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Probably one of the most exciting things to look forward to in Atlantika is the perfect combination of three acting greats: Ariel Rivera, Gardo Versoza,
Probably one of the most exciting things to look forward to in Atlantika is the perfect combination of three acting greats: Ariel Rivera, Gardo Versoza, and Jean Garcia. The two gentlemen were previously seen in the action-drama series Sugo while Jean recently played a female wizard in Majika. This time around, their characters figure in a love triangle that will affect the future of the underwater world. Straight from the recently concluded telefantasya hit Majika, Jean Garcia is once again in a glam role as the ethereal Queen Celebes. "(I'm excited because) first time kong maging queen! So medyo hirap ako ng konti, kasi medyo prim and proper; dapat graceful, dapat mahinahon magsalita; dapat hindi bakla! So kaya hirap ako!" she shares with a laugh. Gardo, who plays Agat, cites a similar reason for loving Atlantika: "I get to play a king, I get to get the feeling of a ruler!" He adds, "I love the costumes so much. Cool di ba? I'm giving Batman a run for his money, right? It really elevates me on cloud 9, because it's not the usual, typical, goody-goody type (of character)." Ariel plays Baracud, the king of Atlantika. Like Gardo, Ariel is also all praises for his costumes in the series. "I get to wear the elaborate costumes. And you create a character that's totally fictional, (which is) the best part of it, for me, being an artist. (It's) creating this character, and not knowing where it's gonna go." Gardo shares that what makes Atlantika different is its whole underwater concept. "And it has the characters on land, and those from underwater. It's a mixture of everything – there's drama, (and) there's romance." Like most of the male cast members, Gardo and Ariel trained under an expert for the combat scenes to be showcased in the series. "We trained under a marine! So he doesn't care if we get bruised or what! (It's) Hand combat," says Gardo. Ariel proudly shares, "We've managed to bring the best telefantasya here in GMA. What makes it different (are) the underwater executions, because it's more difficult, I think, to do that, than any other effects, because there are a lot of things to consider, (such as) the weather, the situation of the ocean, and the timing of the camera. Siyempre we can only hold out breath for so long, so may timing doon…I think, everybody has to know that it's very difficult to make a telefantasya underwater, so this is the reason why this the first time it's been done." -- Text by Jillian Q. Gatcheco See this milestone for yourself! Tune in to Atlantika weeknights after Asian Treasures.