Trese Trese

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Trese: The story behind the dubbing

What the process was like
All images courtesy of Netflix

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Much has been said about the dubbing work of the Netflix Animé series Trese. Everyone from showrunner Jay Oliva, Filipino voice talent Inka Magnaye, and that random Facebook friend you don’t really talk to anymore has weighed in.

We’re not going to get into details of what people have said. We’re sure there’s no shortage of that on social media. Rather, we’re here to explore what transpired in how the show came to be. Netflix arranged a media conference with the following key figures in the series:

  • Tanya Yuson — Series writer and co-producer
  • Wes Gleason — English cast and voice director
  • Rudolf Baldonado Jr. — Filipino voice director

English first 

Trese

The observation we made from our ‘What to expect’ article proved to be true. The whole series was indeed first dubbed in English and was then translated to Filipino and other languages later.

This was one of the many challenges that Baldonado Jr. had to deal with in translating the material to Filipino.

“What we got was already finished work. So the casting process for us is a little different because we had to consider who did the original first — what were the characters that they molded through their voices. And then, how the animators matched it with the visuals,” said the Filipino voice director.

“The Filipino dub had to be cast according to how they (English cast) started it.” 

There were also a few terms that didn’t exactly have a direct Tagalog translation. Baldonado Jr. cites the word “Underworld” which loosely translates to “Impyerno.” In the context of the series, “Impyerno” doesn’t exactly capture how “Underworld” was used as the place where all the monsters and ghouls came from.

This is also the reason why it’s primarily called the Filipino version. Because the team pulled from other languages in the country which fits the context of the words used in English better.

Does the Emissary give you an eerie feeling?

Working with Liza Soberano

Naturally, these same challenges applied to Liza Soberano who played Alexandra Trese in the Filipino version. Soberano was very much aware of her voice quality, tone, and twang according to Baldonado Jr.

“She knows where she’s coming from and she knows what she needs to work on,” said Baldonado Jr. “She was trying to focus on three things (voice, language skills in Filipino, and acting).”

Baldonado Jr., who is a 23-year veteran in the localization and voice dubbing industry, provided exercises for Soberano to address all these. The pair aimed for a voice with a lower register and one that sounded more stiff which, the voice director said, was in contrast with Soberano’s natural tone.

The voice director was very much aware of the criticisms online. But he remained cheerful and positive throughout the media conference. However, he lamented that he wished he had more time to polish the work with Soberano.

What’s up with all the accents? 

Noticeable in the English version is the variety of accents by the characters. Shay Mitchell, who played Alexandra Trese in the English dub, mostly maintained her American accent. But the rest of the cast added more to the mix. Series writer and co-producer Tanya Yuson and English voice director Wes Gleason said this was by design.

“The accents vary, I think, as we found a neutral, what we call ‘Manila accent’, but that’s because our melting pot is from different people with different backgrounds,” said Gleason.

“Some of their relatives or references might have been a little stronger with an accent or a little more in one region than the other. So, I think our show kind of shows that diversity, and hopefully in a good way,” he added.

Yuson backs up the melting pot analogy.

“It’ll be the first time an international audience would hear, on a wide platform, English spoken with that flavor,” said Yuson.

“It would be weirder to me if it’s in English language set in Manila and then you have, either it’s very American or British. The diversity for accents in Manila, anyway, is a lot… we wanted to present that in a way that’s also accessible to an international audience,” she added.

Strength behind a Filipino cast

The influence of the Filipino cast for the English version didn’t stop with just the accents. Everyone from Manny Jacinto (The Good Place) to Lou Diamond Philipps (La Bamba) pulled from stories from their relatives and loved ones about Philippine folklore involved to bring the characters to life.

Authenticity was the primary driving force in the casting decisions. That’s on top of the voices fitting the characters according to Gleason.

“A lot of the actors had familiarity with the folklore in the Philippines. They were coming in with tales of their mothers scaring them. The mananngals, the tiyanaks, the duwende, all these things. Everyone had their own little tale to tell.”

Gleason, who naturally had to do his research on the folklore, leaned on the casts’ experiences to help shape the voice direction.

