Adult Animation Revolution: Talking To Studio Heartbreak And The Soul Behind ‘The Lovers’

The Lovers is an animated thriller about the romantic tension between a seafood chef and a siren, set in a dark fantasy Philippines.

The film follows Sara Lim Baylon (Vanille Velasquez [Valorant, League of Legends]), a reluctant seafood chef from Binondo, Manila. As the youngest member of her family to run their restaurant, Sara faces the daunting pressure to live up to her late father’s reputation and keep the business afloat. When the governor’s inauguration dinner is planned at the restaurant, featuring a sirena (Dawn M. Bennett – Fire Emblem, Honkai: Star Rail, My Hero Academia) as the centerpiece, Sara finds herself drawn into a dangerous affair with the mythical creature.

Tito W. James: Thanks for taking the time to talk. As soon as I saw the teaser for The Lovers, I knew I wanted to learn more.

Studio Heartbreak: And thank you for reaching out to us!

James: What was the inspiration for this project? Were there any personal experiences you wanted to explore in a fantastic setting?

Studio Heartbreak: Ha, ha, let’s just say that this story is very personal to all of us on the production team.

James: What are some of your artistic influences for this project? Is there a particular anime series or movie director you like?

Studio Heartbreak: Satoshi Kon, for sure. Such a brilliant blend of real and surreal.

James: This is a story that’s set in the Philippines. Is there something culturally specific about the animation or folklore?

Studio Heartbreak: Absolutely! Mythical creatures still dominate urban legends to this day. Something about them feels so alive- especially with how people seem to gossip about them through hushed tones! Sirenas and magindaras are heavily romanticized in Filipino folklore. Most accounts describe them as both beautiful and deadly, and we wanted to include these opposing forces in our character writing. Sort of like a femme fatale- they target children and male sailors in a lot of myths, so we wanted to see what would happen if we threw a female chef into the mix. The word “sirena” is also relevant to the Filipino queer community!

As a Filipino, I wanted this sense of specificity for the character and setting. Basing The Lovers on Filipino siren myths instead of Western ones felt right.

James: What would you like to see in the future of Filipino animation?

Studio Heartbreak: More freedom for Filipinos to tell honest stories. I want to see romance, thriller, comedy, slice of life- anything they want to explore! Filipinos should be free to tell the stories they want to tell and diversify our pool of genres. Every creative has a unique project in mind, and I hope that Filipino creators could have a platform to tell these personal stories without worrying about expectations and limitations set by higher-ups.

James: We are seeing more LGBTQ+ themes and characters explored in animation and in fantastic genre fiction. Are there any challenges or opportunities in exploring this same-sex romance?

Studio Heartbreak: One aspect of heterosexual characters is that there is always the inherent power dynamic that colors the character interactions and personalities a certain way. When we take gender out of the equation, we can peel away the surface and examine something deeper about power itself. 

James: Lovers also explores body horror. Some imagery reminded me of the Japanese Ero Guro movement. What makes horror and romance such an engaging combination?

 Studio Heartbreak: Ha, ha, I wish we could tell you! We’re just drawing what we like to draw, and writing what we like to write. It’s like fanfiction, in that way.

James: Can you take us through the process of making an indie animated short? How do you know when you have the right idea and then how can you grow that idea into a film?

Studio Heartbreak: Actually, I think the nature of indie work means that you get feedback about what the right idea is very fast. I think one of our early indicators that we were on the right track was that it was very, very easy to get eyes on our project, and very easy to recruit team members.

James: What advice would you give to a creative team who’s creating their own independent animated short? Is there something you wish you knew before?

Studio Heartbreak: Just start. Everything you need to learn will be learned on the job, and it’s a tremendous way to start encountering and fixing real-life problems. Many people seem to think there is an optimal point in one’s career where it’s good to break off and go indie, but there is no such thing. Both less experience and more experience in the industry can both be good, in its own ways. 

James: Here at Adult Animation Revolution we believe that “animation is a medium not a genre.” What does that mantra mean to you and what would you like to see explored more in animation?

Studio Heartbreak: I would like to see more tragedies. Animation has this inherent association with optimism and beauty. I would like to see someone speak that language, but then twist the knife.

I’d like to thank Studio Heartbreak for taking the time to do this in depth interview. You can support The Lovers on the official YouTube channel.