The ‘Hello, Love, Again’ stars prove that lightning does strike twice when real chemistry is at play. What makes a good love story? A heart-fluttering plot? Dreamy romantic scenes? Compelling leads? Yes, you can say that all of these factor into creating a tale that would make people swoon, but let’s not forget the most important ingredient of all: chemistry.

They say that compatibility works like luck. Not all people vibe perfectly with one another, but when they do, magic happens—an unexplainable aura exudes from two individuals who can’t seem to get enough of one another on screen; taking up space in the most beautiful manner as they riff off each other’s performance.

Chemistry cannot be formulated, it’s organic and natural. So once two insanely compatible actors team up, it can create a frenzy among audiences—the type that makes people want to see more of this magnetic team-up. Next thing you know, a box office hit is born.

That’s exactly what happened when ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’ hit theaters back in 2019. The contemporary OFW tale of the enemies-turned-lovers trope starring Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards became popular almost instantly and ended up being the highest-grossing Filipino film at that time.

It’s safe to say that the movie’s success was unexpected—who would’ve thought that two young actors from different love teams and opposing networks could create such an unprecedented on-screen duo?

Director Cathy Garcia-Sampana definitely had a vision, and whatever happened during Kathryn and Alden’s screen test for the flick was undeniably magical enough to birth the now-famous “KathDen” tandem.

But then the pandemic hit, and talks of a sequel were suddenly put on the back-burner. Fans of the film, although happy with its poignant and unconventional ending, were still hoping for more of the KathDen partnership.

In an interview with YouTube channel Rec Create, Kathryn admitted that she thought the project would be a one-off and that she wouldn’t be able to work with Alden in the future.

Then the pandemic eased and dissipated, alongside Kathryn and Alden’s personal life and schedules easing. Suddenly a sequel was on the horizon and ‘Hello, Love, Again’ was brought to life.

The film directly picks up where we last left their characters. Joy (played by Kathryn) and Ethan (played by Alden) are navigating a difficult long-distance relationship which eventually led to the other flying all the way to Canada to strengthen their bond.

This then leads both characters to live together and experience the effects of the worldwide COVID-19 lockdown as OFWs in an unfamiliar land. One thing led to another, emotions and ideologies clashed, then an inevitable breakup ensued.

Years later, the two meet again in Canada, Joy is evidently living a better life than the last time she met Ethan, but you couldn’t say the same about her heartbroken lover. This is where the meat of their love story resumes, as the two actors carefully portray complex feelings of pride, yearning, contentment, and ambition while rekindling a love they thought they’d lost.

It’s a nuanced narrative that’s mature and grounded; Kathryn and Alden deliver amazing performances that hit close to home for many.

“It’s about the struggles and hardships and victories of our overseas Filipino workers. This is their story. You know, hindi naman madali. I mean wala naman madaling trabaho. But sila, having to deal with distance and yung hardships, and you know malayo sa mga taong mahal nila sa buhay. I think that’s very noble of them to endure all of that,” Alden tells L’Officiel.

Other than the central love story, the film also showcases the day-to-day life and challenges of Filipinos working abroad. That’s to say not every scene is a tearjerker.

We all know that Pinoys always find the lighthearted moments in any situation and the ensemble cast of Joross Gamboa, Valerie Concepcion, Ruby Rodriguez, and Jennica Garcia deliver that much-needed comic relief to complement the heavier scenes between the two main leads.

The beauty of the sequel is that it showcases the growth between Joy and Ethan in a way that doesn’t feel jarring. There’s a natural progression that’s all tied back to the organic chemistry between Kathryn and Alden.

They simply work so well together that every chance they have to share screen time brings about a heart-racing tension that moviegoers can tangibly feel.

And unlike the first film, there’s a more relaxed atmosphere between the two actors which can be attributed to their real-life friendship that’s become more of a solid bond.

“This time, I saw the growth [of Kathryn.] She has changed for the better. More mature. More adventurous. Mas nakita ko yung parang mas naging free lang siya. That’s how I see it. She’s like a free spirit. And I’m just so happy I got the chance to work with her again because right now, mas naging madali for both of us when it came to making this film,” Alden shares.

On set with L’Officiel, both were almost inseparable. They arrived together, ate lunch together, and chatted together as much as possible. There were also no awkward moments when they posed as a duo—be it cheek to cheek or a warm embrace.

You can sense the air of giddiness in the room as both Kathryn and Alden sink into their own world as the camera starts flashing. These two aren’t the starry-eyed and lovestruck Joy and Ethan of the first film, but a levelheaded pair with unmatched rapport. Their characters in Hello, Love, Again have changed, but the same can be said about the two.

“Of course, all of us go through difficult situations in life individually. And yung growth ko dito sa industry na ‘to in the past five years really contributed a lot to who I am now,” Alden says.

“Parang there’s never a point in my career na hindi ko hinanap, or hindi ko inaral yung mga pwede kong matutunan sa mga pinapagdaanan ko. I’ve changed a lot. And parang yun yung mga nagamit ko to be able to portray Ethan for ‘Hello, Love, Again.’”

As for Kathryn, she says that Joy’s courage to pursue her dreams and ambitions has also inspired her to take hold of her life in a more intentional way.

As the sequel continues to break box office records—it’s the first ever local film to gross one billion globally and might soon hit the two billion mark—we can only imagine what’s in store for the duo. One thing’s for sure, the KathDen craze isn’t going to die down anytime soon. Rather, this might just be the beginning of a bigger showbiz phenomenon.