YMMV / She's Dating the Gangster

• And You Thought It Would Fail: The earliest previews unveiled Narm-y short clips and an awkward 1980s aesthetic. This was on top of Bernardo and Padilla, widely also known by the Portmanteau Couple Name "Kathniel", being dismissed by detractors as unable to pull off any serious or good acting. Later previews, however, improved public perception of the intentionally gaudy 1980s aesthetic. The film became a massive commercial success, as expected for Teen Idols Kathniel; less of a given was its genuinely high quality. Healthy indulgence in rom-com clichés aside, there's beautifully stylized cinematography and nuanced writing. It was much better than a movie of its kind needed to be and frequently is, and signified a growing ambition in Philippine mainstream filmmakers to make even "lowbrow" entertainment good. Bernardo and Padilla also earned compliments for their acting, although Bernardo had been in showbusiness longer and already established her remarkable talent.
• Questionable Casting: Maybe it's a case of Ability over Appearance.
  • For some reason, we're expected to believe that Khalil Ramos◊, with his very classically Filipino features and brown skin, grows up to look like pale-skinned Spanish-Filipino mestizo Ian Veneracion◊.
  • Kathryn Bernardo◊, who is also known for her traditional Filipino looks, is also expected to grow up into pale-skinned, half-Palestinian actress Dawn Zulueta◊.
• They Really Can Act: Daniel Padilla, a newbie Teen Idol who achieved popularity via teenybopper rom-com projects, has lots of acting talent and potential? Yes, very much. As mentioned above, longer-time actress Kathryn Bernardo had already proved her ability; but this was a refresher for those who forgot in the face of her network's decision to cast her in many (deceptively) light projects.