The Stars of "Flower of Evil" Philippine Adaptation Share Their Thoughts on the Series
They gush about how beautiful and rich the material is, and how they've made it fit into the Filipino viewers' palate
Originally hatched in South Korea, Flower of Evil opens the story of a female subject who works for the police force as a private detective. Opposite to her is a deceitful, serial killer suspect who happens to be her husband. In the Philippine adaptation of the Korean series, Kapamilya stars Piolo Pascual and Lovi Poe portray the roles of the lead characters.
In a recent media conference, the cast members shared how they view the show in the local version. Joining the cast of the series with Piolo and Lovi are supporting and guest casts JC De Vera, Joem Bascon, Rita Avila, Agot Isidro, Edu Manzano, Denise Laurel, Joross Gamboa, Pinky Amador, Joko Diaz, Epy Quizon, Jett Pangan, and Gardo Versoza. Characterized by a spine-chilling, suspenseful drama, the newly polished narrative is a darker and more mental, straightforward sketch.
Flower of Evil PH is directed by Darnel Joy Villaflor and Richard Ibasco Arellano.
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Lovi Poe
“Siyempre, hindi mawawala ’yung excitement kasi nga, first of all, isa nga sa paborito ko talaga ang 'Flower of Evil,'” begins Lovi Poe, who portrays the main protagonist, Iris. “’Yung excitement ko, mas tumaas hanggang sa level 100, kasi du’n ko nakita talaga ’yung quality,” she proudly adds, touching on the first two parts of the series. Although Lovi did see the K-drama "Flower of Evil," she points out, “We want to have our own take on it and have our own flavor.”
Agot Isidro
Similarly, seasoned actress Agot Isidro has fashioned her acting in a way that the televiewers can identify with. “We had to adjust. There were adjustments for the Filipinos also to relate to the story,” she says. Initially, when she was wooed to tackle her role, she welcomed it wholeheartedly. In the media con, she reveals, “I saw the original Korean version way [back] two or three years ago, so when they offered me this one, [it’s a] go!” Agot, who plays Carmen, Jacob’s (Piolo) mother, proclaimed her admiration for the tale and its adaptation. “I love this story. Ang daming layers. Parang hinuhuburan mo to get to the real meat of the story,” she declares with passion, differentiating the Philippine plot from the Korean one. “Mayroong cultural differences ’yung Korean—mas may facade [and] mas guarded, whereas [the] Filipino culture is more expressive. Mas matatakot ka pa sa mga susunod na episodes,” she outlines.
JC de Vera
In the same light, JC De Vera, who also tweaked his appearance to better serve his character, admits that he had to make major adjustments. “Hindi ito ’yung ginagawa ko kasi na usual—’yung kailangang magpa-pogi, kailangang mag-leading man look, [at] kailangang malinis,” he says. This time, gusto kong maging part ng isang magandang, magandang cast,” he adds, stating that he broke a sweat to channel his role more realistically. “Talagang nag-effort ako na ibahin din ’yung look [and] ’yung hair. Tinry kong maging oppa.” JC, who takes on the persona of a rookie police investigator, Andrew, tapped into a different facet of his acting faculties to draw his character on screen. “Maganda po talaga ’yung material. Nag-decide kami na ’wag ipapanood sa’kin kahit isang eksena para fresh ’yung ideas na lalabas sa pag-portray nu’ng character.”
Piolo Pascual
As to how he handles the pressure of delivering a phenomenal drama on Philippine primetime, however, leading man Piolo Pascual measures it as a leverage. “More than the pressure, it’s an advantage because we could use the Korean version as a reference for us to make it different and modified. We already knew what was gonna happen, and so we were able to give it a different flavor and definitely ‘Philippinize’ it.” He also boasts that the show is being aired in several international soils. “Being shown in 16 territories, it is a privilege to show Filipino content,” he shares. “Nakaka-proud lang—being a Filipino. Na-supersede ’yung pressure.”
Jett Pangan
Praising Piolo is another veteran actor from the star-studded cast, Jett Pangan. He comments, “Ganu’n ka-dedicated sila PJ kasi even after po ng taping for the day, pagpunta ko sa villa niya, nanonood pa siya nu’ng original Flower of Evil. Collectively, pinag-aralan din namin ’yung Korean original.”
Denise Laurel
On the other hand, Denise Laurel, who is a self-proclaimed supporter of K-contents, claims: “From a K-fan point of view, I just felt excited because finally, we get this chance to showcase how great Filipinos are. You’ll see everything when you watch the show. It’s really something to be proud of.”
Joem Bascon
Actor Joem Bascon notes that there is a need to tailor-fit the taste of Filipinos to the series. He states, “Iba kasi ang Pinoy, e. Iba ’yung reactions ng Pinoy on certain situations. Gagawin mo ’yung alam mo [na paraan] kung papa’no siya gawin dito sa Pilipinas.”
Joross Gamboa
Joross Gamboa, the clown in the cast, recalls the scenes that they have rendered. “’Yun ’yung mas nagpaganda dito, dahil ’yung iba sa’min, pinanood, ’yung iba, hindi pinanood. Kapag nagkaka-eksena kami, minsan mayroon ka nang alam na atake, pero dahil iba ’yung binato ng ka-eksena mo, ’yung reaksyon mo, iba [rin]. The magic happens there.”
The master version of Flower of Evil, which is created by Studio Dragon and distributed by tvN, has been reengineered to a localized rendition, suiting the Filipino palate Adapted by ABS-CBN’s Dreamscape Entertainment, the Philippine adaptation of Flower of Evil is available through the pan-regional over-the-top (OTT) streaming service Viu in 16 one-hour episodes. The original, which was also first shown on Viu in the Philippines, is likewise a 16-part installment.
New episodes of #FlowerOfEvil are released every Thursday and Friday on Viu and every Saturday and Sunday on Kapamilya Channel, Jeepney TV and A2Z!
Photos from @dreamscapeph
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