059: friends, forgotten island, + the family we choose

Written by nins & arns

This week, we're getting into friendship of all kinds with the iconic sitcom Friends and the DreamWorks 2026 animated film Forgotten Island.

First, Nins takes us through the FRIENDS Experience in New York City, sharing why Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey, and Ross feel like her friends, too. We revisit the sitcom's most memorable scenes, unforgettable storylines, and emotional series finale, exploring why comfort shows can feel like chosen family.

Arns then dives into Forgotten Island, the DreamWorks film celebrating Filipino culture, friendship, and mythology. From Filipino folklore to the film's (overwhelmingly specific) cultural details, she unpacks what it means to see Filipino stories on a major screen. And beneath the magic lies a bigger lesson: the people we love don't have to hold us back—they can make us soar.

From one of the world's most beloved sitcoms to the first Filipino-inspired major Hollywood animated feature, these stories remind us that friendship is more than being together; it's being seen, remembered, supported, and loved, even as life takes us in different directions.

SPOILER ALERT: full discussion of pivotal scenes and storylines in Friends + Forgotten Island.

Referenced in this episode:

Chapters

  • 0:00 - preview

  • 5:01 - arns' rec: krave beauty

  • 8:10 - nins: the magic of FRIENDS

  • 9:41 - visiting the FRIENDS experience in nyc

  • 11:37 - c-c-c-context on FRIENDS

  • 23:21 - the most iconic FRIENDS moments

  • 30:25 - the FRIENDS finale + saying goodbye

  • 33:07 - why FRIENDS is the ultimate comfort show

  • 42:29 - arns: forgotten island + the cast and characters

  • 51:07 - filipino folklore + the magic of nakali island

  • 56:16 - forgotten island's hyper-specific filipino details

  • 1:06:36 - friendship, memory, + the weight of growing apart

  • 1:13:00 - the end of forgotten island: "you make me soar"

  • 1:20:49 - "BRB" by H.E.R. + Liza Soberano

Referenced in this episode (Nins):

Referenced in this episode (Arns):

  • Speaker 2: 00:00

    She sees Monica and Chandler like hooking up and she's like, Chandler and Monica!

    Speaker 6: 00:05

    Chandler and Monica! My eyes!

    Speaker 2: 00:08

    My eyes! It was such a strange experience walking into a place I'd never physically been, but intimately knew my way around. It was like coming home.

    Speaker 3: 00:19

    There are baby eaters, there's vampires, there's the lady in white who you fucking see in your rearview mirror. When you're younger, you think that friendship just means being together all the time. Right. But it's like, well, who are you when you're apart and how do you take care of each other still? Great show.

    Speaker: 00:34

    Great show.

    Speaker 1: 00:36

    We just lost all of Scotland.

    Speaker 2: 00:40

    This is BRB Crying.

    Speaker 3: 00:57

    And I'm Ninz.

    Speaker 2: 00:59

    And we are your girls. The ones that you let cry so that you can watch us cook. Okay. I wrote that down a while ago and I was like, fuck, what am I gonna say? No, that's great. I like that one. I feel like we haven't recorded in a month. It's been a long time. I feel rusty.

    Speaker 3: 01:17

    So rusty. Right? I feel tired. Crybabies, it is hard work having a podcast and being a two-girl show. So but here we are, showing up again. What?

    Speaker 2: 01:32

    I'm just imagining a new listener being like, oh, they're not very fun. Ooh, they hate it here. I'm gonna skip to something else. Okay. Should we scrap it? Bye, Miss Yu. Okay, let's Nah, nah You know what? We're showing up authentically. That's the energy today.

    Speaker 3: 01:49

    Yeah, it is. It's it's a little, we're a little tired.

    Speaker 2: 01:52

    Yeah. But you you you know the drills of podcasts where the two of us we get into things that make us cry. We cry, we laugh. It's it's really fun.

    Speaker 3: 02:04

    Ooh, you're selling it so hard today. Ooh. There's someone new out there who's like, yeah. If you are new here, welcome. If you're old here, welcome back, Cry BB. We are so happy to have you. And if you want a free sticker, you just have to leave us a little review on Apple Podcasts, a written one. And also we would love we would love a review on Spotify as well. And this could be yours. Yeah. It's really easy.

    Speaker 2: 02:33

    I'll even write it for you. Write this down. Yeah. Great podcast. They are so funny and beautiful. Five stars, submit. That's it. That's so easy. That's all you have to do. Yeah. Love it. You're gonna see so many of those come through. I stress beautiful, okay? I need it right now. Yeah. So yep. How are you? Uh um, I'm okay. I had a very busy week of traveling last week. And so I came home so far behind on all of the stuff I had to do for the podcast. So I just edited for 48 hours straight. I woke up with a migraine today. Um How's the migraine right now? It's it's better because I haven't been looking at screens today. Okay. Um, wrote my story in about four and a half hours. Ooh. Speedy. Um, yeah, we're just we we showed up today. We're proud of that.

    Speaker 3: 03:31

    Yeah, hell yeah. I love it. I'm I'm good. Have I been better? Probably. It's just I feel a little stressed. Uh there's a lot going on in the fall. There's a lot of events, lots of, lots of little social things. Oh my god, life is so hard. I go to all these social events. Um, but truly, with a toddler and like, you know, the costume, the of course I had to hand make the costume because the one I got. This is airing in November. So for Halloween, we were Lilo and Stitch. And uh I was the hot older sister, Nani. And I got my child a Lilo costume. I tried to do secondhand, you know, get it online. That shit did not fly. It was not good. So I had to hand make it. Uh-huh. Did that to myself. Took me 10 hours. Yeah.

    Speaker 2: 04:21

    So I'm a fraction of the time it took me to edit our last episode, may I tell you. So I wish it took me 10 hours.

    Speaker 3: 04:30

    We're just two rays of sunshine right now.

    Speaker 2: 04:32

    You know, uh yeah, we are. But you know what? I know that by the end of this episode, I'm gonna be in such better space. Oh, I know. I'm excited to be here. You know, I'm excited to just be here with you right now. Yeah, yeah. Because I mean, the magic that happens during our recordings is actually a little few and far between. Like I haven't sat on this couch with just you in more than a month. It's been a long time. It's been a long time. So we're we're charging along.

    Speaker 3: 04:59

    We're getting there. And I I actually I

    Speaker 3: 05:01

    have a little recommendation today. Yeah. In our next segment of this podcast, where we every once in a while recommend a little thing that we use just because we're girls. Yeah. I have. I'm a big fan of AA and HPI owned, like agent-owned brands. And this is the Crave Beauty Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser. I have been using strictly this cleanser for years now. Okay. Every day and night. This is this is what I use. And they also have a really great, great barrier relief. This is a serum that I use, and I alternate between different brands, like during time of day, whatever. Yeah. But love this too. And yeah, they're Asian-owned. And I honestly I don't know what else to say other than like, I've been fucking using this for like and I I love it so much. Yeah. I love it so much. And you have great skin.

    Speaker 2: 06:00

    So great testament to the product. Every time I go to your house, I see that in your shop. Yes! I love this.

    Speaker 3: 06:06

    Yeah, it's matcha hemp. Um does it smell good? It doesn't really smell like much, which I also enjoy. Okay. And whenever they have a sale, I swear to God, I will buy like two or three gentle non-stripping face washes. Yes. It's really, really great. It is really gentle. It is a holy grail product for me. So cool.

    Speaker 2: 06:27

    I just love watching people go through their skincare routine. Yeah. Fascinating. I love how personal it is for every single person. Yes. And it's just like like skincare routines are so arduous and they take so much time and energy and effort. But once you find a product you love, like it feels almost like miraculous.

    Speaker 3: 06:50

    Yeah, like it finally worked. I I mean, I love it so much. They have a travel size that I I just keep it in my hand carry. Love that. And when it runs low, I sit there and I squeeze the bottle the big bottle into the small bottle.

    Speaker 1: 07:06

    Yeah, yeah.

    Speaker 3: 07:06

    Hell yeah. Oh god.

    Speaker 2: 07:08

    I do that all the time. Yeah.

    Speaker 3: 07:09

    Do you just buy it directly online? Yes. Through their website, Crave Beauty, K-R-A-V-E. I will link this in the show notes. Crave, not sponsored, but could be. Cool. Yeah. Thank you. Yes. All right. All right. I think you're first today.

    Speaker 2: 07:27

    I think so too. It's a shame because I feel like I almost feel responsible for uplifting both of us. Okay. All right. Maybe maybe I will, because my story is really not that heavy today. Okay. It's definitely a light, fun one. Okay. Cool. But that just means that I have to perform a little bit harder.

