Cuidado con el Angel - I have no shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame

[dangermousie]

To my everlasting shame (if I had any such thing, that is), I have fallen for Cuidado con el Angel, a Mexican telenovela that is being subbed on viki.



Marichuy: poor and orphaned but plucky and optimistic beauty from the slums.
Juan Miguel: Gorgeous upperclass workaholic with a TERRIBLE SECRET (tm).
Me: obsessed!

There are smoochies, angst, separation, evil exes, birth secrets, and more crazy people than should be able to fit in the vicinity of Mexico City. I am drinking in every little bit.



I have to say, as soon as the camera cut away from him angstily wallowing about how he did something horrible years ago and has this horrible secret for which he needs to atone, which is why he's dedicated himself to helping people, to our heroine Marichuy, I knew his terrrrible secret shame had to do with our heroine. I had no patience to sit through 130 episodes before finding out what it is he did, so I went googling, and at first it almost made me dump the telenovela because it seemed his big secret was that when he was younger and drunk, he raped the heroine (!!!!!!!) Ummm, no, not my thing - the days of Luke and Laura are over. But I simply couldn't believe that this would be the case because WTF! It's not a Thai lakorn. So I went digging for more info and I found that actually, years ago, he was drunk, bumped into her, chased after her, smooched her against her wishes, and she ran off. And she didn't see his face.

OK, on one hand, I am quite happy because that means I can enjoy his open-shirted misery without thinking I am drooling over a rapist. On another - holy moley overdramatic much! I don't mean to say that what he did wasn't a jerk move, but seriously! I mean, the way he was writhing in misery on the floor of his library (in a strategically-unbuttoned shirt), you'd think he murdered somebody! And the way heroine kept going on and on how she had this terrible secret she will never reveal that ruined her life - ummmmm, whut? I can see why finding out that your bf went drunk-chasing after ladies might want you to reconsider dating him, but to consider that that encounter ruined your life? WTF! Anyway, it wouldn't be a telenovela without crazy drama.



So yeah, it's crazy, it's romance-driven, it's cheesy as hell and it has a hero who looks like a sexy rentboy (as opposed to supposedly respected doctor. ROFL):



I am so very very in.

Apparently so were a lot of people, because there are an insane amount of MVs on youtube. Have one (bonus for using one of my favorite songs):

Aren't they the most adorable thing ever?

I am actually considering hunting for a DVD set, if one exists (I found and bought an abridged set, with English subs, but I want the uncut version - subs not necessary...My Spanish isn't the greatest, but I can follow a telenovela). Or can anyone point me to torrents? ETA: I believe I found a site that sells unabridged version. It's hella pricy but I waaaaant it enough not to care! (Side note - they have a lot of telenovelas there. I'll see how this purchase works out and, if it does, I am so becoming a customer for life there).

In conclusion - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, William Levy. Where have you been all my life? My liking for blonds rarely gets satisfied by TV :P

Comments

[abby2507.livejournal.com]

lol omg, never thought I'd see CCEA anywhere. I loved this novela so much, it came at a time when RBD was ending and Maite started branching out, this was her first project that launched her success and also introduced me to william levy and I was so content it wasn't even funny. Not to mention the fact that william/maite have an abundance of chemistry and their chem remains a reason why they're one of my favorite novela couples ever. Plus there was all that speculation about their relationship that made it all even more scandalous. Oh how I missed the days when this novela was on and their every move was watched. As much as I enjoyed this show, I could have done without them being separating the hero and heroine for so long. ugh, at least their new novela had lots of making out, even if it lacked a cohesive storyline. And if you want another good novela, watch sortilegio, I don't particularly love the lead actress but it was awesome nonetheless, plus she had chem with william and the storyline was awesome imo.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Are you kidding? There is a veritable horde of people obsessing over CCEA over on viki - more than I see for anything but kdramas.

