The Journey of a Nadine Lustre Fan, All the Way Back Before the Diary ng Panget Fame

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Minahal mo ba siya bilang Eya sa Diary ng Panget?  O katulad mo rin ba ako na nakilala mo na siya bilang George sa Bagets o Candice sa PS I Love You?

When everyone else was watching these Sunday afternoon teen oriented shows from the two biggest television networks in the Philippines, I was one of the few people who defied the status quo and preferred the least popular one in TV5. So, here’s my journey.

Pre-Diary ng Panget era (dito ako nagsimula maging fan ni Nadya)

I’m pretty sure most of you are not even aware that Bagets: Just Got Lucky actually existed and more importantly, this was the show that gave way to the very first set of Nadine Lustre’s fans (excluding Pop Girls). Bagets was shown simultaneously with, if I’m not mistaken, the first on-screen debut of the Kathniel love team on a defunct Sunday teen show few years ago. Coming from a hard-core ABS-CBN viewer, it was actually unusual that I was drawn to that show. I love how the sense-of-humour in it was old-school and original. Yet, I have to admit, what really hooked me to it was the character - Georgina “George” Evangelista. Yes, this ‘overachiever’ (i.e. Hermione Granger of the Harry Potter series) who looked really nerdy at the beginning and transformed into this sophisticated intelligent lady at the end, filled my Sunday afternoon habit. Since she’s a lovable character, I became interested with the young actress portraying her.

What struck me most about Nadine at first was her distinct look. It was anime-ish (or as James Reid said in an interview with Cinema One: “She looked like a Japanese anime character”) especially with her signature bangs and long black hair. Contrary to some people, I never really thought that she looked alike with any local celebrity. Her face was more similar to Japanese celebrities, at least for me. As what first time fans do, I immediately tried to find anything about her online. Aside from being artistic, she’s into Japanese food and anime. She’s born on October, like me, in the year when my younger sister was born. She’s also as smart as her character. I like that she’s not the girly-girl type. So, those facts really stuck in my head.

Nadine was paired up with AJ Muhlach (her first kiss on-screen). Yup, he was her first love team. Admittedly, I loved the whole George-Ace relationship. Their love story was such a ride because initially, George was in a romantic relationship with Josh Padilla’s character. There were a lot more diverse conflicts between George and Ace compared to the other couples in the show, like the whole dating-the-smartest-girl-in-school. Just imagine how intimidated a guy normally is with that type of girl. Of course, eventually, after everything, it was a happy ending.

I got so addicted to Bagets that I had downloaded all the episodes in my laptop and their mall shows, which I watched for the nth time even after the show ended its run. That also included pictures of Nadine at that time. I have to say, Nadine’s dancing skills and soft singing voice were undeniable. For an instance, their Best Friends Forever song mall shows performance (I even taught myself the steps for their dance) for Bagets and her fierce Nobody’s Perfect dance with AJ on the defunct Hey It’s Saberday in TV5.

When PS I Love You came along, I was so happy for Nadine because it was the biggest project she ever had. It was definitely a heavy drama unlike Bagets. Her character’s love story is Romeo and Juliet-esque. Her mother was against her relationship with AJ’s character. Nagtanan silang dalawa. Naalala ko pa yung nagpanggap siyang nahimatay sa basketball court at binuhat siya ng character ni AJ. There was also that scene by the beach that I remember. Nadine looked really sexy and darn her beach body was to die for. But that one scene that stood out was her first kissing scene.

It is funny when I think of it right now especially because MOST people assumed Nadine’s first on-screen kiss was with James Reid. That’s not the case for me and for the first generation fans of Nadine because we already knew that. Of course, I was not surprised because I bet most Filipinos were not even aware of that television drama. Yes, sadly, her role there didn’t make her famous, alongside her love team with AJ. I loved it though. I downloaded the episodes that had significant Nadine scenes. I got to watch it many times like with the Bagets era.