    Speaker 3: 07:46

    Yeah, you gotta do like the miming. You gotta, yeah. You gotta show up. Yeah. Yeah.

    unknown: 07:51

    Okay.

    Speaker 3: 07:52

    I'm ready for a show. Okay.

    Speaker 2: 07:54

    Oh, are you?

    Speaker 3: 07:55

    Oh. Okay. Okay. Okay.

    Speaker 2: 08:02

    Great words. Let's do this.

    Speaker 2: 08:11

    So I did just mention that I spent the last week traveling. I went to Connecticut for an old coworker's wedding. And then I spent the rest of the time in New York. And it is not lost on me how fortunate I am to say that this is actually my third time visiting New York City. Okay. I know, spoiled and privileged. Okay. I'm constantly on a plane. I get that. It's annoying. But I know. It's you. I'm annoying. Okay. But when I travel, especially when I go to a new destination, I try to optimize every single second that I'm there, almost to a fault. Like I am jam-packing my schedule with every touristy attraction, every restaurant and cafe that's recommended on TikTok. And I just don't really have a moment to relax or rest. I come back fucking exhausted. But since I have been to New York before, this time around, I was able to wander through the city at my own leisure. Lou and I spent the week revisiting restaurants we knew and loved because we tried them so many times already. We spent an entire afternoon not on the go, but rather just sitting on a bench in Central Park and people watching for literally like two and a half hours. I love it. We watched a few Broadway shows. We ate pizza and bagels,

    Speaker 2: 09:41

    and we spent a few hours visiting some of my old friends who lived in New York. And their names are Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey. God, you have so many friends. And Ross. I have six friends. Wow. Plus you, so like seven. Okay. That's right. On this trip, Lou and I decided to go to the Friends Experience, which is this immersive attraction, essentially, dedicated to the legendary television sitcom and my favorite show of all time. Friends. I had the best time walking through the exhibits and the sets and seeing the iconic props and outfits from this iconic show. So of course, I left in tears and didn't stop until we got off the subway. Yes. And like I had dinner, I had dinner with an actual friend afterwards, Angelica. And she was like, we were talking about how she is about to hit her 10-year anniversary in New York. And that's when you become like an official New Yorker, right? When you've been in the city for 10 years. And she was talking about how like there's like also a checklist of things that you have to do within those 10 years. And like one of them's like, you have to take every mode of transportation across the city. And then another one was like crying in public. And I was like, oh, I did that yesterday.

    Speaker 1: 11:09

    I'm like halfway through the list.

    Speaker 2: 11:11

    You know, you're basically a New Yorker. Sobbing on the subway. Okay. So sources for today, other than clips from the show, is a feature the Television Academy did on Friends in 2024, a New York Times article, Birth of a TV show, a drama all its own. And the 2021 Friends Reunion special on HBO. Okay. So

    Speaker 2: 11:37

    Friends, the television sitcom, was created by David Crane and Marta Kaufman and aired for 10 seasons on NBC from 1994 through 2004. And it focused on six, can you believe it? Friends. Who would have thought? Friends in their early 20s and 30s making their way in Manhattan. I I don't really know how to like in one brief sentence encapsulate the impact friends had on that entire decade and beyond. I mean, genuinely like just the biggest TV show. I can talk stats. Like it was the number one TV series for six years in a row, averaging 25 million views per week. I can mention that it had six primetime Emmys and over 62 nominations throughout those entire 10 seasons. I can mention that the series finale was the fifth most watched finale of all time. And I could also mention that as of 2022, it has amassed over 100 billion views across all platforms. But at the end of the day, for any real fan, if you're anything like me, you don't really care about all of the stats or the accolades because Friends is so much more than a TV show. This show was my home and these characters were my family. Growing up, my parents had zero interest in filtering the type of media I was exposed to. They didn't give a fuck like what I was doing on the internet. They didn't give a fuck what I was watching on TV. My mom brought me to the theaters to watch Titanic when I was four years old. I think also like Save It Private Ryan was a memory that I had. Like just like what the fuck? Who cared? You know? It's fine. It's fine. And similarly, because my mom loved friends, she would play it on TV. Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah. It was her favorite show. So it became my whole family's favorite show. My mom, my dad, my sister, and I would watch it together. And then there were points during that decade where my extended family would come in and my aunts and uncles and cousins coming in from the Philippines, and they would stay with us temporarily. And even then, with more than 10 of us living in a small, crowded house, after dinner, we would all sit in the living room and watch this silly show about these six friends. My sister and I, and honestly, like my aunts and my cousins, know every episode of this show. We spend hours coding it, laughing about it, referencing it. It is our safe space and our most favorite story. In the 2021 reunion special on HBO, one of the creators, David Crane, says, the one line pitch to NBC when we created the pilot was it's that special time in your life when your friends are your family. And that is exactly what the show has been for me, literally my entire life. I know you, Arns, did not grow up the same way watching friends. So I will do a quick overview of the characters and the general storylines, but maybe I'll pause. Like, do you have any memories of like seeing episodes here and there? Totally.

    Speaker 3: 15:23

    Okay. I there was one time where I was like, you know what? I know Ninz loves this show. There's one summer, I think, in college, where I was like, I'm gonna watch it. I sat down to watch The Pilot and the internet wasn't working. I was like, and I never like tried again. But like I was like, I was like, this is the summer. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna watch it for people. Yeah, yeah.

    Speaker 2: 15:43

    Maybe the universe was waiting until I covered it on the show to reinvigorate that. Yes. Well, um, why don't I provide you some context then before you jump into the series? So The Six Friends. First stop, we have Ross Geller, played by David Schwimmer, and he is a paleontologist, aka a dinosaur scientist. I didn't know that. He plays with bones. He works at the Museum of Natural History at the start of the show, and then later as a professor at NYU. He is notoriously a three-time divorcee, and that is often joked about on the show. And he has a young son from his first marriage. He is this dorky academic with a flair for the dramatics, and is hopelessly in love with Rachel Green the entire series. Speaking of Rachel Green, played by goddess Jennifer Aniston. Who? Up and coming. Ah, okay. Up and coming. Okay. Has a lot of potential. Rachel is a rich girl from Long Island. In the pilot episode, she is a runaway bride who escapes her wedding to her boring fiancé she doesn't love. So you watch as this kind of spoiled, naive princess finds her way in the big city. She builds a career in fashion, and a lot of her storyline revolves around this will they or won't they between her and Ross. Incredible television. Okay. And also her fucking outfits on the show, timeless. Timeless. I'd fucking wear anything she wears on that show today. God, iconic. Okay. And then we have Monica Keller played by the stunning Courtney Cox. I just have to time out here. I didn't even write this down, but like I was so young when I started watching these people that it didn't even occur to me how drop dead gorgeous every fucking character on the show was. Like Courtney Cox, like black hair, bright eyes.

    Speaker 3: 17:58

    Like you just thought everyone in the world looked like that. And yeah.

    Speaker 2: 18:01

    Yeah. That was like all I knew. And I was like, oh yeah, that's fine. And then I look back and I'm like, wait, she's literally breathtaking.

    unknown: 18:09

    God.

