North Korean Animation -

[Red_Rager]

I feel in the furry thread we are going off topic and since North Korean animation seems to be a topic of interest why not create a thread on it. The North Koreans make some surprisingly decent animation, which is not really surprising since Dear Leader sees the value in pop culture in educating the population (propaganda).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_in_North_Korea

I wish more of these shows had english subs, but even if you don't know how to read korean you can still get a rough idea what is going on.

We can't have a thread about NK media without something antiAmerican

This is one way to motivate boys to learn math. Git good at math boys if you want to be able to defeat the evil americans

This guy has a lot of episodes of Squirrel and Hedgehog uploaded and some come with english subtitles
https://www.youtube.com/user/dprksquirrels

TL/DR North Korean animation. Discuss here.

 

[XYZpdq]

There was an ep of Squirrel and Hedgehog where they wrassle.

 

[VLAD]

Oh man, this stuff is great. My favorite part about North Korean animation is that pretty much all of it is farmed out to South Korean studios.

Yep, you read that right.

 

[K>C]

Oh man, this stuff is great. My favorite part about North Korean animation is that pretty much all of it is farmed out to South Korean studios.

Yep, you read that right.

How?

 

[Tranhuviya]

The first video I believe is an excerpt from a series called "Young Warriors of Koguryo" - Koguryo being an ancient Korean kingdom which I think might be the center of some debate between glorious Pyongyang and China over post-Maoist Chinese scholars over history or something?

It's all very foreign to an American audience, which I suppose is part of the appeal.

 

[VLAD]

How?

Same way a lot of other studios do so, I'd imagine. They send the storyboards, audio, character designs, etc. over to the animation farms in Seoul or wherever, then wait a few months for the actual animation to get sent back over.

Propaganda plays a vital role in sustaining the North Korean state, so I'm sure this is viewed as a necessary evil rather than a corruption of Juche ideals (by those who know what's going on).

 

[Null]

How?

The NK government tells them what to make and they make it. You're a business whose job it is to make animation and North Korea offers you $250,000 to draw Americans getting blown up. Do you become the conscientious objector or take the money?

Kim Jong-Il was the world's #1 consumer of Hennessy. Hennessy gets a buy order for 50 barrels, they ship it. Very carefully.

 

[Red_Rager]

An article from Cracked back when it didn't suck. I actually was introduced to North Korean animation from this.
http://www.cracked.com/article_19329_the-5-craziest-childrens-cartoons-from-north-korea.html

Bloomberg did a story on North Korean Animation studios

When it comes to North Korean entertainment, the rabbit hole gets even wackier.
Ladies and gents, I present North Korean Godzilla

Kim Jung Il kidnapped someone to make it.

Pulgasari is a North Korean feature film produced in 1985, a giant-monster film similar to the Japanese Godzilla series. It was produced by South Korean director Shin Sang-ok, who had been kidnapped in 1978 by North Korean intelligence on the orders of Kim Jong-il, son of the then-ruling Kim Il-sung. (wikipedia)

 

[Jewelsmakerguy]

The NK government tells them what to make and they make it. You're a business whose job it is to make animation and North Korea offers you $250,000 to draw Americans getting blown up. Do you become the conscientious objector or take the money?

Kim Jong-Il was the world's #1 consumer of Hennessy. Hennessy gets a buy order for 50 barrels, they ship it. Very carefully.

Fun Fact, there's some productions out there that do this in reverse- Apparently, one of the South Korean contractors of The Simpsons Movie sent some of the animation to North Korea.

Also, it's not just exlusive to Propaganda or American shit. This was also made in North Korea, for Italy.

When it comes to North Korean entertainment, the rabbit hole gets even wackier.
Ladies and gents, I present North Korean Godzilla

Kim Jung Il kidnapped someone to make it.

Heard about that, also heard they convinced the guys behind the Godzilla movies at the time to do the effects (even the actor who played Godzilla at this point played the title creature).

 

[Trilby]

Same way a lot of other studios do so, I'd imagine. They send the storyboards, audio, character designs, etc. over to the animation farms in Seoul or wherever, then wait a few months for the actual animation to get sent back over.