After PS I Love You, there were no follow-up big projects for Nadz. Yeah sure, she was still in some TV5 shows performing BUT the path of her career was uncertain. It was a huge disappointment more for her than for us, to be honest. Although in the big screen, the whole black coffee scene in Vice Ganda’s blockbuster hit Petrang Kabayo was refreshing to watch.

One day last year, I heard people were talking about this “weird” movie entitled Diary ng Panget… I already knew James back to his stint in Pinoy Big Brother and a trivia: he was not what I wanted and voted for to be the Big Winner. Then, out of the blue, I heard Nadz’ name being mentioned. I couldn’t believe it at first. I asked myself, “Is this the same Nadine that I knew in Bagets and PS I Love You?” I almost slapped myself just to make sure that I was not dreaming. When I checked, I discovered that YES it is indeed Nadine.

Diary ng Panget fame (dito ako mas lalong naging supporter ni Nadya)

The movie adaptation of this Wattpad story is not what I pictured for Nadine… this was UNEXPECTEDLY what catapulted Nadine to fame. A blockbuster hit… Diary ng Panget (DNP) made its way beyond a flop film. Considering that the pair up of Nadine and James was really launched to a nationwide audience (not in small screen, i.e. television), there was totally a higher chance for DNP to fail. Personally, I think it was definitely a risk for VIVA to give the lead roles of Eya and Cross to the then-unknown and not tested JaDine (James-Nadine) love team.

For Nadine, DNP’s fate was a make-or-break for her career. She was supposed to finish her studies if it wouldn’t work out but as we all know, the REST is history.

DNP brought a JaDine signal number 3 storm. It’s safe to say that, if not all, most of the first generation Nadine fans felt really ecstatic with all the sudden recognition. I could picture how blissful Nadz was. It’s pretty surreal. It was hard to sink it all in.

It was fun bragging to my friends that I already knew Nadine way before you did, which could be said to the people who were just beginning to know her. Years ago, I could probably count with my hands how much fans Nadz had. With DNP’s success, it absolutely grew. I also felt lucky and blessed at the same time for being her fan way before DNP. So, we are only few of those people who have seen her transitioned over the years to the NADINE LUSTRE that she is today.

I have to commend Nadz family, relatives, closest friends, and (more active than me) fans who were with her all the way especially through the toughest times. If there’s one thing that I regret as a supporter of Nadine, it would be the fact that I was not very active online before. I just had my own self - fan-girling. If only I had interacted with the first generation Nadine fans, it could have been much more fun now.      

Was Nadine an overnight success with DNP?

I heard critics (and non-fans) say that she’s an overnight success. If you define “overnight” success, I don’t think that’s the case with Nadine. I’d only agree IF and ONLY IF DNP was Nadz’ very first chance to make it big in the entertainment industry. But NO. She was in Bagets for three seasons as one of the leads and then in PS I Love You. Despite of these projects Nadine was still not popular, though she had built a very small fan base. DNP itself was not an assurance for Nadz’ sought after breakthrough. Prior to DNP, her career was a “lifetime flop”, then all of a sudden just because of this movie, she was suddenly tagged as an “overnight success”. This is sort of disregarding the supporters that she already had way before DNP. I’d like to think that it’s important to build that foundation… she did that. DNP was only a conduit for it to flourish, which is exactly happening right now.

Is she merely a copy-cat?

How should I even say it? When I’ve known Nadine, as I have said in the beginning, I didn’t think she looked similar to any female celebrities especially before DNP. I agree that it’s definitely flattering for her to be compared to someone really famous but it doesn’t mean that it’s whom she should be identified with. I assume she was loved in DNP because she portrayed the character so well, not because people were curious of this supposedly “copy-cat”. Even at the present, I will never understand the need for all the comparisons. They have their own niche. It’s also not okay for their supporters to pit them against each other. You can be a fan of Nadine without bashing or hating the other one, and vice versa. Remember RESPECT101. It’s sad to see that morality disappears because of crazy obsess fantards. Certainly, as a supporter of Nadz, you won’t see me posting hateful remarks about any other female celebrities. If I’m not a fan of them, I am not obliged to spend my time on them. I’d rather focus every positive feeling that I have on Nadine and try to ignore the negative ones. If you have nothing good to say, it’s absolutely an educated, civilized, classy, and mature way to shut up. Why not spread the love instead?

