# Ang Mutya ng Section E

Ang Mutya ng Section E (transl. The Jewel of Section E) is a Philippine coming-of-age romantic comedy web series. It is based on the Wattpad book trilogy of the same name by the Filipino author Lara Flores, who is better known by her pseudonym Eatmore2behappy. The series premiered on Viva One on January 3, 2025.
The series stars Ashtine Olviga as Jay-jay, a high school student who transfers to the prestigious Higher Value International School. To her surprise, however, she is sent to Section E, the lowest and most unruly section of the school. The boys of Section E, especially the class president Keifer, are determined to drive their only female classmate out of their section, but she won't go down without a fight.

## Background and release

The series is based on a popular Wattpad book trilogy of the same name by the Filipino author Lara Flores, better known by her pseudonym Eatmore2behappy. The trilogy has reportedly amassed a total of 348 million reads, as of December 2024. The cast was first revealed at a press conference in November 2024 at the Viva Café, with Ashtine Olviga, Andres Muhlach, and Rabin Angeles playing lead roles.
New-generation actors Andre Yllana, Charles Law, Frost Sandoval, Keagan De Jesus, Ethan David, Kurt Delos Reyes, Martin Venegas, Nic Galvez, Daniel Ong, AJ Ferrer, Sam Shoaf, Michael Keith, Kyosu Guinto, Yanyan De Jesus, Derick Ong, and Heart Ryan were also announced as cast members in November, alongside senior actors Yayo Aguila, Katya Santos, Nanette Inventor, and Lander Vera-Perez. The director, Theodore Boborol, promised fans of the books that Mutya would remain faithful to the source material. Flores, the author, affirmed Boborol's promise, revealing that the production secured her consent before making any significant changes to the story. On December 19, 2024, the series' official trailer premiered at another press conference. The trailer garnered more than two million views in fewer than 24 hours, which surged to seven million by December 21.
The first episode of Mutya aired on January 3, 2025. New episodes premiere on the Viva One streaming service every Friday. The series is set to run for 16 episodes. The series is a collaboration between Viva One and Wattpad Webtoon Studios.

## Cast and characters
### Lead cast

* Ashtine Olviga as Jasper Jean "Jay-jay" Fernandez Mariano
* Andres Muhlach as Mark Keifer Watson
* Rabin Angeles as Yuri Hanamichi

### Supporting cast

* André Yllana as Michael Aries Fernandez
* Heart Ryan as Ella Dianne Hyun
* Angela Muji as Rakki San Diego
* Sara Joe as Freya Hidalgo
* Axel Torres as Michael Angelo Fernandez
* Yayo Aguila as Gemma Fernandez
* Charles Law as Cinco Neith "Ci-N" Peralta
* Frost Sandoval as David Theodore Braselton
* Keagan De Jesus as Superman "Eman" Andrada
* Ethan David as Calix Reinier Rivera
* Kurt Delos Reyes as John Felix Collins
* Martin Venegas as Denzel Castillo
* Nic Galvez as Kit Harrington
* Daniel Ong as Mayo Jeson Ramos
* AJ Ferrer as Rory Abejar
* Sam Shoaf as Edrix Knight Peñaflor
* Michael Keith as Eren De Luna
* Kyosu Guinto as Josh Venites
* Yanyan De Jesus as Drew Mercado
* Derick Ong as Blaster Madrigal
* JD Axie as Percy Rey Collins
* Dann Quibuyen as Cyrus Velasco
* Naz San Juan as Ram Geronimo

### Recurring cast

* Nanette Inventor as Malou Fernandez
* Lander Vera-Perez as Jaspher "Boy" Mariano
* Katya Santos as Jeana Fernandez
* Janina Lorelei as Dr. Celeste Peralta

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Original release date |
| 1 | "Welcome to Section E" | January 3, 2025 (2025-1-3) |
| 2 | "Special Order" | January 10, 2025 (2025-1-10) |
| 3 | "Band-aid" | January 17, 2025 (2025-1-17) |
| 4 | "After the Rain" | January 24, 2025 (2025-1-24) |
| 5 | "Love Letters" | January 31, 2025 (2025-1-31) |
| 6 | "Frame-up" | February 7, 2025 (2025-2-07) |
| 7 | "Superhero" | February 14, 2025 (2025-2-14) |
| 8 | "The Suitor" | February 21, 2025 (2025-2-21) |
| 9 | "Positive" | February 28, 2025 (2025-2-28) |
| 10 | "The Rescue" | March 7, 2025 (2025-3-7) |
| 11 | "The Festival" | March 14, 2025 (2025-3-14) |

## Reception
### Critical reception

Nica Glorioso of Nylon Manila described the series as a cliché, but praised Olviga for bringing "depth, vulnerability, and plenty of comedic chops" to her performance as Jay-jay.

### Audience reception

On March 8, 2025, The Philippine Star declared that Ang Mutya ng Section E was "officially a global sensation". Writing for the newspaper, MJ Marfori reported that the series made "huge waves" among foreign audiences, helping them appreciate the unique Filipino charisma. Olviga shared, "We're so shocked by the countless edits where the language is different, and the music is different too. We're so happy that even our comment sections are full of people speaking in different languages." Marfori also noted that the Mutya cast members had become highly popular on social media, with their posts accumulating millions of views and likes on platforms such as TikTok. She described Jay-jay as Olviga's breakthrough role.