21 Studio Ghibli Films Coming To Netflix For The World To See

Is Anime Big in Korea?

People who have been to Japan and even those who dream of visiting the country one day, knew about its eccentric culture and way of living. The Land Of The Rising Sun exhibits many things one can't find anywhere else in the world. As such, many tourists storm the region, especially at peak seasons.

Apart from the inviting atmosphere, beautiful cities, and rich history, Anime and manga, as part of Japanese pop culture, dramatically contributes to the country's popularity. Thousands of animation became famous worldwide. A database launched in 2015 with catalog information on all media art included Japanese Anime, manga, video games, etc. The anime catalog contained over 9000 entries.

With plenty of anime out there, the fandom kept growing through generations. Looking at the current Google search trends, the queries for anime in different regions across the world are continuously breaking out.

In social media, it's plain to see that the interest of anime has dominated the United States, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Peru, Brazil, and many more. Surprisingly, many people in these areas embraced the Otaku tag and are ready to defend their beloved series or anime from haters.

But a few might want to check as to how other countries we did not mention above, deal with the anime craze, especially Korea, another region producing pop sensations. How do they see anime and how the industry popularized by Japan, fare in the Land of the Morning Calm.

It may sound like we're starting another death battle between K-drama or Kpop fans versus the anime fandom. But rest assured, this is for educational purposes only.

So let's start answering the bigger question that inspired this article: Is Anime Big In Korea?

Relationship Between Japan and South Korea

The two countries share a lot more in common than they think. Despite all the posturing, racism, and grudges that date back to over a hundred years ago, constant travel and continuous business are still pulling through between the two countries.

Ongoing trade wars remain an issue with the two countries, probably due to post-war grievances. However, these issues don't necessarily mean people from both countries no longer appreciate each other's art and culture. People from both countries fall in love with each other's culture, one of which is Japan's anime.

Has The Anime Culture Taken Root in South Korea?

Technically, Yes.

There is an existing anime culture in South Korea, and anime fandom in the region is continuously on the rise. A large chunk of Korean audience are young males.

One Piece, for example, has amassed a significant percentage of the audience from the Korean anime fandom. Although it is not hugely popular as it is in Japan, Koreans in their twenties would have watched an episode or at least heard of it.

Other well-known animes in Korea include Naruto, Dragonball, and Bleach, which are very popular among teenagers and young adults. However, even popular animes can get banned in Korea like Hetalia and Attack on Titan.

Koreans Are Very Conservative When It Comes To Anime

Koreans are generally conformists when it comes to Anime, so explicit animes are not accepted. South Korea's Supreme Court ruled that sexually suggestive illustrations of teens in animes or manga are at par with child abuse.

A court fined a man with a substantial amount of money due to charges of distributing images of mistreated young anime girls wearing school uniforms. The defendant has been previously found guilty for profiting from pornography for nearly three years. Due to these kinds of incidents, the Korean government passed legislation in 2014 that prohibited the possession of sexually suggestive images of child abuse.

Hetalia

South Korea doesn't exercise restraint when banning Anime they find offensive. Hetalia: Axis Powers is one example of an anime forbidden due to its portrayal of Korea. The anime personifies different countries during the 2nd world war and portrays them as cute guys. It follows a storyline that occurs during historical events, including the events of World War II.

Although the Anime generally portrays all of the countries during the 2nd-world war, Korea took offense, considering the events during the war mostly gave terrible memories to the Korean People. The Korean government deemed it extraordinarily offensive and started a petition to have the series banned, which garnered over 16000 signatures.

Attack On Titan (Shingeki No Kyojin)

Another famous anime banned in Korea is the overwhelmingly popular Attack on Titan series. The anime features a world where humans live in territories surrounded by enormous walls that serve as protection from man-eating giants referred to as titans.

To their defense, Korea wasn't the only country that banned the anime. Attack on Titan was known for its extreme violence, which made the series successful. This same reason is what made other countries move to have it banned. China took the most offense as the series seemingly portrays societies that are strikingly similar to Japan and China relations.

Do Koreans Make Their Own Anime?

Korea and Japan do have their difference. However, both still share trade and business investments. You may refer to them as dysfunctional siblings.

Aside from trade and business, their relationship included the anime industry as well. During the early development of Korea's anime industry in the 1960s, Japan outsourced work to Korean animators to the point where Japanese anime studious invested in Korean animation studios.

Over the years, Korean animation studios progressively developed their skills in the animation process. However, Korean anime production still occurs in either Japan or America. It was around the 1980s when Korean animation became an industry of its own.

It was during this time when Korea's entertainment industry started to progress. Korean dramas, movies, and music started to enter Japan. Unfortunately, this rapid growth affected the Koreans animation industry the least.

Even with this setback, The Korean animation industry was able to hold its place as the third-largest anime industry in the world. Korean animators are currently striving to make a name for themselves. Some popular Korean anime include:

• Leafie: A hen into the wild
• The King of Pigs
• Green Days: Dinosaur and I
• Seoul Station
• Yobi, The Five-Tailed Fox
• The Fake

Korean Anime has genres for most niches. Seoul Station, for instance, is a Zombie-thriller series that serves as a prequel to the live-action movie Train to Busan. It provides enough horror and thrill for the zombie genre enthusiasts.

Leafie: A Hen Into The Wild is another famous Korean anime inclined to a more moderate anime genre. It is a movie about a chicken that experiences difficult obstacles while caring for an adopted duckling child.

There are plenty of Korean anime genres available. Although it is not comparable to the number of Japanese animes out there, there is still enough to give each audience plentiful options.