    Speaker 2: 18:09

    Um, but yeah, Monica is Ross's younger sister and Rachel's roommate for a good portion of the series. She is super neurotic, like major type A personality, compulsively needs to clean, bossy, shrill, and also like really competitive. Like there's some great episodes where like she literally can't stand to lose anything. And you'll see clips of this later. She works as a chef. She has a lot of mommy issues, but over the course of this series, we watch her fall in love and marry one of her friends. Chandler. Chandler is geniusly played by Matthew Perry. May he rest in peace. And Chandler is a wise-cracking, self-deprecating, sarcastic class clown kind of guy. He often uses humor to deflect any situation that involves even an ounce of seriousness. Like a poignant moment, he has to crack a joke to like break like it's too much, you know. He has a really dysfunctional family. And so he's like convinced he'll never find his perfect person. But of course, that changes when he and Monica fall in love. He also lives across the hall from Monica and Rachel, and he has a roommate, Joey. Joey, played by stud muffin, Matt LeBlanc. I okay, I watched the um the Friends Reunion in preparation for this, and I was looking at younger photos of Matt LeBlanc. I didn't realize how handsome he was. I just thought he was like my Uncle Matt, you know? Um I need to show you these pictures because I'm like, what the fuck? Hello. Oh my god. Right? So pretty. Like beautiful. Joey is this kind of dim-witted but completely lovable, aspiring actor. He's a womanizer. He loves to eat meatball subs and pizzas. And even though he is not the sharpest tool in the shed, he is the most devoted, most affectionate, most loyal of the friends. And then lastly, we have Phoebe played by the enchanting Lisa Coudreau. And I just have to say, I don't think that this is necessarily Phoebe, the character, but Lisa Coudreau's laugh is the most infectious laugh. Like when she laughs, she's like, it's like it just you can't help but laugh with her. Like she's just magic. And Phoebe is this free spirit, kind of this bohemian hippie type vibe. And despite this really dramatic childhood, like she'll always reference the fact that her mom unalived herself as a way to win any argument or like even like get petty things like the last muffin in the coffee shop. Like she'll be like, Oh, well, you know, if only I could get the last coffee because I've had such a hard life since my mom, you know, killed herself. Like, what are you gonna do? Not give her the muffins. But Phoebe has this really whimsical aura about her. She works as a freelance massage therapist and composes and performs these terrible acoustic songs at their local coffee shop. Shout out her most famous hit, Smelly Cat. Oh, she knew it. Oh, I know it. She knew it. She knew it. These characters make up the ensemble, that is friends, and episode after episode, we watched them fight, laugh, fall in love, make mistakes, and grow alongside one another. And I think part of the magic of The Friends TV show was that the creators, David Crane and Marta Kaufman, were very adamant. On not making this a show with one or two lead characters. They were like, no, no, no, no. This needs to be an ensemble because all of these characters are so well defined that they could stand as their own lead in their own show, but it's going to be even more powerful to watch them all together. And that dynamic and the chemistry that the actors all had was so palpable. And I think part of it was also because of what was happening behind the scenes. They were friends off the set as well. In this reunion, they talk about how once the show like really catapulted into this crazy phenomenon, it was like the only other people that understood what they were going through individually were the other five. And they also really fought to keep the equality amongst the cast. So when it came time for contract negotiations, they all came together and were like, we want to all be paid the same because we are all just as important in upholding the show. And like you just felt that. You can see it. Like there is such a rare bond that you see with this crew that I just don't know has been replicated in any other show that I've seen today. Magic. So I'm

    Speaker 2: 23:21

    gonna do something a little different. I know this is a podcast about things that make us cry, but honestly, I'm just about to show you some scenes from Friends that actually just make me laugh my fucking ass off. Okay. Okay. There are so many iconic scenes in Friends that genuinely stand the test of time as fucking comedy genius. Okay. So since I know you're not super familiar with all of the storylines, I have to share this magic with you. Yeah. Let's do it. For the sake of time, I'm just gonna show you two legendary scenes, but they are the ones that first come to my mind when I think what is the best scene in Friends. Okay. So this first scene that I'm gonna share with Arns is the you guessed it, apartment trivia game. Have you seen this one? I think so. Okay. I'm so excited to show you this. Okay. So in this episode, and this is from season four, episode 12, entitled The One with the Embryos. In this episode, Rachel, Monica, Joey, and Chandler have a heated debate about who knows each other more, the guys or the girls. Because of Monica's super competitive nature, she and Chandler bet each other. They can answer more questions about the other. And this eventually involves into a trivia game between Monica and Rachel versus Joey and Chandler. And that is moderated by Ross. Okay. The stakes get really high because at first they were like betting money, but then Monica increases the stakes and she says, if we win, Chandler and Joey have to get rid of their pet chicken and pet duck that like makes a bunch of noise like in the morning, so Rachel can't sleep. Yeah. But if Joey and Chandler win, Monica and Rachel have to trade apartments with them. Oh my God. That's so like crazy. So we're gonna watch the scene. It's about like a six-minute clip. Okay. God, I'm so excited for you to see this. Yeah, I don't think I've seen this.

    Speaker 4: 25:34

    Incredible. Yeah. Incredible television.

    Speaker 2: 25:37

    I I can't even wrote here. I can't even summarize how many fucking jokes there are in that six-minute segment. It's just one after another after another after another. Too many. But basically, this whole trivia game, you find out all these random fucking things about the Friends casts, like how Monica's irrational fears, animals dressed as humans, are like how uh the TV guide sent a Chenandler bong and no one knows what Chandler's job is. I mean, it's just incredible. They're just they're just not writing sitcoms like this anymore. They're really not. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. I have another scene to show you. Um, and this next one is from season five, episode 14, entitled The One Where Everyone Finds Out. This is a shorter clip, but at this point in the series, Monica and Chandler have basically been secretly dating for like that entire season. None of the other friends know. They hook up in secret, but slowly over the course of the season, they all kind of slowly find out, starting off with Joey and then Rachel. But anyway, in this episode, everyone basically finds out by the end, hence the title of the episode. So I'm gonna show you Phoebe finding out about the two. And in this scene, Ross is looking at renting the apartment directly across Monica's. So Rachel and Phoebe come with Ross to tour the unit, and Phoebe looks through the window and catches Monica and Chandler hooking up across the street. That whole episode is fucking genius too, but God. Okay. So this scene. Phoebe freaks the fuck out when she sees Monica and Chandler like hooking up, and she's like, Chandler and Monica!

    Speaker 6: 27:35

    Chandler and Monica! My eyes!

    Speaker 2: 27:38

    My oys! My sister and I say that one all the fucking time. Kills me, dude. So clearly the show is comedy gold, but it also had some fucking crazy cliffhangers and plot lines in the show. A lot of them surrounding the, again, perpetual will they or won't they Ross and Rachel relationship. We get the infamous We Were on a Break Line from when Ross and Rachel, who were in a relationship, got into a fight and Rachel proposes they take a break. And on that very night, Ross decides to sleep with some random woman. But then we also get the season four finale, when after their very rough breakup, Ross falls in love with a British woman named Emily, and the gang flies to London for Ross's wedding. Do you know anything about this? Um, I I feel like I know a little bit. Okay. So this is season four, episode 24, entitled The One with Ross's Wedding, Part 2. So, as mentioned, Ross is happily getting married in London to Emily. Rachel, finding it too weird to attend her ex's wedding, decides not to go. But at the last minute, when she realizes that she's still in love with him, she impulsively decides to fly to London to tell him before he says I do. But when she arrives, she sees how happy he is with Emily and ultimately decides not to tell him. So she watches them get married, and let's see how that wedding went.

    unknown: 29:22

    God damn.

    Speaker 6: 29:26

    Had you seen that before?

    Speaker 5: 29:27

    No, I haven't seen that.

    Speaker 2: 29:31

    You cannot imagine.

    Speaker: 29:33

    Oh, yikes also, this was like this.

    Speaker 2: 29:38

    You had to wait a whole summer to find out what happened. God, I miss television. Oh my god. So, crybabies, if you don't know what scene I'm talking about, this is a huge spoiler, by the way, but as Ross is saying his vows to his bride, Emily, he says, I, Ross, take the Rachel to be my wife. Fuck, dude. You, oh God, I can't even explain to you. Again, cultural moment, okay? God, you just you had to be there, you know? You had to be there. Imagine screaming. Yeah. That's crazy. Is that crazy? What a time. And honestly, I could go on and on. There's 10 years worth of material here, okay?

    Speaker 2: 30:25

    But all good things must come to an end. Because in 2004, Friends announces its final season. And the finale ends with Ross and Rachel, spoiler, finally getting together. Phoebe and her husband Mike ready to start a family, Joey prepping to leave for LA for his own spin-off show. And Chandler and Monica welcoming their adopted twin babies. In the last scene, Chandler and Monica move out of that iconic purple apartment, and the friends say goodbye. I'm gonna make you watch it. Of course. I'm gonna make you watch it, obviously. Nothing like a serious finale to really just bum you out, you know? I imagine it being devastating. Oh. Did you read my next paragraph that I wrote?

    Speaker: 31:23

    This is what I wrote. Oh.

    Speaker 2: 31:25

    The finale aired when I was 11 years old, and it really shook me to my core. So, in this scene, if you haven't seen it, it's basically the final scene in the empty apartment now that uh Monica and Chandler are gonna be moving out. And all six of them are just kind of standing there and taking in the moment. There's a small joke where Monica and Chandler announce that they have to return their keys to their super, and then you see the rest of the group also return their own keys because that too has been their home. And then they decide to stop for coffee on the way out, which is what they did all throughout those 10 years. So obviously, my whole family watched it together in the living room, and I remember the morning after the finale aired, I was getting ready for school, again, 11 years old, and I was talking to my mom, and I genuinely said, Mom, I'm really sad. I feel like these characters are so real to me. In my mind, they still exist, and I won't know what they're up to anymore. But over the years, because of syndications and now streaming, I can literally watch Friends whenever I want. And I have multiple times over the last 22 years. It is still my safe space. It still makes me laugh. And I will never get tired of its jokes, its storylines, its impact, both culturally and in my own personal one. So when I

    Speaker 2: 33:07

    walked through the doors of the friends experience during my last trip to New York, I came in just really excited for the photo ops, honestly. I was like that iconic orange sofa in the coffee shop, the holiday armadillo costume Ross wore one Christmas, Chandler and Joey's tacky dog statue. I was like, fuck yeah, this shit's gonna do numbers on my Instagram story. And it did. It did. But then I turned the corner of this exhibit and I found myself in the exact replica of Monica and Rachel's apartment. It was such a strange experience walking into a place I'd never physically been, but intimately knew my way around. It was like coming home. The whole time I was walking through this experience, I was texting my mom and my sister, showing them videos and stories, because even now, more than two decades later, it's still something that we bond over together. And after the exhibit, as I was sitting on the subway off to our next destination, I allowed myself to really think about what the show has meant to me all these years. And I thought about how grateful I am to have these friends that I can always turn to. In the reunion special, there is a point where they interview people from all around the world, literally like over 200 countries of people talking about what the show has meant to them. You see clips of RM from BTS.

