Earlier this year, Ang Mutya ng Section E (also known as AMNSE, or by its English title The Jewel of Section E) took the world by storm. The teen rom-com programme is based on a series of Wattpad novels by Filipino writer Lara Flores, better known by her pseudonym Eatmore2behappy. Back in March, lead star Ashtine Olviga (Jay-jay) expressed her shock and delight upon seeing countless posts from international fans, written in foreign languages.
Some observers have said that the show’s success is a huge step forward for the Philippine entertainment industry. Unfortunately, Filipino artists and creatives often lack budget, resources, and audience support. As such, it’s pretty historic to see a Filipino TV show gain legions of local and international fans alike. It’s no wonder that Studio Viva, the company behind AMNSE, quickly renewed it for a second series.
On 15th August, Studio Viva finally released the much-awaited trailer. The clip had a special premiere in front of a live audience at Vivakarda: the Ultimate Fancon and Grand Concert, the studio’s event celebrating its successful programmes and young stars. A few hours later, the official account later posted it on X.
Apart from continuing Jay-jay’s love story with Keifer (Andres Muhlach), the second series will apparently have a much edgier tone. In series one, Jay-jay had to assert her place as the only female student in Section E, her school’s lowest, rowdiest section. However, that seems minuscule compared to the chaos that the new characters in “Dark Side” promise; they’re out for blood, guns in hand.
Award-winning actor Joko Diaz, who’s made a career out of playing villains, is Kaizer Watson, Keifer’s dad. He seems terrifying already. Nathalie Hart honours the age-old tradition of women portraying overly young mums, as Keifer’s mom Serina. (Maybe Serina was a teen mum?)
Billy Villeta (Dylan), Austin Dizon (Jason), Jeffrey Hidalgo (Andy Estrada), and Rhen Escaño (Honey Bee Ryder) were also announced. The reveal of Taneo Sebastian as Ryosuke Sato sent the concertgoers into a frenzy. Taneo is a member of ALAMAT, one of the most popular P-Pop groups right now.
In the books, Ryosuke Sato is the heir of a yakuza family. He’s on the run due to his gambling crimes. He’s set to be the rival of Yuri (Rabin Angeles), one of the show’s fan favourite characters. Besides being ALAMAT’s leader and main dancer, Taneo is also known for portraying BINI Jhoanna’s love interest in the “Maharani” music video. To this day, the video’s painful ending lingers in the hearts and minds of many.
He has also appeared in the films Expensive Candy, Marita, and Sa’yo Pa Rin Uuwi. So Taneo is definitely not new to acting, but this is his biggest role to date.
Meanwhile, the original AMNSE cast, including leads Ashtine, Andres, and Rabin, will reprise their roles in series two. Based on the trailer, Cup of Joe’s global chart-topper “Multo” (Ghost) will also be featured in its soundtrack.
The first episode of Ang Mutya ng Section E’s second series is out on VivaOne on 21st November.