EXCITING DRAMA: Web drama Thiếu Niên Kungfu (Young Kungfu Masters) focuses on a group of urban teenagers who learn and use Vietnamese martial arts to protect and help people. — Photo courtesy of the producer.

HCM CITY — The first episode of a web drama series about Vietnamese martial arts directed by Võ Thanh Hòa of HCM City will be released on YouTube this week.

The show Thiếu Niên Kungfu (Young Kungfu Masters) focuses on a group of urban teenagers who learn and use Vietnamese martial arts to protect and help people.

The series features the values of traditional martial arts with a full range of aspects relating to võ y (medicine), võ đức (morality), võ nhạc (music) and võ phục (tunic).

Traditional cultural and family values are also highlighted.

Young actors such as Lợi Trần, Lê Nam and Bảo Anh Tóc Xoăn are featured.

FAST HANDS: Young actors perform in Thiếu Niên Kungfu (Young Kungfu Masters), a web drama series about Vietnamese martial arts, directed by Võ Thanh Hòa of HCM City. — Photo courtesy of the producer.

"Thiếu Niên Kungfu is useful for young audiences, particularly children, and offers much laughter," said director Hòa, who is also a movie actor. “My film highlights bravery, confidence and intelligent.”

“My staff have worked hard to make each episode a lively story, with images, sounds and music that provide young audiences a look into Vietnamese culture and lifestyle in the southern region. I believe releasing web dramas on YouTube is a good way to save money on production and provide audiences with art, as the COVID-19 pandemic has still not ended,” said Hòa, who has 20 years in the industry.

Hòa and the film’s producer, Tony TV, have worked hard on shooting the show.

The filming crew of 90 members has shot at many tourist destinations and historical sites, including Nam Cát Tiên National Park located in the provinces of Lâm Đồng, Bình Phước and Đồng Nai, to perfect the film’s scenes.

Director Hòa began his career as a TV actor. He performed in many TV series and films by talented directors.

He won the Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film Cánh Đồng Bất Tận (The Endless Field) presented by the Việt Nam Cinematography Association in 2010.

His latest film as a director is Chị Mười Ba – 3 Ngày Sinh Tử (The Gang of MS 13 – Three Days to Death), a production by Galaxy Cinema, released in 2020 and earned more than VNĐ100 billion (US$4.2 million) in ticket sales.

Hòa’s new film, Thiếu Niên Kungfu, is scheduled to be released on the channel Tony TV on September 25. The channel has 8.3 million subscribers. — VNS