    Speaker 4: 34:39

    I was gonna say that's how he learned English.

    Speaker 2: 34:41

    That's how he learned English. You see David Beckham reminiscing about his favorite scenes, but then you also just see people who experienced really hard things in their life, watching their parents pass, losing friends, or just feeling completely alone. And all of them were able to turn on the show and find comfort in it and laughter in it. Friends is not just a show that I watched growing up or a collection of funny scenes and memorable one-liners that I can still quote by heart. It's a place that I turn to when I need to laugh or cry or just forget about the problems of my own life for just a bit. Here in this Friends universe, everything is low stakes. I know exactly what's going to happen, and at the end of it, it all ends up being okay. Friends reminds us that there's something really magical about finding your chosen family and letting these people make the ordinary moments of your life feel extraordinary, who show up for you when it all goes to shit, or who cheer you on when it all comes together. Sometimes real people can disappoint you, but never these guys. Never my friends. And for people who can't help but worry about every single thing in their life, it's really nice to just turn your brain off for a second and indulge in your favorite comfort show. I know for some people, it's The Office or New Girl or Shits Creek. And I have binged all of those shows and also love them dearly for their own quirky reasons. But for me, my first love, it will always be these six friends of mine. No matter what, when it hasn't been their day, their week, or month, or even their year, I'll be there for them. Because they're there for me too.

    Speaker 5: 36:40

    I'm only gonna talk about funny scenes.

    Speaker 3: 36:47

    There are some things in the human experience that I feel are hard to put into words. And I think that watching a show for ten years, it becoming part of you, part of your routine, part of your family, like so embedded in your childhood. Yeah. It's yeah. You can't.

    Speaker 2: 37:17

    And the thing is, like, what we've been doing this for almost three years now, and it's never occurred to me to write a story about friends because I again, like you said, it it's so embedded in me that I didn't even think of it as something like meaningful, which is dumb because obviously it means so much to me, but it's just like so much of who I am that I didn't think to talk about it. Yeah. And it wasn't until like I was physically walking through this space that I know in my heart so well, but I was like taken aback. Like, because you know you live your life, you kind of forget, and then it's like it brings you back, and you're just like, holy fuck, this show has meant so much to me my whole life.

    Speaker 3: 38:01

    Can't believe you waited until the subway to cry. That's crazy.

    Speaker 2: 38:04

    Oh, okay, okay. I was gonna say all my way out, you know, like yeah.

    Speaker 4: 38:10

    Yeah. Wow, that's so cool.

    Speaker 2: 38:12

    Yeah. I think it's just really wonderful that there are shows that are out there that really do provide this type of solace to people. Exactly. Obviously, friends in its own right, genius, masterful, forever embedded in our culture. But I think this feeling that I feel, I know people feel that about other mediums. And so I just I think that I just want to take a moment to celebrate that and just be like, wow, let's just all be so grateful that we can have this thing that we can turn to.

    Speaker 3: 38:50

    It's amazing. Yeah. It's like there's nothing like it. Like and I love being really dramatic and saying things like part of the reason I came onto this earth was to experience this thing. And like part of your experience is like is friends. When I saw it on your stories that you went to the friends experience, it didn't even cross my mind that you would be crying because like you said, it's part of you. Of course you I was like, of course, of course you went to that. Yeah. Hello. Like again, I also never would have thought that you were you would talk about it either. Because it's so you. Yeah. You know, like it's shaped so much of you and like your humor too.

    Speaker 2: 39:31

    Like, yeah. Oh my God. But I think that's the beauty of our show, right? Because if I didn't have this podcast where I was forced to think about what are the things that really move me, yeah, I don't really know what I would have done after visiting it. I probably would have been like, oh my God, I'm so weird. I'm being emotional about this. Yeah. But now it's like, wait, I'm gonna take a moment and just fucking relish the fact that I had this part of my life that has brought me so much joy and entertainment. Yeah. Like, I don't know that I would have dwelled on it. Yeah. Yeah. You know? So this is, I guess, just a reminder to everyone who has their own thing to just be like, wow, I am so grateful for that thing. Yeah.

    Speaker 4: 40:17

    It is really cool to have a thing.

    Speaker 3: 40:20

    It's really cool to have a thing to be like, I know, like to feel like you're in the fucking pits and to be like, but I know something that will bring me out. Wow. Yeah. And yeah, this obviously cultural phenomenon in its own right, like you said, but it has meant something different to every single person who's watched it, and that's the power of it, right? Like, yeah. Oh my gosh. Shout out, my friends. Shout out. I'm still feeling it. It's so warm and fuzzy. And that's such like it's so why do I keep talking? Like, I'm gonna fucking cry again.

    Speaker 2: 40:58

    That's just so special. Yeah. Okay, I'm gonna stop. I was like falling asleep last night, because you know how we think of journey of souls every day of our lives. And I was thinking about like, God, like these six souls like really made a pack to be like, dude, we're gonna be on this incredible TV show. Like, that is the fucking coolest soul contract I have ever heard of in my life. And like, I even remember It's so meta. We're gonna be these friends on this show called Friends. Yeah. And it's gonna like change our lives and it's gonna change the lives of so many people. 300 billion. And I remember like when I was, you know, probably like eight or nine or something, my cousin Sasa was like, we were watching the show and she was like, God, imagine that was your job. Like, all you got to do was just be an actor on this fucking hilarious show. And ever since she said that, I was like, God, that would be my dream job. Yeah. Whenever someone asks, I'm like, what would you want to do? And I'd be like, I just want to be an actress on like a really hilarious sitcom. It runs for a certain amount of years, but then like people will just watch it for the rest of their lives.

    Speaker 4: 42:07

    Yeah. You know? Put that out in the universe and just that on. Do it, do it with your best friend.

    Speaker 2: 42:20

    Yeah. Oh, that was good. Thank you.

    Speaker 2: 42:30

    Okay. Are you gonna talk about New Girl now? No, but it's there.

    Speaker 3: 42:35

    But let me tell you. But because okay. I thought you were gonna talk about something else. Okay. Which I will not say out loud because just in case you'd talk about it. But I thought you were gonna talk about this thing. And so when I was writing my story, I was like, it's not gonna track this week, but that's fine. Like it's not gonna be it's not gonna be the same story. And then you changed it on me. I might just skip my intro because today we're gonna talk about a pair of friends. And that is the movie Forgotten Island. Oh, okay. I haven't seen it yet. Yeah. It's about two best friends. Yeah, I know. I I figured you had, I know. Yeah, I just haven't had time. I know you haven't had time. It's been busy. I really, really want to watch it though. Yeah. Yeah. I had a whole other story pretty much written. Okay. Threw it out the fucking window. Because I was like, I'm gonna talk about this. Okay. And it was also one of those things where so many people were like, Have you watched this yet? You gotta watch this. You have to watch this, and then you have to talk about it on the podcast. I swe at least three or four people. And I was like, okay. Um I will. Okay, I will. So that's what we're doing today. We're talking about two best friends. Okay. What's funny about this? Okay, so Forgotten Island is a 2026 animated film written and directed by two. Best friends themselves, Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado. Okay. Januel is, as you can probably tell by his name, Filipino. And what is it? Janwell J. Jen A. Janwell.

    Speaker 4: 44:12

    Januel.

