Zsazsa Zaturnnah!

Zsazsa Zaturnnah is well known in the Philippines, where Carlo Vergara’s bestselling graphic novel remains popular and has spawned several spin-off projects in different media. Now, thanks to Avid Liongoren’s big screen animated adaptation, which was a hit with the crowd at the Fantasia International Film Festival, she has a shot at international fame, at least within a certain niche. As well as being a national heroine, she’s an LGBTQ+ heroine, the alter-ego of shy gay hairdresser Ada (voiced by Phi Palmos), and few characters have ever come out of the closet with quite so much vavavoom.

Life in a small village is not kind to Ada, who had an unhappy childhood, seen in flashback, during which he was punished for having a doll and girls’ clothes. He has a crush on muscular neighbour Dodong (Siglo Pecho), but can’t imagine such feelings ever being mutual, and Dodong’s younger brothers frequently torment him. Comfort comes only from the adoration of the women whom he helps to look fabulous (or at least to feel that way), and from best friend Didi (Io Balanon). But this is a superhero universe informed by other superhero universes, so when one day a strange pink meteorite falls from the sky with the word ‘Zaturnnah’ etched into it, Didi is able to persuade Ada to swallow it, and when thereafter Ada says that magic word, he is instantly transformed.

Meet Zsazsa (now with the voice of Adrienne Vergara). She’s bigger, stronger, decidedly more curvaceous, and possessed of luscious red locks which put anything created in the salon to shame. Ada is not a trans woman – this is closer to a drag experience than an expression of his inner self – but in this guise he is immediately more confident, which is fortunate, because there’s a giant rampaging frog to fight, and that’s just the first of several monsters to hit the town looking for trouble.

This isn’t quite as random as it might seem. Earth is in fact being tested by the Amazonistas from Planet X, a fearsome group of female space warriors who have decided that, for the betterment of the universe, all men must be enslaved or die. Oh, and there might be a bit of invading planned into the bargain. Zsazsa is loyal to her local community, and whilst she accepts that the Amazonistas have a point where some men are concerned, she doesn’t like their solution – nor is she impressed by their co-option of the tools of patriarchy to try to dismantle it. Viewers need not worry that they’ve stumbled into a philosophy lecture, however. All of this is delivered in simple terms without slowing down the fights, and there is still plenty of comedy and innuendo.

Oh, the innuendo! From the sausage that Dodong brings around as a present to the eggplant and, um, giant cock(erel) that Zsazsa fights, the film is so saturated with double-entendres that it’s practically dripping. It delights in its own childishness, which contributes to a central message about the importance of giving oneself the freedom to have fun. Even if some people will never understand – at one point Zsazsa has a poignant encounter with her undead dad – what matters is to learn to love oneself. This may be cheesy, but it’s a message that a lot of people need to hear. At times the film can also be quite fiercely witty, but it always has heart.

With its realistic Filipino backgrounds and its honest depictions of rounded Filipino bodies, this film also represents a milestone in the development of a national style of animation, in a country which has never had the resources to speak for itself this way. It’s the product of years of work by a devoted team whose members received very little by way of direct compensation, but their talent and dedication shines through on the screen. They have achieved something special which will delight audiences around the world, and one hopes that they – and Zsazsa – will be back for more.

Reviewed on: 01 Aug 2026