Tving original animation 'Terror Man' heralds the birth of a Korean-style dark hero.
Today (29) on Tving, the exclusively released 'Terror Man' is based on the popular webtoon of the same name that opens the start of YLAB's flagship hero franchise 'Superstring Universe', and depicts the story of high school student "Jeong-woo", who has eyes that sense misfortune, becoming a terrorist himself to save people and confronting a vast conspiracy. Marking the 10th anniversary of the 'Superstring Universe', the fact that 'Terror Man', which can be seen as the starting point of the universe, is reborn as an animation has generated hotter responses than ever, and we have pointed out thrilling viewing points you might find when you look closer.
#direction x art → music x voice cast too! the meeting of a production team that guarantees quality! well-made animation born 'expectations up'
The meeting of the production team that will portray the opening of a vast, unpredictable war with high quality raises expectations. Director Eom Sang-yong, who directed the second story of The Simpsons special episode "Treehouse of Horror XXXIII," which won the award for outstanding animated program at the 75th Emmy Awards, is directing, and Takahiro Umehara, who served as episode director for the Netflix original animation 'PLUTO', is the character animation director, guaranteeing quality. Director Eom Sang-yong said, "'Terror Man' is a series based on visual direction established through discussions with all staff from the early 'animatics' stage, and it is a work serialized on that basis," adding, "To dynamically portray changes in the work, we reinforced depictions of internal shock and conflict." Director Takahiro Umehara said that "respecting the original" was the top priority and stressed, "We analyzed the original closely and conducted thorough field research. We put a lot of effort into strengthening scenes and designing action, developing special effects unique to 'Terror Man', and building its color palette."
The 'Terror Man' production team also said they put much thought into music and the voice cast to recreate the emotion of the original. In particular, the participation of popular voice actors Lee Kyung-tae, Jang Mi, Eom Sang-hyun, Shim Kyu-hyuk, and Jeon Tae-yeol—who have been active in major animations such as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train, Maru Is a Dog, and The First Slam Dunk—raises fans' anticipation. Studio Bazooka, which planned and produced the work, said, "The core of voice casting was the 'hidden voice.' The key was who could best draw out the desperate stories and three-dimensional emotions hidden behind appearances," adding, "We are confident this lineup, finalized through fierce auditions, most authentically captured the 'trajectory of life' each character has lived. Beyond merely acting the roles, the voice actors' passionate performances that breathed soul into the characters will be heard in 'Terror Man.'" In addition, ZEROBASEONE member Kim Tae-rae participated in singing the opening song "Bomb Bomb", raising expectations for strong interest from global fans. The song "Bomb Bomb", impressive for its intensely driving sound, will be released today (29) at 6 p.m. on various music sites.
#a dark hero who 'sees misfortune' like nothing seen before! focus on the inner growth narrative
The growth narrative of the boy who senses misfortune, "Jeong-woo", from an ordinary high school student to a dark hero who shook Korea is undoubtedly the top viewing point. Studio Bazooka producer Lee Jong-Hyuk said, "'Terror Man' has the appearance of a superhero story, but at its core is the question, 'Why does an ordinary person make an extraordinary choice?' Jeong-woo's guilt, anger, and sense of responsibility drive the narrative." Director Takahiro Umehara, who compared this growth narrative to 'light and shadow', explained, "A terror act to prevent disaster saves many people but paradoxically can make others unhappy. Scarred and troubled by that contradiction, yet supported by comrades, Jeong-woo endures mental and physical training, confronts his sense of mission, and struggles—he is the dark hero himself." Director Eom Sang-yong added, "It depicts the process of a deficient and fragile boy standing as a hero. I hope the boy's overcoming of internal trauma through this process will feel moving."
#'action thrill + narrative' both captured! a feast of 'dopamine-exploding' action set against Korea's representative landmarks
The animation's realization of the original's charm and its highly complete action direction are expected to offer viewers the pleasure of watching. Director Takahiro Umehara said, "Even when aiming for acrobatic action, we tried to keep it from becoming unrealistic. We also added directorial fun to props such as firearms and bombs that make up the action." Producer Lee Jong-Hyuk also cited the action direction as a viewing point, saying, "To transfer the high-quality artwork of the webtoon to moving images, we aimed for action that conveys the characters' emotions and narrative, not merely flashy sequences. If you watch how the thrill of the action scenes and the moments when characters waver, hesitate, and resolve themselves are revealed within the action, you can enjoy 'Terror Man' more deeply." The locations that form the backdrop for cathartic action scenes are also special. The three pre-release videos previously unveiled drew attention for their thrilling action scenes set at Korea's representative landmarks, from Gwangandaegyo Bridge to Yanghwa Bridge and Seonyudo Park, and directors Eom Sang-yong and Takahiro Umehara both said they devoted great care to realizing the locations. Director Eom said, "We brought the large forms of the locations into the work to increase immersion," and Director Umehara added, "We visited the sites at the times when incidents occur in the work to survey traffic volume, passersby, ambient sounds, and changes in scenery over time." Attention is focused on the dopamine-exploding action scenes unfolding against realistic yet familiarly evocative backgrounds born from careful observation.
'Terror Man' will have all episodes (1–8) released on Tving today (29).
[Photo] Provided by Tving.
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