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If you enjoy our fresh and juicy news coverage, your mind is about to be blown by our brand new documentary series COCONUTS TV ON IFLIX. The hotly anticipated series is the first original docu-series to drop on iflix and we couldn’t be more excited for you to watch it.
COCONUTS TV ON IFLIX is essential viewing for anyone who wants to delve deep into the stories of some of the most compelling people in Southeast Asia. They aren’t celebrities or “influencers”, they are people you won’t find popping up on your newsfeed, whose stories haven’t been shared yet. Open your eyes to the smaller, more personal stories that aren’t usually covered in the media, but are no less fascinating.
Watch and see first-hand what it’s like to be a polio survivor and champion weightlifter in Indonesia, or a trans woman in Thailand competing both to be accepted by society and crowned queen by a panel of tough judges.
The stories are unmissable, insane, controversial, and, frankly, pretty bizarre. Each segment features a different local host as they talk to people from all sides of the story and experience things for themselves.
Each episode in the 6-part series features 2-3 true, but nonetheless, shocking stories straight from Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Past the glittering malls and skyscrapers of some of Southeast Asia’s biggest cities, past the tourist attractions and white sand beaches, Coconuts TV turned their cameras to the (sometimes) seedy underbellies to dig up the most fascinating untold stories.
How are little people being celebrated, and exploited, in Manila? How much do sugar daddies pay their sugar babies in KL? We asked the questions you never knew you needed answered. But you do, you absolutely do.
Episode 1, Sexy Time, starts with local host Pan Pan Narkprasert, a.k.a. Pangina Heals, Thailand’s premier drag queen who’s appeared on The Face Thailand and Drag Race Thailand, as he goes inside Miss Tiffany’s Pageant. But Miss Tiffany’s isn’t your average slow-waving, Vaseline teeth-smearing competition. It’s a platform for trans women to express their beauty, individualism, and fight for acceptance.
Next up, enter the world of Dangdut in Jakarta, Indonesia, with local host Denny Frust. The traditional dance genre has had a sexy makeover in recent years. How do the sensual singers and suggestive dance moves fit into a society where most women are wearing hijabs? Surprisingly well, it seems.
In the final segment of the first episode, host Rachel Darshini Henry gets first-hand experience with Sugar Book, the website that where “romance meets finance” in Malaysia.
Episode 2, Marginalized, features more intriguing stories from Manila – local host Mich Dulce explores a boxing ring and a restaurant in Manila that exclusively employ little people – and Indonesia, where quirky host Ramen GVRL meets Widi, a young woman who isn’t letting a little thing like polio keep her from becoming an Olympic weightlifter.
The full episodic overview is below:
EPISODE 1: SEXY TIME – Let’s talk about sex baby. Explore the many facets of how sex has shaped South East Asia’s modern culture, music, and society. Conventional, consensual, or condescending?
EPISODE 2: MARGINALIZED – True grit, survival, adaptation, & passion – the formula to cultivate greatness. Follow the rise of superstars from historically marginalized groups within society, exposing the difference between who we are and who we want to be
EPISODE 3: NEEDLES ‘N’ KNIVES – Dive under the skin and into the depths of needle-sharing fisherman and unfold the deadly razor-sharp thrill of the famed balisong butterfly knife. Two different stories, two different kinds of highs.
EPISODE 4: ANIMALS AND US – Unveil spirituality, mindfulness, and healing with a legendary horse riding, kickboxing, drug-fighting monk. Then explore a volcanic active region where nature knows no kings nor gives no mercy to the wildlife around it.
EPISODE 5: WHEELS OF CHANGE – The only assurance in life is change. Follow the rise of gender equality in Malaysian motorsports and the demise of the iconic Filipino jeepney. Witness the evolution and how steadfast communities adapt to these fast times.
EPISODE 6: BIRDS AND BUGS – Has anyone told you about the birds and the… bugs? Access the underbelly of Asia’s fascination for cockfighting, songbirds, and the renaissance of mainstream insect-eating culture.
The 6-part series COCONUTS TV ON IFLIX premieres exclusively on iflix on Monday, April 2, 2018. Click here to watch.
