Actors Rabin Angeles and Angela Muji candidly spoke about the emotional toll of online bashing they experienced while working on ‘A Werewolf Boy’, the Philippine adaptation of the popular South Korean film.
The two addressed the issue during a media conference attended by LionhearTV and other entertainment media on Wednesday, January 7, ahead of the film’s nationwide release on January 14.
Muji shared that the negative reactions did not come immediately.
“Noong 2025 po, early 2025, I didn’t get a lot of hate comments. Sobrang bihira lang.” However, she said the situation escalated midway through the year.
“And then, in the middle of the year, it started coming in, and nanibago po ako. Hindi po ako senay na nakakita ng hate comments so nag-i-reply po ako, nag-i-react ako. And it really deeply affected me and my mental health.”
By the latter part of 2025, Muji said she slowly learned to accept the reality of public scrutiny.
“Tapos, towards the end of 2025, I kind of learned how to accept it and take it as it is kasi some people are really not gonna like you. You’re not always gonna be someone’s cup of tea.”
The actress became emotional as she recalled the most difficult moment, which happened during filming. “I was bashed a lot.”
Muji admitted she could not stop herself from reading the comments. “Parang ayaw tumigil ng brain ko. I wanted to read. I wanted to know what they were saying about me.”
She revealed that the experience overwhelmed her. “And I was in the dressing room. I was just crying for two hours straight reading all those hate comments. It really got to me.”
Despite the pain, Muji said she eventually found a way to turn the negativity into something constructive. “After that, it was time for us to shoot again. And then, I realized that it helped kasi nung eksena na po namin, lumabas na lang siya. Wala pa nga siya.”
She also reflected on how online hostility has become normalized. “I think that’s the only positive thing I can take from that because hate comments, they’re everywhere today. They’re so normalized.”
Muji pointed out how anonymity fuels online cruelty. “Dahil nga people can just easily hide behind fake profiles, dummy accounts, parang they can’t really take accountability for the things they say online. It’s hard to track them now. So, they just feel free to throw whatever words they wanna say.”
Ending her message, she said: “And what I can say about that is, even though we don’t see your faces and you’re hiding behind those pictures, just know that God is always watching you, and lahat may balik.”
Angeles echoed his co-star’s sentiments, admitting he was also affected initially.
“Ako po, no. Nung una, sobrang naapektuhan po ako sa hate comments kasi binabasa ko sila palagi. Palagi po ako nagbabasa ng mga comments.”
Eventually, he chose to disengage. “Pero nung bandang huli po, natutunan ko na parang mas healthy na huwag nalang basahin.”
Instead of responding to critics, Angeles said they agreed to channel the negativity into their work. “Dito po sa movie, parang pinag-usapan namin ni Angela na gagawin namin yung best namin dito. Ginawa namin inspirasyon ng mga haters talaga namin. Totoo po, ginawa po namin sinang inspirasyon dito sa pelikulang to.”
He emphasized that they chose silence over confrontation. “Parang kahit ano pong sabihin nila sa amin paulit-ulit, wala po akong ibang gagawin. Hindi po kami mababawi or anything. Hindi kami magre-reply.”
Ultimately, both actors said they let their performances speak for themselves.
“Ginalingan lang po namin sa pelikulang. Binigay po namin yung best namin.”
‘A Werewolf Boy’, originally released in 2012, is known for its emotional storytelling. The Philippine adaptation, directed by Crisanto B. Aquino and also starring Lorna Tolentino, arrives in cinemas on January 14, carrying not only a beloved story but also the resilience of its lead stars behind the scenes.
