What is Korean anime called?

While Japan dominates the global animation industry, South Korea has been steadily building up its own anime-influenced industry now often referred to as "hanguk aeni" (한국 애니) or "guksan aeni" (국산 애니), translating simply to "Korean animation".

The origins of Korean anime can be traced back to the 1960s and 1970s when Korea started experimenting with animated works influenced largely by Disney and Japanese anime. Early pioneers included Nelson Shin, founder of AKOM Production Company, which collaborated with major Japanese studios. But the industry saw little growth initially.

The 1990s, however, saw the rise of major animation studios like Sunwoo Entertainment and Seoul Movie, which laid the foundation for Korea‘s modern animation industry. And in recent decades, factors like government support, the internet, and the hallyu wave have fueled rapid expansion.

The Webtoon Revolution

Many credit the explosive popularity of webtoons in the 2000s and 2010s for being the major catalyst for the industry‘s growth recently.

Naver Corporation‘s Webtoon platform, launched in 2004, provided a ubiquitous and accessible publishing format for aspiring comic creators. And as smartphone penetration increased, webtoons found a voracious audience – by 2022, there were over 15 million daily average users on the Naver Webtoon platform alone.

The most popular webtoons like Solo Leveling, Tower of God, The God of High School, and Noblesse have amassed millions of fans globally thanks to their anime-style visuals and action-packed stories. Many have gone on to get full-fledged anime adaptations.

The webtoon boom has also created ripple effects across gaming, merchandise, and other Korean pop culture industries as these popular virtual IP get monetized further. Thus, this new generation of anime-esque content creation and consumption continues propelling the industry rapidly forward.

Government Support Accelerating Growth

Recognizing the momentum of animation and webtoons, the Korean government has introduced supportive policies and programs to stimulate the industry, like:

• Over $200 million investment into webtoon and web novel content creation over 5 years
• $100 million creators fund for web cartoons and novels
• Subsidizing up to 40% of expenses for animation productions
• Tax incentives for animation-related investments

These initiatives have attracted more private capital, encouraged startups and content creation, and expanded job opportunities.

In fact, a 2021 Motie and KOCCA industry report found that the broader animation industry in Korea accounted for:

• $1.7 billion in sales
• Over 7000 animation-related companies
• 50,000+ jobs

With projected double-digit growth annually, analysts forecast the industry exceeding a value of $2.5 billion by 2026.

The government has also been active in promoting Korean animation abroad – from organizing booths at major comic cons across Asia, Europe, and North America to facilitating international outreach and networking opportunities.

The Rising Quality and Appeal

With bigger budgets and talent pools, Korean anime production quality and storytelling have improved markedly, even rivaling standards from more established names.

Visuals and Animation

Modern Korean anime displays rich detailing with vibrant, crisp illustrations and smoothly animated fight choreography – evident in mainstream hits like Tower of God (Telecom Animation Film) and Noblesse (Production I.G). Some studios like Studio Mir (behind The Legend of Korra) have attracted global attention for their standards.

Storytelling and Themes

Influenced by Korean manhwa and webtoons, many Korean anime incorporate action-heavy plots centered around combat and supernatural abilities. Viral webtoons often inspire or get directly adapted into anime versions further fostering this style.

And creators have demonstrated a knack for worldbuilding expansive, immersive settings with captivating lore – evident in Tower of God‘s mysterious inner tower or Kbia‘s vast fantastical land of magic and demons. Character-driven arcs and emotional drama also balance commonly found high-stakes action.

Global Fanbase Growth

Thanks to streaming platforms like Netflix, Crunchyroll, and YouTube increasingly acquiring Korean anime for international distribution, these anime have built substantial fanbases abroad – especially across Asia and the West.

For example, Tower of God accumulated over 4.5 million followers on Crunchyroll within just months of release. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, the popularity of Korean anime surged nearly fourfold according to data from streaming analytics outfit ReelGood.

Unsurprisingly then, brands have taken note. For instance, fast food chain Lotteria launched two limited edition "Solo Leveling" burger combos which sold out rapidly thanks to overwhelming demand from fans.

The appeal extends beyond just consuming content too. Thousands participate in fan communities online while anime merchandise resellers continue cropping up. And conventions like AniCon and Comic World Seoul provide platforms for enthusiasts to collectively celebrate the craft.

The Future: Expanding Beyond Korea

With the domestic industry thriving from various supportive conditions, insiders believe focus is shifting towards creating original IP and expanding abroad.

Leading entertainment company CJ ENM has been actively recruiting talent from Japan to lead its CJ Ani division focused on producing premium animation for global audiences.

Similarly, directors behind hits like Tower of God envision building expansive fictional universes across games, film, and beyond – taking cues from promotionally savvy brands like Marvel.

Supporting these ambitions, leading executives expect continued investments in grooming creative talent and emerging technologies like virtual production techniques used prominently by Disney and others:

"The next five years will determine whether Korean animation can become a sustainable industry…the biggest lacking element is talented creators. We will put all our efforts behind discovering, teaching and supporting creators."

• Park Ki-yeol, Director of Animation at CJ ENM

"While K-pop and TV dramas leads our cultural exports, K-animation is certainly rising…The next decade may be our golden time, assuming the industry can come together to properly create and boost original IP."

• Lee Jae-myung, Professor Seoul Tech.

Indeed, with the domestic market maturing and new infrastructure enabling efficient production, the long-term horizons look promising for Korean anime firmly establishing itself globally.