(From left) In the mythical world of Rounin, Rafael Rosell is Creon, Angelica Panganiban is Aura, and Luis Manzano is Juris. The three of them are figure in a love triangle that will shake their world. They exist in a unique universe where there are two suns and three continents—Lumeria, Vesta, and Helion.

The Rounin are the elite warriors of the land of Lumeria. Leading the pack is Cadmus (Diether Ocampo, fourth from left), the master Rounin and leader of Lumeria. He is joined by Leal (Nikki Gil), Aura (Angelica Panganiban), Juris (Luis Manzano), Creon (Rafael Rosell), and Venom (Jhong Hilario).

(From left) Leal has the power to control lightning and is the master of katana, Aura controls air and is the master of aria (wushu), Juris has the ability to control fire, Creon has the power to manipulate the element of water, and Venom is in charge of the element of earth.

(From left, clockwise) The young Rounin-in-training include Raysian (Melissa Ricks), a conniving trainee; Mythos (Rayver Cruz), who has the natural abilities of a Rounin; Selene (Shaina Magdayao), master apprentice of the Rounin school; and Thalon (Joross Gamboa), who Juris's protégé.

The company Larger than Life was tasked to create the special effects of Rounin. The SFX team began creating the effects for this tele-epiko in July, 2006. They are still hard at work today.

According to Luis, whenever they felt drained by the hard work and training needed for Rounin, the staff would let them watch finished scenes of the tele-epiko. After being blown away by the high-tech scenes, the cast would be enthusiastic to work on the project again.

ABS-CBN, Reality Pictures, and Larger than Life has been preparing for Rounin for the past year and a half. This tele-epiko is the country's first-high definition series. It was shot with state-of-the-art HDP2 cameras, giving the production a movie quality that will be a visual treat for the viewers.

Luis Manzano talked to PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) about his kissing scenes with Angelica Panganiban. "I've never done that kind of passionate kissing before. In that moment of time, I was Juris. Hindi namin pwedeng ipakita sa iba dahil bawal umibig sa kapwa Rounin [Aura, played by Angelica, is also a Rounin]. We're always at a distance so siyempre susulitin mo ang bawat halik, bawat yakap."

Diether Ocampo (leftmost) plays Cadmus, who is the last of the legendary Rounin circle that fought and won the great war that brought peace and freedom to Lumeria. Creon (second from left) is the son of Xander (TJ Trinidad) and is Juris's best friend. Juris is the strongest warrior of Lumeria.

Creon (rightmost) is Juris's best friend but has always resented being second best to him—in combat and in the heart of Aura, whom he secretly loves.

The story of Rounin unfolds through the eyes of a young commoner from Lumeria named Mythos (Rayver Cruz) as he searches for his father. His mother Reema (Ina Raymundo) chooses to keep his true identity a secret.

Selene (Shaina Magdayao) is a childhood friend of Mythos (Rayver). Their paths cross again in the Rounin school, leading to a budding romance.

Selene (Shaina) has the makings of a good aria master similar to Aura (played by Angelica Panganiban).

Rafael Rosell and the other cast members of Rounin were given three months of training in various martial arts such as capoeira, muay thai, judo, kali (arnis at knife-fighting) and wushu.

The Kapamilya network took over an abandoned cement factory in Binangonan, Rizal, a 44-hectare complex in which the production spent two months building 44 sets to house the sceneries for Lumeria, Helion, Vesta, Argos and Icarra.

Inside Lumeria is the Rounin Mansion, the residence of the five ruling Rounin. Within the Rounin Mansion is the Council Hall of Lumeria, where the Rounin convene to discuss the governance of Lumeria. Unknown to the five Rounin, a sixth Rounin is set to make his way into Lumeria—and into the destiny he was born for.

The Rounin are bound by their five sacred laws: 1) A Rounin lives for Lumeria and its people; 2) A Rounin must find a way to grant the final wishes of a fellow Rounin; 3) A Rounin must respect and obey the rules governing a fight or battle; 4) A Rounin must never abandon a fellow Rounin in the middle of a battle; and 5) A Rounin must never fall in love with a fellow Rounin.

Draco (Monsour del Rosario, pictured) is the arch-enemy of Rounin master Cadmus. The ruler of Helion aims to conquer Lumeria and get access to its vast resources.

Being the daughter of Draco, Vega (Aubrey Miles) is the heiress to the throne of Helion.

According to Luis Manzano, it takes him about ten minutes to put on his costume as Juris. "Wala talagang pumapasok na hangin. Plus may trench coat pa akong suot," he describes. "It's stiff. For you to kick high, kailangan kayang-kaya mo kasi matigas dito (pointing to the chest area).

Angelica Panganiban explains why her character, Aura, falls in love with Juris (played by Luis Manzano): "Si Juris ay ang pinakamagaling na madirigma. Nasa kanya na ang mga katangian na magugustuhan sa isang lalaki."

Creon (Rafael Rosell) feels pressure from being the son of the great warrior Xander (played by TJ Trinindad).

Leal (Nikki Gil) is the master of katana, which is a type of Japanese backsword or longsword. Behind her cheerful façade is a dark past that involves her true love and her obligations as a Rounin.

This dancer-turned-actor will show off his flexibility and versatility as Venom in the tele-epiko Rounin. A master of shado, he possesses powers of sorcery and magic. His loyalty is not with the kingdom, but with Creon because he owes his Rounin mastery to him.

Mythos (Rayver Cruz) is the newest student in the Rounin school. His search for his father will lead him to become Lumeria's hero.

Selene (Shaina Magdayao) is a childhood friend of Mythos (Rayver). They study together in the Rounin school, where their feelings for each other intensify. The young Selene is played by Sharlene San Pedro (not pictured).