Maria Clara and Ibarra’s love story is alive!
Minus all the MMK moments in the novel, digital illustrator LaArtni breathed new life into this story of old, Tinder style. The three-chapter comicserye is a fun take on how Maria Clara and Ibarra’s dating journey on Tinder would be like if they were real and alive today.
Maria Clara in this version of the story is a strong, independent, alpha Filipina while Ibarra is your typical cupid-tongued boy next door. The plot is simple: they have their own Tinder profile, they matched on the app, and hopped on a series of comical chat exchanges that sent Pinoy hopeless romantics to giddy-filled frenzy.
While soaking in the kilig from this reimagined love story, there are three things that this latest feel good social media ganap has taught us about modern day dating and Tinder.
Tinder Passport is Real!
The comicserye started with Ibarra (who is studying somewhere in Europe) using Tinder Passport to find potential matches in the Philippines (yes, may budget pang Tinder Plus si kuya. #SanaAll).
Unlike the novel, Tinder Passport is no fiction. But like the comicserye, this feature allows daters to change their location and make connections anywhere around the world.
If you find yourself running out of matches near you or baka gusto mo lang ng ibang putahe, maybe it’s time to expand your horizons. Just like Ibarra, Tinder Passport may just be your way to find your itinadhana abroad. Waste no time and Tinder Passport your way to score a match with a Korean oppa!
Ladies and Chumenimen, Tinder Explore!
Randomly swiping on anyone without knowing whether you have any common interests at all makes dating a little tougher. But what if you possessed Dr. Strange’s mystical sling ring that lets you create a portal that can teleport you to a virtual space filled with potential matches who share the same interests? Say no more.
In case you didn’t know, Tinder has made it easier for daters to make connections and ignite sparks. Thanks to Tinder Explore, Ibarra and Maria Clara seemed to have hit it off easily in this comicserye.
As both are mahilig pumartey, it’s comically fitting to say that Ibarra and Maria Clara Doctor-Strange their way to Festival Mode in this reimagined story. But unlike Dr. Strange’s mystical sling ring, Tinder Explore is real.
Tinder Explore is a section on the app where daters can find potential matches who share the same interests such as gamers, music lovers, foodies, thrill seekers, and many more.
Ber-months just arrived. This means that the four-month Christmas celebration is on! Just like Ibarra, this is the perfect time to hop on Tinder Explore. Go on Festival Mode if you don’t want to be a member of “samahan ng mga malalamig ang pasko”.
Landi Effortlessly on Tinder – Modern Ibarra and Maria Clara Style
If the reimagined Maria Clara and Ibarra can talk, they would be telling us to sit down, watch, and learn. One of the things we can pick up from this comicserye is that dating should be light and fun (and safe, of course!).
Understandably, making the first move is one of the biggest struggles that young pinoy daters face on dating apps*. How one starts the conversation will sometimes make or break the spark.
Ibarra and Maria Clara’s secret is simple: read your match’s Tinder profile. It’s all in the bio, ladies and chumenimen! As the “Mr. Right na mahilig sa fiesta” who scored a match with “isang strong and independent woman na mahilig pumartey”, Ibarra slid into Maria Clara’s inbox and let the conversation flow smoothly.
In case you’ve been living under the rocks, here’s another flash news: you can now add an Anthem to your Tinder profile. Check out your match’s Anthem and use that to strike a conversation just as how Ibarra and Maria Clara smoothly talked about Juan Karlos Labajo’s hit song Buwan, BlackPink, and BTS.
If you’ve been hoarding matches, this is the sign you’ve been longing for. Read your matches’ bios and shoot your shot!
Check out the full #Tinderserye over at LaARTni’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages to know more about how everything went down with Maria Clara and Ibarra on Tinder!
Who would have thought that we will pick up some dating protips from this reimagined story? The digital illustrator only posted three chapters of the comicserye. We are yet to find out whether there will be new chapters in the coming weeks. The story cannot end just like that. As a nation of hopeless romantic marites, we must know how this story will end.
And while waiting, why don’t we all hop on Tinder and find our own Ibarra or Maria Clara?
