Piolo Pascual and Lovi Poe’s in-depth portrayal of their characters in the local adaptation of Flower of Evil leaves a realistic impression on the viewers. No wonder, both actors were specifically chosen to work on this project because of its artistic requirement.
Seeing the first two episodes of the Philippine version of the 2020 Korean suspense drama (the series premiered first on Viu on June 23 and 24, and on Kapamilya Channel and A2Z on June 25 and 26) gives audience a glimpse of the lead stars’ acting prowess, their palpable onscreen chemistry, and the local production team’s ability to create quality content – it further solidifies ABS-CBN’s position as the country’s powerhouse source of world-class dramas.
Flower of Evil is a Viu original adaptation that follows the seemingly perfect life of husband and wife – Jacob and Iris (Piolo and Lovi), together with their young daughter Luna (Sienna Stevens). Jacob is a metal craftsman who owns and operates his own workshop, while Iris is a well-respected police detective.
Unknown to Iris, Jacob is hiding his dark, scandalous past from her. All these years, Jacob has been living a double life after he successfully changed his identity from Daniel Villareal to Jacob del Rosario.
Daniel was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, has been wanted by the police for murder, and he is also the only son of Abel (Gardo Versoza), a known serial killer who committed suicide.
Their lives will slowly crumble when Iris’ team is assigned to investigate a murder crime, which is hauntingly similar to the crimes of Abel. Because of this, a 17-year-old unsolved murder case is reopened and Iris exhausts all efforts to do research on Daniel.
As she slowly uncovers clues that could link Jacob to Daniel, Iris will discover that her husband might be more dangerous than she thinks he is.
As the plot thickens, the series will leave questions like: Will Iris’ love for Jacob prevail over her duty as a police detective? What other secrets is Jacob hiding from his family?
“We kept the very spine of the story for the K-Drama fans. We also decided to keep the iconic scenes to pay homage to the original version. We added Filipino flavors in the sense that, since the actors are Filipinos, the sensibility of the drama is very Pinoy. We injected a few Filipino elements that make the series more relatable to local audience,” said Darnel Villaflor, who shares the director’s chair with Richard Arellano, said of the series.
Flower of Evil is Piolo and Lovi’s first team-up, and also Lovi’s first drama series as a Kapamilya. The cast is also comprised of JC de Vera, Agot Isidro, Denise Laurel, Joem Bascon, Epy Quizon, Rita Avila, Jett Pangan, Pinky Amador, Joross Gamboa, Joko Diaz, and Edu Manzano.
“After seeing the first two episodes, my level of excitement shot up. That was just the tip of the iceberg. It’s just the build-up of the entire series,” Lovi shared during the celebrity screening of the drama.
In a separate interview, Piolo said he got inspired by Lovi’s dedication to her craft especially since she’s already done a few iconic projects and yet she still gives more than what’s expected of her.
“Her energy affects everyone on set that’s why I’m grateful that she’s my co-star in this drama. It was easy for us to build chemistry because she knows what she’s doing,” Piolo said.
Flower of Evil is the first Viu original adaptation drama series from the Philippines to stream simultaneously in 16 markets – Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, and South Africa – 48 hours before its TV broadcast.