Hi Nay, translated to “Hi Mom”, is a Filipino led, analog-style, supernatural folklore horror podcast with an overarching plot, where the protagonist treats The Horrors™ with the casual lived experience of someone who was raised around them.

Filipina immigrant Mari Datuin, raised by a babaylan mother,
accidentally saves her neighbour from a rotting monster, and is now on a mission to stop dangerous supernatural events in Toronto — alongside two supernatural detectives Donner and Murphy, her 6’2 strong-armed lesbian neighbor Laura, and Ashvin, a celebrity conman guru with real magic powers.

The series is framed through Mari’s phone calls to her Nanay (mother) in the Philippines, as well as the Detectives’ tape recordings.

This is a story about love in the face of overwhelming horror.

Season 1 follows their mission to stop the Elders, a group of rich immortal occultists from the 1900s, from terrorizing innocent people with cursed objects called Foci — especially their mysterious leader, The Benefactor, who is so powerful that nobody is able to remember his face or name.

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Mari Datuin (27)

A Filipina immigrant who works in Toronto as an audio editor, Mari first gets roped into Toronto’s supernatural crises after saving Laura from being killed in episode 1. From then on, she assists Detectives Donner and Murphy in dealing with supernatural threats using her upbringing as a babaylan. She has a great aptitude for magic, though her abilities seem to have a price she’s not forthcoming about. She calls her Nanay (mother) often and recounts her experiences over the phone.

Mari is described as “round edged” and “warm”. As seen in the cover, her skin is brown and hair is black, and she is a mere 5 feet tall. She is pansexual.

Laura Nichols (29) 

A Canadian woman living in Mari’s apartment building, Laura’s first encounter with the supernatural was when Mari saved her, and she has since formed a vested interest in the supernatural, assisting Mari alongside the detectives, often making use of her physical strength and quick thinking. She’s justifiably traumatised by her experience, but also makes a point to help stop it from happening from others in any way she can. 

Laura is described as having “light hair” which she radically changes in episode 3. She’s the tallest in the main cast at 6 feet, 2 inches. She is a lesbian. 

Detective [REDACTED] Donner – (38)

A Jamaican-Canadian detective who seems to focus on supernatural cases, Donner is a no-nonsense, grim-faced detective who works with Mari to stop supernatural murders and mysteries he’s been trying to solve for a long time. He’s serious and goal-oriented, but shows his easygoing side around people he’s comfortable with, including his detective partner Murphy, as well as Mari and Laura. He seems to carry some baggage from dealing with supernatural threats for so long. 

Donner is described as “sharp eyed”, with dark eyes the same colour as Mari’s. He’s often seen wearing a khaki coat. 

Detective Richard Murphy – (35)

A mixed Canadian detective with a charming, easygoing demeanour, Murphy is often quickest to make light of a supernatural disaster, but is extremely competent and reliable in a crisis situation, working well in tandem with his partner Donner. He’s loyal and quick to act when it comes to his work, but sociable outside of it, unlike his “work obsessed” partner. However, his tendency to hide sharp, often brutal insight under his lighthearted veneer becomes more apparent as time goes on. 

Murphy is described as distinctly handsome, and is the second tallest of the group at 6 feet. He is gay. 

Ashvin Beeharee – (37)

An Indian-Mauritian conman who has gained popularity as a celebrity Guru called Guru Mahadev, Ashvin is a slick, theatrical man who happily takes advantage of people’s gullibility by selling them “spiritual” remedies he learned from youth. Ironically, these remedies work, as he was raised by real Mauritian mystics who passed away when he was young, making him skeptical of the entire trade. 

He’s described as fairly good-looking (when not wearing his fake Guru beard), and stands at 5 feet, 7 inches. He is bisexual. 

HI NAY POD-CAST

Motzie Dapul plays Mari Datuin
Abigayle Rhodes plays Laura Nichols
Leon Johnson plays Detective Donner
Edward Boxler plays Detective Murphy
Adil Ramchurn plays Ashvin Beeharee

RECURRING CAST
Natalie plays Evelyn Wai
Yoyi Halago plays DJ In The Dark
Laurence Pirlet plays CJ
Maia Dapul plays Vanessa Bartalotti
Matt Gador plays Abe
Calel Tyler plays Clifford Bolden
TheLonePonderer plays Michael the Serial Killer
Ivan Dapul plays Cornelius
Tom Pilcher plays Richard Henry
Alasdair Stuart plays Francis Dooley

MOTZIE DAPUL (OTHER ROLES)
Cold Ghost [Clarence Thompson]
George Langford
Reznikoff (some lines)
The Tiktik
The Hanging Ghost
Kay & Gerard (Katay)
The Waheela / Mother Wolf
The Survivor (Hudyat)
Other Mari
Elaine O’Donnell
J [The Journalist]
Lori of Hyde
Clara (Michael’s sister)