Via Yaqot

The MBC Masr series “Touba” looks a lot like every thug story, with all the excessive meaningless fights and the redundant, lame catchphrases, and it’s getting really boring! On the other hand, we are really falling for Saba Mubarak’s tough character as a female mechanic who regularly fights the world for her independence and peace—seriously, how cool is that? But, let us tell you about all the undeniably stereotypical things in Touba!

Everyone is so proud of “Touba” for being violent

The main character is (as we’ve come to expect from this type of show) a kind-hearted thug that is loved by everyone, which is something that we can never make peace with. There are many scenes of meaningless fights that happen out of nowhere, whether it’s with Touba or with the rest of the characters, and we don’t get it. Why does everything have to revolve around fights and showing teeth? And more importantly, how is everyone okay with that?!

Via Al-Mal News

Maged El-Masry as a textbook villain

If we start with his character’s name, “Sayed El-Agnaby”, you will see that it is a cliché name for a villainous character! The writers didn’t stop there either, as the character’s first appearance was with a furry coat that just screams evil in addition to a poker face and a serious tone. It was too stereotypical, it physically hurt us!

We never really know why a villain always has unexplained issues with the main character in every series from this genre. Maybe the writers always assume that it’s okay for evilness to be created for no reason or to have a person turn indescribably evil because of envy? How about we try to flesh out our characters properly in the future?

Via Masrawy

Redundancy in catchphrases

It feels like everything that comes out of Touba’s mouth is either cheap jokes or catchphrases that make no sense! The weird thing is when he says such things, no one replies or says anything back to him—maybe the other characters aren’t meant to have lines, but if the sheer shock rendered them speechless, honestly, we understand! On a serious note, Amr Saad is an outstanding actor with a wide acting range, but why does he always go for the same character of the stereotypical thug with a heart of gold?

Via nabd.com

Port Said as a setting

The places shown in the series are not remotely close to what the city looks like. Even the accents are not accurate, which is just offensive to Port Said! The neighbourhood where Touba lives is also filled with thugs, and everyone he deals with seems to be plain awful. We don’t get that writing decision—it’s like the showrunners are trying to say that people from Port Said are all barbaric! Another super stereotypical thing we noticed is that Touba sells clothes at the port, which is a reference to the infamous El-Bala market. However, that market isn’t anywhere near the port. Seriously, a little research could have helped.

Via Mawqe' Masr

Why is there a pregnant bride?

In the first episode, there is this huge wedding in which rapper Afroto (yes, the same Afroto you’re thinking of) and Amr Saad’s Touba sing a cool track. However, our attention was captured by the severely pregnant bride with the overly proud groom who keeps pointing at her stomach. If you’re as familiar with Egyptian culture as we are, then you’ll know that this would never happen in real life.

Via YouTube