15+1 Great Animation Movies from S. Korea

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Although not as famous or as many as their Japanese counterparts, Korean animated films also have a long history
and a number of titles that have nothing to envy from anime, both in terms of context and artistry. In this list, we tried to include a number of the most significant ones that prove the aforementioned fact, as always, with a focus on diversity (with the exception of Yeo Sang-ho who has shot a number of great ones). In that regard, the +1 in the title refers to a student film, that we felt should be included in such a list. Without further ado, here are 16 of the best animated movies Korea has to offer

1. Afternoon Class (Oh Seo-ro, 2014)

Up-and-coming independent animator Oh Seo-ro dedicates his graduation film to none other than school itself — or at least, trying to stay awake in class. As our unnamed hero struggles against the weight of a bowling ball, of bricks, and even a pseudo-hallucinatory dream sequence, Oh Seo-ro captures the ubiquitous struggle through the art of metaphor. Time flies in this delightful 4-minute short. (Grace Han)

2. Beauty Water (Cho Kyung-hun, 2020)

“Beauty Water” is an intriguing entry into the body-horror sub-genre. Based on an interesting premise, the director explores the relationship of beauty and self, making a provocative statement of a trend, which is not restricted to his home country but whose repercussions can be felt all around the world. (Rouven Linnarz)

3. Crimson Whale (Park Hye-mi, 2014)

Park Hye-mi creates a hopeless world in a distinct dystopian setting, where violence (occasionally quite graphically depicted), inhumanity, unlawfulness and despair are the main forces guiding the actions of humans. Ha-jin is a product of this world, which has made her very tough, but her actual nature is revealed when she becomes friends with the pirates and finally lets go, as exemplified in the scene where Sang-won fixes her hair, finally making her look like an actual girl. Hope is presented in the form of an island, in a clear metaphor that states that the road to happiness is always difficult, “guarded” by huge difficulties, in this case symbolized by the monster-whale. The film also includes a harsh ecologic message that shows that the planet has reacted to the abuse of humans in the worst possible way. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

4. Doggy Poo (Kwon Oh-sung, 2003)

When making a list of likely characters for a film, dog poo would not even make the cut and a story featuring it sounds even more like a wrong idea. However, the short film “Doggy Poo” , by Kwon Oh-sung proofs these assumptions wrong. The film brings us a story about perseverance and finding one’s purpose in life. Like the 1968 book by Kwon Jung-saeng that it was based on, “Doggy Poo” aims at a young audience, which is partly the reason for its success. The claymation technique gives the poo a very tactile connotation, but at the same time the design, echoing the book illustrations by Annie Rose Godsman, is very cute making the main character adorable and likeable. For children, “Doggy Poo” is an adventurous story and for adults, once they put aside their discomfort, the plights and insecurities of the main character are definitely relatable. This makes “doggy Poo” a film that can be enjoyed by the whole family (Nancy Fornoville)

5. The Fake (Yeon Sang-ho, 2013)

After bullying, Yeon Sang-ho decided to deal with the world of religious cults, in an approach that is as pointy as usually in his animated work, taking on the concept of faith through a thriller revolving around the “feud” between a good person who lies and a bad person telling the truth. (Panos Kotzathanasis)