For a recent Spanish assignment, I had to choose a telenovela (Spanish soap opera) to watch and respond to. I didn’t have very high hopes considering these soap operas are usually characterized by being low-budget and featuring actors with questionable theater chops. But, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and 45 minutes of my life did not completely go to waste! I chose to watch the first episode of Mi Adorable Maldición (My Adorable Curse) because it looked nice and dramatic, and it really was. A father named Anselmo is devastated on the night his daughter is born because his wife dies and her body is mysteriously stolen by a dirty homeless man (weird, I know). The midwife also blacklists Anselmo’s new daughter around town because she believes that she possesses the mark of the devil. But I have to say the execution of this strange plot was pretty good. The filming was a little better than I expected even though it still had the quality that only a not totally professional-grade camera can offer. The actual acting within the episode was solid as well, even though some of the marking within the scenes was funny to watch. But, again not horrible! In fact, I feel so intrigued by the story that I may watch another episode. I also found this experience quite exciting because I got to put my budding Spanish knowledge to the test when listening to the quick pace of conversation between native speakers. And I’m also happy to be proven wrong when something turns out to be better than I expected. So if you feel that way too or think telenovelas aren’t great, I actually would recommend that you give this one a chance because it may peak your interest as it has mine.
