In case you missed it, the animated adaptation of the Filipino comic series Trese has been released on Netflix on June 11. With its epic portrayal of local folklore and Philippine landscapes, it’s piqued everyone’s interest and pride.
However, with the number of acclaims received, some have pointed out that Liza Soberano’s Filipino dubbing of the titular character apparently fell flat. Is it a trick of the ear, or an on-purpose rendition of the character?
*minor spoilers ahead for Trese*
With Liza being of half-Filipino descent, we’re usually used to hearing the actress in her usual regular voice through her roles.
But Alexandra Trese is different from the usual rom-com portrayals that we’re familiar with from the actress, as director-producer Jay Oliva explained that the character is “cold and unemotional at times because of all the things she’s experienced in life” so Liza had to practice speaking in straight Tagalog for two whole weeks before the project.
When casting for the role of Alexandra, I spoke to creator @Budjette about how he envisioned the character. He basically said that she’s like Batman/Bruce Wayne. She’s cold and unemotional at times because of all the things she’s experienced in life. #TreseOnNetflix #Lexandotis pic.twitter.com/2GtnyfwZWS
— Jay Oliva (@jayoliva1) June 15, 2021
Veteran voiceover talent and Spotify podcast host Inka Magnaye also sounded off on Liza’s Trese voiceover, as she explained that it isn’t “monotonous” like what others have claimed.
“She has dynamics in her delivery. However, she DOES tend to deliver her lines in almost the exact same cadence, and people confuse that with monotony.”
“Liza Soberano’s voice is perfect for the character. It’s got a great balance of youthfulness and grim,” Magnaye added.
Ok Liza Soberano ISNT monotonous. She has dynamics in her delivery. However, she DOES tend to deliver her lines in almost the exact same cadence, and people confuse that with monotony.
— Inka Magnaye (@inkamagnaye) June 13, 2021
With dark characters like Batman in mind, director Oliva added that Shay Mitchell (who is responsible for the English dub) and Liza both “brought unique performances that was better than I could have imagined.”
He finished it off by saying that whatever people’s opinions may be, the main thing to focus to should on is how “we have brought Filipino mythology and lore to the world and world is responding by how much they love it! Thank you the Philippines, your support made this happen.”
Liza’s side
Liza herself remains a good sport in the comments, sharing that “I totally understand why because like me, I’m a fan of Harry Potter. Of course, we always have our own opinions of what’s better — the book or the movie. We always want to be protective of the characters that we’ve known to love.”
She furthered that she doesn’t read negative comments that could lessen her confidence – even if they’re not Trese related.
Indeed, however opinions there about the character delivery, the fact that Trese is thriving in the local scene and beyond is already a win for representing talented Filipinos.
