51: PAST LIVES | The Eternal Love Story of Maruja

Buckle up, lovebirds and skeptics! This week, we're diving into the heart-stopping saga of Maruja, a love story so strong it just couldn't stay buried. From Mars Ravelo's comic genius to cinematic reboots, Maruja's undying romance with Gabriel has been making fans swoon for over a century.

We're peeling back the layers of this epic melodrama where forbidden love meets ghostly whispers. Maruja, destined for a loveless marriage, pulls the ultimate bridezilla move with a tragic twist, promising a love revival a hundred years later. Does her reincarnated self, Cristy, get a supernatural second shot at a happily ever after? Or is she just experiencing some seriously vintage déjà vu?

Tune in for a spectral analysis of love, betrayal, and the kind of romantic antics that only a century of longing can brew. Let's decode why Maruja's story keeps resurrecting in Filipino pop culture—because who doesn't like a good old-fashioned love story that refuses to die?

Correction: You CAN get divorced in the Philippines but only if you are Muslim, per the Code of Muslim Personal Laws of 1977.

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The Gods Must Be Crazy is a podcast on Philippine Mythology hosted by friends Anama Dimapilis and Ice Lacsamana, avid mythology nerds and semi-professional gossips. Follow us over at @godsmustbecrazy.pod on Instagram and Facebook for more good stuff. We welcome any suggestions on future topics or episodes. You can also join us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thegodsmustbecrazypodcast.

You can also find us on Youtube – Gods Must Be Crazy Podcast channel, where we post some of our episodes and interviews. For other inquiries, please email us at godsmustbecrazy.pod@gmail.com

The intro and outro music is by Brian O’Reilly (@dendriform on Instagram).

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References/Further Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maruja

https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2014/02/14/1290145/enduring-appeal-maruja

https://www.balita.ca/darna-dyesebel-and-maruja/

https://www.gmanetwork.com/lifestyle/news/109250/tiktok-user-goes-viral-for-finding-her-look-alike-at-the-national-museum/story