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Korea Herald
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
'Magic Candies' brings Oscar buzz to local screens
Oscar-nominated animated short marks first Korean children's book adaptation by major Japanese studio This year's dearth of Korean works at major film festivals and awards shows — no feature films made it to the Oscars or Cannes — has left local film fans searching for bright spots. One of the few silver linings came from an unexpected source: "Magic Candies," a 21-minute animated short based on Korean author Baek Hee-na's children's book that landed an Oscar nomination for best animated short film in January. With the short film now heading to Korean theaters, the children's book author Baek and Japanese producer Takashi Washio gathered for a press conference at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University in Seoul on Friday. While buzz around the film here largely centered on whether it would score an Oscar, Baek noted that awards were not the main draw for her. "When we made this animation, the goal wasn't commercial," she said. "Every time I write a book, what's really important to me is the personal feeling of having created something I can be proud of anywhere." The project marks the first collaboration between a Korean children's book and a major Japanese animation studio. It brings together established talents: Baek won the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2020 for her body of work, while Toei Animation's Washio and director Daisuke Nishio are industry veterans behind hits like "Pretty Cure" and "Dragon Ball Z." The film forgoes the sleek polish of mainstream animation in favor of something quirkier and more expressive. Its rough, textured look stays true to Baek's distinctive approach — she is known for building miniature sets with clay figures, then photographing them under carefully arranged lights to create her storybook illustrations. For Baek, who herself studied animation in college, preserving the original's handmade sensibility was crucial. "I was worried about losing the analog feel if it went CG," she said, referring to computer graphics. The back-and-forth took nearly a year. "They said they'd create CG models of all the characters first and show me. If I liked it, then I'd give permission." That attention to detail extended beyond aesthetics. Washio, working with Korean material for the first time, took pains to capture the authentic local feel. "We did location scouting in Seoul several times," he explained. "I told the director I saw a lot of magpies when I came to Korea, and he looked it up and found out magpies are Korea's national bird. That's how we got to put one the opening scene." The film combines Baek's original "Magic Candies" with elements from another work ,"I Am a Dog," for a more complete narrative arc. "When I first read 'Magic Candies,' I thought it might be too short for a film," Washio said. "But after reading 'I Am a Dog,' I thought it was excellent and would work well from Dong-Dong's perspective." The cross-cultural collaboration paid off beyond expectations. The film has won eight awards across seven international festivals and earned official invitations to over 30 others before landing its Oscar nomination. The biggest revelation for Baek came from something she had never considered. "When I write picture books, I think a lot about the characters' expressions and movements, so seeing them move wasn't that surprising," she said. "But I'd never imagined the character's voice. So when I first heard Dong-Dong speak, I got really emotional — it was like I'd eaten a magic candy myself."
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Japan Production Service Firm Wowow Bridge Secures First Projects, Makes Exec Hire
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Wowow Bridge, the Tokyo-based production services firm launched by Japan's premium pay TV broadcaster Wowow last summer, has locked down its first pair of projects. The company is servicing the Tokyo shoot for the series finale of FBI: International from Universal Television, Wolf Entertainment and CBS Studios. The series finale shoot follows Wowow Bridge's extensive Japan servicing work on the recently wrapped Neuromancer, Skydance and Anonymous Content's much anticipated big-budget sci-fi drama series that will premiere globally on Apple TV+. Wowow planted its flag in the production services business last year in hopes of encouraging and profiting from a recent surge of industry interest in Japan-set live-action content. The Wowow Bridge subsidiary was set up to provide a full suite of services to international film and television projects targeting shoots in Japan. The company's decision to launch a production services arm grew from its experience as a co-producer of Max's acclaimed crime series Tokyo Vice. The show's executive producer, Kayo Washio, who serves as Wowow's head of U.S. operations and chief producer for international co-productions, acquisitions and distribution, was instrumental in bringing the show to Japan and supplying an array of on-the-ground relationships. More from The Hollywood Reporter Key to the company's play is Japan's newly launched and still modest international production incentive. The incentive offers a cash rebate of up to 50 percent on qualifying expenses, capped at 1 billion yen (about $7 million). Wowow Bridge secured incentive funding for all three of the projects it has worked on to date. Wowow's Washio was instrumental in lobbying for the creation of the Japan incentive in the months and years leading up to Tokyo Vice's first season shoot in 2022. On the executive front, Wowow Bridge says it recently brought on board veteran producer Mitsutoshi Hamazaki (Tokyo Vice, Earthquake Bird, Snake Eyes), one of the surprisingly few experienced hands in Japan with credits on international productions. Hamazaki will serve as the primary line producer for all of Wowow Bridge's Japan shoots. 'We hired Mitsutoshi because I saw firsthand how invaluable he was during Tokyo Vice Season 1,' said Washio. 'I believe he's the best line producer in Japan and together we're building the strongest possible team to support international productions.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