With all these anime stuff happening, it's just safe to assume that there are Korean otakus that exist. And for travelers, South Korea is also home to big arcades and fantastic places, and we guarantee that you won't get bored in the country.

Bobbleheads: A Flexible Alternative For Expensive Nendoroids

Bobbleheads have become a remarkable part of American culture. It is not uncommon to see bobbleheads in gift stores, souvenir shops, on top of vehicle dashboards, desks, and on a collector's shelf. While it seems like a fun toy for children, bobbleheads can deliver significant business, especially for collectors and geek stores.

Bobbleheads, also known as nodders, wobblers, or bobbers, are small dolls with enlarged heads. The head appears larger compared to the body. A mechanism like spring, hook, or other individual parts connect the head to the rest of its body, allowing it to share from side to side, hence the name bobblehead.

Brief History Of Bobbleheads

Bobbleheads first appeared in a Russian short story, "The Overcoat," written by Nikolai Gogol. The author described the main character as someone who looked like a  bobblehead figure, having a big head that seemed even more prominent because he is bald.

Bobbleheads originated from Germany, although they resemble the string dolls of China and Japan. After the production, many have immortalized players and TV show characters by creating statues and figures that looked like them.

The first bobblehead figures come from paper maché and ceramic. As the models improved, doll makers created more bobblehead dolls of many other personalities. The most popular and rarest collectible of all time was "The Beatles" bobblehead set, and it is still a valuable collectible today.

In 1999, the San Francisco Giants baseball team handed out thousands of bobbleheads during their game. Thanks to that, bobbleheads were famously known and was used for more representations like a mini bobblehead, bobblehead banks, bobblehead air fresheners, etc.

Bobbleheads and Nendoroids

Nendoroids are a series of dolls created by the Japanese manufacturer Good Smile Company. Just like bobbleheads, Nendoroids come in the form of small dolls with oversized heads, with the intent to make them look more kawaii.

While bobbleheads are known for their wobbly heads, Nendoroids, on the other hand, have exchangeable faces and other body parts. This feature allows them to have a range of different facial expressions and body poses.

Compared to bobbleheads, Nendoroid creators only base from anime, manga, comics, and video games. Nendoroid companies usually create limited edition series from popular franchises monetizing from the excitement of the fandom.

Bobbleheads come in so many forms, kinds, and categories. There are bobbleheads for celebrities, sports teams, movie characters, etc.

Many options exist for each category. There are even stores that offer custom bobbleheads!

What Makes Bobbleheads A Collectible?

Apart from printed tees, posters, beloved stuff, and other stuff relevant to the fandom, statues like Nendoroids and bobbleheads emerge as one of a true fan's must-have. And the categories to exploit are endless!

Sports, popular movies, celebrities, mascots, and people from other media can turn into these dolls. Companies may even request customized bobbleheads or Nendoroids if they want to commemorate anyone, like in the case of the late Marvel legend, Stan Lee.

Some bobbleheads have insane amounts depending on their total production and the subject. While some may go for a few dollars, limited edition ones can soar up to thousands of dollars.

Popular Bobblehead Categories

Sports Bobbleheads

Sports bobbleheads are undeniably the most popular ones out there. Although it may be difficult to predict which ones will become more valuable, it is true that the most popular players or teams draw the most interest and thus having the most value. Those that commemorate a significant occasion spark the most attention as well, such as a player's induction to the hall of fame or a team's memorable win against a long-time rival.

For instance, vintage baseball bobbleheads can go for thousands of dollars, depending on its rarity and condition. In 2014, a New York Yankee bobblehead was sold for $59,750.

Celebrity Bobbleheads

Celebrity bobbleheads give fans a closer connection with their celebrity idols. These include Hollywood movie stars, wrestling superstars, or the movie character themselves.

Fans would spend tens of thousands of dollars for their favorite celebrity's lock of hair, used tissue, or any item that would serve as memorabilia. And this includes celebrity bobbleheads, especially those with autographs or ultra-rare crafts.

Johnny Depp, for instance, has widely sought after bobbleheads from his popular movie characters. These include bobbleheads from his iconic roles such as Willy Wonka in charlie and the chocolate factory, Edward in Edward scissor hands, Jack sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, and so many more.

Movie Character Bobbleheads

Some fans may favor movie characters as compared to the actors playing the role. It is valid for popular superhero and fantasy movies like Star Wars. The actors were basically of the fans' radar until they started playing their superhero roles.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe comprised of many superhero movies with various iconic characters. Avengers' Ironman and Captain America have their miniature versions of themselves in the geek market.

Custom Bobbleheads

While statues of stars and characters are easy to find, the case of customized figures varies greatly. As for custom Nendoroid seekers, there's no company that we know of that will create these kawaii figures of an unpopular fellow. Those who release Nendoroids will need to spend thousands of dollars for the mold alone, which means they need to conduct a feasibility study to see whether if it is profitable to create a Nendoroid figure of a particular character or not.

In this instance, bobbleheads appear as a much flexible choice. Partners who will soon marry, small souvenir sellers, and other people who find that custom figures make excellent gifts to persons dear to them can go with custom bobbleheads. Leave Nendoroids for the geek stuff and the ultra-rich.

Moreover, we know this store that creates custom bobbleheads for an affordable price.

Final Thoughts

The fondness for bobblehead figures may imply an addiction or represent our mental dependence on consumerism. Still, one thing is for sure — bobblehead toys have placed a mark in the American culture. There is no actual dopamine release, nor does it provide a sense of fulfillment, but it does give the people a sense of joy.

Although Nendoroids, give off that same feeling, Bobbleheads are still practical choices for custom souvenirs or gifts. They aren't as pricey, and getting one is very easy!