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Korean cartoon dreams about success of Angry Birds scale
By Chung Ah-young
On the one side there is Pororo the penguin, a cartoon character, as popular as air among children in their preschool years. On the other side there is Larva, which could be loosely described as an edgier version of Tom and Jerry with the cat and mouse replaced by a pair of slugs.
After first appearing in 2011 on national network KBS and cable, the short, slapstick episodes of Larva have become firmly established as one of the most popular cartoons on television. They are a refreshing addition to the Korean animation scene, which has been overflowing with children's cartoons but lacking smart and witty work that adults could find funny too.
Although the immensely popular Pororo triggered the explosive growth of the Korean cartoon industry, the creators of Larva believe the next phase of growth will be driven by works like their own.
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Various characters appearing in "Larva," a popular animation created by Tuba Entertainment |
"We were thinking about adult viewers from the start and looking back that really helped us develop a product that is truly enjoyed across all age groups. Our episodes are fast paced, raw and mischievous, allowing us to differentiate from other cartoons mostly tailored for children," said Kim Kwang-yong, CEO of Tuba Entertainment, the company behind Larva, in a recent interview with The Korea Times.
"We are not trying to compete with any other cartoon. I want Larva to compete with the mobile phone game Angry Birds which became an international sensation in a cultural sense," Kim said.
The popularity of Larva allowed the company to earn 1.2 billion won in related royalty income alone in three months from its merchandise sales, which were launched last July, with the humorous pair of slugs appearing as toys and on stationery products.
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From left, director Maeng Joo-gong, storyboard artists Ahn Byoung-wook and Kang Min-seong are creative staff who produce Larva at the animation studio of Tuba Entertainment in Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul. |
Tuba and other Larva-related licensing firms are ambitiously gunning for 160 billion won in revenue this year. It is impressive growth for a work which was created just two years ago.
"Our potential seems to be bigger than other animations targeting just preschoolers. Our characters are not only used as toys for preschoolers but also for stationery items for junior level children," Kim said.
In its episodes that each are only a couple of minutes long, two slugs, simply called Red and Yellow, engage in a series of comedic fights, with other creatures such as flies, mosquitoes, dung beetles and snails making cameo appearances.
Much of the stories revolve around anything that is thrown from the human world into the sewer, with the slugs and bugs competing over ice cream, jewelry, slippers and earphones.
Like the earlier versions of Tom and Jerry, there is no dialogue between the cunning Red and the big and clumsy Yellow.
Larva is beginning to find a foreign audience. French children's channel Canal Plus was impressed enough by the work to purchase local rights in the presale process. It is already shown in 20 countries and will see merchandising contracts with 10 countries this year including Taiwan, Germany, Turkey and Chile.
"We need an animation that can be enjoyed by all ages from kids to adults, which is hardly found on the Korean animation scene," Maeng Joo-gong, director of Larva, said.
"At the same time, the animation was created without dialogue to target the overseas market as gestures and facial expressions are a universal language to make viewers laugh. We are pursuing fun among others because there are too many animations carrying educational content. But I wonder if they can provoke the imagination of children," he said.
Maeng and two storyboard artists, Ahn Byoung-wook and Kang Min-seong, are leading the production team. Every episode can be aired only when all creative staff give the nod. "If their reactions are not good enough, we put it on hold," he said.
Concerning the animation scene here, Maeng said that although the industry has recently grown in quality and quantity, it is still lacking in diversity.
"It has a long way to go. A handful of animations are dominating the industry and also they are mostly preschool cartoons in similar formats. Also public perception toward animation remains very low as many people think the genre is for just children. The market is not that mature yet," Maeng said.
"Larva" is now airing season 2 which moves the background from the sewer to a kitchen with a longer running time.
