Justice for Love duology

*The Last War* by Toho

*Rhodora X*
by GMA Network

The ***Justice for Love* duology** (also known simply as ***Justice for Alicia* duology** in the Philippines) is a Japanese-Philippine multimedia franchise that is centered on Alicia Salvacion's life journey, and the imminent human extinction being caused by an asteroid impact. Starring Yasmien Kurdi, and mostly set in San Francisco, the duology was produced by Toho and co-produced by GMA Pictures.

The duology received generally positive reception in the Philippines and has been commercially successful after earning $88 million at the box office, making it one of the highest grossing Toho sci-fi films of the 21st century so far. The duology is regarded to be responsible of redefining Yasmien Kurdi's acting career, and also helped renew interest in both the disaster film genre, and the real-world discussion of asteroid impact avoidance, culminating with the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), the first successful attempt at asteroid deflection.

## Development

The concept originated from the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor event, and the lack of films that visualized the possible effects of a large asteroid impact. Due to the incident, interest in asteroid impact events have drawn renewed attention, while Japanese studio Toho considered producing a science-fiction film that focuses on such event, with the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event serving as the main inspiration for the film. Toho's previous sci-fi film at that time was the 2006 remake of *Sinking of Japan*, which recieved mixed reviews.

To differentiate it from *Sinking of Japan*, it was decided to depict the asteroid threat as if it were a real event, by taking inspiration and influences from real impact events. The film's screenplay was adapted from *The Last War*, albeit replacing the nuclear warfare theme with impact events on Earth. Meanwhile, GMA Pictures is responsible for adding elements from the Philippine drama genre, with the story being loosely based from the 2014 series *Rhodora X*.

Following the conclusion of *Justice for Love Presents: The Obsession* and the release of *The Final Moments* short film, GMA Pictures' three-year license to the *Justice for Love* trademark expired in May 2022, and GMA Network allowed their rights to revert back to Toho, giving Toho the full control of the *Justice for Love* copyright/trademark.

## Entries

### *#JusticeForLove: End of the World* (2020)

*Main article: Justice for Love: End of the World*
In 2020, a woman named Mylene arrives in San Francisco with her family in an attempt to reunite with her sister, but accidentally rescues a depressed woman named Alicia. When Mylene is accused for a crime she never committed, it's up to Alicia to clear Mylene's name while attempting to reunite with her mother in Manila, before a 10-kilometer asteroid impacts Earth and cause an extinction-level event.

The concept originated from the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor event, and the lack of films that visualized the possible effects of a large asteroid impact, with the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event serving as the main inspiration for the film. The film's screenplay was adapted from the 1961 film *The Last War*. The film became a co-production with GMA Pictures following the success of 2018's *The Return of Godzilla*.

### *Justice for Love Presents: The Obsession* (2021)

*Main article: Justice for Love Presents: The Obsession*
Two years before the events in San Francisco, Alicia wakes up in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands after a two-year coma. Richard, an American soldier, and Lolita, his Filipino wife, asks what happened to her and where she came from. Alicia then recalls the events which led her to this point, depicting her life story from 1997 until 2020, from Manila to San Francisco.

Following the criticism regarding the underwritten characters and the film's running time, GMA Network opted to produce a prequel series to the film. The series' principal photography suffered through multiple issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic and schedule conflicts. The series was produced completely by GMA Network, with Toho only distributing the series internationally.

## Timeline

*Main article: Timeline (Justice for Love duology)*
## Setting

*Main article: List of locations in Justice for Love duology*
The duology mostly takes place in two locations, across the Pacific Ocean: Manila, Philippines and San Francisco, California. Additional locations include Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, and Honolulu, Hawaii.

## Influences

The duology is heavily inspired by multiple impact events that took place in Earth's history, such as the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, which is known for wiping out the non-avian dinosaurs 66 million years ago, following the impact of a 10 to 15 kilometer asteroid in the Gulf of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. Other events include the 1908 Tunguska event, the largest impact event in recorded history, and the more recent 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor event.

