STREAMING service iflix’s new series, Beauty and the Boss, tells a love story from the point of view of the male protagonist which serves as a refreshing twist though the story (based on its first episode) still has the hallmarks of a typical romantic comedy.

Beauty and the Boss, directed by James Mayo, starts streaming for free on iflix with new episodes dropping every week. The story follows Rafa (played by Gino Roque IV), a cafe owner and chef who wants to gain the approval of his business-minded family and Stella, a hardworking, go-getter who applies to work at the cafe.

“We have been very busy coming up with a significant number of originals, [for] this year and the next year. But for 2020, we are so excited to bring you Beauty and the Boss… [this] is a fresh take on love and life from the point of view of a man or a boy,” Anna Ysabel F. Driz, director and head of advertising sales at iflix Philippines, said in a press conference on Oct. 29 held via Zoom.

She added that the series has a very “Gen Z” and “very millennial” treatment as the series “brings back the feeling of being in love and it gives you that whole sense of melancholy.”

Beauty and the Boss was supposed to shoot normally earlier this year, but when the COVID-19 lockdowns started, they had to shift to doing lockdown shoots to complete the series, which, according to its director, helped the series proceed with more focus as they had to “complete everything within a 12-hour workday.”

During the press conference, the media were given a sneak preview of the first episode and in a word, the series is charming: the cute, fairy-tale-like interior design of the cafe lends itself to what can be assumed is the fairy tale love story of Rafa and Stella.

Rafa, despite being described in the first few minutes as a strict, no-nonsense cafe owner, immediately shifts into a lovesick puppy in front of Stella, who, in her defense, can really charm the socks off her boss and customers alike.

Not much is given away in the entire story but for those looking for a lighthearted watch that seems like it will not have too much drama, Beauty and the Boss can be it.

Beauty and the Boss premieres for free on iflix starting Nov. 6, 5 p.m. — ZB Chua

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