ANGELA MORENA plays a half Japanese-half Filipina who goes to Japan to look for her Japanese dad in the sexy drama, “Japino”, that is now streaming on Vivamax. She ends up working as a sexy dancer in a bar.
“Shooting the movie on location in Japan is really an eye opener for me,” she says.
“Ang dami talagang gustong magpunta sa Japan not only to travel but also to work there. Maganda naman kasi talaga roon, malinis pa ang paligid.
"And once you’re there, you’d try to do anything to stay there, legally man or hindi.”
Her character is named Ayu.
“Si Ayu, she looks tough and aggressive. Akala mo, matapang talaga siya, but deep inside, she’s just longing for love and validation. Gusto niyang makita ang ama niya, so she can get legal Japanese citizenship.”
Ayu’s mom is played by Lara Morena, also a dancer.
But she has since returned home to the Philippines and Ayu is left with her boyfriend, Yuki, played by Ali Asistio, who is also a Japino looking for his own Japanese dad.
Yuki is the silent type and wants to keep his life simple. But he has his own set of problems as an illegal Filipino worker in Japan.
“Lahat ng naging OFW o nagkaroon ng kamag-anak na OFW, dapat panoorin nila ang ‘Japino’ kasi tiyak na makaka-relate sila sa mga sitwasyon at experiences namin dito as illegal migrants in Japan,” adds Angela.
“Akala mo lang masarap ang buhay roon, pero actually mahirap, kasi kinakabahan ka na anytime, baka mabuko kang wala ka palang proper documents at pabalikin na lang agad sa Pilipinas.”
