Piolo, Lovi to create a PH version of K-drama ‘Flower of Evil’ with ‘Pusong Pinoy’

Piolo Pascual (left) and Lovi Poe at the virtual launch of the TV series’ poster designed by Justin Besana

You don’t dwell on your partner’s past. What’s important is that he or she is honest about what is at present,” said actor Piolo Pascual when asked how important it was for him to learn about the past of the person he chooses to love.

Piolo plays Jacob in the local adaptation of the South Korean suspense-melodrama series “Flower of Evil.” Jacob decides to change his identity in order to leave his past behind, but the experiences that he opts to forget try to resurface now that he is married and that his wife, Iris (Lovi Poe), a police detective, is investigating a murder case.

“What matters is that you discover what you need to discover through your partner’s honesty, commitment, and loyalty. There should be give-and-take for a relationship to last. You can earn her trust through time,” he told reporters during a recent virtual media conference to promote the show that’s set to premiere in June.

“I don’t dwell on the past because these are experiences that happened to my partner back when I was still not part of her life. What I prefer to deal with is the present because this will define our future together, and I think that’s what matters more,” Piolo explained.

Handling a good liar

Meanwhile, Lovi said she doesn’t believe in “judging someone based on his past. Whoever that person is now, if he turned out to be someone really good for me to marry him, then it’s because of what he has been through in the past.”

As to how she handles someone who is a good liar, Lovi explained: “When I know that he is lying, I will just keep asking more questions. I will keep pushing him. This is a difficult situation to be in. I think it’s important that you should be able to give your full trust to the person you choose to marry. When this is about your husband, you give him the benefit of the doubt then that’s when you’re being a detective comes in to figure things out.”

For Piolo, handling a good liar isn’t something you plan early on. “You just want to deal with that, eventually, but you have to be really wise as well. More than compassion, you have to really see the person, try to find out where she is coming from. You want to be there for her, not out of compassion but to acknowledge the good things she is doing. Trust is something you can give, while lying is more of a decision that your partner makes.”

Just like most of the local adaptations produced by ABS-CBN, the challenge in creating “Flower of Evil” is how to include Filipino sensibilities into the story.

Poe (left) and Pascual

Different take

Lovi also said that, as actors, it’s up to them to give a different take on characters that have already become familiar to the local audience, especially those who are fanatics of K-dramas.

“It helps that we’re already huge fans of the show—well, I am! I feel pressured to do good, but I always consider this as something helpful because, sometimes, it’s when we’re in that state that we are able to create something beautiful,” Lovi explained. “What’s important is that everything has to come from the heart. That’s what the directors always look for from their actors. For me, the moment that you feel it, you know you’re doing it right.”

Piolo agreed by saying: “You have to create your own character. You don’t copy what you see. You come up with something new, something that you think can be more exciting for the local audience. You add personal flavor to it, of course, with the collaboration of everyone included in the show.”

The series is a coproduction of ABS-CBN’s Dreamscape Entertainment, the Korean mass media company CJ E&M, and the Hong-Kong based video streaming provider Viu.

‘Something amazing’

“The fact that it will be shown in bigger markets or in farther regions is enough inspiration for us to come up with characters that we think the audience will appreciate,” Piolo added.

“We created something amazing here. I’m so excited to watch everything we’ve worked for. It’s even made beautiful by the fact that we’ve created a ‘Flower of Evil’ version na may pusong Pinoy,” said Lovi.

“It’s the inclusion of Pinoy sensibilities that sets this show apart,” added Piolo. “The storytelling is different from the Korean version. More than feeling pressured, there’s excitement because we’ve successfully managed to own this story.”

The media conference on Monday also coincided with the official launch of the program’s poster, which was designed by Justin Besana.

The series, codirected by Darnel Joy Villaflor and Richard Ibasco Arellano, will premiere on June 27. It also features JC de Vera, Edu Manzano, Agot Isidro, Joem Bascon, Denise Laurel, Joross Gamboa and Rita Avila, among others.