Actually Pyongyang does have a studio of it's own, called the "April 26th Animation Studio" or whatever (for international purposes, they call it Science/Educational Korea, or "SEK"). In recent years this studio has taken on international work, mainly from French and Italian sleazeball producers. The earliest of these was a film by Rene Laloux called "Gandahar" (a.k.a. "Light Years"). One of those sent a guy over to work as a liaison on "Corto Maltese". He wrote of his exploits here...
http://www.guydelisle.com/english/py/pyongyang_en.html

Propaganda plays a vital role in sustaining the North Korean state, so I'm sure this is viewed as a necessary evil rather than a corruption of Juche ideals (by those who know what's going on).

Unlike the Soviet Bloc, there's been hardly room for more artistic, personal films like what use to get seen out of Poland or Hungary. I tend to lean towards those countries myself than I could North Korea simply for the propagandist approach.

An article from Cracked back when it didn't suck. I actually was introduced to North Korean animation from this.
http://www.cracked.com/article_19329_the-5-craziest-childrens-cartoons-from-north-korea.html

Bloomberg did a story on North Korean Animation studios

Here's one done by the North Korean state media some years back (though in Korean).

Here's one that's subbed!

It looks like they're copying the bad habits we're seeing lately with "digital tweening" being employed. I wish they didn't have to go there.

Fun Fact, there's some productions out there that do this in reverse- Apparently, one of the South Korean contractors of The Simpsons Movie sent some of the animation to North Korea.

Blame Nelson Shin for that. He also managed to get the north to agree to this pet project...

Also, it's not just exlusive to Propaganda or American shit. This was also made in North Korea, for Italy.

We certainly won't forget that. They even made a SEQUEL!

In return, Italy did this to "Squirrel and Hedgehog", be prepared for the worst!

This is how you sanitize a cartoon from the enemy state!
http://koreansquirrelarmy.tumblr.com/post/117234381988/original-vs-mondo-tv-dub-part-1-made-a-couple
http://koreansquirrelarmy.tumblr.com/post/117313929313/original-vs-mondo-tv-dub-part-2-made-a-couple
http://koreansquirrelarmy.tumblr.com/post/117395811538/original-vs-mondo-tv-dub-part-3-made-a-couple

Heard about that, also heard they convinced the guys behind the Godzilla movies at the time to do the effects (even the actor who played Godzilla at this point played the title creature).

Let alone kidnapped a South Korean director and his wife to do it I think.

 

[Jewelsmakerguy]

Blame Nelson Shin for that. He also managed to get the north to agree to this pet project...

Actually, I heard that the DVD commentary says that it was the guys at Rough Draft, not Shin, who outsourced to "best" Korea.

 

[Trilby]

Actually, I heard that the DVD commentary says that it was the guys at Rough Draft, not Shin, who outsourced to "best" Korea.

Oh, I guess that's new to me since I haven't heard those commentaries past the 3rd or 4th season.

Seeing that one news clip telling of SEK remaking "Young General" sounds a tad too much like what happened in China a few years back with Shanghai Animation Film Studio remaking it's famous "Monkey King" feature in 3-D ("Havoc in Heaven").

Still can't get that Titanic movie out of my head now, thanks guys!

 

[XYZpdq]

Actually Pyongyang does have a studio of it's own, called the "April 26th Animation Studio" or whatever (for international purposes, they call it Science/Educational Korea, or "SEK"). In recent years this studio has taken on international work, mainly from French and Italian sleazeball producers. The earliest of these was a film by Rene Laloux called "Gandahar" (a.k.a. "Light Years"). One of those sent a guy over to work as a liaison on "Corto Maltese". He wrote of his exploits here...
http://www.guydelisle.com/english/py/pyongyang_en.html


Unlike the Soviet Bloc, there's been hardly room for more artistic, personal films like what use to get seen out of Poland or Hungary. I tend to lean towards those countries myself than I could North Korea simply for the propagandist approach.


Here's one done by the North Korean state media some years back (though in Korean).

Here's one that's subbed!

It looks like they're copying the bad habits we're seeing lately with "digital tweening" being employed. I wish they didn't have to go there.


Blame Nelson Shin for that. He also managed to get the north to agree to this pet project...

We certainly won't forget that. They even made a SEQUEL!

In return, Italy did this to "Squirrel and Hedgehog", be prepared for the worst!

