Spellbinder - In the land of the dragon emperor
| Television series | |
|---|---|
| German title | Spellbinder - In the land of the dragon emperor |
| Original title | Spellbinder 2: Land of the Dragon Lord |
| Country of production |
Australia Poland China |
| original language | English |
| Year (s) | 1996-1997 |
| Production company |
Film Australia Telewizja Polska Shanghai Film Studio |
| length | 25 minutes |
| Episodes | 26 in 1 season |
| genre | Youth series , science fiction , drama |
| idea |
Mark Shirrefs John Thomson |
| production | Noel Price |
| First broadcast | September 1, 1997 on Nine Network (Australia) |
| German-language first broadcast |
December 28, 1998 on Der Kinderkanal |
| occupation | |
Spellbinder - In the Land of the Dragon Emperor is a youth series and the sequel to Spellbinder - Caught in the Past , in which a character in adolescence involuntarily travels into a parallel universe . The series was the result of a collaboration between three countries, with the script and concept coming from Australia and the series being shot in English . Each color represents at least one universe in the action. In Australia, for example, the main character, Kathy Morgan, is at home (Kathy's world), while there is still a parallel image, in which the protagonists' lives have been different. China represents the dragon empire (Sun's world) and Poland is home - as in the previous series - the world of the Spellbinder (Ashka's world). In addition, two more threads were turned here: on the one hand the Moloch world, in which mankind was almost exterminated by constructed, intelligent war machines, on the other hand the world of immortals, in which an epidemic broke out centuries ago, which is fought by a drug However, this made people immortal and sterile, which is why only adults live there who want nothing more than their own children.
Like other series by Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson, each episode ends with a cliffhanger . The series has a fast pace, which is why the protagonists have to face a new adventure in almost every episode, which they quickly solve with skill and intelligence.
DVD release
In Germany, the series was translated into German in 1998 by the public broadcaster ZDF . As in the first season, the dubbing book was written by Fred Maire , who also directed the dialogue. In the course of 2017, two DVD boxes for the German TV version, produced by Pidax Film Media Ltd., were released for the first time. to be expelled.
action
Kathy Morgan is on a camping holiday with her parents and older brother Josh. When she wants to take a closer look at a bamboo boat that she discovered on a lake, she is accidentally transported from her native Australia to a parallel universe. In the process, she meets Mek, a young scientist from the Dragon Empire, who constructed this transdimensional boat and thus found a way to travel through the parallel universes. Both end up in the land of the Spellbinder, where they meet the ruthless and power-hungry villain Ashka, who now lives as a prisoner in a labor camp. Together with Gryvon, she helps Kathy and Mek escape - but only to escape their own fate. Finally the trio ends up in Mek's homeland - a world that is very similar to that of the Spellbinder in terms of its civilizational backwardness and, at the same time, highly developed technology. The dragon empire is organized by a kind of computer, the so-called "oracle", and is run by the young regent Sun, who draws his magical powers on outsiders from this very virtual source.
Kathy wants nothing more than to go back to her family, who also end up in this world a little later. However, Sun takes a friendly pleasure in her and therefore does not want to let her go. Ashka tries to seize power in the Dragon Empire by first faking Sun's death in Kathy's world and then sneaking the trust of his sister Aya, who has taken over the rule. When her misdeeds are exposed, Ashka steals the mask for the oracle, which is necessary for the control of the dragon emperor, and allies herself with the “barbarian” Sharak, who promises his starving people a new home and wants to seize them by force. After the oracle fails, the defenseless inhabitants of the country become Sharak's helpless prisoners, while Kathy and Mek, who were able to obtain the mask, begin an exciting journey through the parallel worlds of the immortals and the world of the Molochs. They only know one goal: to free the palace and the land of the dragon emperor from the violence of his intruders.
occupation
Sorted according to the order of entry.
