After nine years of waiting, fans and supporters of Cassy Legaspi and Darren Espanto, popularly known as CassRen, are in for a treat on Christmas day. The onscreen team-up is part of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2023 entry When I Met You In Tokyo.

Cassy and Darren work alongside Philippine movie icons Vilma Santos and Christopher De Leon. The Star for All Seasons and King of Philippine Drama headline a love story between two Filipino migrant workers in Japan whose friendship turned into romance. This project is proof that love knows no boundaries.

“Grabe nine years in the making!" Cassy said. The patience of their supporters for the much-awaited big-screen team-up was brought up during a pocket interview.  How the two prepared for their roles as Jomar and Hannah was a subject of interest.

Darren explained, “Second movie ko pa lang po ito after the Hows of Us so, of course, mas may experience na ako in terms of acting." The singer-actor then continued, ”Parang hindi naman ako nag-prepare masyado kasi ‘to naman si Cassy kasama ko. I was very comfortable playing the part of Jomar.” Darren previously played a supporting role in ABS-CBN’s musical series, Lyric  and Beat.

For her part, Cassy diligently studied her script and discussed with Darren the right approach to handling their characters. “Everything was so smooth-sailing kasi nga we’re already good friends."

When CassRen appears together, some press members question their real-life relationship status due to their longstanding friendship.

With a shy smile and a dimple on display, Darren volunteered to handle the question. “Siyempre, it’s something that, you know, it’s not just friends, it’s in between.”

Cassy said, “Paano ba i-eexplain ‘yun? Siguro What you see is what you get.” Also careful with how she responds, Cassy added,' 'We're very genuine with each other. If we look like we're close, totoo namang close talaga kami."

What do they do when their parents ask? Darren said, “Hindi po namin sinasagot.” Cassy then shared that her celebrity parents, Carmina Villaroel and Zoren Legaspi, asked about her relationship status with Darren a single time. “Once lang po but then, tumawa lang po ako,” she detailed.

She later admitted that Darren left a good impression on her mom and dad. “My parents see that he’s very nice and a gentleman. They know I’m in good hands, naman, especially when I’m with Darren,” Cassy shared.

The same thing goes for Darren’s parents, “Tiwala sila kay Cass. ‘Pag si Cass ‘yung kasama ko, hindi sila nagtatanong ‘Anong oras ka uuwi?’ or ‘Saan ka pupunta?’ Cassy’s eyes widened and said in agreement, “Same! Same!”

Given their closeness, Darren and Cassy traveled to Japan together last February and spent the vacation with their moms.

Before the mediacon ended, the Star for All Seasons Ate Vi had something valuable to tell the rising loveteam, “Kapag sineryoso n'yo 'yan kasi, ang ganda ng chemistry ninyong dalawa. You just have to hone it, you know, the acting, the experiences, the movies.”

It is evident how the cast members are slowly bonded by their working experiences. Many of them are now working together for the movie’s promotions. Part of the lineup of promotions is Ate Vi and Boyet’s guesting in the noontime show Eat Bulaga, where Cassy is a regular host.

Fans went wild and laughed out loud as the movie icons worked their way to winning and played in one of the most popular segments, Word of the Rings, a rebranded version of the now-iconic Pinoy Henyo game. The episode where Ate Vi and Boyet appeared registered high ratings. Eat Bulaga took the top spot in the rating game that day at 4.1 percent versus E.A.T. at 3.8 percent, It's Showtime at 1.6 percent on GTV, and 1.2 percent on A2Z.

When I Met You will open in cinemas nationwide on Christmas Day.