Hutos - The Flying House

What do you think?Hutos - The Flying House is a new show made for preschoolers. It is made here in Korea and broadcast on KBS. This subway advertisement showcases the main characters. Do these characters strike you as very similar to another international hit show for preschoolers?Here's an abstraction of the main characters into basic shapes and colors. Don't they seem awfully familiar to you? Tell me what you think in the comments sections. I'll add more about Hutos to this post later.

UPDATE (March 15th, 2008): The similarities between Hutos and Teletubbies are not coincidental. Hutos is intended as the 'Korean Teletubbies'.The first obvious similarity is the character design. The characters are very similar colors as well as other design elements. The second similarity is in the structure of the show. It is undeniably like the Teletubbies. It is set in a beautiful nature reserve and they live in similar eco-friendly structures. The previews for this show even feature the characters posing in the same ways as Teletubbies and speaking baby talk as Teletubbies do. Although, in the actual show, a major difference is that the characters speak full sentences in Korean. And a further difference is that the show features music videos and animated segments (not beaming from their bellies).

Do you think that modeling Hutos so closely off of Teletubbies is a good idea? Here are some possible pros and cons:

Pros:

1. Teletubbies is a proven international success, so Hutos need not reinvent the wheel.
2. The similarities between the two shows helps audiences (parents) and global investors know exactly what to expect from this property.
3. Teletubbies rip-off or not, at least a Korean television program is gaining international interest. And anyways, nothing is ever completely original and it's not EXACTLY like Teletubbies.

Cons:

1. People may criticize Hutos as a blatant rip-off.
2. Is there a need for a Korean Teletubbies? There already is Teletubbies, so why bother with Hutos?
3. With all the financial backing for Hutos, the lack of originality is a missed opportunity for Korean talent to truly shine.

Hutos is a cute show that will likely have success on its own merits. The show looks beautiful. And, the heavy marketing can't hurt it either. However, will the Teletubbies similarities hurt or harm it? And what does Hutos reveal about the state of the Korean animation industry? Please share your thoughts.

Here are some links I found useful while researching this that you may too:

1. Episode of Hutos (with advertisements)
2. KOCCA: 'Hutos', KBS Young Kids Program, to develop a character manual

You Can't Do That On The Subway!

Seoul has a magnificent public transportation system: the subway. With so many people riding the subway daily, simple rules need to be set to assure the comfort of all passengers.

What better way to communicate these rules than through cartoons? Cartoons can lay down the law of the subway without coming across as being overly harsh. They also aren't boring.

The following images come from four campaigns using cartoons to teach subway passengers common courtesy.

Campaign 1:

These images are taken from various public service announcements placed on the subway.

This guy looks like he enjoys causing others discomfort. How rude!

I feel sorry for this poor big guy. Maybe it's not his fault he's bow-legged and has to sit like that.

Yikes! I hope this image doesn't plant any bad ideas in anyone's head.

This campaign proudly brought to you by KORAIL.

Campaign 2:

This public service announcement was placed on the wall of the subway station.

Here's a closer look.

This simple message brought to you by Seoul Metro.

Campaign 3:
This poster was displayed on a subway station wall. Here are closer views of what's on them:

The subway station man in the last three images seems to really dislike confrontation.

This campaign humbly brought to you by Seoul Metro.

Campaign 4:
This large illuminated display was also placed within the subway station.

Check out the zigzag line being used to represent yakking.

This last campaign brought to you by Seoul Metro. Peace out!

Which of the four campaigns do you like best?

I pick Campaign 1. Why? First of all, the cartoon characters effectively convey the intended message. Unlike Campaign 4, they aren't drawn so loosely that they lose their believability as living characters. And unlike Campaign 3, they aren't drawn so rigidly that they are trapped in a limited range of emotions. When I see these characters, I know exactly what they are feeling and what I'm not supposed to be doing on the subway. Second of all, the layout of the images are really good. The images read easily from a distance. The layout in Campaign 2 seems cluttered and a bit confusing. I think the artist behind Campaign 1 is excellent!

What do you think?