Cultural impact of Darna

Darna is a character created for comic books in 1950. As an empowering figure in Filipino popular culture, she has since transcended comics and has appeared in a variety of media platforms, including film, television, theater, and ballet. Notably, she originally appeared when the Philippines was striving to recover from World War II, and she came to represent the nation's desire to return to the simpler days.[1]

For over 70 years, Darna has been cemented as a Filipino cultural icon with its continued presence in literature and art.[2] Her mythology has been adapted in 14 films and 4 TV shows.[3] CNN Philippines called her the "Philippines' most iconic fiction hero" for her "sheer ubiquity and popularity" compared to other popular local komiks figures like Lastikman, Captain Barbel, and Dyesebel.[4] Tatler Asia hailed Darna as "one of the most powerful fictional characters ever introduced in comic books".[5] She has also been featured in the renowned comics-related site on the web, Comic Book Resources.[6]

In media

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In film

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As filmmakers reinterpreted and recalibrated Darna's image to better suit the times, her appeal increased. From 1951 until 1994, a total of 14 films with Darna in the lead were produced. There were four live-action programs broadcast on television in 1977, 2005, 2009, and 2022, in addition to a 1986 short-lived animated series. Darna was also featured in a number of television commercials for items ranging from autos to medicine.

Era Title Starring Directed by Produced by Date released
1950s Darna[7] • Rosa del Rosario Fernando Poe, Sr. Royal Films May 31, 1951
Darna at ang Babaing Lawin[7] Carlos Vander Toloso August 15, 1952
1960s Si Darna at ang Impakta[8] • Liza Moreno as Darna Danilo Santiago Peoples Pictures, Inc. June 27, 1963
Isputnik vs. Darna[8] Natoy Catindíg Tagalog Ilang-Ilang Productions August 12, 1963
Darna at ang Babaing Tuod[9] • Eva Montes as Darna Cirio H. Santiago Cirio H. Santaiago Presentation
People's Pictures		 April 14, 1965
Si Darna at ang Planetman[10] • Gina Pareño as Darna (also played Daria)
Gina Alajar as Narda		 Marcelino Navarro Vera Perez Productions January 18, 1969
1970s Lipad, Darna, Lipad![11] • Vilma Santos as Darna/Narda Emmanuel Borlaza
Joey Gosiengfiao
Elwood Perez		 THP Films
Sine Pilipino		 March 23, 1973
Darna and the Giants • Vilma Santos as Darna/Narda Maning Borlaza Tagalog Ilang-Ilang Productions December 22, 1973
Darna vs the Planet Women • Vilma Santos as Darna/Narda Aramando Garces December 25, 1975
Darna, Kuno? • Dolphy, Lotis Key and Brenda Del Rio as Darna Luciano B. Carlos Regal Films March 30, 1979
Bira, Darna, Bira! • Rio Locsin as Darna/Narda Tito Sanchez MBM Productions June 15, 1979
1980s Darna at Ding • Vilma Santos as Darna/Narda J. Erastheo Navoa
Cloyd Robinson		 D'Wonder Films February 8, 1980
1990s Darna • Nanette Medved as Darna/Narda
Francine Prieto as young Narda		 Joel Lamangan Viva Films December 25, 1991
Mars Ravelo's Darna! Ang Pagbabalik • Anjanette Abayari as Darna/Narda Peque Gallaga
Lore Reyes		 June 9, 1994

In television

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Two television series were produced by GMA, in 2005 with Angel Locsin and in 2009, starring Marian Rivera. The fourth episode of the 2005 series, in which she donned the costume for the first time, set ratings records by receiving a 52.1% rating, the highest of any GMA-7 program at the time. Locsin continues to be referred to as a "real-life Darna"[12][13] for her generosity and relief activities during times of crisis, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2009 typhoon Ondoy calamity. A plot point from Vilma Santos' 1975 adaptation was adopted in the 2009 version, who made Narda physically handicapped, walking with a crutch. That Darna deviates from story traditions by initially rejecting the magical stone and portraying a reluctant hero, something the character had never done before in its history.[14][15]

In 2022, Darna made its comeback in the small screen, around 13 years since the last adaptation premiered. Jane de Leon played the titular role and her performance was met with praises from critics and viewers alike, putting her in the league of the best actresses to ever play the iconic superheroine.[16] Liza Soberano and Anne Curtis also praised De Leon's portrayal of the role.[17][18]

Era Title Starring Directed by Produced by Date released
1970s Darna! The TV Series Lorna Tolentino[19] Kitchie Benedicto 1977
2000s Mars Ravelo's Darna Angel Locsin[20] Dominic Zapata & Eric Quizon GMA Entertainment TV April 4, 2005
Marian Rivera[21] Dominic Zapata & Don Michael Perez August 10,
2020s Jane de Leon[22] Chito S. Roño, Avel E. Sunpongco, Benedict Mique & Darnel Joy Villaflor JRB Creative Production & Mars Ravelo Komiks Characters Inc. August 15, 2022

In theatre

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Darna was used in ballet shows as well. A ballet adaptation of "Pilipino Komiks" starring well-known Mars Ravelo comic book characters debuted in 1997. Darna was portrayed in an ensemble by prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde. Both ballet productions would later be restaged in 2017 and 2018, with Christine Crame resuming her role in the latter and Regine Magbitang playing in the former, and Crame becoming a well-known figure after starring in the 2003 smash "Darna: The Ballet."[23][24]

Other stage plays

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Ding, Ang Bato!