“Anyone who had that background but was also giving us great options for the read, we gravitated towards them.”

A few more fun nuggets from the conference

Manny Jacinto, who plays Maliksi, may have initially read for Crispin and Basilio as hinted by Gleason.

“He (Jacinto) read for a different role that he was cast for. We heard his approach on one character, or characters — that’s not a spoiler — and hearing that just felt like this role was a better fit.”

Darren Criss (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Glee) was very excited to be part of the cast even telling Gleason, “How can I not be a part of this? My mother would kill me if I’m not a part of this!”

Tanya Yuson said working with just six (6) episodes was pretty challenging. The ideal number of episodes could have gone anywhere from eight (8) to 22. However, they made sure that even with just six episodes, they could set-up the world and still have a satisfying ending.

Watch Trese on Netflix.

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The internet is thirsting over the One Piece Season 2 cast

And honestly, fair

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March 12, 2026

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Netflix One Piece Season 2

Clips from One Piece Season 2 are circulating across TikTok, Threads, and X — and the internet has reached a very clear conclusion.

Screenshots of Zoro, Nami, Luffy, and Miss All Sunday have been circulating widely online.

This cast is aggressively attractive.

One Threads post even asked the question outright: “Why is the One Piece cast aggressively attractive?” Judging by the reactions online, plenty of fans seem more than happy to investigate.

And after watching the new season ourselves, we can confirm: yes, the viral moments making the rounds online are very real.

Zoro continues to be the internet’s favorite

A big chunk of the viral clips revolve around Mackenyu as Zoro.

Specifically, a scene where the swordsman appears shirtless — showing off a physique that fans immediately began thirst-posting about across social media.

It’s the kind of moment that practically feels engineered for screenshots. Stoic expression. Scarred swordsman energy. Abs fully visible.

Naturally, the internet noticed.

Luffy gets his Hollywood abs moment

Even Iñaki Godoy gets a similar viral moment.

One circulating clip shows Luffy wearing nothing but a towel, with his abs in full view. Fans quickly clipped the scene and began sharing it across social platforms.

Godoy himself seems aware of the moment. In one interview clip now floating around online, the actor joked that he might as well enjoy the “Hollywood abs” moment now — since his next role might just have him playing a regular guy.

Fair point.

@lyn_ching7 Have you seen shirtless LUFFY yet? Prepare for his “12 pack” ⚔️😁 @Netflix Philippines @Netflix @onepiecenetflix #onepiece #netflix #netflixph ♬ original sound – Ms. Lyn Ching

The internet also noticed Miss All Sunday

Another character generating plenty of reactions online is Miss All Sunday, also known to fans as Nico Robin.

Trailer comments posted by Netflix quickly filled up with reactions from viewers pointing out the character’s striking appearance — including jokes asking why her chest looked so prominent in the preview.

Other fans quickly pushed back, asking the obvious question: why complain?

Nami might be winning the internet

Still, the character that seems to be getting the biggest reaction online is Nami.

Clips and screenshots of Emily Rudd wearing a tiny red bra have been circulating widely, with fans praising both the character’s look and Rudd’s screen presence.

The scene is brief, but it clearly made an impression.

And judging by the number of screenshots floating around online, a lot of viewers had the exact same reaction.

Some people tuned in out of curiosity.

Others may have tuned in after seeing those screenshots.

Honestly, fair.

Either way, the viral clips are real — and they’re all pulled directly from the new season.

One Piece Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

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Entertainment

Samurai Champloo is getting a live-action adaptation

The adaptation is coming from One Piece’s Tomorrow Studios.

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March 11, 2026

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The live-action One Piece, which recently premiered its second season on Netflix, is one of the rare wins for the anime adaptation segment, especially after a string of misfires. Now, after the success of that series, things are getting bolder. Tomorrow Studios, which produced Netflix’s One Piece, will adapt Samurai Champloo into a live-action format.

Still from the brilliant mind of Shinichirō Watanabe, Samurai Champloo is often touted as the samurai version of Watanabe’s more popular Cowboy Bebop but with a more cohesive story and a hipper soundtrack. Since its first airing over two decades ago, the series has enjoyed a cult following, especially for those who enjoyed Cowboy Bebop.

