Pretty Little Liars gets Asian reboot

Fans who miss the popular American teen drama Pretty Little Liars (2010 to 2017) can now catch an Indonesian remake of the show on streaming platform Viu.

The series is adapted from Sara Shepard's novel series of the same name.

It follows four female high school students in Bali, whose clique falls apart when their leader, Alissa (Yuki Kato), goes missing.

A year later, Hanna (Anya Geraldine), Ema (Eyka Farhana), Sabrina (Valerie Thomas) and Aria (Shindy Huang) reunite when a mysterious figure known as "A" threatens to expose their darkest secrets.

Here are five things to know about the fresh take on the fan favourite.

The 10-episode remake is directed by Emil Heradi, who is known for his 2017 film, the thriller Night Bus.

The female leads are played by Indonesian actresses Yuki, Anya, Valerie and Shindy, as well as Malaysian actress Eyka.

While the team behind the remake would not reveal any spoilers, Ms Sahana Kamath, head of content and originals at Viu Indonesia, promises viewers that it is "relatively faithful" to the American series and retains the iconic moments.

Nevertheless, the Indonesian series has put its own twist.

Valerie, 21, says: "As this is the Asian version, we have made changes to (take into account) the cultural differences. Viewers in the West will be introduced to Eastern values when they watch the remake."

Ms Sahana adds: "Any changes made have the audience's best interests at heart."

Apart from being a show about friendship, the new Pretty Little Liars also aims to raise awareness of bullying.

Two of the cast members, Anya and Yuki, were victims of bullying when they were younger. Anya, 24, was made fun of for her size while Yuki, 25, who is half-Japanese and half-Indonesian, was teased for her mixed look and name.

Valerie says: "We want to use this huge platform to share our message against bullying and inspire people to do better."

The cast and crew worked within a tight schedule. Shooting, which took place in Bali, had to be completed within 41 days.

Rookie actress Shindy, 25, says: "It was crazy. For me, the biggest challenge was having to look fresh in front of the camera despite the long hours. It was exhausting but also really fun."

For Valerie, who grew up watching the show, it was an unbelievable experience. "I used to binge-watch the series when I was grounded at home, " she recalls.

Anya, too, fell in love with the American drama when she first watched it in college.

Yuki and Shindy also became fans after catching up on the show to prepare for their roles.

As the original series, which lasted seven seasons and won several teen awards, was widely popular, the actresses felt pressure to meet fans' expectations.

"We want to carry on the legacy of the original show," says Shindy.