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On May 14 to 21, 2018, Ding, Ang Bato! that was presented by the Arts and Culture Cluster and the Dance Program of the School of Design and Arts of the De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde was a dance musical theatre that once more featured Darna (played by Christine Crame) and Valentina (Natasha Cabrera).[25][26] Staged at School of Design and Arts (SDA) Theater at De La Salle College of St. Benilde on Pablo Ocampo St. and directed also by Chris Millardo,[27] the story is told from the point-of-view of Ding (played alternately by Carlos Serrano, Juner Quiambao and John Peñaranda), the younger brother of Narda, who is born deaf in this version and accompanies Darna in the journey of empowerment.[28][29] In this version, Valentina is a sympathetic character and has an alter-ego named Tina (played by Lea Roque).[30] The choreography by Denisa Reyes and Ernest Mandap incorporates Filipino Sign Language so that both hearing and deaf audiences could experience the narrative.

In academics

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A study by Cherish Aileen Brillon from Ateneo de Manila University revealed that "Darna remains one of the most popular sites of analysis in the academe due to her longevity and far-reaching effects on local culture."[31]

Scholarships

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  • Academics Ravanes, Flores and Dingal from the Cebu Normal University published a research paper titled "Darna and Valentina: Republic Era's Strong Women in Comics."[32]
  • Academic Estrella T. Arroyo from the University of Saint Anthony began a study entitled "The Heroine Concept in a Filipino Graphic Narrative." The study investigated the concept of Heroine and "delved into a deeper meaning of heroine beyond its lexical meaning".[citation needed]
  • A study conducted by Academic Cherish Aileen A. Brill on titled "Ding ang Bato! The Rise of Super Hero(ines) and Violence on Local Television" discusses the ortanceons femalemen superheroes that use violence to achieve justice as an end.[33]
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  • In August 2022, Darna's return to primetime (starring Jane de Leon) generated positive reactions from the viewers, making its first official tag #Darna the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter nationwide and worldwide.[34] It also drew around 300,000 peak concurrent live viewers on YouTube.[35]
  • In the first ever season of Drag Race Philippines, the contestants dressed as Darna in the first mini challenge.[36][37]
  • The superheroine was mentioned in SB19's Gento.
  • Miss Universe Philippines 2022 Celeste Cortesi wore a Darna-inspired attire for the national costume segment of the pageant during its preliminary competition.[38] She later made a special appearance in the finale of Darna (2022 TV series) as Kevnar, the Queen of Marte.[39]

