It's probable Liza Soberano has outgrown her ABiaS-CBN brat days. I normally don't update on her. However, her turn where she actually explores South Korea shows that systems DO shape behavior. A recent incident of apologies to her, about her comment on love teams made me think "She must be growing up."
I'd like to throw back to an incident in 2023. Liza also mentioned that the love team culture is toxic as people expect them to be a couple on and off the camera.
In an interview with South Korean singers Ashley Choi and BTOB's Peniel for their "Get Real" podcast, Liza briefly mentioned the controversy that came after her rebranding.
Peniel asked if she was OK with talking about it, which led to the discussion about love teams.
"We're supposed to be a real couple on and off cam, and we only work with each other for our whole career," Liza said about love teams in the Philippines.
She compared it to Hollywood stars like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, as well as Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens.
"In love teams, you're expected to just be with that one person throughout your career and in your personal life and, like, people don't wanna see you aside with another male actor or any other male in general," Liza said.
During the interview, Ashley asked if Liza got to choose the actor in her love team.
"What happens in the beginning of your career is they kind of test you, they put you in a project together where you guys are not necessarily the leads, and it's kind of like a chemistry test," Liza said.
"And if it becomes popular amongst the viewers, then they put you in your own movie or TV show. And if that really takes off, then you become a love team. You get shipped really hard," she continued.
Ashley went on to ask Liza what happens if the love team actors aren't dating in real life.
"Some love teams don't actually date in real life, but you're not allowed to say that," Liza said.
"The thing is, in the beginning of your love team, too, you're not allowed to say that you are dating because you want to keep the fans kind of hungry for you guys to actually be dating, and it helps with the projects because they're always excited," Liza added.
Liza said love teams have existed in the Philippines for a long time since around the '70s or '80s.
"Whenever we do, like, interviews, going into the projects, they're always asking about, like, whether we're dating already—officially dating or not—and so, it becomes this whole thing where your career and personal life kind of—the lines between the two get kind of blurred, and people just don't know what reality is," Liza added.
"And in the Philippines, the only way to become a really big star really, if you're not a singer, is to be in a love team," she said.
This reminds me of how love teams phased out in countries that used to have them. For example, the Taiwanese entertainment industry had love teams during the older days -- like Chin Han when he was matched up with Brigitte Lin several times (they had an eight-year gap, Chin Han being older) and later with Leanne Liu (he was 13 years older, some Filipinos initially mistook her as Daoming Feng's actress Zhen Xiuzhen).
The era changed, and things changed. When Meteor Garden (2001) became the thing -- it broke the barrier of the insular Chinoy Community to a much higher level. Meteor Garden (2001) was dubbed in Tagalog for the Pinoy audience. Some people (and I, myself included) were hoping that Jerry Yan and the late Barbie Xu would have become a love team. However, that didn't happen and it was probably for the best. The love team culture can be more counterproductive than productive.
Once again, salutations to Liza for emotionally growing up!
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