main actor
| actor | Voice actor | role | consequences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Wong | Manou Lubowski | Mek | 1-26 |
| Peter O'Brien | Gudo Hoegel | Carl Morgan | 1-26 |
| Lauren Hewett | Laura Maire | Kathy Morgan | 1-26 |
| Ryan Kwanten | Dominik Auer | Josh Morgan | 1-26 |
| Lenore Smith | Susanne von Medvey | Vicky Morgan | 1-26 |
| Heather Mitchell | Dagmar Dempe | Ashka | 1-26 |
| Hu Xin | Christine Stichler | Aya | 2-26 |
| Leonard Fung | Sun | 3-26 | |
| Ye Mang | Torsten Muenchow | Sharak | 3-26 |
| Ye Xiaokeng | Gobbo | 3-26 | |
| Wang Ya'nan | Roggar | 3-26 | |
| Gui Jeilan | Jasmine | 4-26 |
supporting cast
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|
Episode overview
| episode | German title | German initial hookup |
Original title | First broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The transdimensional boat | December 28, 1998 | The Trans-Dimensional Bamboo Boat | September 1, 1997 |
| 2 | In the Dragon Empire | December 29, 1998 | Ashka | September 2, 1997 |
| 3 | The chocolate emperor | December 30, 1998 | The Dragon Lord | September 3, 1997 |
| 4th | The barbarians | December 31, 1998 | Oracle | September 8, 1997 |
| 5 | An unequal fight | January 4, 1999 | Marooned in a World of Monsters | September 9, 1997 |
| 6th | The monster | January 5, 1999 | Attack of the Thirty-Meter Warrior | September 10, 1997 |
| 7th | The water spirit | January 6, 1999 | Josh, the Water Spirit | September 15, 1997 |
| 8th | The filmstar | January 7, 1999 | Sun Becomes a Star | September 16, 1997 |
| 9 | The entertainer | January 8, 1999 | Designation Day | 17th September 1997 |
| 10 | Dragon dance | January 11, 1999 | The Oracle Is Dead | September 22, 1997 |
| 11 | The immortals | January 12, 1999 | The Only Child in the World | September 23, 1997 |
| 12 | Kathy is adopted | January 13, 1999 | Girl for Sale | September 24, 1997 |
| 13 | Quarrel about Kathy | January 14, 1999 | To Live Forever | September 29, 1997 |
| 14th | Ashka's triumph | January 15, 1999 | Barbarians at the Gate | September 30, 1997 |
| 15th | Robots are stupid | January 18, 1999 | The Best-Laid Plans ... | October 1, 1997 |
| 16 | The Moloch | January 19, 1999 | Graveyard of Machines | October 6, 1997 |
| 17th | The destroyer | January 20, 1999 | The Hunter and the Haunting | October 7, 1997 |
| 18th | The crystal | January 21, 1999 | Stop the Moloch! | October 8, 1997 |
| 19th | The wedding dress | January 22, 1999 | Escape from the Palace | October 13, 1997 |
| 20th | Hunt for the crown jewels | January 25, 1999 | Kathy Meets ... Herself | October 14, 1997 |
| 21st | A dubious business | January 26, 1999 | The doublecross | October 15, 1997 |
| 22nd | The sports cannon | January 27, 1999 | On the trail | October 20, 1997 |
| 23 | Two masterminds are trapped | January 28, 1999 | The Two Joshes | October 21, 1997 |
| 24 | Locked up | January 29, 1999 | Who's who? | October 22, 1997 |
| 25th | Russian artists | February 1, 1999 | The Disappearing Act | October 23, 1997 |
| 26th | The wedding | February 2, 1999 | A wedding surprise | October 24, 1997 |
Trivia
- Shooting began in June 1996. The first seven weeks were shot in Poland, then 13 weeks in China and finally seven weeks in Australia.
- All the external scenes that take place in “our world” were created in Sydney, the various strands in the Dragon Emperor's Land entirely in China, the recordings in the “World of Immortals” in Nieborów Palace and the adjacent Baroque garden, the nearby Arkadia Park and in Łazienki -Park in Warsaw and in Warsaw's Old Town and the “Moloch World” in Krakow. The Wieliczka Salt Mine served as the underground backdrop of the machine world .
- Spellbinder - In the Land of the Dragon Emperor is considered the first international co-production in which China took the place of a participating partner. The country provided 50% of the budget, while Australia and Poland only contributed 25% each.
- The cast of the dragon emperor Sun (Leonard Fung) is actually the same age as the cast of Kathy (Lauren Hewett), who were both 15 years old at the time of filming.
- The Moloch is an SPW (armored personnel carrier) of the Soviet design, as it was used in the Warsaw Pact , the military alliance of the Eastern Bloc at the time of the Cold War to which Poland was a member. It was used to bring the soldiers to the scene or as a command vehicle for motorized units. For the filming, several additional superstructures were added to turn it into the Moloch. The interior photos do not show the real equipment, but were recreated in the studio.
Similarities between the two series
- In both series, a teenager from Sydney discovers a parallel universe (1: Paul, 2: Kathy)
- The existence of these strange worlds is accidentally discovered (Paul walks through a kind of time window, Kathy explores the transdimension boat)
- A direct witness observes the transition into the "other" world (1: Alex and Katrina, 2: Josh), whereby the adults (teachers and parents) do not believe them.
- The travelers are initially perceived as a threat (Paul is considered to be ailing because of his clothing, Kathy is a spying confidante of the invading barbarians)
- Both make friends with an opposite-sex person from the parallel world, who believes in their innocence and assurances that they come from another world, and supports them in their return there (1: Riana (Paul) , 2: Mek (Kathy) or Jasmine (Josh) )
- Ashka appears in both series and tries to create chaos in order to be able to overthrow the respective country. She always secures the help of a henchman (1: Gryvon, 2: Sharak). Gryvon can also be seen in the sequel, but only as a guest role. Correon is also mentioned, whose voice can also be heard through a light eye.