Review: Elmo Magalona and Janella Salvador's 'Born For You' Pilot Week

I have to admit, I went to the special screening of Born For You‘s pilot week thinking it would be a teeny bopper series. I guess I was too attached to the 14-year old “Nikki” (Janella Salvador) I loved in Be Careful with My Heart and “Sophie” in Oh My G!. To my surprise (and fascination), I saw a totally different side of Janella in this new offering by ABS-CBN and Dreamscape Entertainment. She has successfully dropped the rich, carefree, kikay, and sometimes bratty stereotype in her past roles. To add to that, she and Elmo Magalona (a.k.a ElNella) who exudes that mysterious and crushable vibe in the new series have that unexplainable and effortless chemistry. There’s no need for them to hold hands or kiss to induce kilig. For me, their compatibility lies in being strikingly different at first impression but you’ll soon discover how they are alike in so many ways. Their mere presence next to each other can give you the giddy feels that you’ll find yourself anticipating what’s going to happen next. It also helps a lot that they are working within a powerful story that perfectly matches their shared love for music in reel and real life (Yup, there’s a showcase of the pair’s musical talents to look forward to!). Additionally, the colorful and endearing characters of Desmond (Ogie Diaz) and Mica (Joj Agpangan) are sure to bring life and comic relief. 🙂

Without leaking spoilers, just watch out for Sam (Janella Salvador) and Kevin‘s (Elmo Magalona) surprise encounters and the beautiful Japan sceneries. This early, I’m not afraid to say Born For You is going to be a hit! Remember how Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil (LizQuen) made a mark as one of the country’s hottest loveteams via Forevermore? Well, while watching them onscreen, anyone could tell ElNella is on its way there to join LizQuen, JaDine, KathNiel, and KimXi in the ranks. Let me know if you think so too. Catch the must-watch episodes of the pilot week starting June 20.