    Speaker 3: 44:13

    Januel Mercado. Okay, so Januel, uh, so he's Filipino and Joel is married to a Filipina. Okay. So, and then they're best friends. But it was produced by DreamWorks and distributed by Universal Pictures. And apparently this is one of DreamWorks' most complex films to date because they have like five different animation styles woven in. So we're complex. Okay, so for my sources today, I uh I have a bunch of interviews that I was listening to and like watching and stuff. And so I'll link those all in the show notes. But the things I will be showing you today, there are a couple of trailers. So the movie is still, as of the time of this recording, still in theaters, so I can't actually show you clips. I don't know why I keep doing this to myself. Um making my job a little harder. But there are some really good trailers that I will show you some clips from, and I'll link those too. And then there's also a video titled The Filipino Cast and Crew behind DreamWorks Forgotten Island by Vogue Philippines that I took some information from, and then a handful of other videos that I'll mention as I go along. But there are spoilers, so if you haven't yet watched this, uh go watch it. And for you, I'm sorry. Yeah, so I'm gonna be spoiling it's it's kind of more the beginning and the end. So there's a huge chunk in the middle that I'm just kind of gonna gloss over. Ken. So that's the part I'm not spoiling. Okay. So so you can like be surprised. A little surprised. Hey, Project Hail Mary. You did the whole fucking thing. That's true. That's true. No, this is just my payback. Okay, so a little bit more about the cast. In the movie, we have these two best friends, Joe and Risa. Joe is played by her, aka Gabby Wilson, and Risa is played by Eliza Silverano. This casting? Unreal. Her is obviously this super, super talented artist. And when I found out she was Filipino all those years ago, I think I first found out about her because she was on Best Part with Daniel Caesar. And I didn't know that she was Filipino. I thought she was just black. And then when I found out she was Filipino, like it's over. Like that's fucking odding, you know? Odding means younger sibling in Ilocano, which is one of the languages of the Philippines. And Liza Sobrano, I knew who she was. So famous, but I didn't follow her as closely until her episode dropped on Sarah Baha's YouTube series that you sent me. Can I come in? This was in August of 2025. And I'll link that in the show notes.

    Speaker 2: 46:57

    But I'll add, um, Liza Soprano is a huge, huge celebrity in the Philippines. She did a lot of like telesserias or uh drama shows in the Philippines. She's like one of the biggest actresses there. But I fucking love Liza Soprano. Haven't seen any of her telesserias in the Philippines, but I just think that she is breathtaking. And I just want to be her friend.

    Speaker 3: 47:22

    Yeah. Yeah. And Sarah Bahba's show, which shout out to her. She's that was a cinematic masterpiece. But it was so heavy, but so beautiful. And I'm glad that that was my first take on Liza Soberano. Yeah. I mean, obviously, besides knowing her tangentially, because to know her soul so deeply, I went from not really knowing much about her to loving her with every fiber of my being.

    Speaker 2: 47:49

    She has such a complexity and such a depth and almost like an intriguing mysteriousness about her, where I'm just like, wait, I want to know everything. Yeah. She's enchanting. Yes. And then her, obviously. Oh. Her voice. Her voice. The fact that she's from Vallejo. Like a girl. No. Both of them. Yeah. Also, like her lower range when she's singing. We can go on and on.

    Speaker 3: 48:16

    Phenomenal. We could go on and on. Okay. Sorry. But yeah, so Liza Soprano, also auding. Also, maybe quite literally auding my whole dad's side. Like his mom's, like, we're all Sobranos. So Really? Really? Well, she's a Capricorn. So Oh, sorry. Sorry. But to give you a feel for the characters that they play. So Jo is kind of rough around the edges. She's this free spirit who's loud and boisterous and nonconforming. She's always egging Risa on and always getting her in trouble. Meanwhile, Risa is like type A, like a little more like high-strung, super brainiac, a little bit more nervous, and she can be more soft-spoken, but also really firm when she's passionate about something. So Phoebe and Monica. Yes. Got it. Yeah. So her has this deeper, richer tone. And Liza is like a little bit higher and a like clear voice. And so it it's perfect. It's perfect. And how they got the parts too is just as magical. So in 2024, Liza Soberano had just moved back to the US because she grew up in the US, moved to the Philippines, moved back to the US in 2024. And this is one of the first parts that she tried out for when she was in Hollywood. And then she actually auditioned for the part of Joe. But afterwards she was like, I think I'm RISA. And the directors were like, girl, yeah, you're RISA.

    Speaker 6: 49:52

    Oh.

    Speaker 3: 49:53

    So it was everyone could feel it that that's who she was embodying already. And then her just happened to be at DreamWorks for something else entirely, meeting with someone else entirely. Yeah. And the directors who obviously she was on their radar, they were like, Oh my God, we're doing this project. We'd love to have you. The rest is history. So Forgotten Island is one of those films where there's a little something for everyone. There's the silly antics for the little ones. There's lots of loud, fast-paced movement and lots of visual intricacies for people who love animation and also anime, because they borrow elements of anime too. But then there are the big overarching themes for obviously us adults. There's friendship, family, Filipino culture, folklore. There's a lot going on. But whether or not you're Filipino, this will absolutely give you feelings. So don't let that deter you, crybabies. Just because you're not Filipino doesn't mean you won't fucking cry your eyes out. So without further ado, as Joe and Rysa love to say in the movie, Dayona, that means let's go.

    Speaker 3: 51:07

    So somewhere in the Philippines in the 1990s lives a little girl named Jo. She's fascinated with Filipino folklore. And the film opens up with her regaling these tales of a magical island called Nakalimutan, which means forget. So they call the island Nakali for short. On this island live these mythological creatures, or Aswang. And some really quick context here for my non-Filipino crybabies. Not to brag, but we have listeners in over 100 countries. So there's probably a good portion of you who are not Filipino. But in the Filipino culture, we all grow up hearing these really terrifying stories of Aswang. These like scary monsters, there's Duende or gnomes. When you walk around on their land, you kind of have to ask permission. You have to like say, excuse me. And then there's the Capre, which are these tree creatures. There are baby eaters, there's vampires, there's the lady in white who you fucking see in your rearview mirror when you're driving at night. I swear to God, like that one's still like that's I think the scariest one for me. But these horrifying creatures, these aswang, are such a pillar of Filipino culture. Even as a Filipino American, the stories of these aswang get passed down. Maybe it's to help children heed warnings. Maybe I was like, if we're gonna get fucking deep about this, maybe they're just like this physical embodiment of all the trauma and the hardship that Filipinos face. Or maybe they're just real. But whatever it is, they're they're they're terrifying. Yeah. Yeah. All of it. All of it. Okay, back to the story. So Joe loves to talk about Nikali Island. Her Lola, her grandmother, went there as a young girl, or so she says. And so Joe considers herself this resident expert on it. Of all the creatures who inhabit this island, Jo's favorite is the Mananangal. She's this tall, dark, winged creature who can split her body in half and her legs are like racing through the trees while her winged upper half is like flying through, locking in on her prey. And Joe is obsessed with the monanangal. And she she's putting on this theatrical presentation at school. And this is the 90s, so she's swapping out the slides on the projector. She's so into it, she's like scaring all her classmates. She has her bucket of fake blood ready. And then she she even starts like beating up this punk ass class. He's like, that's not real. And obviously, Joe is this really passionate child with this outstanding artistic ability and this penchant for theatrical storytelling. So what does that mean? She gets sent to the principal's office. How dare she? Yeah. And outside of the principal's office, she's slouched in her chair. And who else gets sent to the principal's office? Another little girl named Risa. Not because she's excitable and combative like Joe, but because she's shocked that their teacher says it's not real. She's shocked that the teacher says Nikali's not real, the Mananangal's not real. Because she's this little brainiac and she's like, well, according to my calculations, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Like this is this is real. This is this has to be real. This is science. So for once, Joe finds someone who's a little weirdo, just like her. Wanna be best friends? Joe asks. Sure. I've never had a best friend before. And sure enough, Joe cuts off her hair tie. She has these two pictures on, she cuts off each hair tie. And she ties this friendship bracelet on each of their wrists. And for the first time ever, but certainly not the last, Joe holds her hand out to Risa and she says, Tayuna, let's go. And Risa responds, Tayuna. And so begins the unbreakable bond between Joe and Risa. I'm gonna pause here and show you a really short clip from one of the trailers. This is titled Forgotten Island Family Trailer number one. Great title. I don't have the full movie. I don't have the luxury. But in these short 40 seconds, we watch them meet and then we watch the briefest snippets of their friendship growing. So in the movie, they're always at Joe's house with Joe's Lola. Jo's dad is in America, so her Lola is really the only family she has in the Philippines. And Lola is always telling them about tales of her time visiting Nikali Island. The key to the island, the actual physical key, is this sand dollar with an imprint of a glowing Filipino sun. How do we find the key? How do we find the key? They ask Lola. You don't. It finds you. The montage continues. We see the girls through the years, they're having sleepovers, they're dancing around, singing, don't stop believing.

