Animation in Korea on the up? Mad Monkey on rampage

It’s well known that the Japanese animation industry farms out a lot of its standard animation tasks to cheap labor in Korea and this often leads to the assumption that all Korean animation is, by definition, cheap-looking and mediocre compared with authentic anime. However, looking at the work of Studio Flying, this simply isn’t the case.

Their 2006 effort Aachi & Ssipak, a colourful adult satire, was well-received by fans of world cinema and their latest effort is the three episode OVA Mad Monkey; it boasts dark and violent action very reminiscent of the gritty Studio 4C anime-aesthetic, naturally fused with an enthusiasm and kineticism unique to Korea’s own Studio Flying. An exclusive clip of Mad Monkey has been posted on Twitch Film, but keep in mind, it contains adult themes.