Rabin Angeles and Angela Muji are stepping into a more mature chapter of their careers with "Dating Alys Perez," the highly anticipated sequel to the hit Wattpad adaptation "Seducing Drake Palma."  

The series reunites Rabin and Angela as Drake Palma and Alys Perez, respectively, but this time, both stars promise viewers a deeper and more emotionally complex story.

“Hindi na po kami pa-sweet. This time, challenging na po yung gagawin namin dito as nagma-mature na rin yung roles namin, Yung timeline po kasi ng story is like four years after 'Seducing Drake Palma,'” Angela said.

Rabin echoed the sentiment, admitting that "Dating Alys Perez" demanded more from them as actors.

“Mas mabigat po talaga siya. Parang iba po yung kaba kasi mas mabibigat na yung mga eksena. Kaya mas focused po talaga kami sa set ngayon, parang less kulitan,” he shared. “Mas matured na po ito. Dito niyo po kami makikita ni Angela sa mas mature roles.”

For Angela, landing the role feels like a full-circle moment. The actress revealed that she was already a fan of the Wattpad story long before she became part of the adaptation.

“It’s exciting because this Wattpad series used to be the book that we read as pre-teens. Nakakakilig lang na dati mong binabasa, ngayon gagampanan mo na. It’s surreal,” she said.

Apart from the more mature storyline, fans can also expect the natural chemistry that has endeared Rabin and Angela to viewers.

“Sa amin po kasi, what you see is what you get. Kung ano lang po kami on-cam, ganoon lang po kami,” Angela explained.

“Hindi po namin pinipilit,” Rabin added, with Angela agreeing, “Oo, ayaw po namin ipilit.”

Joining the cast is rising actor Zeke Polina, who takes over the role of Tripp Palma previously portrayed by Dylan Menor.

“I definitely felt the pressure, of course. Especially for someone who portrayed Tripp so well. Pero I'll try my best, definitely,” he said.

The actor acknowledged that comparisons are inevitable but stressed that he prepared extensively by watching the first season, reading the source material, and attending workshops.

“I think hindi maiiwasan na mami-miss ng fans si Dylan because he really portrayed Tripp really well. Pero may preparations din naman po ako,” he shared.

Director Crisanto Aquino expressed confidence in Zeke's portrayal, teasing a significantly more mature and emotionally intense sequel.

“Nung ginawa ko yung 'Seducing Drake Palma', ang visual peg ko talaga is cotton candy, lahat makulay, masaya. Pero, pagdating sa 'Dating Alys Perez,' ang visual ko is glass and metal. It's really serious, mature," he said. 

Based on the Wattpad novel by Ariesa Domingo, also known as Beeyotch, "Dating Alys Perez" follows Alys as she tries to move on from her painful past with Drake and build a future with Tripp, only for old feeling to resurface when Drake returns.

"Dating Alys Perez" streams exclusively on Viva One starting June 12.