‘Hayop Ka!’ The Nimfa Dimaano Story’ - The First Pinoy Animated Film comes to Netflix

Sasha De Velez

Sep 28, 20202 min read

© Manarondong

Looking for something to add to your watchlist? Catch “Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story”, the latest Filipino animation film anticipated to premiere on Netflix this coming October 29.

The film takes us into the anthropomorphic world of animals and into the life of Nimfa Dimaano, a cat saleslady of perfume at a department store. She is dating her long-time boyfriend named Roger, a strong and dependable askal janitor where both are bounded by the same love for DVDs and cheap street food. However, Nimfa’s life takes a different turn when she meets one particular customer named Iñigo, a rich husky who charms her with his bourgeoisie lifestyle. Soon, she gets tangled up in a sticky love triangle as she realizes that she is falling in love with both of them at the same time. The question remains: will Nimfa stay with the person who has been with her since day one or will she run off with the charming bourgie prince who can possibly change her entire world?

This animated film not only promises smooth and adorable animation but of light-hearted romance and comedy as we watch the characters deal with adult human conflict and emotion in whimsical situations. Each character also brings a unique Filipino trait making the film altogether relatable and entertaining to its audience. The film also includes topics of societal expectations, personal aspirations, and themes of love and adulting all blended into the classic love triangle story in the world of animals.

The main cast features stars such as Angelica Panganiban, Sam Milby and Robin Padilla as well as an additional voice cast with Empoy Marquez, Piolo Pascual, Arci Muñoz, Eugene Domingo, Yeng Constantino, Moira dela Torre and Joyce Bernal.

The director of the film, Avid Liongoren, had expressed his excitement for its premiere in October. He also dedicates their craft which took three years in the making to fellow Filipino animators in hopes of encouraging more animation production in the country.

“There have been less than 10 animated feature films in the entire 100-year history of Philippine cinema, and we want to continue adding to that, while also hoping that little by little, someday Filipino animators can be known as not just service providers, but creators as well,” Liongoren said.

Hopefully, “Hayop Ka!” will indeed be a successful gateway for future animations and films in the Philippines.