This is how you sanitize a cartoon from the enemy state!
http://koreansquirrelarmy.tumblr.com/post/117234381988/original-vs-mondo-tv-dub-part-1-made-a-couple
http://koreansquirrelarmy.tumblr.com/post/117313929313/original-vs-mondo-tv-dub-part-2-made-a-couple
http://koreansquirrelarmy.tumblr.com/post/117395811538/original-vs-mondo-tv-dub-part-3-made-a-couple


Let alone kidnapped a South Korean director and his wife to do it I think.

I don't have it handy but there's an English language pitch site trying to sell Squirrel and Hedgehog to theoretical USA distros.

 

[Trilby]

I don't have it handy but there's an English language pitch site trying to sell Squirrel and Hedgehog to theoretical USA distros.

Wouldn't surprise me.

I don't suppose this is it, but an Italian company has acquired worldwide rights to sell this otherwise.
http://www.mondotv.it/scheda-singola-brave-soldier.html

 

[XYZpdq]

Wouldn't surprise me.

I don't suppose this is it, but an Italian company has acquired worldwide rights to sell this otherwise.
http://www.mondotv.it/scheda-singola-brave-soldier.html

Yeah that's probably what I'm thinking of.

 

[Trilby]

Yeah that's probably what I'm thinking of.

I've been following this for some years now.

 

[Red_Rager]

The summary of the Italian version

The squirrels, hedgehogs, ducks, crows, mice, eagles, weasels and all other animals of an imaginary world realise that in order to live and prosper, it would be unwise to live as humans do. They therefore keep strict controls on any form of aggression, but by doing do so, end up mimicking the gravest of human errors – the one humans have done for centuries and tragically continue to repeat - WAR!!!

For disclosure sake, I've watched seen only the available episodes on youtube and I am going by the few episodes that were translated into english for the plot. The plot of the series is all about being a brave soldier and defending Flower Hill. It is a necessity to prepare for war and you cannot rely on others to defend your home (Hi, Russi--I mean Mr. Bear). The animals of Flower Hill are portrayed to be living in a utopia, but there are others who seek to destroy what they care for. The little brother of the main character was reluctant to join the military with the Weasels defeated, but with the big bad wolves he decides to join to help defend the homeland as well. Typical North Korean tropes.

Turning this into an anti-war show . That's a good one

 

[Trilby]

The summary of the Italian version


For disclosure sake, I've watched seen only the available episodes on youtube and I am going by the few episodes that were translated into english for the plot. The plot of the series is all about being a brave soldier and defending Flower Hill. It is a necessity to prepare for war and you cannot rely on others to defend your home (Hi, Russi--I mean Mr. Bear). The animals of Flower Hill are portrayed to be living in a utopia, but there are others who seek to destroy what they care for. The little brother of the main character was reluctant to join the military with the Weasels defeated, but with the big bad wolves he decides to join to help defend the homeland as well. Typical North Korean tropes.

Turning this into an anti-war show . That's a good one

It worked for Battle of the Planets!

Be grateful they appear to not have those episodes after #25 with Col. Cutter and Lt. Vixen, who have already become fan favorites in recent years. Imagine the kind of stupid lines they'd give them, of course their story has yet to be complete as of episode 32 (if or when a new episode comes out is anyone's guess, let alone if someone had the chance to cap it off Korean Central Television's satellite feed.

 

[TheRedRanger]

A bit off-topic here, but S&H gave me an idea for a game; Valkyria Chronicles as written by North Koreans.
Basically, make what North Korea would make if they made a game, then put a layer of 'get a load of these guys' over it, letting the ridiculousness of a North Korean game speak for itself.
The characters, of course, will be passionately patriotic and in complete denial about the state of the country they're defending.
"We're such a prosperous nation, we can even afford to give body armour to some of our elite troops."

 

[TheRedRanger]

I found this channel with a new English 'translation' of Squirrel and Hedgehog. According to the description, it's more an interpretation than a direct translation though. Still, worth a watch.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6nfdp5gRa7qcHJPh4ZnMZg

Edit: And interestingly, it turns out that Lt. Vixen isn't actually called that, it's just a name /co/ gave her. Apparently, she's never addressed by name in the show.