The Protector Netflix

Review of the Turkish Fantasy Series: The Protector – Hakan: Muhafiz

Review of the Turkish Fantasy Series: The Protector

The Protector (Turkish: Hakan: Muhafiz) is a Turkish-made series that was released on the Netflix platform between 14 December 2018 – 9 July 2020. A total of 32 episodes were aired in 4 seasons. Many famous Turkish actors such as Çağatay Ulusoy, Hazar Ergüçlü, Ayça Ayşin Turan, Okan Yalabık and Burçin Terzioğlu took part in the leading roles. The series is adapted from Nilüfer İpek Gökdel’s novel “The Charcoal and the Strange Story of a Boy”.

the protector review netflix
Cover Photo of the Protector (Hakan: Muhafiz)

What is the Subject of the Protector?

The fantasy series tells the story of a Turkish hero, who has special powers similar to American heroes, and his struggle against evil forces who want to dominate the world. After the murder of his adoptive father, Neşet, Hakan Demir, a shopkeeper in Istanbul, discovers that he is connected to an old secret order whose duty is to protect the city. As the “Protector”, Hakan must embrace the legacy of his family, become a hero whose aim is to kill the “Immortals” who want to plunge the world into chaos and protect the city from destruction. He gets help from Kemal and his daughter Zeynep, members of the “Loyal Ones” secret order.

the protector actors
Hakan will have many companions throughout the series.

Immortals, Loyal Ones & The Protector

We can define the Immortals as a small group of people whose goal for thousands of years is to dominate the whole world, especially Istanbul. In the course of thousands of years, we will see that some immortals have gained quite high power economically and politically, and they will try to reach their goals by mixing with people.

The Protector, on the other hand, can be described as a “superhero” with special powers and items that hunt the undead. Protectors have hunted the undead for thousands of years. However, a protector had not appeared for hundreds of years. Here comes the lead role of the series, “Hakan”, and he struggles to disrupt the plans of the immortals.

The “Loyal Ones“, on the other hand, are the secret servants of the protectors. In the series, Hakan continued his life for years without knowing that he was a protector. Once he learns that he is a Protector, the “Loyal Ones” will guide him, train him, and become the biggest supporters in his struggle.

The Protector Zeynep
Zeynep Erman is one of the members of the Loyal Ones

Locations of the Protector

The places where the series takes place are so different from the superhero movies we are used to. The series takes place in the city of Istanbul, one of the largest metropolises in Europe. Istanbul is one of the oldest settlements in the world and has been ruled by both western and eastern civilizations throughout history. Therefore, it has quite different, unique, and historical places. The series mainly takes place in the historical and modern places of Istanbul. In this respect, the places where the series takes place can be said to be quite interesting.

Istanbul the protector
You can see many fascinating historical places in Istanbul in the series. Like Hagia Sophia…

What Period Does the Protector Take?

Although the series mainly takes place today, time travel is also the subject of the series. We also witness the adventures of the ancestors of the protector during the Ottoman Empire. For this reason, the series takes place both today and hundreds of years ago and combines historical characters and fantastic elements. You will see that Hakan has almost time traveled through his past ancestors and destroyed his targets. This may remind you of the award-winning video game series Assassin’s Creed.

The Protector
Are you ready for hundreds of years of time travel in Istanbul?

Acting Quality

For the whole series, we can say that all the acting is good. Here, I think, there is a situation of “Americanization” caused by Netflix. Some of the dialogues are so simple that you can almost guess what he will say in his next sentences. Since we are too busy with the US-based series, you can more or less guess how the conversations will go. Unfortunately, the series gets a minus point here.

Muhafiz Hakan
While Hakan is being trained by the Loyal Ones…

 

On the other hand, there are more intimate conversations and characters than us. It is especially good for the performance of Mehmet Kurtuluş, who plays the character of Mazhar Dragusha. We should also applaud Mehmet Yılmaz Ak, who plays Tekin. He played the bad cop role well. On the other hand, the lead actor, Çağatay Ulusoy, has done a very successful job.

Visual Quality

Since the series is a fantastic series, a lot of CGI is used. The visual effects aren’t too bad, but they’re not too good either. Better visual effects could have been done. However, I don’t think it will spoil your mood if you immerse yourself in the series.

Although the visual effects are not very good, it looks good in some scenes.
Although the visual effects are not very good, it looks good in some scenes.

Conclusion

The Protector or Hakan: Muhafiz series is an interesting production in general. It can draw you in with its different cultures, places, and fantastic story. Although it has many shortcomings, the story can keep you inside. An unorthodox superhero drama outside the borders of America may sound a little different to you. For this reason, we recommend that you take a look without too much expectation. Also, let me tell you in advance that you will be greeted with a surprise at the end of the series. Have a nice viewing 🙂 You can also check out the most popular Turkish TV series here: Best Turkish TV Series

Well, if you watched it, did you like the Turkish fantasy series The Protector (Hakan Muhafiz), produced by Netflix?

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