My consumption of webseries decreased in 2019. For three reasons: managing my blog and podcast is quite time consuming; I prefer to listen to podcasts or read in my free time; the=quality of free webseries has decreased. In 2019, I only watched the “Pillow Talk” webseries and the Guadeloupean webseries “La Casa del Makrel”.

With a title reminding us of Netflix hit series “La Casa de Papel”, this new project by the Kijanwtwouvéy crew directed by Yannick Maillard promised to be full of ambition and comedy. Whether makreling [t/n: Kreyol word for “being in other people’s business”] is considered a hobby or even an art, it requires constant attention and strict organization. And this is what this webseries illustrates. Here are three good reasons to watch it:

Short format

There are only 9 episodes of about 5 minutes each. The webseries can be watched in less than an hour. Each scene is about the main plot. The dialogues are short and to the point. It's too short to get bored and long enough to keep you intrigued.

Sophisticated visual

Kijanwtwouvéy's videos are always pleasing to the eye. Even their videos made with no budget, basic dialogues and chaotic staging a few years ago already had beautiful cinematography* ... But the technical care brought to “Casa del Makrel” deserves to be praised. Starting with the opening credits sequence. The colors, the images, the animation, the music... How can you not want to watch?

The visual quality remains consistent from the first seconds to the end of the last episode. Make-up, hairstyles, outfits, each character has a defined and recognizable style but the overall svibe remains harmonious, simple but elegant, colorful without being flashy.

A compelling story

The main plot is one of telenovela's most used tropes. The twists and turns follow one another in a smooth process, even if there are no real surprises. The execution is efficient. The timing to support the comic effects works rather well. The dialogues mix Creole with French. Moreover, French subtitles facilitate the understanding of the Creole language. Given the short format, it would have been difficult to develop the characters more deeply. Even if Sandra's makrelage serves as a guiding thread, Steffy, Mickaël, Patrice and Julien are highlighted without overshadowing each other. My only negative critic would be the character of Julien that was more of an outdated caricature of gay people representation. But overall, I appreciate the fact that the female characters are strong-minded women who stand up for themselves and are accepted as such.

With more than a million clicks seven months after being uploaded, “Casa del Makrel” has yet to get investors to produce a season 2 with a longer format, which is sad. This trial challenge can still be considered a success. All episodes are available on Kijanwtwouvéy’s Youtube channel.

*I wrote this article before rereading the one I did on their "Conmissariat" web series. Three years ago, I had already written almost word for word the same sentence on their cinamatography. The consistency of this aspect proves that visual quality is indeed one of the director's trademarks.

Photo: Ki Janw Twouvéy @Facebook

[English review] La Casa Del Makrèl or a telenovela made in Guadeloupe