SINGAPORE - Fans who miss the popular American teen drama Pretty Little Liars (2010 to 2017) can now catch an Indonesian remake of the show on streaming platform Viu.

The series is adapted from Sara Shepard's novel series of the same name.

It follows four female high school students in Bali, whose clique falls apart when their leader, Alissa (Yuki Kato), goes missing. A year later, Hanna (Anya Geraldine), Ema (Eyka Farhana), Sabrina (Valerie Thomas) and Aria (Shindy Huang) reunite when a mysterious figure known as "A" threatens to expose their darkest secrets.

Here are five things to know about the fresh take on the fan favourite.

1. It is in Bahasa Indonesia and features regional stars

The 10-episode remake is directed by Emil Heradi, who is known for his 2017 film, the thriller Night Bus.

The female leads are played by Indonesian actresses Yuki Kato, Anya Geraldine, Valerie Thomas and Shindy Huang, as well as Malaysian actress Eyka Farhana.

2. It stays true to the original series with some tweaks

While the team behind the remake would not reveal any spoilers, Ms Sahana Kamath, head of content and originals at Viu Indonesia, promises viewers that it is "relatively faithful" to the American series and retains the latter's iconic moments.

Nevertheless, the Indonesian series has put its own twist.

Actress Thomas, 21, explains: "As this is the Asian version, we have made changes to (take into account) the cultural differences. Viewers in the West can be introduced to Eastern values when they watch the remake."

Ms Kamath adds: "Any changes made have the audience's best interests in mind."

3. It takes a stand against bullying

Apart from being a show about friendship, the new Pretty Little Liars also aims to raise awareness of bullying.

Two of the cast members, Geraldine and Kato, were victims of bullying when they were younger.

Geraldine, 24, was made fun of for her size while Kato, 25, who is half-Japanese and half-Indonesian, was teased for her mixed look and name.

Thomas says: "We want to use this huge platform to share our message against bullying and inspire people to do better."

4. It took only 41 days to film

The cast and crew worked within a tight schedule. Shooting, which took place in Bali, had to be completed within 41 days.

Rookie actress Huang, 25, says: "It was crazy. For me, the biggest challenge was having to look fresh in front of the camera despite the long hours. It was exhausting but also really fun."

5. The cast members are fans of the original series

For Thomas, who grew up watching the show, it was an unbelievable experience. "I used to binge-watch the series when I was grounded at home, " she recalls.

Geraldine, too, fell in love with the American drama when she first watched it in college.

Kato and Huang also became fans after catching up on the show to prepare for their roles.

As the original series, which lasted seven seasons and won several teen awards, was widely popular, the actresses felt pressure to meet fans' expectations.

"We want to carry on the legacy of the original show," says Huang.

All 10 episodes of Pretty Little Liars are available at the Viu website and the Viu app, which can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play and on selected smart TVs.