Let me count thy ways why I love Nadine… mapa-physical man yan and way beyond that, which what matters most:

1.    She’s a ray of sunshine

·         Nadine’s personality as the ugly but funny Eya in DNP is as close as it gets. Of course, she’s not ugly but she’s totally funny. She’s fun to have around because her energy, hyperactivity and laughter are contagious. I’d probably run to Nadine if I feel down because I’m sure she’ll cheer me up with her silly antics. She exudes positivity and good vibes.

2.    She’s not maarte. Well, obviously because she’s not the girly-type and more like “one-of-the-boys” type.

·         Nadine’s simplicity gives of the approachable-vibe. Most often than not, when a celebrity is super girly-girl, a snob-vibe (sosyal na hindi maabot) is pretty evident to us non-celebrities. It’s rather much more fun to hang-out with someone who prefers mundane activities like playing video games and staying at home than partying in clubs late at night and indulging in spoiled-brat-like activities.

3.    She’s been a responsible daughter and eldest child

·         Instead of asking for her parents’ money to buy stuffs that she wants as a teenager, during her career pre-DNP, she would use the money that she had earned. She now pays for the bills of their home utilities and the tuition fees and allowances of her siblings, even though she doesn’t need to actually do that much since her Dad is an engineer.

4.    She’s into anything Japanese

·         I’m seriously a Japanophile myself, so she’s into anime and Japanese food as much as I am. It’d be like a dream come true to explore Japan sometime in the future. She reads Japanese magazines and I’m pretty sure she’s knowledgeable with Nihonggo enough that she understands it. I, on the other hand, had a Japanese language subject and I enjoyed it so much. If I remember correctly, back before DNP, she was also into cosplaying. That would explain the whole Nadine anime-like look pre-DNP… the bangs and long black hair, which I am missing right now.

5.    We both love Katy Perry.

·         The fact that she is one of her favourite foreign artists. She also loves her Katy Perry Killer Queen perfume. That’s probably the only one that she uses.

6.     She’s very family-oriented and she’s a homebody.

·         Like duh! She would die for her family. With the current generation, that’s not usual. She’d rather chill at home with her family than go out if it’s not really necessary.

7.    She’s artistic

·         I love the fact that she draws and paints. It’s like at another level of her repertoire especially when we think of all the young female celebrities in the industry. This is one of the reasons why she really shines as Nadine, as herself. It’s very distinct that I’m sure you won’t dare compare her to those she’s being pitted against. It’s very visual.

8.    She’s smart. She speaks articulately. She knows how to communicate well.

·         Watching Nadine’s interviews, you’d see how she takes some time to process the questions. Hindi kagaya ng iba na natatarantang sumagot kaya madalas napapahamak. She gives logical and honest answers. When she does, she sounds really smart especially when she speaks English. Sa iba kasi, kapag narinig nating mag-English, nagmumukhang maarte, sosyal, nagmamagaling o kaya trying hard. In her case, she expresses it articulately, with the enunciation and diction and all that… in a way that doesn’t seem nagmamagaling or that she’s trying too hard to impress. Often, we also see that she’s always on the rescue when the press asks difficult questions that would caught her and James off guard while he would be lost for words.