The story appears to be greatly influenced by the 2014 series *Rhodora X*, as many aspects in Alicia's story share similarities with the series, most notably in the prequel series. Yasmien Kurdi's character in the duology, Alicia Salvacion, is also heavily based on Angela Ferrer, Kurdi's character in the series.

The 2019 series *Bihag* served as the main influence for Mylene's story and her role in the duology. Both the series and the duology feature a scenario in which Isabelle Abiera's character gets framed for murder. Also, Jade Lopez's role in both the duology and the series is exactly the same.

Other influences on the duology are:

* *Hiram na Anak* ― The streetcar accident scene bear similarities to the one shown in the series.
* *Hindi Ko Kayang Iwan Ka* ― Alicia's suicide attempt on the Golden Gate Bridge is based on a scene in the series' 42nd episode.
* *Melancholia* ― The duology's depression theme was heavily based by this film. Both also feature a depressed woman as the lead protagonist, while Earth is threatened by a large impact event (a rogue planet in *Melancholia* while an asteroid in *#JusticeForLove: End of the World*).
* *Seeking a Friend for the End of the World* ― Some elements of the duology share similarities with the film, such as Mylene befriending Alicia while an asteroid threatens Earth, and the story focusing only on specific individuals during a global catastrophe. Also, both have "End of the World" on their titles.
* *The Last War* ― The duology's screenplay was adapted from this film. Both the film and the duology also end at the same way, depicting the ruins of a major city (Tokyo in *The Last War* and San Francisco in *#JusticeForLove: End of the World*) before showing a disclaimer stating that the events depicted in the film is a work of fiction that could happen in reality.

## Themes

The duology uses overlapping themes and metaphors to depict its story and as a way for the audience to interpret the asteroid impact in their own liking.

* Human arrogance – The contemporary human civilization is constantly depicted as arrogant and destructive, as shown from Alicia's perspective, in which everyone, even her own family and relatives, despised her for various reasons related to self-importance. The extinction of the human race, and the destruction of its civilization, parallels Alicia's miserable life, albeit on a global scale; human accomplishments were easily destroyed in an instant, just like what Alicia experienced in her personal life, such as the Empire State Building being destroyed during the firestorm sequence.
* Human extinction – In this view, the human race is seen as a failed species, the rise of civilization and technological advancement only resulted in increasingly impacting Earth's environment in a negative way, such as rapid population growth, overconsumption, overexploitation, pollution, and deforestation. A decline in biodiversity and changes in Earth's climate is observed while human civilization continues to expand rapidly. The impending impact event is interpreted as a way to restart Earth's biodiversity, without the human race and allowing surviving species to take on new forms, just like what happened with the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event 66 million years ago.
* Depression – The impact event could be an obvious metaphor for depression, just like with the 2011 film *Melancholia*. Throughout the story, each of the events depicted appears to parallel with Alicia's worsening health condition. The asteroid threat is first discovered at the same time Alicia meets Mylene, which prevented her from commiting suicide; the destruction of Tokyo takes place right after Ethan kidnaps Alicia; Mylene is framed when Alicia is about to leave San Francisco; the asteroid deflection plan fails after Alicia blames Mylene for her mother's death; and the impact event being shown after Alicia wishes for a second chance. The destruction of the Empire State Building during the firestorm sequence symbolizes the inevitability of depression, as the building was originally a symbol of hope during the Great Depression.
* Apocalypse eschatology – The impending impact event is also used as a metaphor for Christian beliefs regarding the Last Judgment. In this case, Alicia's miserable life reached its climax when she is diagnosed with internal bleeding in her brain, and is later rewarded with a chance to start anew with the people who actually loved her, while the rest of the human race is punished for despising Alicia, by having the asteroid impact Earth and wipe out their civilization. The original ending further depicts this theme, showing Alicia reuniting with her loved ones in the afterlife, but is removed in the international version.
* Asteroid impact avoidance – The film depicts the threat of impact events on Earth, serving as a cautionary tale to the viewers and showcasing the importance of asteroid impact avoidance. A disclaimer at the end of the film is added, stating that the events depicted is a work of fiction that could happen in reality, warning the audience to work together as a species to avoid extinction, like what happened to the non-avian dinosaurs during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event 66 million years ago.

