[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] The momentum of Korean animation is nothing short of remarkable. Following “Hatchuping,” which set the box office ablaze, a string of new releases are drawing audiences, including the sci-fi animation “Nanolist,” “Mungchi on the Road” from the creators of “The Hen That Left the Yard,” and “Ghost Band,” which features K-pop. Even amid the dominance of Disney, Pixar, and Japanese animation, Korean animation is making its presence felt by showcasing its own distinct genres and styles.

◇From “Hatchuping” to “Nanolist” and “Ghost Band”… Simultaneously Targeting Theaters and OTT Platforms
According to the content industry on the 19th, “Love Hachuping: The Legend of the Whale Gem,” which opened on the 5th, had attracted a cumulative audience of 700,000 as of the previous day. It is continuing the box office success of its predecessor, “Love Hachuping,” which drew 1.24 million viewers in 2024.
“Love Hachuping: The Legend of the Whale Gem” is the second installment in a three-part theatrical film series based on SAMG Entertainment’s flagship intellectual property (IP), “Catch! Tinipping.” By introducing a new world—the Ocean Kingdom—and an adventure narrative, the film targets not only children but also family audiences. “Tinyping,” which spans from TV animation to toys, character merchandise, and theatrical films, is a prime example of the scalability of domestic character IP.
On the online video streaming (OTT) front, TVING’s “Nanolist,” released on the 17th, has joined the lineup. Based on the Naver Webtoon of the same name by author Min Song-ah, which began serialization in 2016, it is a sci-fi action series set in 2050 that explores the relationship between humans and androids.
It differs from existing domestic commercial animations in that it targets teenagers and adults rather than children and families, and addresses topics such as artificial intelligence (AI) and technological ethics. It is also notable that, unlike previous adaptations of popular webtoons—which have primarily been turned into TV dramas or feature films—this series expands the original work’s visual universe through animation.
“Mungchi on the Road” hit theaters that day. Directed by Oh Seong-yun and Lee Chun-baek—who previously collaborated on “The Hen That Left the Yard” (2.2 million viewers), the highest-grossing Korean animated film of all time—this marks their first joint project in 15 years. Do Kyung-soo, Park So-dam, and Park Cheol-min provided the voice acting.
Through the journey of Mungchi, an abandoned pet dog, as he seeks freedom alongside street dogs, the film addresses real-world issues such as abandoned dogs and puppy mills. In this way, the film goes beyond being merely an animal adventure story for children to incorporate a narrative that adult audiences can also relate to. The production employed the “voice-first, animation-later” method, in which the actors’ voices were recorded first, followed by the creation of facial expressions and movements, and a production team of 178 people completed 145,440 frames.
On the 26th, another uniquely styled Korean animation, *Ghost Band*, will have its exclusive premiere at Lotte Cinema. It is a fantasy K-pop animation in which Mita, a singer-songwriter who can see spirits, forms a band with a quartet of ghosts connected to a guitar, keyboard, drums, and bass, and takes on the challenge of performing at her dream concert. By combining the seemingly disparate elements of “K-pop,” “band,” and “ghosts,” the film positions music itself as the core strength of the work.
Considerable effort was also put into the music. Yoon Sang served as music director, and singer Kyungseo performed the songs for the protagonist, Mita. The film features a refreshing band-style reinterpretation of Yoon Sang’s signature song “Running,” as well as new tracks like “Dear Star” and “I’ll Try to Be Brave.” The strategy is to connect with audiences through the music, going beyond the characters and narrative.

◇From Family Films to Sci-Fi and K-Pop… K-Animation Gains Distinctive Character
A defining feature of recent works is the noticeable diversification of options in domestic animation. “Hatchuping” bridges the character fandom with family audiences, while “Nanolist” targets teen and adult viewers with its sci-fi and action elements. “Mungchi on the Road” weaves social messages into an original narrative, and “Ghost Band” puts K-pop and music front and center.
In particular, the emergence of “Ghost Band” is noteworthy as an attempt by K-animation to incorporate the strengths of Korean popular culture into its works. As the potential for combining K-pop and animation gains attention in the global market, domestically produced animations are also seeking to attract audiences with content that blends music and characters.
Given that the influence of Hollywood—including Disney and Pixar—and Japanese animation remains strong, it is still too early to speak of a “revival” of K-animation based on the release of just a few titles. However, a notable shift from the past is the expansion of genres and target audiences—moving beyond family and children’s content toward science fiction, original dramas, and music-based animation.
The key question is whether this greater diversity of works will actually lead to a broader audience. An industry insider predicted, “If works with distinct styles can build on the box-office success demonstrated by *Hatchuping*, K-animation will be able to carve out its own niche market between Disney·Pixar and Japanese animation.”