After Captain Barbell, Darna, and Lastikman, another comicbook creation will be adapted in television, the mythical mermaid called Dyesebel.
Former Dyesebel actress Charlene Gonzalez gave her opinion in an interview about Marian Rivera playing the role on television. She said, "[Marian is] a very beautiful girl. Bagay sa kanya kasi maganda siya at seksi, bagay siya sa Dyesebel."
It was the talk of the town before GMA-7 formally announced that the Network was making a TV version of one of the popular comicbooks of the famous Filipino graphic novelist Mars Ravelo.
First published in 1953, Dyesebel is the story of a half-human, half-fish daughter born to a couple living in a rural area. The father wanted to get rid of the baby but just as he was about to do it, lightning and thunder stopped him. The couple decided to transfer to different place to avoid rumors about their child. In a village near the sea they raised Dyesebel. Here she met other sea creatures and with some she enjoyed wonderful adventures. But others made her miserable.
Another version was that the people in their neighborhood found out about the mermaid and blamed her for the catastrophes that hit their place. To get away from the mob, her mother hid Dyesebel near the ocean.
Like Ravelo's other comics superheroes, different versions of Dyesebel were portrayed in past movies.
So, before we witness what GMA-7 did to make the story longer than the movie versions, PEP recalls its previous movie adaptations and the actresses who became famous as Dyesebel.
Dyesebel (1953). On the same year it was published in Pilipino Komiks, Gerardo de Leon directed the first movie version. (His other comic-superhero project was Pedro Penduko.)
Dyesebel highlighted the career of the veteran actress Edna Luna, considered one of the most beautiful actresses during her time. Jaime dela Rosa, younger brother of the postwar movie idol Rogelio dela Rosa, was her leading man. The movie was a hit.
Anak ni Dyesebel (1964). A decade after the first movie, director Gerardo de Leon once again gathered the cast members of his Dyesebel to be part of its sequel titled Anak ni Dyesebel, which was also written by Ravelo with the same title.
The movie still had Edna Luna, but the focus was on actress Eva Montes, who played the role of Dyesebel's daughter Alona. Like Edna, Eva Montes also played a role in Ravelo's creation twice. She was Darna in the 1965 film titled Darna at ang Babaing Tuod.
Si Dyesebel at Ang Mahiwagang Kabibe (1973). This movie by director Emmanuel Borlaza used the second version of the plot wherein Dyesebel was blamed by neighbors as the cause of village misfortunes.
Played by the Star for All Seasons, Vilma Santos, Dyesebel fell in love with a male human named Fredo (Romeo Miranda), who promised Dyesebel that he would look for all the possible ways to make her human.
Vilma was the only actress who portrayed Dyesebel and Darna (Darna vs. Tthe Planet Woman, 1975), which were both created by the King of Komiks Mars Ravelo.
Sisid, Dyesebel, Sisid (1978). Unlike the past Dyesebels, it did not take a decade before this fourth adaptation was made into a movie. Alma Moreno played the role of Dyesebel, who fell in love with Fredo (Matt Ranillo III).
Its plot was similar to the past versions except that Fredo's girlfriend had a part in the story. When she found out that Fredo was protecting Dyesebel, she conspired with the sea-witch Diannga to have the mermaid kidnapped and displayed in a circus freak show. Fredo came to the rescue, of course. Later on, Dyesebel transformed into a human—with the proper lower limbs—and married Fredo.
Dyesebel (1990). Twelve years after Alma starred as Dyesebel, Director Mel Chionglo created the movie Dyesebel with Alice Dixon playing the main character.
This version made a slight change from the original version. The plot focused on Dyesebel's most beloved male human. If in all the past movies, the loveteam of Dyesebel followed his original name, Fredo, this 1990 Dyesebel changed it to Edward (played by Richard Gomez).
Also, in case some viewers have forgotten, then young actress Carmina Villarroel acted as young Dyesebel in this movie.
Dyesebel (1996). Director Emmanuel Borlaza seemed to have enjoyed directing Dyesebel so much that he came back 23 years later to do another version with actress Charlene Gonzalez. Here, she was paired with Matthew Mendoza who portrayed Fredo.
FIRST TV APPEARANCE. Although GMA-7 claims that its Dyesebel is the first TV adaptation, the first TV appearance of this komiks character should be credited to Ara Mina. This sexy actress did a cameo appearance as Dyesebel in the fantaserye Darna in 2005 with another mermaid, played by Sexbomb dancer Rochelle Pangilinan.
Now that we've reviewed the past editions of this popular Pinoy komiks character, let's see what the television version of Mars Ravelo's Dyesebel has to offer. A preview of director Joyce Bernal's Dyesebel will be shown tonight, April 25, after Babangon Ako't Dudurugin Kita.
The fantaserye will premiere on Monday, April 28, in GMA-7's Telebabad.