## Cast and characters

*Main article: List of characters in Justice for Love duology*
**List indicator(s)**

This section shows characters who will appear or have appeared in the billing block of at least one entry in the series.

* An empty, dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
* A indicates an appearance through archival footage.
* C indicates a cameo role.
* E indicates an appearance not included in the theatrical cut.
* Y indicates a younger version of the character.

## Legacy

The unprecedented success of the duology received diverse critical responses, from redefining Yasmien Kurdi's acting career, to the real-world discussion of asteroid impact avoidance.

### Yasmien Kurdi

*Main article: Start-Up PH*

Yasmien Kurdi was highly praised by an international audience and critics for her acting and performance, not only in the film, but also in the prequel series that followed. Following the conclusion of the duology, Kurdi won and nominated multiple awards in 2022 alone, ranging from Best Actress, to Significant/Remarkable Actress of the Year. The success of the duology also led to Kurdi being continuously cast in major projects by GMA Network, putting her on the forefront of Filipino actresses. The Philippine adaptation of *Start-Up* in particular, quickly became the most anticipated Philippine television series of 2022, partly due to the phenomenal success of the *Justice for Love* duology which introduced Kurdi to an international audience.

### Ysabel Ortega

*Main article: What We Could Be*
*Main article: Voltes V: Legacy*

The success of *#JusticeForLove: End of the World* led to Ysabel Ortega being recognized by a larger audience, with the film serving as a breakthrough in her own career. Shortly after the film's release, Ortega was given two prominent projects in GMA Network, including *Voltes V: Legacy*, which is based on the Japanese anime series by Toei Animation, and in the romantic-drama series *What We Could Be* in her first lead role, while the series marked the first co-production between GMA Network and Quantum Films.

### Disaster film genre

*Main article: Don't Look Up (2021 film)*

The duology, particularly the original film, is sometimes considered as a significant turning point in the recent history of the disaster film genre, as the film was at the forefront of the disaster and sci-fi resurgence of the early 2020s, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. It led to similar works in cinema, television, video gaming and other media as well, not seen since the 2012 phenomenon. The film is often credited for the return of impact events in popular culture, as later films like *Don't Look Up* heavily borrowed elements from the *Justice for Love* duology, using the impact event depicted in *#JusticeForLove: End of the World* as a metaphor for climate change.

### Asteroid impact avoidance & climate change

*Main article: Double Asteroid Redirection Test*

The international success of *#JusticeForLove: End of the World*, along with the release of *Don't Look Up* a year later, helped raise awareness not only on the real-world discussion of asteroid impact avoidance, but also climate change as well. Astronomers praised *#JusticeForLove: End of the World* for its realistic depiction of a large asteroid impact, and noted its accuracy for depicting the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event in contemporary times, while *Don't Look Up* recieved positive opinions from climate scientists regarding the effects of climate change. Discussions regarding asteroid impact avoidance culminated with the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission in 2021, the first ever attempt on deflecting an asteroid. The mission is considered a success after Dimorphos' orbital period was shortened by 32 minutes, surpassing the success threshold of 73 seconds.

## Notes

1. ↑ Loosely based only, not credited since it was judged as being different enough to not require it.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 *Justice for Love Presents: The Obsession* is a television series.
3. ↑ ₱677 million in Philippine peso, making it the highest grossing Philippine film of 2020, and the third-highest grossing Philippine film at the time.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Disqualified from recieving any awards at the 46th Metro Manila Film Festival due to multiple issues.