9.     She’s down-to-earth

·         With the success of DNP, Nadine still needed kurot just to make sure it’s real. I’d say the best proof of how she is to her supporters would be the Pre-DNP days. It was during the time that she was still not a household name. She was more like a kabarkada that bonds with them, as in literally the same one that you have with you. When I think of it now, I’m envious that I didn’t get that chance before because it’d be pretty hard to get that kind of time with her now since she’s been busy and working hard. I wish I was there before all the fame that she has now. Though I’m definitely sure that if she’s not working, and her supporters get the opportunity, she’d spend her free time with us. It’d be like hanging-out with your best buddy. Even the way I see it now, you don’t get intimidated by her. You’d want to approach her and you would know she’ll give you the warmest hug ever. She would not only talk to you but she’d also engage in a conversation.

10. She has matured into a fine lady

·         The way she handles her bashers and the issues being thrown at her and James, it’s so classy and graceful. It’s not only on how she acts but even her mind set too. This fame that she’s having… she values it so much that she’ll put her love life in the back burner. She knows this is an opportunity not to be wasted. She treasures it because she has learned from the past. As a fan, I’m all for that. Love can wait.

11. She’s an inspiration. She’s lovable.

·         The goodness in Nadine is overflowing that you’d be inspired to do and be good. With her, it feels so easy. You’d admire and love her. As a parent, you’d want a daughter like Nadine. As an aspiring singer, performer or artist, you’d want to be like Nadine. As a sibling, you’d want to be like Nadine. As a friend, you’d want to be like Nadine.

12. She’s sporty.

·         When she was young, she was into ballet and gymnastics. She had to stop skate boarding after she got her head hurt. She was afraid she might get into a more serious accident because of it. She’s into boxing and she seems good at it. She works out in the gym, which leads to number 13.

13. She has a fit body. She’s not skinny.

·         One of Nadine’s best physical assets would be her figure. She’s also not too small or too tall. Her height compliments her toned body. Darn, her waist, which leads to number 14.

14. She’s sexy, fierce and hot.

·         Nadine’s turning 22 this year… So, I guess it is okay to say that, since she’s not minor, she has an unspoken sex appeal. This is given the fact that in her generation, there aren’t that much you can name who fits that category especially because most of them have this “wholesome, sweet, goody-two-shoes, teeny-bopper” image. Though they might try to dress sexy and look hot sometimes, it seems rather awkward. They couldn’t pull it off as natural as Nadine. I’m a girl but I have witnessed even before DNP this kind of allure from her. Her picture by the beach with that short shorts and top, and her stare just lingers in my mind. It kills me every time. I tell you, it’s effortless. If I had been a guy, I’ll definitely drool over her hotness. Maybe this is far fetch, and it certainly is not a priority, but I wouldn’t be surprise if one day she will be declared as the sexiest in the country. Yup, I’m not kidding.

15. She still looks sophisticated even when she dresses edgy.

·         For example, when one wears a dress with plunging neck line… yung tipong konti na lang eh masisilipan ka na, hindi magmumukhang madumi kung si Nadine ang magsusuot. Kung sa likod naman, kaya niyang dalhin. Yung mukhang classy at hindi bastos. The problem for others is they try too hard even if they actually look cheap. With Nadine, she can do that because may ipapakita naman siya talaga and those are her assets. Kahit gaano mang kaiksi yung dress o shorts o skirt, she can pull it off because she has sexy legs. She’s tall, but if she had been taller: DAMN Miss Universe material ang peg ni Nadya. I’ll wait for that time when she wears two piece bikini, not that I demand and it’s not a problem if it will not happen. Tignan ko lang kung hindi ma-blown away ang kalalakihan.   

16. She’s a darn good dancer.

·         With Pop Girls and Hey It’s Saberday, I saw an astig Nadine on the dance floor. I was so used to seeing her dance hip-hop and the likes (i.e. Nobody’s Perfect with AJ Muhlach). Yes, she slayed it. I missed that so much not until I saw her dance to her “Me and You” song in the music video. Even the choreographers from G-force were amazed at how fast she learned the steps, probably because they were not aware that she was that good of a dancer. When she performed “Me and You” in ASAP, she did a clear statement. DAMN how fierce she was.

