I have never been a fan of any Filipino supercouple, or loveteams, until AlDub came. I was under the impression, and I still am, that formulated team ups usually lack any authenticity, which I would be discussing next time. Contrary to their contemporaries, AlDub is such a breath of fresh air with the ability to make the people feel the romance no matter where they are. Their chemistry is undeniably strong and the
kilig factor definitely transcends from the televisions to social media and computer screens.
It may sound shallow, but Alden Richard's exceptional good looks is accountable for initially attracting the fans. I also think the success of AlDub is partly due to the fact that they have this Ying and Yang energy vibe; where Maine's beauty and extraordinary charm complement Alden's physical appearance, making him godly handsome and very attractive whenever she is around. They do not even have to be standing side by side from each other, just a few inches distance on the screen is enough to invoke any kilig feelings from the viewers, which might be the reason why split screen works on them very well.
Of course, there is more to Alden other than his set of dimples deeper than the Mariana trench, or his captivating smile that can instantly make the females automatically drop their underwear and willingly say "halayin mo ako." He is a hard worker (almost bordering a workaholic actually), God-fearing, genuine, unbelievably kind, an ultimate gentleman, and undoubtedly one of the most humble celebrities around. I am not claiming that he is perfect, but he is probably the kind of guy your mother wants you to marry and have children with.
Aside from that, it is crazy how Alden manages to make millions of women to swoon. Almost everyday, I see women tweeting and claiming they can actually feel their souls leaving their human bodies on Earth at the sight of him. Then, these women eventually finally see the light at the end of tunnel, most especially, whenever he is doing romantic gestures for Maine. Without any shame, I am admitting that I am one of them. I mean, what is there not to love about seeing a guy trying to shower a woman his affection?
I noticed that most of the Filipino women are into men who have expressive traits, such as being caring and affectionate. This may be because:
(1) Since our society values the alpha barako men, represented by Robin Padilla, the boys then grow up trying to emulate traits that they believe can increase their manliness. Often, these behaviors somehow exude sexism. Nakakalalake, mataas ang ihi, at hindi Ander Da Saya. Women are expected to take care of our men, and this has been going for centuries that women eventually dream of having men who would gladly do the pampering.
(2) We are just conditioned to look for the maginoo men, as per our grandma's advice, that may be due to reasons stated in the previous paragraph. It's a cycle!
The last time I've seen a huge frenzy that rocked the Philippine Television Ratings was back in the Meteor Garden days (2003). The series bewitched the entire women population in Asia because there was Dao Ming Si, a rich and attractive man willing to give the world to Shan Cai. Shan Cai wasn't also Barbie Hsu, she was us. We were swept off our feet when Ah Si was being an all-out romantic and we couldn't help but to dream of stumbling upon a guy exactly just like him. When Shan Cai was kidnapped, he willingly volunteered as a tribute, and our hearts melted when a strong guy like him chose not to retaliate in order to protect her.
Ten years later, we did eventually stumbled upon a guy just like Dao Ming Si, and his name is Alden Richards. The guy who is willing to run along Edsa for lola's approval. The guy who is willing to swim several pools, withstand a dropping plywood, and a ridiculous long table just to see a glimpse of Yaya. The guy who is willing to be a pawn in order to make Yaya his queen. Again, there is no Yaya Dub, but there is us.
Alden's Gifts for Maine
Most importantly, Alden's real life persona (aka Richard Faulkerson Jr. / Tisoy) is very similar to the role that he is portraying in Kalyeserye. If Alden showers gifts and flowers to Yaya Dub in the baranggay, then Tisoy also does the same, more generous even. For a guy who is rumored as a kuripot, he has no qualms in giving Maine 5 gifts, each of which represents a letter of her name. On top of that, he surprised her a mini-vacation getaway to Boracay, with all expenses shouldered by him. He also leased a private plane on the way to the island to really surprise her. Don't get me wrong, it is not about how splendid this vacation was, it is all about how Alden actually gave time for Maine. This man works 7 days a week but on March 6, he set aside his work just to be with her. He showed Maine that she is also one of his top priorities.
A lot of women want to have a guy like Alden Richards not just because of the material things he can give, or how handsome he is. Rather, it is about the time and effort he commits. I think every single trait that I mentioned earlier all boils down to these two. Anything that shows how a guy chooses to allocate his time and energy for us, no matter how busy he is, makes everything romantic and kilig-worthy, because he is deliberately giving us something that's a part of himself that he cannot take back.
