| Ilumina | |
|---|---|
Ilumina title screen |
|
| Also known as | Romana Santa |
| Format | Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural drama |
| Developed by | Dode Cruz |
| Directed by | Mark A. Reyes Topel Lee |
| Starring | Rhian Ramos Aljur Abrenica Jackie Rice Paulo Avelino |
| Opening theme | "Tadhana" by Up Dharma Down |
| Country of origin | Philippines |
| Language(s) | Filipino, Tagalog, English |
| No. of episodes | 80 (Total) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Wilma Galvante |
| Producer(s) | GMA Entertainment TV Group |
| Location(s) | Philippines |
| Camera setup | Multiple-camera setup |
| Running time | 30-45 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | GMA Network |
| Picture format | 480i NTSC |
| Original run | August 2, 2010 – November 19, 2010 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Ilumina is a fantasy-themed Philippine drama series about witchcraft, demonic possession ,and sorcery directed by Mark A. Reyes and distributed by GMA Network. It premiered on August 2, 2010. The Show is Mentioned On Bubble Gang's Sketch, Cheche Bureche
Contents |
Long time ago there was a war between the sorcerers and sorceresses as they contest who among them was the strongest. Elizaria (Sam Pinto) came, defeated them all, and she became the most powerful sorceress, bringing peace to their world. Then came a prophecy that there would be another war. Elizaria knew this and she created the Ilumina or "Ang Aklat Ng Salamangka"(The Sorcerer,s Book), containing all the secrets she knew and every power she had. The sorcerers cannot settle among themselves over who would keep the Ilumina and so they fought for it. The second war began and divided the sorcerers into two factions, Black and White. The Black sorcerers first acquired the Ilumina, becoming the most powerful, until Elena (Rochelle Pangilinan), Sasha (Cara Eriguel) and the other white sorcerers took back the book. The war continued on long after that, becoming more deadly over the years.
Years later, a woodsman named Romano Sebastian (Cesar Montano), was in the forest when one of his traps suddenly activates. He was surprised to find a woman inside and helps her out. Her name was Melina Azardon (Jean Garcia) and she has fallen in love with him.
Melina searched for Romano in the town and found him at the church getting married to Elsa Sebastian (Ara Mina). Melina felt betrayed and enraged. Unbeknown to them, Melina was a black sorceress. She noticed that Elsa is pregnant, so she took revenge by cursing Elsa's twins, turning them into conjoined twins, or "kambal tuko". Romano knew it was Melina's doing so he rallied the townspeople to hunt down Melina in the forest and set her on flames as a witch. As Melina is surrounded by the flames, she threatened Romano and Elsa that she will return, and at that moment, her spirit controls one of the twins. Hiding in the bushes, Melina's twin sister Elvira Azardon(Jean Garcia) witnessed this tragic event tearfully. Every night thereafter, the evil spirit of Melina continues to terrorize the family of Romana and Krisanta.
Romana (Rhian Ramos) and Krisanta Sebastian (Jackie Rice) grew up and was revealed that they are the 12th generation descendants of Elizaria. They both are born to be keepers of Ilumina and are destined to stop the war between the Black and White Sorcerers. They both fall in love with the same man, Iñigo Salcedo (Aljur Abrenica). It was Iñigo's father, Frederico Salcedo (Christopher de Leon), who paid for the operation that would separate the twins. Frederico in spite of this falls in love with Elvira and eventually joins the black sorcerers.
The separation however made the twins' personality even more contrasting and Krisanta started to become more baleful. She then met Elvira, who was revealed to be a black sorceress and the series' main antagonist. Krisanta felt a connection to Elvira as the spirit of Melina calls out to her twin from inside Krisanta.
When Krisanta discovers that Iñigo plans to marry Romana, Krisanta was infuriated with resentment. With the help of Elvira, she creates a potion to make Iñigo love her. In return, the demonic spirit of Melina Azardon is to fully possess Krisanta's body. Krisanta, with the possession of Melina, aids Elvira to burn her family, leaving her father to survive and escape.
The loss of her family drove Romana to madness. At this point, the white sorceresses revealed themselves and revived Romana, allowing her to be reborn as a white sorceress. Krisanta becomes the opposite, a black sorceress. Unknown to Romana, her father, Romano Sebastian becomes the guardian of the Luminus - the key to Ilumina, and he was sent forth to seek it out.
The Ilumina however is in the possession of Elvira. In order to gain the Luminus, Elvira kills Romano so that he would pass the Luminus to Romana. At that moment, Romana saved her father by turning him to stone. Elvira then revives and uses a brainwashed Elsa as bait for Romana to give up the key. Romana gives up the key for her mother but is tricked as Elvira eliminates Elsa. Elvira then unites the Luminus and Ilumina to spread mayhem across the whole earth. Meanwhile, Krisanta uses the opportunity to liquidate Romana, while she is at her weakest.
As the balance between good and evil is tipped in favor of evil, Elizaria, along with The Sprits of Power Hannah (Carla Abellana) and Raina (Bianca King) , return to help fulfill the prophecy then they gave there powers to Romana so she can live. In order to fight the black sorcerers, Iñigo asks his father, Frederico if he can become a black sorcerer, which his father grants thinking he is ready to join them. As Iñigo was disclosed that he had come to fight Elvira, Frederico sides with his son due to his love for him, which leads Elvira to kill him. Before Elvira could kill Iñigo, Krisanta appears, feeling betrayed by Elvira's disapproval of the use of Ilumina to get Iñigo to love her. Krisanta defends Iñigo, giving up her allegiance to Elvira. Elvira then uses the Ilumina to isolate Melina from Krisanta, leaving Krisanta dead (because she was not really the real Krisanta because the demonic spirit of Melina only killed her then possesed her as a baby).
As a final act to fulfill the prophecy, the newly revived Romana gives up her life to revive her sister despite her faults and all the hurt and ruthlessness she caused and the spirit of Krisanta returns to her body (since in the past she is only possessed by Melina's demonic spirit). Romana still lived (because she only transfered Hannah's powers not Raina's). Krisanta feels remorse and asks Romana for her pardon, which Romana accepts. As they are reunited and reconciled, Romana and Krisanta both become black and white sorceresses to fulfill their destiny and fight Melina and Elvira. Finding Romana and Krisanta too strong together, Elvira together with Melina, decides to change the tide by combining themselves into one through the Ilumina. Through their combined powers, Romana and Krisanta subjugates Elvira/Melina, which finally eliminates Elvira.
As a final request, Elvira asks her son Eliseo Montero (Jake Vargas) to forgive her for all the things she did. Romana asks the Ilumina to end the war of the White and Black sorcerers. With the Ilumina, Romana and Krisanta release their father from his stone state.
Meanwhile, Iñigo invites Eliseo to go with him to America with the hope that they forget all of their bad experiences. Iñigo tells him that they are now both orphans and that Eliseo is his brother now. As they both prepare to leave Romana arrives, professing her love for Iñigo and they share a long kiss. With this, Iñigo decides to forgo leaving the Philippines.
In the end, Romano, Krisanta and Romana return the Ilumina to Elizaria so that it may never cause a rift between black and white again. Romana states afterwards that her mission is now over.