Encantadia shows proof as forerunner

MANILA, Philippines – When interpreted outside its milieu, history produces inevitable blunders.

“The original Encantadia preceded Game of Thrones,” GMA Network creative director Roy Iglesias clarified about the controversy involving the Philippines’ ultimate fantasy series as a rehash of Game of Thrones. “So in this re-telling, we’re trying to top the original.”

Encantadia amazes by showing proof as the forerunner rather than the precursor by returning to contemporary reality that Game of Thrones can never do. To save the baby of Ynang Reyna Minea (Marian Rivera) and Raquim (Dingdong Dantes) from murder, the father brings her to the mortal world only to revert to the kingdom of Lireo three years after.

Both ambitious fantasy drama TV series set in mythical kingdoms, Encantadia piloted on May 2, 2005 while Game of Thrones on April 17, 2011. Both interweaves narrative plots with a large ensemble cast. Commercial and critical successes make them bankable franchises.

Encantadia’s ‘requel’ (“It’s a re-telling and a sequel,” Iglesias clarified.) aired last July 18 while Game of Thrones’ sixth season concluded last June 26 with its seventh season to premiere in mid-2017.

The multi-awarded master storyteller details why Encantadia is the freshest standard.

“It’s probably the viewers of Game of Thrones that’s getting their perception influenced by it when they watch Encantadia. The challenge of doing a retelling of Encantadia was how to not alienate the fans who have regarded the original as sacrosanct and therefore, better left untouched by a remake.”

GMA Network creative director Roy Iglesias

Encantadia’s pilot map opening credit said to be reminiscent of Game of Thrones is actually a standard device to set location in many period and fantasy features.

The requel aims to keep the iconic scenes and characters intact. Its challenge is to make it a fresh, insightful experience for the new viewers who were too young to remember the original. “So as far as the creative team was concerned, there was completely no effort to make it look like Game of Thrones or be influenced by it. Why should we? Encantadia preceded it by 11 years,” Iglesias confronted the capricious issue at hand.

“There’s so much narrative richness in the original material that could be mined and developed without having to copy a foreign franchise. The new Encantadia retains the Filipino sensibilities of the original, the indestructible values that we as a people hold so dearly. It’s fantasy, but conveys a lot of eternal truths worth revisiting in the requel,” Iglesias explained about Encantadia’s USP (unique selling point).

Iglesias’ pronouncements suggest that only the viewers’ satisfaction matters in this multi-cultural world.