`Larva` animation producers talk about success secret

Funny facial expressions and bodily gestures by the main characters “Red" and “Yellow" in the popular animation series “Larva” start from their body, not from the brain. “If staff members make facial expressions of an idiot, they are effectively engaged in production work.”

The Dong-A Ilbo met with director Maeng Ju-gong, artist Kang Min-seong ,and story team leader Ahn Byeong-wook, the trio in charge of “fun” in the series who have been participating in the project since the beginning of Season 1 in 2009.

The Korean animation “Larva,” whose Season 2 began airing on state-run Korea Broadcasting System, is gaining popularity overseas as well. The format of the show, which proceeds without dialogue in a short time of 90 seconds, has dismantled language barriers. Due to word-of-mouth advertisement based in YouTube, the series has brought about licensing contracts with companies in more than 20 countries, including the U.S. and European and Asian nations. The series is projected to rake in 10 billion won (8.9 million U.S. dollars) in sales this year.

Director Maeng cited the philosophy “Absolutely funny” as the key factor for Larva’s immense success. Two larvae living underground effectively display the culmination of slapstick as they exchange joyful bodily gestures and facial expressions. Because they have no limbs and the face accounts for most of their body, comical facial expressions are the bread and butter of this animation. “As we study facial expressions by frowning, we sometimes feel pain on facial muscles. But we are not afraid of getting freakish,” Maeng said.

Artist Kang was hired because he was so funny at his job interview. Because staff enjoy free working environment, there is no specific time for meetings to discuss storylines. “If an idea occurs as we playfully talk to each other, we convene a meeting right away. For instance, when we talk about `sweat in armpit,’ we reflected it in a Season 2 episode. It features the story of larva that shows hilarious bodily comedy, as they seek to dodge sweat projected like water gun from the armpit from a dung beetle.”

Larva was produced with a plan to export to foreign markets from the very beginning. Yellow and Red live at “52nd avenue in New York,” and they play ping pong and eat spaghetti. They don’t play glass ball game or game of slap match, because people overseas don’t know these well and only Koreans enjoy them. Ahn said, “Web comments are posted even in Arabic language on the YouTube channel. This illustrates that people from all different countries sympathize with and enjoy this animation.”

The production team is currently working to produce a 100-minute animation for release through movie theaters with the aim of premiering next year. As some critics said “Without having dialogue, the show will hardly fill such long running time,” they almost changed the format once to one, in which Yellow and Red talk to each other. But the team shifted the direction of the format to merely include a girl character that speaks. Maeng said, “If larva talk, concept of the show that has been followed thus far will have to be dumped. As people from all walks of life have enjoyed the show, we will create an animation movie that family members can enjoy together.”