    Speaker 3: 56:16

    I swear, like this entire film is just filled to the brim with these classic Filipino like identified there, these cultural landmarks, and it's almost overwhelming because in every single frame there are like 20 things at once, and your brain can't even comprehend it. So, like for that reason, I almost watched it again, like right after because I was like, oh my god, it was too fast. Like there were so many things. But yeah, like they're they're singing karaoke, they're dancing on the couch with Lola, they're building these forts. I'm pretty sure at one point they're like watching Terminator or something. It's like Arnold Schwarzenegger. There's there's one scene where they're watching and it's kind of strange because Joe goes up to Risa and she's like, So we're gonna be best friends forever, right? And you don't really know where it's coming from. But every time they have these moments in their friendship, they they get these little trinkets that they add on to their friendship bracelet. So as the years go on, it just gets bigger and heavier and heavier. But again, Risa type A, she's always studying, Joe's always knocking on her window, begging for them to go on their next adventure. Tayuna, tayuna. And then we watch as the girls who are now teenagers, you know, they're getting bullied by that same fucking punk ass kid in that first scene. So in the middle of the night, they strip his car of all his parts, and Risa is a genius, so she builds a rocket and they like you know, it like goes out in space and like blows up. But we watch as Lola gets older, we watch her get sick, we watch them in the hospital. Joe crouched in the fetal position on Lola's hospital bed while Risa is nearby. We see the two girls sitting in their usual spot on the beach, posted up in the Jeepney. A jeepney is this long military jeep in the Philippines that's really popular. It's actually the most popular form of public transportation. The drivers will name it and paint it all these crazy colors. And so that alone is like such a quintessential Filipino symbol, too. But we see the girls sitting in the jeepney wearing black as they mourn Lola's passing. And then finally, we make it to the present. They've just graduated from high school, and Joe is currently working at a fast food chicken joint. While Risa is preparing to go to college, but not in the Philippines. Joe finds out that Risa is going to Caltech in the US. Joe is devastated, but not entirely surprised because Risa is a genius and she wants to be an actual rocket scientist. So we're brought to RISA's going away party, which we call the Despedida. And this is by far one of my favorite scenes, and thank God they put the whole scene in the trailer. So what I love about it, like the details are so Filipino. There's this classic Filipino tarp, which we've talked about in the past, how in the Philippines they have these tarps celebrating just momentous occasions, like someone passing the nursing board or whatever. And it says, like, we love you, Risa, but the it's like the you is capitalized, like we love you. Like it's so like why? There's like there's a lechon, which is this full-blown, like roasted pig that Filipinos bust out for special occasions. There's this huge photo of Jesus right above the lechon. There's Risa's dad on the mic. He's singing karaoke. And by the way, karaoke in the Philippines, it's not casual. It is like this very intense thing. Um, he's like belting out this heartfelt song. He like holds the note until his face goes red, and then the number, because you get a score for karaoke, it goes from 100 to 101. So and like people are like crying in the crowd. So God, it's so good. And then we pivot to Risa, who is being paraded around by her mom, who's like, Oh my daughter, she's so beautiful, she's so smart. Also very classic Filipino. Yeah. But Risa is telling her relative that she's moving to the US to go to Caltech. And the Titas and Titos, the aunts and uncles, they don't give a fuck that she's going to be a rocket scientist. They're like, California, Hollywood, Tom Cruise. And so by the end, they're like, Risa's gonna introduce us to Tom Cruise. It's like crazy. But I want to pause and show you. We're just gonna watch the whole clip because it's so well done from a video titled Forgotten Island, All Clips Official from Universal Kids. And we'll start at the 108 mark. Okay. So we watched that whole despedita scene. And the beauty of these details is they're not just funny, but they're so accurate. And there's something about the accuracy and the inclusion and all that attention to detail that just like when it's your culture that you see on that screen, like it just makes you feel so seen. Like you you you see all these little parts and you're like, yes, that is that is what I experienced at a family party. There's this really great video highlighting all of these little things. It's titled 47 Things Only Filipinos Notice in a Forgotten Island, and I will link that in the show notes. But basically, during this party, Risa is mortified because they start playing this slideshow of her, like as a naked baby, you know, classic slideshow. And then Joe saves the day by arriving late and she's she's still wearing her fucking full-body chicken mascot suit, and then she accidentally lights the entire buffet on fire. And so it's absolute chaos. And after the party, we see Risa talking to her mom in her room. And her mom is like, You're not going out with Joe tonight. I need you to actually get on the plane tomorrow and not end up in jail because of something Joe made you do. And the mom says, You are a rocket. You're meant to go places, and Joe is a rock. How far can a rocket travel when it's weighed down by a rock? And of course, Joe overhears the whole thing. And it's a bummer because Joe already feels like her life is amounting to nothing. She knows she's dragging Risa down. But regardless, she convinces Risa to go out with her one last time. They do their usual shenanigans, dancing around at the beach on the jeepney, and then it's time for Risa to go. And Joe is desperate. You don't have to go all the way to America for school. And Risa says firmly, We've talked about this. It's my parents' decision. And then Risa kind of turns it on Joe. She's like, I'm worried about you. You're so artistic. You have so much talent, but you're just kind of letting it waste away. They get into this whole argument, and Joe, in her desperation, finds one last charm to add onto their bracelet, kind of like the symbol of like, we're still friends, you know. Like, she finds these little firecrackers and she's like, here, put it on. And Risa's like, that's an I can't put an explosive on my bracelet. I'm about to get on a plane. And she kind of like chucks it at the ocean. And Joe's kind of pissed, and she like goes after the little firecracker. But as she's crouching down towards the ocean, she sees something beneath the surface. It is none other than the famed sand dollar glowing with the imprint of the Filipino sun. Suddenly, the ground opens up beneath them, this quantum portal, and the girls look at each other and they're like, Oh my god, Nikali Island is real. Joe's like, we have to go. This is our dream. We always said we would go if we got the chance. And Rise is like, I can't. I have a I have a flight to catch tomorrow. But then Joe holds out her hand one last time. Dayuna, and a promise is a promise. So the girls clasp hands, the charms of their bracelets jangling together, and into the portal they go. When they wake up, they're on the shores of this fantastical looking beach perched on the edge of a jungle. The sand is glittering, the skies are swirling with all these different colors, there are these strange creatures crawling all around them. And Joe looks up in awe, realizing, oh my God, we made it. We made it to Nikali Island. But Risa is shook because she looks at her watch and she sees that it is now 7 a.m. And when they left, it was 7 p.m. And they can't remember a single thing about what happened. Like Joe has this green amulet on her head, and she's like, Oh my god, am I Nikali royalty? She's like missing a shoe. Risa's head is half shaved. There's like tattoos on their biceps. Risa has these dragon-like wings that have attached to her back. And then suddenly this dog wolf-like creature comes rolling through, and he's like, What's up, y'all? This is Raw, played by Dave Franco. Yes.

    Speaker 2: 01:05:13

    The classic Filipino man.

    Speaker 3: 01:05:14

    Classic Filipino, one of the most famous Panois out there. But he's like, dude, we had the time of our life last night. And they're like, who the like, who is this? We don't know him at all. But he's like, no, like I have matching tattoos. Like, I can prove it.

    Speaker 1: 01:05:29

    He like lifts up his shirt and it's like they have like three different names for their group that they had, they were trying to decide on. So like they tattooed one name, crossed it out. Tattooed another name, cross it out. But it's like bloated in red.

    Speaker 3: 01:05:42

    They're like, God, I think that's infected. It's crazy. But there's like all these Polaroids of all three of them having this great time. They're singing karaoke and it's all blurry with these neon lights. So I'm gonna pause here. I'm gonna show you a little glimpse of this magical island. This is a video titled Forgotten Island. All clips official, and we'll start at the 630 mark. So, as it turns out, we kind of have this like hangover situation. They have no idea what happened. And the reason why I wanted to show you that scene is because I think it captures a lot of what the whole movie looks and feels like. There's a lot going on visually. There's like, again, the antics, like there's a lot of movement. There's like a lot of different like animation styles. Like, I don't know if you saw like the little bubbles pop up, kind of like very similar to anime. So in that scene, we find out that Joe and Risa don't remember a single thing.

