The fantaserye or the telefantasya was an emerging televisual form in the Philippines in the early 2000s, which combines folkloric elements of myth, magic, and enchantment infused with realistic elements in its storytelling. In 2005, one of the biggest media conglomerates at the time, GMA 7, released its biggest fantaserye, Encantadia. It is a fairy world where beings and creatures co-exist harmoniously in its four realms of Adamya, Sapiro, Hathoria, and Lireo. The paper aims to explore the fantaserye as a postmodern epic by reinterpreting folklore to resonate with contemporary audiences. Additionally, the study will examine how the fantaserye embodies postmodernity by adapting conventional literary attributes for television viewership. Employing Peter Brooker's concept of refunctioning in popular culture, the study scrutinizes the series' episodes to map out the reinterpreted ideas within the series. The paper was able to flesh out the refunctioning of folkloric elements such as the Diwata (epic hero) and the epic hero. Through this analysis, the paper seeks to shed light on the evolution of Philippine television series and its cultural impact during this period.

Authors:
Ralph Edward Sekito, University of Santo Tomas, Philippines

About the Presenter(s)
Mr Ralph Edward Sekito is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at University of Santo Tomas in Philippines

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