It’s something we’ve heard of before: cats plotting to take over Earth to make humans bow before their new supreme feline overlords. How about extraterrestrial cats set to conquer the planet? If one of these cats lands in Barangay Hiraya — where neighbors help each other and the pancit is just utterly delicious — would it succeed?
The adventures and mischief of one such alien cat will be told in “Heneral Tuna,” the new short animated series from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and produced by Rocketsheep Studio. “Heneral Tuna” is an original Filipino animation project commissioned by the NCCA for the Filipino Values Program, which is an initiative that seeks to uphold, instill, and promote Filipino values to a new generation of Filipinos.
Heneral Tuna is the renowned hero of Planet Mingming, tasked to visit Planet Earth and observe the “Earthlings” in preparation for their planned invasion. Planet Mingming’s best soldier has grand plans for his mission but a spaceship mishap sends him crashing instead to the Philippines.
While a group of human beings called “pa-mil-ya” nurses him back to health, he uses this opportunity as a reconnaissance mission to observe the locals. What he learns inspires him and eventually skews his intentions of conquering the planet. Each of the seven episodes features a core Filipino value that the lead character encounters during his recovery.
The mini-series is created by the company behind the hit animated films “Hayop Ka!” and “Saving Sally.” At the helm of the series is director Avid Liongoren, who worked with a crew of talented writers and artists such as Rob Cham, Charlene Sawit-Esguerra, and Kevin Raymundo to develop the concept, with Carlo Vergara of “Zsazsa Zaturnnah” fame as the scriptwriter. Manny Angeles, co-producer and writer of “Hayop Ka!,” lends his voice to the titular character.
The NCCA partnered with the Film Development Council of the Philippines and Kumu to bring “Heneral Tuna” to online audiences throughout the globe. The young and young-at-heart can watch the series at the FDCP Channel and Kumu starting October 15, 2021, at 7:00 PM.
Learn more about Heneral Tuna and follow his journey on Planet Earth via Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok.
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