following “bestfriend” in February and “Pasensyoso” in January.
