Halfworlds, spotlighting Asia
Asian folklore is given the spotlight with HBO Asia's orginal series, Halfworlds, which is now on its second season.
The series is set in presentday Asia and uncovers the secret world of demons from Asian folklore.
The first season premiered on November 29, 2015 and was directed by Indonesian filmmaker Joko Anwar. The season was set in Jakarta and introduces us to bloodthirsty creatures from Indonesian mythology; in the series they are simply known as "Demit".
Meanwhile the current second season of the series, which is helmed by Thai director Ekachai Uekrongtham, is set in Bangkok, Thailand. The series introduces us to the Peesaj of Thai folklore.
The second season follows a researcher named Juliet who is trying to uncover the secret world of demon, while looking for an ancient artefact of great power known as Kris.
Last February 18, 2016, Sun. Star Davao was able to sit down with two of the show's actors, Filipino actor Jake Macapagal and Thai actor Charlie Ruedpokanon, prior to their meet and greet at the Sky Alive Tour in SM Lanang Premier.
Charlie plays as Mick, an errand boy of Charlie, a respected leader of the peesaj underworld, and the best friend of Fyter, one of the main characters of the show. Meanwhile, Jake plays as Kaprey, a fugitive Spanish-Filipino peesaj who escaped to Bangkok and is the terrifying kingpin of Bangkok's The Citadel, a nefarious part of town not ruled by Warin, who rules over the peesaj.
it is very special in thailand the peesaj been on tv before it is very cool that we get to combine it with the philippines, indo, joining the different culture
"The show is very sepcial because it gets to combine the creatures coming from Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand," Charlie said.
He said in the show they can see that each Asian country has its own set of unique creatures but at the same time there are those creatures that also have similar characteristics.
"There is a big pool of inspiration to pull from the different cultures and countries in Asia and there is so much to be told," Charlie said.
"The show ties us together as a culture," said Jake.
However, the dark fantasy thriller TV series not only showcases the mysterious and uniqueness of Asian folklore but it also showcases and puts spotlight to talented Asian actors.
"The show is where Asian actors are coming together. It also exhibits the talents of us Asian actors," said Jake.
Catch Halfworlds on HBO Asia, Episode 6 is set to air on Feb 25 at 12:55AM and 3:10PM while Episode 7 and 8 airs on February 26 at 9:00PM and 9:45PM, respectively.