    Speaker 3: 01:06:36

    And while Joe is still in awe, delighted that they're finally living their dream, they're finally on Nikali. Risa's straight panicking. She needs to get home. She needs to catch her flight. And she's getting a little irritated that Joe doesn't seem to care. Like she's like, Joe, can you focus? Like Joe's like, where's the batteries? And like, y'all go make, you know, like it's it's fucking crazy. She's like on this other world. And all they know is that the sand dollar portal is missing, and so they can't get home. So what do they do? They enlist their new friend, Raw, Dave Franco, to help them retrace their steps throughout the whole island. First, they visit this bat-like memory demon named Batiba. She's afraid of stepping out of her cave. So instead, she collects memories from other people and creatures to keep her company. These people usually need something from her, like they need to go back to their home. And so, in exchange, they give Batiba an object that's linked to one of their most precious memories. And in order to help Joe and Risa go back home, Batiba is asking that Joe and Risa give her one of their most precious memories. The memories of their entire friendship encapsulated in their friendship bracelets. Joe is like, hell no, you're not getting my fucking bracelet. We are absolutely not giving you the entire memory of our friendship. But Risa actually hesitates for a beat. She's like, but this is like our way back home. You know, like this is our only chance. And Joe is kind of taken aback because Risa is essentially saying, maybe it is worth it to let go of our entire friendship if it means going back home. Risa even touches one of the charms and she's like, Look at this, I don't even know what this is for. And Joe's like, oh my God, that's from when I stayed up all night. Because back then, this is like the 90s, I made a mixtape of all your favorite songs. I stayed up all night and I recorded each of your favorite songs. And Risa's like, I don't even remember that. And Joe's like, oh my God. And so suddenly the dynamic between Joe and Risa has shifted. Joe's greatest fears have been confirmed. She needs Risa, but Risa doesn't really need her. But Joe is able to convince Risa to hold off on giving their entire friendship. And Dave Franco in dog form, hurrah, continues to take them around the island. This next part of the film, they are kind of adventuring around. And as I mentioned earlier, I'm not gonna get too much into it. You can, you kind of got a feel for what it's like. There's lots of antics, there's a lot going on. It's almost like watching a video game. I feel like it was like actually a little bit at times overstimulating in that way. I was like, oh, I don't think I can take my three-year-old to watch this movie. And there's lots of like cultural Easter eggs, like references to all the different Oswang, these creatures. At one point, they go to this Palenque, like the open-air market, where there's like every type of vendor you can imagine. There's even fan service because you hear the unmistakable voices of very prominent Asian actors. We have Manny Jacinto as Bungie. He's like this oversized demon baby. He's like, oh, what I'm only 200 years old. Um, and then we have Ronnie Chang and Crazy Rich Asians. He's like the annoying cousin who's like, Rachel, Choo are you? Fucking stupid ass. So we have Ronnie Chang, the comedian. He's like the lead Duende. And the Duende are these supposed to be these gnomes that are a little formidable, right? Like if you cross their paths, like they'll fuck you up. But they they kind of take a spin on it. And I think it makes the whole mythology piece feel a little bit more friendly and like family friendly because it makes it a little less scary. The Duende are like really cute. And they're like, Joe's like, oh my god, like I need to squeeze it. And then Mananangal is kind of like the one scary demon. They call her Manang for short, which I thought was really clever because in Ilocano, that means this term of respect for someone who's slightly older than you. And so throughout the film, Manang is chasing them around the island because for some reason no one can remember Risa stole her wings. Like those wings that we see on her back are from Manang. And the best part is that this monster is voiced by none other than Leia Salonga. And if you're saying to yourself, Who's that? Who's Leia Salonga? Might I remind you she is the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in Aladdin. She's the singing voice of Mulan. She was the first Asian to play Eponine from Le Miz on Broadway. She was the original Kim in Miss Saigon. You fucking know Leia Salonga. Esmaitita. Legend. Esmaitita. Manang. She's your monang. So we meet all the creatures, we visit the copret. The copra are these tree people. And honestly, I'm actually grateful for the reframing of these scary creatures because I was like really scared of these things growing up. Like my I remember my dad telling me the story of the coprait who would like kind of whisper to him as he walked to school every day, and they would be like, come join us, like kind of like beckoning him to the other side. So this was good. It was like warm and fuzzy. Okay. But essentially, we make it back to the memory demon, Batiba. Joe and Risa get their memories back from last night, and they finally remember that they actually had the time of their fucking lives. Like it was lit. They were like partying basically around the whole island, and it was so good of a time that Joe didn't want it to end. So she took the sand dollar, the portal key, and she hid it. And when they awake from the trance, because they're getting the memories back from Batiba, Risa's pissed. She's like, It was your fault. You hid it. Like, we did this whole thing because you hid the key. And she's like, When we get back home, like I never want to talk to you again. She storms off and she's like flying with her new little wings, and Joe is devastated. But the two aren't apart for long because Ma Nang is still on the hunt for those wings, and so she gets to Risa. Joe ends up saving her, it's this whole thing, and they finally are able to use the sand dollar to open the portal.

    Speaker 3: 01:13:01

    But when it's time to enter the portal, Joe lingers behind. Turns out, to save Risa from Ma Nang, Joe had to make a deal with Batiba. She has to let go of her friendship bracelet and all the memories associated with it. Just Joe. Just Joe. In spite of the fight they just had, Risa is, she's now realizing the magnitude of that and she's horrified. She's like, no, you can't do that. But Joe says, I have no one at home. You're leaving. I have nothing going for me. You're the one with this bright future ahead of you. And so Risa falls back into the portal and she ends up on the beach where they started. And she's devastated. She looks up in the night. By now, she has long missed her flight. She sees the plane go by, doesn't give a fuck. And all while this is happening, Joe, still in the collie, is enveloped in Bhatiba's arms, and she's stuck in this trance. And we see each memory, like the charm lights up, and then each memory slowly gets wiped from her mind. And her body is still, but that doesn't stop the tears from slipping down her face. Back on the beach at home, Risa finds the lone firecracker that she had tossed aside the night before. And she's crying and she ties it back onto her charm bracelet. And then it starts glowing because at the same time in Nikali, that same memory is being erased from Jo's mind. And so these two bracelets create a portal. They link to each other and create a portal. So Risa is able to find her way back to Nikali. She's like sprinting through Batiba's cave. She slips into Bhatiba's arms next to Joe, and she lets herself be transported into Joe's memories, ready to save her. Risa is first brought to, because they're kind of going backwards, right? Like the most recent memories are fading first. So she's brought to the memory of the two of them at the talent show. And they're reenacting the monanangal. Risa is sitting on top of Joe's shoulders, and she's the top half of the monster, and she's so scared. She's like, oh my God, I can't do this. And then Joe kind of like looks up at her and she's like, You got this. And then she instills this courage in Risa, and then Risa or the top half goes like flying. It's like this whole production, but that the memory starts to disintegrate, and Risa is like trying in vain to save it. And then suddenly we're at a new memory. That memory's gone. So we're at a new memory. Joe is in the kitchen with her Lola, and her Lola gets a call from her dad. Joe has just found out that she is no longer moving to America like she thought she was. In tears, Joe hugs her Lola. You're the only family I have. Lola gestures to the living room where Risa's waiting for her. Friends can be family too. Stupid. So Joe puts on a brave face and grabs two little trinkets off the table. She presents them to Risa, and this is where we see, you know, the Arnold Schwarzenegger scene where we only saw the part where she's like, Are we gonna be best friends forever? But now we understand that this was so much more than a friendship offering from Joe. It was the intertwining of their fates for the rest of their lives. But then that memory too gets swiped from Joe's mind. Finally, we get to the last charm, which is really the first charm, because it's the moment when Joe and Risa first meet. Joe is languishing outside the principal's office. Risa is a few seats away from her. And when Risa, present-day Risa, sees this, she's like running down the hall, screaming, trying to save this memory. And she finally arrives and she's crouched in front of little Joe. This is before Joe and Risa have even spoken before. And she's like grasping onto her, kneeling in front of her, and Joe's like, Who are you? And Risa's like, It's me, Risa, your best friend. And Joe's like, I don't have a best friend. At this, Risa's crying, begging, and she is desperate to salvage this one last memory. And she's like, You can't forget this. You have to remember. I don't have anything without you. She takes off her bracelet and she slips it onto little Joe's wrist. And she's like, I wouldn't be pursuing my dreams without you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have built that rocket out of that guy's spare car parts that got Caltech's attention in the first place. You don't weigh me down, Joe. You make me sore. And suddenly baby Joe transforms into adult Joe. The two friends embrace their memories both intact, their friendship remembered. Because back in the present, Batiba, the memory demon, has tears falling down her own face, and she has come to a realization that this is the weight that memories carry. They're not just moments in time, they make us who we are. So she decides to return the memories she's collected, not just from Joe and Risa, but from everyone. But she's scared. What will I do without these memories? Who will I be? And Joe says, It's time for you to figure out who you are without them. The same way it's time for me to figure out who I am without Risa. Fast forward a few years later, we see Joe visiting Risa at Caltech. But she's not just visiting her best friend. She's poised in front of an audience as a guest lecturer, reading an excerpt from her newest book, a fictionalized version of all their adventures on Nikali. She is now a best-selling author doing a book tour while Risa is studying to be a rocket scientist. And as you can imagine, I was crying on and off this whole movie. I think within the first five minutes, like the first time I see like a Filipino thing on screen, and I'm like, whoa, this is like a dream works film about Filipinos. Seeing your culture spelled out on the screen like that. I don't, there's no feeling like it. But what really made me cry about Forgotten Island is RISA has almost this impatience when it comes to Joe. And that's sometimes how we start to feel about the people closest to us. Because we know they'll be there forever. We are okay brushing them aside. But what RISA learns is that we don't have to let go of the people that we love to make room for the new, because the memories we have, they will always be part of us and they will always shape who we are today. The dynamic is such that we think Joe is holding back RISA, but Joe has also been living in Risa's shadow. Oh, Risa's the smart one, Rice is the genius, but I don't have anything going on for me. Just existing in Risa's greatness has kind of become a crutch for Joe. It became her excuse to live this almost stagnant life. But we see that years later, Joe had to figure out what her life would look like beyond RISA, and she's flourishing. And so with both these characters, we kind of see that loving is this art form. On one hand, we treasure our loved ones, the way they support us, they make us feel seen and safe. We wouldn't be who we are without them. But on the other hand, we can't let the safety and comfort of their love become the reason why we fear change. We have to let their love fuel us and give us the courage to make it through whatever comes next. The weight of their love doesn't have to drag us down. It can make us sore.