Postage stamps

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Darna has also been the subject of a series of national postage stamps released by PhilPost on November 15, 2004. The Darna issue 3 cover that Gilbert Monsanto did for Mango Comics and Nestor Redondo's Darna were among those featured along with Francisco Reyes' Kulafu, Francisco V. Coching's Lapu-Lapu, and Federico Javinal and Coching's El Vibora.[40][41]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Reimagining Darna for contemporary times". RAPPLER. 2022-09-18. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  2. ^ Vera, Ruel S. De (24 May 2020). "Darna: Ageless, all-media at 70". Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  3. ^ "10 things you may not know about Darna | ABS-CBN Entertainment". ent.abs-cbn.com. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  4. ^ "A brief history of "Darna" adaptations". cnn. Archived from the original on 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  5. ^ Moya, Jove. "Miss Universe Philippines 2022 stuns crowd in her Darna costume". Tatler Asia. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  6. ^ "Wonder Woman: The Philippines Have Their Own Take On the Iconic Amazonian Hero". CBR. 2022-12-18. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  7. ^ a b "Rosa del Rosario's centennial year". www.philstar.com. 2018-12-23. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  8. ^ a b "Look back on the marvelous Darna actresses through the years | ABS-CBN Entertainment". ent.abs-cbn.com. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  9. ^ "'Darna' through the years, from Rio Locsin to Sharon Cuneta, Marian Rivera and other fierce ladies". Philstar Life. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  10. ^ Bonoan, Reggee (19 July 2022). "Gina Pareño nakiusap na bigyan uli siya ng trabaho: Baka kasi mauwi na ako sa mental nito!". Bandera. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  11. ^ "Unang Darna movie ni Vilma Santos, wala nang makitang kopya". PEP.ph. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  12. ^ Cruz, Marinel (18 June 2020). "Angel Locsin balks at 'real-life Darna' title: I have no hero complex". Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  13. ^ "WATCH: Angel Locsin reacts to being called 'real-life Darna'". www.philstar.com. 2020-06-16. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  14. ^ "BATTLE OF NARDAS: How are Angel Locsin, Marian Rivera, Jane de Leon as Darna's alter-ego?". PEP.ph. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  15. ^ "Former Darna star Marian Rivera meets mini Darna toy". www.gmanetwork.com. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  16. ^ Agustin, John Micheal (January 20, 2023). "Top 5 Best Darna Actresses of All-time – Ranked". Spiel Times.
  17. ^ "Anne Curtis, pinuri si Jane de Leon bilang 'Darna'". ABS-CBN News (in Tagalog). 2022-08-22. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  18. ^ "Liza Soberano on Jane de Leon: 'I'm so happy for her'". RAPPLER. 2019-07-20. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  19. ^ "Did you know Lorna Tolentino played Darna at age 14? The multi-awarded actress takes us back to that time | ABS-CBN Entertainment". ent.abs-cbn.com. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  20. ^ "Angel Locsin says farewell to 'Darna'". Filipino Journal. 2017-04-11. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  21. ^ "Darna meets Darna: Marian Rivera posts photo with successor Jane de Leon". ABS-CBN News. 2019-11-27. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  22. ^ "5 iconic "Darna" scenes of Jane de Leon that prove she gave the role justice | ABS-CBN Entertainment". ent.abs-cbn.com. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  23. ^ "Ballet Philippines soars high with 'Darna'". www.philstar.com. 2003-07-28. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  24. ^ Nicolas, Jino (2018-04-24). "Darna comes back to life in Benilde's new dance musical, Ding, Ang Bato!". BusinessWorld Online. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  25. ^ "Darna is back in a new dance-theater production at Benilde". Inquirer Lifestyle. Philippine Daily Inquirer. May 4, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  26. ^ Francisco, Nikki (May 20, 2018). "Review: In "Ding, ang Bato!", dancing is serious but the politics is casual". TheaterFansManila.com. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  27. ^ "Benilde's Arts and Culture Cluster stages 'Ding, ang bato!'". InqPOP!. Philippine Daily Inquirer. April 20, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  28. ^ Charm, Neil (April 25, 2018). "Darna comes back to life in Benilde's new dance musical, Ding, Ang Bato! | BusinessWorld". BusinessWorld. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  29. ^ "Musical retells Darna story through Ding's perspective". ABS-CBN News. May 12, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  30. ^ Lanuza, Ej (May 21, 2018). "Taking flight with "Ding, Ang Bato!"". The Benildean. De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. Archived from the original on August 28, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  31. ^ Brillon, Cherish Aileen A. (2019). "Darna Movies in the Time of Martial Law: National Trauma and Historical Memory". Philippine Studies: Historical & Ethnographic Viewpoints. 67 (2): 213–238. doi:10.1353/phs.2019.0011. ISSN 2244-1093. JSTOR 45171892. S2CID 198678178.
  32. ^ Diones, Lito L.; Ravanes, Devie Rose A.; Flores, Sheena Leigh V.; Dingal, Dykembie S. (2023-03-13). "Darna and Valentina: Republic Era's Strong Women in Comics". International Journal of Modern Developments in Engineering and Science. 2 (3): 1–7. ISSN 2583-3138.
  33. ^ Cherish Aileen A. Brillon (2007). "Ding ang Bato! The Rise of Super Hero(ines) and Violence on Local Television". FEU Communication Journal. 3 (1): 1.
  34. ^ Dumaual, Miguel (2022-08-16). "'Darna' arrives: Pilot explains superhero's origin". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  35. ^ CC, JE (2022-08-16). "'Darna' surges in concurrent viewership, claims the top spot on Twitter trends during its pilot telecast". LionhearTV. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  36. ^ Antonio, Josiah (2022-08-17). "'Drag Race PH' queens channel Darna in mini challenge". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  37. ^ "Fil-Am queen Ongina sashayed into 'RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars' in a Darna-inspired look". www.gmanetwork.com. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  38. ^ "Designer tells story behind Celeste Cortesi's 'Darna' costume for Miss Universe 2022". cnn. Archived from the original on 2023-06-24. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  39. ^ "Celeste Cortesi on special appearance in 'Darna' finale: 'A new experience and challenge'". RAPPLER. 2023-02-12. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  40. ^ Stanfield, Linda. "RP Issues of 2004". philippinestamps.net. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  41. ^ Alanguilan, Gerry. "Philippine Komiks On Stamps!". alanguilan.com. Archived from the original on April 14, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
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