Maite is gorgeous and charming - she totally deserves to be a huge star (she also looks a lot like one of my cousins who used to be swarmed by admirers whenever we went to Mexico, lol :P) And as to William Levy - ahhhhh, it's unhealthy, what he does to my hormones. I need to see every telenovela the guy has been in! (I will definitely check out Sortilegio, if I can find it).

Yeah, I agree, the plot is not the most realistic (but then, it's a telenovela - I forgive them a lot for a hot, chemistry-filled cast and angst. At least this one didn't switch the romantic pairing in the middle, like Isaura) but I adore it anyway. I actually tracked down both the insanely abridged, English-subbed DVD version and the uncut, only in Spanish DVD version, that is how obsessed I am. (Plus, good practice for my rusty Spanish).

I loved telenovelas as a kid in Russia (my grandparents still obsess over them, when they are shown in Russian dub on local Russian channels) and I have a feeling CCEA has served as a gateway drug to lure me back in.

Any particular recs?

ETA: Maite/William have another telenovela together? OMG, waaaant! What is its name? I don't care if it has the most ridiculous plot in the universe.

[katranna.livejournal.com]

Lol, your beautiful cousin from your wedding! I remember a lot of our relatives talking about her, haha. I felt very snubbed. :p

[abby2507.livejournal.com]

lol, I think my brother would have loved to meet your cousin, he's like Maite alot and I'm glad she became such a huge star, she was always overlooked in RBD.

William is sexyyyyyy omg, his voice and the way he's aggressive is sexy. When he has a fight scene I thank someone.

Telenovela plots are nothing if not outrageous and they wouldn't have so many followers if they constricted themselves to normal tv realm, which is why they better never change.

Oh and definitely watch the Sortilegio novela with William, he was good in it and the storyline was one of the better one's I've seen. Also I just finished watching one called Mi Corazon Insiste with Carmen Villabos (who I swear is one of the prettiest people in life) and Jencarlos who has enviable eyelashes.

Oh and the other Maite/WIlliam drama is el triunfo del amor, they make out alot lol.

[att123.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh! I was obsessed with this too! I don't know much about the dvd sets though since I have only ever bought the abridged versions. Let us know how the complete dvd sets work out for you.

Sortilegio, William Levy's, other drama is also pretty cracktastic!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

OMFG I need this in my life! I am afraid telenovelas are going to be my new obsession.

Also, apparently he has another drama with Maite which has fakecest?! I need it.

Also, those telenovela guys are mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[att123.livejournal.com]

haha Yeah, I enjoyed it a lot! Telenovelas are so much fun! They're insanely trashy but soooo good.

I've heard some negative things about that one actually which is such a shame because I was rabid about them in CCEA. I am dying to get my hands on Mi Pecado: Maite's drama after CCEA.

OH YES! They are just so manly and alsdkla;s

There is an older novela that has been completely subbed on Youtube. Its called Muneca Brava and I am loving it! The heroine is tough and the side characters are hilarious.

[semigemi.livejournal.com]

The trailer reminds of this show I was watching on tv years ago called Acapulco Bay... I was so obsessed with that thing and then it stopped airing before I found out how it ended to my eternal dismay.
I'm intrigued by this now and well the pretty lol.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yay! I am not alone - we shall succumb to the pretty together

[sundae-sweet.livejournal.com]

I don't know if I will ever watch this show (I remember the last time I hopelessly pined over a non-Asian novela that you raved about and it was killing me knowing that I will probably never ever be able to watch it) but even I had to say "hot daaaaayyyyuuuummmm" when I saw that this was what the OTP looked like. Well done.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Aren't they ridiculously gorgeous?

And don't pine! This is actively being subbed on viki (30 eps are currently subbed).

Also, the Russian telenovela I got everyone obsessed about, Bednaya Nastya, is actually being subbed on viki too - there are a ton of subbed eps out. So now is your chance :)

To tempt you to check out CCEA:

[sundae-sweet.livejournal.com]

Sweet, now I have to check this out! Thank you!

