Beasts of Asia (Korean: 비스트 오브 아시아) is an internationally co-produced children's and youth drama by EBS. The series features different myths from 12 Asian countries that have been reinterpreted in a contemporary way.[1][2] Its first season aired on EBS 1TV every Sunday with five episodes from June 20 to July 18, 2021, starring An Jin-hyeon, Jang Mun-ik, and Lee Kyoung-yoon.
| Beasts of Asia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Hangul | 비스트 오브 아시아 |
| Revised Romanization | Biseuteu Obeu Asia |
| Genre | |
| Written by | Kim Mi-ran |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Producer |
|
| Running time | 20 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release | June 20, 2021 – October 19, 2022 |
Its second season, Beasts of Asia 2, was broadcast on EBS 1TV from October 5 to October 19, 2022, every Wednesday to Friday. Kim Min-seo, from the first episode of the previous season, now leads the narration of the seven stories.
Series overview
edit| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Time slot | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 5 | June 20, 2021 | July 18, 2021 | Sunday at 15:50 (KST) | |
| 2 | 7 | October 5, 2022 | October 19, 2022 | Wednesday–Friday at 19:00 (KST) | |
Synopsis
editBeasts of Asia follows the story of the myths of 12 Asian countries, with a focus on Story Hunters - Sol, Min, Teo, and Eun-ho. Story Hunters are a small group of races with memories before the souls of humans and animals split. They seek out stories of people who have seen or benefited from talking beasts through "Cocoon", an online hub for Asian youth.[3][4]
Cast
editMain
editSeason 1
edit- An Jin-hyeon as Sol
- Sol is the leader of Story Hunters. She is a direct descendant of Dangun and has the soul of a bear.
- Jang Mun-ik as Min[5]
- Min is the group's visual manager and an aspiring idol. His soul is feline and has quirky charms.
- Lee Kyoung-yoon as Teo[5]
- Teo is the brain of the group and has the soul of an owl. He is an animator and creates webtoon in Cocoon.
Season 2
edit- Kim Min-seo as Eun-ho
- Eun-ho is a next generation Story Hunter and an exemplary archer with a soul of a bear.
Episodes
editSeason 1
editThe first season introduced myths from five Asian countries, including Korea, India, Mongolia, Bhutan, and Vietnam.[6]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Part 1 - Training in Pairs" | Hyunsuk Jeong and Minhee Shim | June 20, 2021 | |
|
The story of two promising archery players who reinterpreted the myth of Dangun in Korea. | ||||
| 2 | "Part 2 - Cell Phones" | Hyunsuk Jeong, Anjusha Govind, and Minhee Shim | June 27, 2021 | |
|
The story of a male student with performance anxiety who reinterprets the Indian turtle myth and a friend who helps him. | ||||
| 3 | "Part 3 - Country Boy" | Hyunsuk Jeong, Ruby Sanseren Ariunjargal, and Minhee Shim | July 4, 2021 | |
|
The adventure story of a boy who transferred from the countryside to the city and his friends who tormented him, reinterpreting the founding myth of Mongolia. | ||||
| 4 | "Part 4 - Stepmom" | Hyunsuk Jeong, Kulawoti Guragai, and Minhee Shim | July 11, 2021 | |
|
A story of a girl who lost her mother and a woman who one day visits her, reinterpreting the myth of a crane in Bhutan. | ||||
| 5 | "Part 5 - My Hero, Quang Hai" | Hyunsook Chung and Nguyen Nhat Duy | July 18, 2021 | |
|
A road trip story of four boys reinterpreting the myth of a toad in Vietnam. | ||||
Season 2
editThe second season featured myths from seven countries, including Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Myanmar, completing the myth stories from 12 Asian countries.[7]
| No. | Title | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Part 1 - My name is Inda!" | October 5, 2022 | |
|
Childhood experiences pain and anxiety due to separation. A story about breaking out of fusion and growing into a true single person. This story is a modern reinterpretation of the Komodo lizard myth of Indonesia. | |||
| 2 | "Part 2 - Spring Day" | October 6, 2022 | |
|
"Don't close your eyes when you come across something in life you'll have to fight." This story is a modern reinterpretation of the myth of the buffalo of Myanmar. | |||
| 3 | "Part 3 - Wings" | October 7, 2022 | |
|
The heart-pounding 'call' that makes you go on an adventure away from your parents' realm - a story about leaving to find your dream. This story is a modern reinterpretation of Malaysia's Bird of Paradise myth. | |||