    Speaker 3: 01:20:50

    Before I end, I can't talk about Forgotten Island without talking about the song from their soundtrack BRB. That's right. That's right. Not just because we are the BRB Crying podcast. And we are also two Filipina girls who have been best friends our whole lives since we were in grade school. So this is actually our fucking anthem. But because it's actually a banger and it makes me cry every time I hear it. Every time. I haven't heard it. Oh so BRB is performed by her and Liza Soberano. It's written by her and Ryan Tedder, actually. But throughout the whole movie, a little context, there's this running joke where Joe and Risa will do something really drastic and then they'll just like minimize it by leaving a little post-it note that says BRB. Like they go and they like ditch the principal's office. BRB. They like they go to Monang, they steal her wings. There's like a yellow post-it on Monang's back. BRB. It's like it's so unserious, but they take BRB to a different level, I feel, with this song. So they take BRB to the next level? Yeah. Yeah, they're so cute. Um, in the video, we're watching her and Liza Sobrano wander the streets of Manila. They're like indulging in Filipino street food, singing karaoke. And in the first verse, it says, When they said I was crazy, you made me feel sane. When I was just another person, you remembered my name. You did. You had a little faith in me. And in the chorus, they sing, if you feel a little lost, maybe a little off track, just remember where you came from. I'll be right back. Don't move. I'll never forget you. If you lost all your memories and you can't find your way, I might be gone tomorrow, but I'll be right back. It's okay. I'll never forget you. The beauty of loving someone is, of course, being there for them, being the reason why they feel safe and seen, believing in them when they can't believe in themselves. But this song reminds us that loving someone can also just mean remembering them, holding them in our hearts. Because even when time and space separates us from the people we love, just remembering them and how they shaped us gives their life meaning. And having been loved by them gives us meaning in return. Of course, this song is playing as the credits are rolling, and the screen is showing photos of every single cast member, every single member of the production and the film crew, everyone involved in the movie. But it's not like this stunning professional photograph. They're actually Polaroids of each person with someone they love. No names, no context, no explanation, just something that I'm sure the prompt was like show us a picture of you and someone that you never want to forget. And that fucked me up. Like that just pushed me over the edge. Because at the end of the day, the people we love and the memories we've made are all we have. So thank you to everyone who made this whole film possible. It was magical, historical, emotional, everything I could have wanted from a tribute to the Filipino culture. And Crybaby, if you haven't yet watched it, I hope this gives you a reason to. Like this is important not just to show support for Filipino stories, but also the importance of diverse storytelling in media and how these very culturally specific stories still have a universal theme. So what are you waiting for? Dayana.

    Speaker 2: 01:24:29

    I had no idea. I didn't look into the plot at all. Yeah. But I've I've seen many people texting me, like, you have to watch this. It was really cute. Yeah. And I'll leave it to you to give me the uh 45-minute summary.

    Speaker 3: 01:24:45

    Yep. Yep. Not that much shorter than the movie itself. No, that's what I'm saying.

    Speaker 2: 01:24:53

    Talk about it in the same amount of time that someone could have just seen it. Show in the movie. Yeah. Cause why not? Why not? Um but I had no idea that it focused on two best friends. But I think, yes, it sounds like it was a lot of like Filipino culture, maybe even too much at times. Oh, yeah. But like I don't think that I would have ever guessed that it had so many complexities about what it means to be a best friend with someone. Yeah. Which is so true. Like, like when you're a kid, I feel like making friends is so easy. There's just like an openness to your spirit. Yeah. And you kind of lose that wonder or that openness when you get older. And so you kind of just cling on to the friends that you've made when you were younger because it's just easier to maintain. But I think it's really beautiful when you can find someone who grows with you.

    unknown: 01:25:52

    Yeah.

    Speaker 2: 01:25:53

    Or grows not with you, but grows alongside you. Yeah. I was actually just thinking today because as I was getting ready, I was like, that's so weird. I haven't seen Arns in like a week and a half. I was even thinking in my mind, I was like, are we codependent? And then I was like, and then in my mind, I was like, I don't think so, because codependence kind of implies like an unhealthy relationship. But I feel like you and I are just like we have had time apart to grow into our own people. Yeah. And we can be our own self and just let the other one like, as you said, flourish.

    Speaker 3: 01:26:27

    Yeah. You know? Yeah. And like that's the most beautiful part sometimes. Because when you're younger, you think that friendship just means being together all the time. Right. But it's like, well, who are you when you're apart and how do you take care of each other still? And that's part of the reason why they had it set in the 90s because there was no like texting. There was no like to be there for someone, you really had to be there for someone. I see. And so it's but yeah, it's interesting that it's like, what does a friend mean when you get old? Like reevaluating because our friendship now is so different from what it was back then. But it's like, I don't know, like we we're such different people now. We bring so much more to, or something so different now to our relationship. So it's transformed completely with us. But like, yeah, you're right. It is so beautiful to be able to grow alongside you.

    Speaker 2: 01:27:15

    Yeah.

    Speaker 3: 01:27:15

    Isn't that cool? It is.

    Speaker 2: 01:27:17

    I feel like when you're younger, there's almost like a there's like a selfishness to the friendship. Like we need to do this. And like there's almost like a there's not an understanding that it's like a two-way street. Yeah. Whereas now it's like all we want is the best for the other. Yeah. You know, like there is no like tearing each other down or like there's no possessiveness or like selfishness, which I think that you can see in a lot of friend groups or in a lot of friendships. Yeah. But I'm pretty sure that there were versions of us that were like that when we were younger. And it really is just about like growing and appreciating and just yeah, coming into your own person.

    Speaker 3: 01:28:00

    Yeah. Like that's the big piece of it. Like who who are you? Like figuring out who you are, because then you can bring that back to your friendship, right? Yeah, exactly. Cool. I love friends and friends.

    Speaker 2: 01:28:12

    I yeah. That's crazy. Yeah. No, can you believe no matter what, we were gonna it was gonna, it's always the same. It's always the same. One brain cell. One brain cell, yeah. Oh, what a show. What a show. What a show.

    Speaker: 01:28:33

    What? What a show. Great show. Great show.

    Speaker 1: 01:28:40

    We just lost all of Scotland. And uh dang it. I love Scotland.

    Speaker 2: 01:28:49

    Do you feel better? I feel great. I feel good too. Yeah. I feel like, yeah, I really want to watch that movie. I have been wanting to watch it. Maybe I'll watch it soon. Yeah. I was gonna say, maybe let's give ourselves a month for me to watch it and for you to watch the entirety of Friends. Okay.

    Speaker 3: 01:29:07

    I'll get started tonight.

    Speaker 2: 01:29:09

    I'll get cracking. Cool. Cool. Well, that is our show today, guys. Thank you so much for tuning in. And thank you for being our friends too. Yeah. We have been getting some really, really incredible messages from our crybabies. And it it just means the world to us to know that you are also sitting here with us and just sharing your feelings and your heart with us. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you for lending us your ears. But that's it. That's all. We will be back at it once more, like we always are. See you in two weeks. See you in two. But until then, BRB crying.

Until next time…brb crying :’)

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