It came as a surprise to me how much I ended up enjoying The Day I Loved You, given that I didn’t know much about it before I started.

The story takes place shortly before prom, when cynical troublemaker Eli (Raynold Tan) gets into trouble at school and is forced to practice for the soiree at prom. He gets assigned by the school’s guidance counsellor to work with Nikko (Tommy Alejandrino), the leader of the troupe and resident optimistic. Through the power of Tiktok dances and cute graphics (I will never shut up about the adorable animated bits in the show), the two fall in love. The situation complicates into a love triangle with Nikko’s best friend Justine (Rabin Angeles), who is quite obviously in love with Nikko, much to Eli’s chagrin.

Even beyond the complications brought on by the love triangle, all’s not well. While the show seems to indicate the prom as a sort of culmination of the story, and for all intents and purposes it is, it also takes a bittersweet turn when we learn the reason behind Nikko’s excitement for the soiree and dedication to making sure it goes off without a hitch.

(The following paragraphs contain major spoilers for the show.)

We learn close to the end of the series that Nikko suffers from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He starts to lose mobility in his limbs, thus inhibiting his movements and restricting his capability to dance. His goal of organising, or even attending the prom start to slip through his fingers. Eli goes from receiving Nikko’s endless positivity and upliftment to being the one to cheer Nikko up during his time of distress.

I loved the inclusion of disability in the storyline. It wasn’t a one-off incident that could easily get resolved over the course of an episode, but something that would stay with Nikko for the rest of his life. It was great on the part of the creators to show a disabled main character. We can always do with more diversity in storytelling in BL, including having disabled characters, and The Day I Loved You is a good step forward.

The ending I felt was a little weak compared to the rest of the show, with Nikko going to the US to receive treatment and Eli doing a monologue about how he’s going to meet Nikko again, with the latter not even showing up in the last scene despite being the main character.

Was it the best show I have ever watched? No. But did the high school crushes, strangers to friends to lovers, and love triangle with the best friend, warm my heart during a stressful few weeks? Absolutely.

Rating- 4 out of 5

Streaming on- Regal Films Entertainment YouTube Channel