Manual Para Galanes is a Mexican ensemble comedy starring Armando Hernández as Yair, a man who embarks on a journey to help straight men find love through his teaching and guidance (hence the title, which literally translates to “manual for gentlemen” in English). It’s a premise that could quickly veer toward sexist or predatory tropes, but Yair’s attempt to simplify “the art of seduction” into a fool-proof method often shows how foolishly misguided the effort is to begin with. Along this journey are Yair’s friends, a group navigating their own troubles in life and love. Among them is Mariana (portrayed by Mexican singer and actress, Litzy), Yair’s best friend who offers her dog grooming business as the place for him to start his “school” for single gents – and also signs up for a little help finding a woman to date.

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As the only queer character in the cast, Mariana’s storylines offer a distinctive perspective on love and romance that contrasts with the hetereonormative gender roles shaping how the cis, straight men around her view relationships. While Mariana also struggles with finding love, issues like meeting a partner’s family or contemplating parenthood pose unique hurdles for a queer woman that they wouldn’t for the rest of the central cast. 

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While Litzy doesn’t identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, she says she was drawn to the role of Mariana for the way it portrayed a universal experience told through a specific lens.  “My character is part of the LGBTQ community, it was super important for me to play a character like that, I feel honored,” Litzy told La Opinion. “The way in which it is treated in this comedy… the subject is approached as something positive, not focusing on obstacles, or complexes, or difficulties with society. It is simply a woman discovering her way of loving and finding that better half along the way.”

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In season two of the series, Mariana’s journey focuses not only on her search for a partner but her effort to start a family. Early on in the season she meets Helena, a client who appears to be her polar opposite. But as they find themselves drawn to each other, Mariana’s love for Helena prompts her to consider new goals for the future. That future includes a child, and eventually Mariana and Helena ask Yair to be their donor as they try to get pregnant. Given Yair’s nature, this request isn’t without its complications – causing tension between Mariana and Helena over his presence in their lives. 

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Manual Para Galanes is a fun, lighthearted comedy that reinvigorates classic Spanish-language comedy tropes with the inclusion of a prominent queer leading character. The second season’s focus on pregnancy, partnership and parenting from Mariana’s perspective will undoubtedly reach audiences who might not otherwise encounter openly gay, lesbian or bisexual parents in their daily lives. And while reflecting the diversity of the world as it is should be more commonplace in television, the inclusion of a lead lesbian character in a Mexican ensemble comedy – one with her own wants, desires and frustrations who has these feelings explored with the same depth as any other character on the show – is still a rare, and welcome, occurrence. 

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Manual Para Galanes was created by Juan Andrés Granados and produced by Sony International. Both seasons are currently available in the U.S. on Pantaya.