Filipinos have an enduring affinity for captivating stories—be they humorous, dramatic, or romantic. The allure of delving into narratives that unravel twists and unveil intriguing characters is an inherent part of the cultural fabric. Amid the various storytelling platforms that have emerged over the years, a recent entrant is gaining traction: TypeKita, a novel app designed to empower young Filipino storytellers, rewarding their ingenuity with accessible monetization options, and offering readers an engaging and visually immersive reading experience.
In a landscape where shorter, digital formats have found favor with Millennial and Gen Z readers, TypeKita’s innovative approach aims to celebrate and encourage the diversity prevalent in today’s reading materials.
TypeKita’s official launch on August 16 witnessed Head of Growth Ysabel Yuzon, Vice President of Strategic Management Dana de la Vega, and Creator Manager Erich Valdevioso addressing queries from the press. They provided insights into the app’s intricacies and its potential to “open doors even for those who may not have considered writing before,” as stated by Yuzon.
The event also featured live readings of popular TypeKita stories such as “Babalik Sa’yo” by Rej Martinez, “The Day I Said Goodbye” by Miyuki Jeishi, and “Hush Lucas” by Arki Aaron. These readings were brought to life by emerging talents Nour Hooshmand, Ian Pangilinan, and Benedix Ramos, captivating the audience with the highs and lows of fictional romance.
Closing the program was singing champion and Silver Badger Featured Live Kumu Streamer Kathleen Anne, who treated attendees to contemporary classic love songs, including her original track “Nagkulang.”
The app, a localized version derived from the Thai original Joylada, receives additional momentum from its partnership with Kumu, a homegrown social entertainment platform. This collaboration reflects the burgeoning online fiction community.
Rexy Dorado, Kumu President and Co-founder, remarked, “We believe creative people always find their way to each other, but this is where we can also help people find the creativity within themselves, bolstered by a safe community. Both Kumu and TypeKita share a similar moderator system to keep things appropriate and any hate out of the picture.”
However, this commitment to safety doesn’t impede storytelling; rather, TypeKita’s penchant for fostering creativity in the form of chat-fiction format revitalizes the digital novel experience, making both creation and consumption more accessible. It also serves as a gateway to long-form content for those inclined to explore that avenue.
The app’s diverse array of genres caters to various interests, with the top categories reflecting the preferences of the current audience—spanning romance, LGBTQ+ themes, young adult coming-of-age stories, fantasy, and mystery. TypeKita fits into modern habits, akin to gleaning an entire narrative from a single screenshot of a private chat.
Ahead of its launch, TypeKita garnered steady user growth, demonstrating potential for genres like romance (including sub-genres like BL and GL), coming-of-age tales, mystery, and fantasy. Highlighting the best of Filipino storytelling, the app showcases stories predominantly authored by talented Filipino writers.
It offers an intuitive and user-friendly chat editor to facilitate writing, an immersive reading experience that promotes reader engagement, and shareable stories that foster instant connections through social media, email, and messaging apps.
While many features are accessible for free, the app caters to writers of all kinds with its monetization feature. This enables users to support their favorite creators directly and congregate around the digital campfire for a shared story experience. Online fiction communities are known for fostering organic connections, and TypeKita stands ready to continue this tradition.