17. She has a distinct soft singing voice. (ahem SBS Pop Asia Titanium Award)

·         It is funny how her critics, or should I say haters, point out that she’s not a singer and she sucks at it. I guess they’re blinded by their hatred or insecurities. At least she doesn’t need AUTOTUNE. Admittedly, she is the type of singer who doesn’t belt out but she can GENUINELY work on hitting the high notes and work her way through it even if it doesn’t sound as strong and powerful as the singers with big vocals. I can be proud as her supporter that she can sing LIVE. I mean, it’s okay to settle the comparison, if there really is, through a singing battle LIVE so we can finally declare who really sucks at it. I’m confident with Nadine. I’ll bet my own life for it. She’s a LEGIT singer who has legit good songs that became hits, yung maraming na-LSS talaga, not because it solely became a hit because the fans patronized it even if the package is bad. Again, I’m proud that Nadya and Hayme are LEGIT OPM artists. “No Erase” is critically acclaimed. It’s of quality. Hindi yung mga kanta na nandiyan para lang kumita. And of course, “Sa Ibang Mundo” with Kean Cipriano is another acclaimed legit OPM song.  (Ilang beses ko na bang ginamit yung word na LEGIT? Nakakarami na ako ah! May gusting patunayan lang.) If gusto niyo makinig nung Pre-DNP days ni Nadine, i-try niyo yung Friend of Mine duet nila ni Aj Muhlach para sa Bagets.

18. She’s a total performer.

·         When she’s on stage, singing and dancing come together for Nadine. That’s how a performer should be. She’s multifaceted and has a lot to offer. As an audience, I would want to be entertained by someone who isn’t one-dimensional because if I did, I’d certainly be bored. Where’s the thrill?

19. She’s an actress… more so in romantic comedy than drama.

·         Nadine’s on-screen comedic skill in DNP was on-the-spot. It was mainly because of that why it became the cherry-on-top for DNP’s appeal (aside from James’ abs, of course) to the mass. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if she’s being stereotyped with romantic comedies. With it, she becomes more effective as an actress. I don’t know about you but even dramatic actresses say that it’s actually harder to portray roles in comedy than in drama. Why? Making people cry is different from making them laugh. What takes more effort to pull off? To be honest, and this is without a bias as a fan, Nadine has a LOT more to go with dramatic roles. This is where she struggles most as an actress. Even with PS I Love You, it was hard to watch her on-screen during dramatic scenes. Parang wala siyang mahugot talaga. This is definitely what she’s trying to improve. I know she’ll be better. She’s a hard worker. Maybe she could try to channel her emotions differently. Through time, I know she will kill it. I love that she knows her weakness and is not afraid to admit it to people.

20. “I’m proud of being me”

·         She is who she is. I know it sounds cliché but she’s genuine. You could tell a celebrity if she is pretentious and Nadine is not one of them. I’d be lucky to be her friend.  

Nadine Alexis Paguia Lustre

It’s amazing to see how Nadine transitioned from being an unknown to being who she is now. She is a testament of two things: 1. Your time will come… you just have to wait for it patiently. Giving up on your dream is never an option. 2. You may not have succeeded at first… that doesn’t mean you already lost your chance. When you do have another opportunity, seize it and never let it go.  

She deserves all the success. I am excited to watch how her journey will continue to unfold. It’d be a roller coaster ride but I’m sure in every rise and drop, she has not only her family and friends but every single one of her fans to back her up. We got her no matter what it is. Her fan base, along with JaDine, is a force to reckon with in the entertainment industry at the present. You can’t just brush us off.

Dear Nadya, I would still love to see your anime-ish look someday because I miss it so much. Ilang beses ko na bang nasabing na-mimiss ko yun? Just tell me when you go to Japan for vacation because I’d love to tag along. We love you. Stay as awesome as you are. God bless us all!

Yours truly, Fan