‘Challenge din yun sa amin!’: Jane de Leon, Janella Salvador are willing to do Girls Love series
ABS-CBN’s superhero drama Darna is airing its series finale in a few weeks, and fans are already clamoring for a follow-up for show stars Jane de Leon and Janella Salvador.
Specifically, it seems like fans want Jane and Janella to do a Girls Love series—or a show that depicts romantic attraction between women. This is after some viewers of the show noted the chemistry between the two in Darna despite playing characters who are rivals in previous iterations of the popular Pinoy superhero media. Fans even have a ship name for the two: “Darlentina” (based on Darna and Valentina, their characters on the show) and JaneNella (Jane and Janella).
During the press conference of the finale of Darna on Jan. 30, Jane and Salvador said they’re willing to do a Girls Love or sapphic romance series, possibly with each other.
“Of course, why not?” Janella said when asked about it.
Meanwhile, Jane said: “Why not? Pero sana maganda talaga yung story. Kasi it’s all about the craft din naman, di ba kasi artist din kami. So challenge din yun sa amin, if ever."
Jane and Janella are thankful for the fan support, saying it was unexpected. “Doon sa mga fans, sobrang ‘yun nga, lagi naming sinasabi na talagang unexpected na sumabog ‘yung Darlentina and JaneNella, especially sa panahon ngayon. Hindi naman natin inaakala na mangyayari,” Jane said. “Grabe ‘yung pagmamahal na binigay niyo sa aming dalawa ni Janella.”
In an interview after the press conference, Janella reiterated being open to doing a Girls Love show with Jane.
“I think it would matter a lot of the community simply because wala pa ngang magandang representation for that aspect. Kaya open ako and wiling ako. Wholeheartedly I would do it,” Janella explained. “Gusto lang nilang marepresent ng maayos. Hindi yung matreat siya na something. They want to belong. So I think we should normalize.”
LGBT-themed shows have emerged in local media the past couple of years, including shows that depict sapphic romance such as Pearl Next Door starring Adrianna So, Iana Bernandez, and Rachel Coates and, more recently, the iWantTFC series Sleep With Me starring Janine Gutierrez and Lovi Poe.