First reported by Variety, Tomorrow Studios will adapt the show into a live-action series. Critically, Watanabe will be involved in the show’s production.

Because the show is still in early development, there’s no news beyond that. In fact, though it’s likely that Netflix will pick the series up, Tomorrow Studios hasn’t shopped the series to platforms yet.

Samurai Champloo is going to be a huge gamble for the studio. Previously, Tomorrow Studios crashed and burned with its Cowboy Bebop adaptation, which ended up getting canned soon after its premiere. Watanabe even criticized the series for changing the plot too much.

This time, however, Watanabe has given his blessing and will likely steer the adaptation to success. The studio has also promised an adaptation more faithful to the original’s story and soundtrack. Both of which were crucial to the original show’s success.

SEE ALSO: One Piece: Into the Grand Line unveils final trailer ahead of premiere

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Entertainment

ARTMS Heejin shows KPop concert day through Ray-Ban Meta glasses

Heejin films concert POV

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March 11, 2026

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ARTMS Heejin | Ray-Ban Meta

What does a KPop concert look like from the idol’s perspective? Heejin of ARTMS gives fans exactly that.

In a short Instagram Reel filmed using Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, the ARTMS member records an entire concert day from her point of view — from backstage moments to standing on stage in front of hundreds of fans.

The clip begins with Heejin showing off the Ray-Ban Meta glasses before putting them on. She then continues vlogging on her phone while already wearing the smart glasses, casually demonstrating how the wearable camera fits into her usual routine.

From there, the Reel jumps through several moments leading up to the show. We see Heejin signing what appear to be albums for the concert, followed by a quick meal before rehearsals begin.

At one point, she even chats with staff members who seem curious about the Ray-Ban Meta glasses she’s wearing.

Then the highlight arrives.

The perspective suddenly shifts to the stage.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by HEEJIN (@0ct0ber19)

From Heejin’s POV, the crowd stretches across the venue while she performs alongside her fellow ARTMS members. There’s a quick glimpse of choreography while she’s still wearing the glasses — offering fans a rare look at what performing in front of thousands of people actually feels like.

The Reel winds down with the group bowing to the audience as the concert ends.

Finally, the video returns to the same visual from the opening. Heejin lies down on a bed, mirroring the start of the day — a quiet signal that the long concert schedule has finally wrapped.

There are a few fancams too showing the day Heejin wearing the glasses while performing on stage.

 

@seoshu heejin with glasses… I NEED HER #artmsinlondon #heejin #artms #grandclubicarus ♬ original sound – vro

 

@yvessyih i’m a sucker for nerds💔 heejin i love u #heejin #loona #artms #fyp #kpop @Official ARTMS ♬ Drunk in love – Megan ★

From LOONA to ARTMS

For longtime fans, Heejin needs little introduction.

She first debuted in 2016 as the very first member of LOONA, a group known for its ambitious storytelling and global fanbase.

Following LOONA’s restructuring, Heejin went on to become part of ARTMS, a project group that reunites several former members while continuing their creative direction.

Moments like this Reel give fans a small but personal glimpse into that journey — this time through the lens of smart glasses.

What the Ray-Ban Meta glasses actually do

The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are wearable smart glasses created by Meta in collaboration with Ray-Ban.

They feature a built-in ultra-wide camera, microphones, and open-ear speakers that allow users to capture photos and videos completely hands-free.

Because the camera sits directly in the frame, the footage naturally captures a first-person perspective — exactly the kind of viewpoint that makes Heejin’s Reel feel so immersive.

Instead of watching a concert from the audience, viewers briefly experience what it’s like to be the person standing on stage.

A new perspective for fans

POV videos aren’t new online, but using smart glasses to capture a full concert day adds a new layer to behind-the-scenes content.

For a few moments, fans aren’t just watching the performance.

They’re seeing it through the idol’s eyes.

And for longtime fans who first met Heejin during her early days in LOONA, the moment carries a little extra weight.

From debut stages to a new chapter with ARTMS, the view has changed — but the stage is still the same.

Now the real question is: Which idol would you want to see try this next?

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