How Esnyr’s 32 characters bring high school memories back to life

Mikaela Dela Cruz, Orlando Liwag, and Sophia Musad

Inside the classroom, the battle lines for class president have already been drawn. On one side is Jessa, the self-proclaimed “trustworthy and responsible leader” depending on her legacy. On the other side is Justin, an overachiever showing off his national awards and SK Chairman credentials. It is a heated election war, and it is only the first day of class. 

For a Filipino student, the first day of class is an annual survival test. It is a chaotic morning of dodging strict gate guards, fighting through the crowd to find your name on a crumpled section list, and sprinting to secure that best seat right next to the dusty old electric fan. 

In Esnyr’s latest episode released last June 14, ‘First Day High’, he captures every bit of this familiar anxiety mixed with comedy, showing that no one understands the life of a Filipino student better than he does. 

More than meets the eye

What makes the series work so well is Esnyr’s versatility. Playing every role, he weaves vivid, everyday campus realities into a narrative that perfectly mirrors the true high school experience. 

Growing up queer in the conservative town of Digos, Davao del Sur, he is a young petroleum engineering student who felt immense pressure to prove his worth just to be accepted. He told Allure Philippines that making others laugh became his shield. While his videos and characters brought joy to millions, the brilliant and vulnerable creator behind them remained hidden.

But he bravely chose to step out of the shadows and let his true self shine through his creativity. He has grown so much as a creator, and his highly anticipated ‘High School Series’ is a testament to the journey he poured his soul into. 

No longer confined to the plain white walls of his bedroom, the production finally moved to an actual school setup. The t-shirts he once wrapped around his head to mimic long hair are long gone, replaced by high-quality wigs. 

Beyond the punchlines and productions, the High School Series achieves something deeply personal for Esnyr. For him, the show is a reflection of his authentic self. 

The beloved lead character, ‘Precious,’ was actually born out of online bashing, where people mocked Esnyr’s appearance by comparing him to Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. Instead of letting the online bashers defeat him, Esnyr embraced the name, transforming a joke into a symbol of representation. With this, the project became much more than a comedy. Esnyr built the series with a clear purpose: to advocate for safe spaces in schools.

Through the character of Ma’am Castro, Esnyr hopes the high school series inspires future educators to champion diversity, wishing that they would welcome the inclusivity of different genders within the four walls of their classrooms. By layering these impactful messages into his latest comeback, First Day High shows something far greater than a simple nostalgic trip down memory lane. It becomes a celebration of the beauty of Filipino high school life.

After all, the beauty of high school life has always been found in the people who make it memorable.

Maybe it’s the classmate who always has something to say. Maybe it’s the friend whose reactions somehow make every situation funnier. Maybe it’s the student who would rather stay out of the spotlight altogether. 

The magic of the 32 characters 

Whatever the case, the characters in First Day High feel familiar enough to remind viewers of the people they encounter every day.

After a while, the number almost becomes an afterthought.

What stands out instead is how naturally everything comes together. Despite sharing the same face — from iconic mainstays like Precious, Jessa, and Justin to the classic classroom personalities — each brought something different to the film. No one feels out of place, and no two personalities feel exactly alike. It stops feeling like a collection of characters and starts feeling like a real school — one where everyone leaves their own mark in small but noticeable ways.

Even with 32 characters moving through the same space, the setting never feels confusing. A glance, a reaction, or a short line is often enough to know exactly who is on screen. 

You’d think it would get overwhelming with that many personalities in one classroom. But somehow, it doesn’t. Each one just slips into the scene as if they’ve always belonged there.

That familiarity doesn’t stop with the characters.

Because beyond the personalities, First Day High is built on moments that feel just as recognizable. The uncertainty of walking into a classroom that you don’t belong in, the awkward introduction, the small attempts to figure out where you fit in — these are the kinds of experiences most students don’t even think about while they’re happening, but haunt them later on. 

These are the usual high school canon events: first-day jitters, unfamiliar faces, eventually academic rivalry, and the different types of classmates we encounter. Nothing extraordinary, but they’re often the moments that linger the most. The series transformed simple comedy sketches into a living archive of student youth. 

That’s where the episode really lands. It doesn’t just show a school full of personalities — it shows the small, usual moments that come with being a student. And in doing so, it turns ordinary school life into something that feels worth looking back on.

Back to school, back to reality. Is it truly more than just a first day?

For many individuals, it is far more than just a regular first day in school; rather, it is a special time when they can finally catch up with one another. 

Behind every corridor, there is anticipation, excitement, and even a slight feeling of being overwhelmed, all shared within the familiar ambiance of the surroundings. It marks the beginning of new core memories, which represent something much greater than just a new academic journey.

Students leap into a monumental unknown that reshapes their entire existence. It serves as a vivid reminder of the vibrant life thriving outside the walls of home. Some reunite with old circles while others forge entirely new connections. Despite the heavy weight of academic pressure, this environment consistently creates endless, unbreakable bonds.

School life remains unpredictable — a cyclical journey — yet it is never truly complete without these essential campus canon events, which Esnyr truly made evident across the seven episodes of his series. 

More than a creator on a screen, he revives the spirit of what students have been

Esnyr is enthusiastically more than just capable of being a digital content creator. His profound influence has made a lasting impact on many members of Generation Z or those born between 1997 and 2012..

In First Day High, every single scene lingers in the minds of the audience and is slowly etched into many hearts. He did not produce this YouTube comeback merely to make profits; rather, he poured months of silent dedication into creating a true sense of deja vu for many students who shared the same experiences that felt reminiscent in numerous ways.

Every line, scene, and character takes the audience on a complex emotional rollercoaster. Experiencing these milestones once again feels completely surreal, as if the past is unfolding directly in the present time. The series consistently achieves trending status because it delivers more than just entertainment, resurrecting the very spirit that was once left in each corner of the campus.

To live a youth without a single regret is to savor the moments one must not forget

What makes this work deeply meaningful is how he generates this level of creativity. As time passes by, some students tend to neglect enjoying their youth. They often wish to grow older as fast as possible, thereby planning their future ahead of time without realizing that there are rare, ephemeral moments that cannot be repeated. He highlights every moment that has passed and is currently happening. This allows the audience to realize that there is a profound beauty in savoring every moment before it officially becomes a memory to reminisce, which ultimately teaches them to live a life without any regrets.

A familiar laughter in a crowded room, a timeless bond that continues to bloom.

First Day High serves as a grand mirror to the collective soul of Filipino students. By introducing a cinematic production scale, Esnyr elevates classroom comedy into an authentic preservation of student culture. These mundane yet universal school struggles aren’t just internet sketches anymore. They capture the raw, unifying essence of local campus life that binds Filipino youth together. 

By watching these characters interact, the audience is reminded that their personal struggles and triumphs were shared by thousands of others, which provides a universal bridge that connects different generations of learners.

The final bell rings and the hallways are clear, yet the echoes of youth remain forever near

Esnyr’s work comes full circle, proving that digital content can be a powerful vehicle for nostalgia and emotional healing. This comeback is far more than simple internet entertainment; it is a masterful documentation of contemporary youth culture. By portraying these familiar experiences, he honors the daily survival tests and quiet joys of Filipino students across the nation. 

Classrooms may change, and uniforms may eventually be phased out, but the spirit of those high school days will never truly fade as long as someone reminds people of how beautiful it was to grow up together.