Text and photos by Dulcinea Zulueta
Drag Den Philippines was launched last December 8, 2022 on Prime Video—hosted by fan-favorite and RuPaul’s Drag Race alum, Manila Luzon, eight drag queens will be competing to be the first-ever Drag Den supreme.
Bottom row (L to R): Naia, Aries Night, and O-A
Produced by 8 Studios and Corner Stone Studios, this pageant reality show operate its own plane despite being heavily compared to Drag Race Philippines. Accompanying Manila Luzon are the drag cartel: Miss Grand International, Nicole Cordoves as the drag dealer and Tiktok’s favorite kalye comedian, Sassa Gurl, as the drag runner.
Starting with no elimination – giving more time to the drag queens to showcase the looks they’ve brought into the show. It’ll be by ranking and the final three will be competing for the title. This also gives the audience to know the eight talented diverse Pinoy drag artists more and fall in love with them by each episode.
They’re unapologetically for the Filipinos and by the Filipinos – set in a gritty lair underneath the streets of Manila, director Rod Singh created a show that gives a breath of fresh air to its audience while remaining to deliver art and social commentaries that reflect the Philippine history and issues faced by the LGBTQ in the country.
Humor is top-tier – having Sassa Gurl onboard was a great choice and during a live Twitter Space director Rod Singh admitted that the role was really made for Sassa even before the finalization of the show. Sassa’s presence evens out the mentorship and elegance Nicole brings into the table with their kalye banter and witty quips, whether it’ll be for the queens or even Manila Luzon’s accent talking in Tagalog.
Drag Den doesn’t shy away from the fact they have budget restraints in order to market their show – in their live Twitter Spaces, both director Rod Singh, Sassa Gurl and the drag queens expresesses their point of view regarding this issue. Even fans noticed the disparity between the marketing of Drag Race PH and Drag Den PH – but this hurdle doesn’t stop the show being part of the top 10 most viewed shows on Prime Video Philippines.
So, who are the eight drag queens competing for the crown?
The diversity in the queens in the show is one of the things fans loves about the show. The way it doesn’t stick with the young ones or the ones who have been in the industry for several years – the Drag Den queens are:
Pura Luka Vega – known for their well-thought outfits and often colorful that they match with their beard; their aura reeks of intelligence that could be quite intimidating for some and know for being susej or Jesus lookalike.
O-A or Odasha (pronounce as Odash-ey) – is quite the contagious character; their humor and saying practically whatever comes on their mind leading them to be one of the fan-favorites. Practically the one started booing their fellow queens and their fans as an act of love.
Aries Night — is the quiet but deadly drag queen with their dark and innovative outfits; soft-spoken and with magnificent eyes, Aries slowly draws you in, slowly and surely. With different elements, Aries balance alternative and femminity – provocative in the way they aim to be.
Lady Gagita – a well-known impersonator of pop artists like Lady Gagita and Katy Perry; but her drag doesn’t only stops there – as seen in the show and live performances, Gagita carries herself as if she hasn’t been doing this for a decade. Lively and interactive, Gagita gives her all in her performances; with great outfits (some that are made by her long-time partner Raymond) and that raspy voice you could recognize anywhere.
Barbie-Q – a mother figure to everyone in the show and to their fans as well; the first Pinay transgender on a drag reality competition, Barbie-Q is a loving and caring character everyone dreams of having in their lives. Barbie-Q is also loved by fans because of their witty quips like frequent understanding and not understanding English, and not knowing how to register their Starbucks card.
MC or Maria Christina – called the villain of the season and “Brigiding” of Drag Den by some fans, MC just simply knows what she wants and she wants that crown. In their live performances, MC expresses love and support to those who don’t have a family of their own and giving advice to those who are still navigating their lives – their fans love that in her song choices, that love and support is apparent and MC gives a performance as if her life depends on it.
Shewarma – brings refreshing look to the Drag Den table and being one of the youngest in the cast, she is also the most competitive; always making an on-point look for each task and “naloka ka diba?” line that Drag Den fans loves to use now and then, either for memes or their runway looks. Shewarma knows how to draw you in and you don’t even know it.
Naia – the sassy baby girl of Las Pinas but don’t let that title fool you; Naia’s charm is being sassy, edgy, shady, and chic – she’s also smart and uses her platform to fight disinformation in the Philippines. With a character like that, it wasn’t surprising Drag Den fans are excited to see her do more outside of Drag Den.