Adapted from a Filipino komik of the same name, Trese is the first anime series originating from the Philippines. It presents a rich, intriguing lore of supernatural creatures and mythical beings, bringing to mind the likes of Supernatural and The Witcher.
Alexandra Trese (voiced by Shay Mitchell in the English dub and Liza Soberano in the Filipino dub) has inherited the title of Babaylan-Mandirigma from her father. With two magical bodyguards/adopted brothers called the Kambal by her side, she investigates supernatural disturbances and keeps the balance between Earth and the underworld. After she lands the mayor of Manila in jail, however, things start to spiral out of control as an ancient foe emerges from the shadows.
The best thing about Trese is how deftly it weaves Filipino mythology with the mundane world.
There are the Aswang, a tribe of vampires and other supernatural beings who act like gangsters and harvest and sell human meat. Then there are the Tikbalang, equine beings who can race cars, and electrical gods of the Bagyon tribe who later develop animosity with Trese.
The visual designs are unique, and Manila is portrayed in a suitably dark and mysterious manner. It’s a welcome relief from supernatural series that take place mostly in rural America and the occasional European middle of nowhere.
The show slowly reveals Trese’s backstory and how she became the current guardian. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see much character development. Trese is always cool and stoic, like a cross between Dean Winchester and Geralt of Rivia. The Kambal are intriguing, and then there’s the Gordon-like figure Captain Guerrero ( Matthew Yang King), but the series is too plot-heavy to focus on their characters.
The darker elements of the series give it a distinct flavor. There’s one particular story with a seemingly innocent actress and a terrible creature that ends in a way reminiscent of a memorable storyline in The Witcher 3: the Wild Hunt. The climax of the series, however, is more of a traditional battle against a world-conquering enemy, which feels trite. In fact, the pacing suffers as there are only six episodes to tell a larger story that doesn’t let the characters breathe.
Still, Trese is a step in the right direction.
The komiks creators Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo are the showrunners and the voice cast is also predominantly Filipino. Let’s hope the series gets better in future seasons and explores the characters in interesting ways.