| 4 | "Part 4 - Quiz Heroes" | October 12, 2022 | |
|
A 12-year-old who realizes that small everyday life becomes a huge life, feeling God's blessing. This story is a modern reinterpretation of the myth of the Naga of Laos. | |||
| 5 | "Part 5 - Sneakers" | October 13, 2022 | |
|
Wouldn't we have done it if we had known the results? A story about the attitude of accepting choices and their consequences. About accepting the consequences as a part of your life, for better or for worse, and moving forward. This story is a modern reinterpretation of the myth of the elephant king of Cambodia. | |||
| 6 | "Part 6 - Secret" | October 14, 2022 | |
|
How will a boy who has nowhere to put his mind or body to grow to become an adult? The story of a boy/girl who builds their own territory for the first time. This story is a modern reinterpretation of the myth of kite in the Philippines. | |||
| 7 | "Part 7 - Roast" | October 19, 2022 | |
|
What happened in Himapan, where I went on the worst day of my 12 years of life. The main character, a boy who lived his whole life pursuing only the first place without any pleasure, learns the secret of living a happy life by being faithful to the present. This story is a modern reinterpretation of the myth of Himavanta in Thailand. | |||
Awards and nominations
edit| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago International Children's Film Festival (CICFF) | 2021 | Special Jury Award | Beasts of Asia | Second Place | [8] |
| Outstanding Overseas Broadcasting Co-Production Grand Prize | 2022 | Grand Prize | Won | [9] | |
| Seoul International Drama Awards | Outstanding K-Pop Idol | Kyoungyoon | Nominated | [10] | |
| Munik | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ "EBS Documentary Programs". global.ebs.co.kr (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2022-09-08. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ Seo, Byeong-gi (2021-08-30). "亞 12개국 신화 모티브 드라마 연출한 EBS 정현숙 PD, "신화로 만든 어린이콘텐츠는 나라의 정신자산" [EBS Producer Jeong Hyun-sook, who directed dramas based on myths from 12 countries, "Children's content made from myths is the spiritual asset of the country"]. 헤럴드경제 (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
- ^ Jeong, Heon-hee (2021-06-15). "EBS, 12개국 국제공동제작 대기획 성장 드라마 "비스트 오브 아시아" 6월 20일 첫 방송!" [EBS, international co-production in 12 countries, the growth drama "Beasts of Asia" first broadcast on June 20th!]. 한국강사신문 (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2023-04-02. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "비스트 오브 아시아 (비스트 오브 아시아 Beasts of Asia)". home.ebs.co.kr (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2022-07-06. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ a b Yoo, Byung-cheol (2021-06-14). "동키즈 경윤X문익, 아시아 12개국 공동제작 드라마 '비스트 오브 아시아' 주인공 캐스팅" [Dongkiz Kyoungyoon X Munik, cast as the main character in the co-production drama 'Beasts of Asia' in 12 Asian countries]. Nate News (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2023-04-02. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ Lee, Jung-hyun (2021-06-14). "아시아 12개국 신화를 드라마로…'비스트 오브 아시아'" [The myths of 12 Asian countries into a drama… 'Beasts of Asia']. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2022-06-13. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ Jeong, Heon-hee (2022-10-03). "EBS 비스트 오브 아시아2, 오는 10월 5일 첫 방송" [EBS Beast of Asia 2 will premiere on October 5th.]. Korea Lecturer News (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2022-10-24. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
- ^ "비스트 오브 아시아1 제38회 시카고 국제어린이영화제 수상" [Beasts of Asia 1 Awarded at the 38th Chicago International Children's Film Festival]. 평화문화진지 (in Korean). 2022-06-12. Archived from the original on 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ Kim, Jin-seop (2022-09-02). "방송통신위원회, ′2022 해외 우수 공동제작 대상′ 심사 결과.. 비스트오브아시아 수상" [Korea Communications Commission, '2022 Overseas Outstanding Co-Production Award' Judging Results... Beast of Asia Award]. idsn.co.kr (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2022-10-24. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
- ^ "Kang Daniel Leads Outstanding K-Pop Idol At Seoul International Drama Awards 2022". KORB. 2022-08-01. Archived from the original on 2022-08-12. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
External links
edit- Official website (in Korean)