[mionenoelle.livejournal.com]

Tee-hee! This brings back memories of the nationwide Thalia craze of my childhood years. I never really got into most of them, but damn I was so addicted to Rosalinda, or whatever its original title is. And Betty la Fea, which is more quirky than pretty. And these are old. I pretty much don't know any telenovelas other than the ones I get to see on tv.

For some reason, CCEA was retitled Maria de Jesus when it aired in my country. I was looking at these people and wondering why they looked so familiar...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Marichuy's 'proper' name is 'Maria de Jesus' because she was taken in by nuns :)

I wish US would show them subbed...

[mionenoelle.livejournal.com]

I know :D I guess I just never saw the point of retitles when the original ones would do just fine.

[akosikae.livejournal.com]

I think I saw this in a local channel during commercials. A Tagalized Mexican telenovela crops up once in a while ever since the Marimar mania.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Cool! Yeah, they were popular in Russia too

[popaddict.livejournal.com]

I enjoy a telenovela now and again although if there are 100 episodes I usually end up watching a total of 30 due to liberal use of the ffwd button.


That said, I don't know about this one, William does nothing for me and I am shallow. /shame

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

That's OK, more for meeeeee :)

Yeah, I liberally ff too - I skip all the scenes that don't involve the leads, for one.

[(Anonymous)]

Can I make a recommendation? Everyone in my house would come to a complete halt when CAFE CON AROMA DE MUJER was on (even my workaholic father would leave the office early to watch this novela!)It is not new, early 90s, maybe. From Colombia. He's called Guy Ecker and she is Margarita Rosa de Francisco. You are going to looooooooooove Gaviota (her character). They are fantastic together. The story is great -all about coffee, which makes total sense as it was made in Colombia-. You should check it out. I know there are eps available in youtube.

Also, you might want to look for novelas with Pablo Echarri (who had a very long relationship with Natalia Oreiro -from Muneca Brava- and currently Nancy Duplaa's (from Padre Coraje) husband and baby daddy) He's a great actor. I remember channel surfing at my parents and literally stopping at the sight of this young stud with looooooooooooooong hair (listen, I'm not that young, it was fashionable then, ok?!). That show was called Mujercitas and I think it was his first major role on Argentine TV (but hey, I might be wrong...)

Now, this one literally was fantastic (a bit of a thriller/rom if there ever was such a combo?). I would get daily reports about the episodes from friends as I had already moved from Argentina and of course couldnt watch it: RESISTIRE. Diego Moreno (Pablo Echarri) is a 30-year-old salesman working in a clothing store who has broken up with his fiancée and goes back to the family home. While working there, he meets Julia Malaguer Podestá (Celeste Cid) and falls in love (as you would, of course!). Julia is engaged to another guy, a rich one who is not as nice as he seems especially in his job. Of course there are a thousand complications and more characters and blah, blah)

I am now remembering another one: PASION DE GAVILANES. Cant recall exactly where it was made... Maybe Colombia? I remember loving the way they sounded... so different from me. Sisters in a rancho/farm living next door to a group of brothers. Everyone is soooooooooo smoking hot.

Hope you like these. Otherwise, for a fantastic and veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery old one, check TOPACIO from Venezuela. Birth secrets included. Really old, I am not kidding. I think I watched it 1985 with my grandma.

Besos,
G

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

OMG, thank you!!!!! I am going to hunt down each and every one of these recs! (Old doesn't bother me btw. I used to be obsessed with Esclava Isaura from the 70s).

[(Anonymous)]

I absolutely loved and still love CCEA!!!Triunfo Del Amor was also good(again with William Levy and Maite Perroni).The main actors have such an amasing chemestry and i am just in love with them.I know there were a lot of roumours around them ab having a relationship but i sooo wish it would be true.....

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I know, their chemistry is beyond insane!

[(Anonymous)]

Hi there, I love ur review, so funny lol! I'm watching Cuidado con el angel, and looking for Triunfo del amor, can u please post the siteu found ? I really wanna a complete series, the ones on amazon and ebay seems edited according to the reviews...plz plz plzzzzz
thx :D

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

te-lenovelas.com. There are no subs, hope you are OK with that.