Traditionally, Cerita Anak was a genre of Indonesian literature aimed at entertaining and educating children. These stories often featured simple, moral lessons and were designed to be accessible to young readers. Sama Ibu, on the other hand, was a term used to describe a companion or partner to a mother figure, often in a romantic context.
A common trope involves a non-biological relationship (e.g., a young man and his stepmother or an older woman and her adopted son), which writers use to explore romantic tension without the biological taboo.
In this storyline, the mother is the antagonist of the romance. Think of classic Sinetron plots: The poor girl loves the rich boy, but the Ibu refuses to accept her.