Pororo & friends ride the hallyu

MANILA, Philippines - There’s a new hallyu (Korean wave) in town, and they’re banking on the Pinoy’s love of cute to make it big.

Meet Pucca, the sprightly little girl in red and black cheongsam and double bun hairdo; she may be the daughter of Chinese noodle shop owners, but she is a certified, original Korean animation character.

“It’s probably because of her looks, she looks Chinese and in the Korean series, Pucca is a 10-year-old daughter of Chinese noodle restaurant owners. But Pucca is a true and original Korean character animation,” says M.J. Keum, curator at the Korean Cultural Center, where an exhibit, “The Delight of Korean Animation Character World,” is ongoing until May 10.

Keum notes K-pop and K-dramas are already popular in the Philippines and they’re very happy about it, but the Korean government also wants to show another aspect of its culture – K-animation.

“We want to show that Korea has different cultures, not just K-pop or K-drama. Unlike K-pop which relies on the popularity of its ‘idol’ stars or K-dramas which require a degree of cultural understanding, K-animation can be directly appreciated by the world, thanks to its fun and universal stories as well as cute and lovable characters,” explains Keum, herself a big fan of the animation characters.

“Our animation characters are already known and popular in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Europe and North and South America. They are aware of Pucca, Pororo the little Penguin, Backkom, Robocar Poli, Hello Jadoo, Canimal and Cloud Bread, among others. These series are being aired on their TV networks and are getting high viewer ratings. We want Filipinos to be acquainted with our K-animation characters as well because we know that they will love them.”

South Korea is the fourth largest producer of animation globally and one of the biggest suppliers of television animation in the world, according to the book “K-Animation, Befriending the Children All Over the World” written by Kim Hyung-suk.

K-animation actually started in South Korea in 1967 but only gained steam in the mid-1990s. Currently, it is exported to more than 120 countries.

The most successful Korean animation character to date is Pororo, the penguin who lives in the Antarctic. The series chronicles the everyday life and adventures of Pororo and his friends.

“In France, it generated a viewer rating of 56 percent. It was distributed in more than 100 countries,” Keum says.

Pororo is credited as the driving force behind the K-animation boom in the world.

The most popular series in Korea today is “Larva,”  about the exploits of two larvae named Yellow and Red in New York, where the two friends constantly quarrel and make up.

“Larva” highlights the unique Korean concept of Jeong, a sense of love and closeness for another person.

Of course, there’s Pucca, created by Vooz in 2000 and whose name was drawn from the sounds a baby makes. In the series, Pucca falls hopelessly in love with 12-year-old Garu who constantly rejects her. 

According to the K-animation book, Pucca earns majority of its income outside Korea and in 2008, a TV series was made in conjunction with Disney.

“Robocar Poli,” on the other hand, features amazing cars with the ability to transform, a la Transformers. It is the second most popular K-animation series (after Pororo) and the first foreign animation shown on Chinese state-run television.

Also making waves abroad is Backkom (a.k.a Bernard in overseas markets), the adventures of a bear who lives in the city after coming down from the North Pole. It was so popular in China that it earned the affectionate name Dao Mei Xiong (unlucky bear).

There’s also “Hello Jadoo,” a girl-next-door heroine who doesn’t fit the traditional princess image, and “Canimal,” about three cats and puppies from a virtual world that entered the human world through a vending machine.

“Cloud Bread,” on the other hand, is the story of two kittens, Hongbi and Hongshi, who found a cloud stuck in a tree. They took it to their mother, who mixed it in bread dough. When eaten, the magical bread made the kittens fly.

“Cloud Bread” has sold more than 400,000 copies worldwide and was even made into a musical.

“All these characters have made their way into the hearts of children worldwide because of the universal themes. The stories are simple, fun and instructive,” Keum adds.

In the Philippines, however, K-animation series has not made it to television. Korean companies have reportedly offered their animation series here but got negative feedback.

“We know that Filipinos watch imported animation series from Japan, US and Disney but not from Korea. Probably they’re not ready yet,” Keum says.

Through the exhibit, she hopes to expand their market and reach out to more children.

“Teenagers are our main target and we know that we have the appreciation of those in their 20s and 30s but we do hope to see more little ones,” Keum says.

The exhibit will feature photos as well as merchandise of the various K-animation characters.

The Korean Cultural Center is located at 32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City. Call 555-1711 for exhibit details.