On a warm Wednesday afternoon in Makati, I found myself talking to Ylona Garcia about the most peculiar topic: Naruto.
“This is my role model in life,” she gushes about the titular character of her childhood show. We were 40 minutes into our conversation, chatting in the dressing room of BJ Pascual’s studio as a whirlwind of preparations happened around us. Clothes were picked out and hung, cheek kisses were thrown around in greeting, and the space was charged with pre-shoot tension.
Seated in the makeup chair in sweats and a plain blue shirt tied into a crop top, Ylona grins at me with a bare face as she talks about the fictional character, unfazed by the maelstrom behind her. “When I was growing up, [I loved] his perseverance and belief in himself even when others thought he was just plain stoops,” she laughs.
The Japanese manga series was, and still is, a worldwide phenomenon. Naruto is the fourth best-selling manga of all time, and is an international success with its English volumes reaching USA Today and New York Times bestseller status multiple times.
The reason might be that at its core, Naruto is an inspirational coming-of-age story that transcends cultural borders. A boy staying true to himself on a journey that provided many opportunities to do the opposite. In the end, Naruto’s reward for his resilience is being able to claim his destiny. It’s a story that resonates with Ylona, considering her steadfast approach to her larger-than-life dreams.
Denne historien er fra January - March 2020-utgaven av Scout.
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Denne historien er fra January - March 2020-utgaven av Scout.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Girl of the year
After years on hiatus, 17-year-old Ylona Garciaa has found her way back to her first love: music
Walking on a Tightrope
The Binisaya Film Festival grew from pop-up screenings in beaches, rooftops, basements and basketball courts. How did founder Keith Deligero go against the tide?
URBAN DISRUPTION
As street art falls into the trap of commercialism, collectives like koloWn of Cebu reclaim urban spaces through works that dare to disrupt
Take no prisoners
At 13 years old, Alex Bruce has already built a name for herself in the local hip-hop scene
Paperback dreams
As print was beginning its decline, we were passionate, young creatives who wanted to resuscitate publishing—even if it meant making our own magazines
Putting the spotlight on the South
Run by DJs, MCs and dancers, Laguna Hip-hop is ready to break borders with their growing community
Bekiand the great Gay language
Our local gay lingo is radical in nature
Baybayin: a renewal through art
Filipino-American Baybayin artist Kristian Kabuay talks about Baybayin as a didactic art form that bridges past and present
Wild card
Marco Gallo never dreamt of becoming an actor, so why is he working hard to be the best one out there?
Postcards after the drug war
It went from promises to end illegal drugs in three to six months, to countless protests from human rights activists, and a vice president appointed and (eventually fired) to head the government’s campaign on illegal drugs.
