Chapter 115 – Comic, Slaughter Machine
The full scenario of Brave King, from beginning to end.
Before they started the actual work, the team had discussed it together once.
During that process, Han Yu-ra had jumped in saying it looked fun, read the scenario, and added a few comments.
But……
‘That and understanding this properly are two completely different things.’
It was almost the only part that wouldn’t affect the future story and could be handled independently.
A character who wouldn’t appear at all in this current daily life episode, yet would consume a massive amount of production resources in the latter half.
And the direction Kang Min-hyuk wanted to take was already clearly set.
It was the host character, Coup-ler.
But at this very moment.
As if finding a single needle on a sandy beach, Han Yu-ra had precisely pinpointed that spot.
At that time, Kim Rok-hee asked Min-hyuk,
“Is it really okay to proceed with that?”
“Yeah, I think it’ll be fine. If we handle just that part first… there shouldn’t be any problems.”
“Whew… Then let’s do it that way for now.”
“Yokatta.”
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
The problems with the daily life part hadn’t disappeared right away, but……
At least this would buy them some time for a while.
Then, Kim Rok-hee smiled brightly and asked,
“Yu-ra, how did you know all that? Have you been thinking that much about Brave King? Otherwise, I don’t think you could have figured out even that much.”
Her voice was clearly full of mischief.
The moment it reeked of pure malice, Han Yu-ra nodded and answered,
“Of course I thought about it a lot. Extremely.”
“Ooooh, why though~?”
“Because I have to completely crush Kang Min-hyuk.”
“…Huh?”
Completely… crush?
An awkward smile appeared on the three people’s faces.
Han Yu-ra slowly closed her eyes and then opened them again before continuing,
“To beat Kang Min-hyuk, I obviously need to understand what kind of comic that guy is trying to make and how he plans to run the whole thing, right? So of course I thought about it a lot. From the first page to the last, I can see the entire content and future flow of Brave King clearly.”
“Aaah……”
“Tch, boring.”
“Boring? What is?”
“Nothing.”
Min-hyuk scratched his forehead.
‘Even if someone has strong competitive spirit… is it normal to go this far?’
He was the one receiving help, but there was something about Han Yu-ra’s obsession that sent a chill down his spine.
He honestly thought it was fortunate she wasn’t his enemy.
At that moment, Han Yu-ra took a sip of her canned coffee and said,
“Besides, we have that proper head-cooling event in a few days, right? Who knows? Maybe changing the mood there will bring out something new.”
“Head-cooling event?”
“What was it again……”
When Dong-gyo and Min-hyuk tilted their heads in confusion, Rok-hee clapped her hands as if she just remembered.
“Ah! The picnic? You’re talking about the SECAF trip we decided on, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Ah……”
He had been so mentally exhausted and distracted that he had completely forgotten. Only now did Min-hyuk nod as the memory came back.
- Alright, next Friday is our class picnic. This time, our comic creation department decided to participate in SECAF, which is being held near the Myeongdong Animation Center.
- SECAF?
- Ah, isn’t that that animation event or something?
SECAF (Seoul Cartoon & Animation Festival).
A festival hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, centered around comics and animation.
They screen hard-to-see animations in partnership with nearby movie theaters, and hold special comic exhibitions at the Animation Center below Namsan.
In 2024, when Min-hyuk had come, the event had been heavily reduced due to COVID……
And had almost disappeared because of it.
But at this point in time, it was probably one of the largest festivals of its kind in the world.
It was a fairly large-scale comic and animation event held in Korea.
Given the nature of Animation High, there was no reason to miss it.
In fact, it would be strange not to take advantage of it.
Not only did it serve as an experiential learning opportunity, but they could also utilize the tourism infrastructure near Myeongdong (Bukchon, Seoul N Tower). Where else could you find such a perfect location for an autumn picnic?
Even more meaningfully, the very first episode of Brave King, ‘Goblin of Namsan,’ was set in the area around Seoul N Tower on Namsan Mountain.
Min-hyuk nodded slowly.
‘So she thinks we might gain some realization or hint there.’
Han Yu-ra’s words were just like how she had gained a hint for her grade project while playing badminton during the sports festival……
If they were lucky, it probably meant they could have a similar experience.
“That’s a good idea. If we go there, we’ll definitely… be able to gain some inspiration.”
“Inspiration?”
“Yeah. It’s Namsan, after all. The very first episode of Brave King started there too.”
As Min-hyuk said this with a slight smile, Yu-ra frowned……
Thwack!
She flicked Kang Min-hyuk hard on the forehead and said,
“Kang Min-hyuk, you’re fine in a lot of ways, but… you really need to learn how to listen to people properly.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
When Min-hyuk blinked and asked back, Han Yu-ra let out a sigh.
“Rest means rest. Empty your head, look at some interesting comics, breathe the Namsan air, eat delicious food. Only when you actually rest like that will your brain start working again, you know?”
“Ah……”
The three of them stared at Yu-ra with dazed expressions.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, it’s just surprising to hear you say something like that…”
“…Even for me, Yu-ra. It’s surprising that you’re saying something so ‘human-like.’”
“How exactly do you guys usually see me?”
When Yu-ra tilted her head and asked back, the answers came immediately as if they had been waiting.
“A comic-obsessed maniac?”
“An emotionless comic slaughter machine.”
“…A comic villain.”
At that, wrinkles formed on Han Yu-ra’s forehead.
“Hand it over.”
As she reached for the canned drink on the table,
“S-Sorry, Yu-raaa!”
“It was a joke! A joke!”
“Khm! I just got swept up in the atmosphere! Gomen gomen!”
The three quickly snatched their drinks back and tried to take back their words.
***
That Friday, Myeongdong…… in front of the parking lot of the Seoul Animation Center.
In front of the chartered bus from Animation High.
The 1st to 3rd year students from the Comic Creation Department and Animation Department were gathered in large numbers.
“Alright, all 25 first-years are here with no one missing, right?”
“Yeees.”
“Yes, teacher!”
Choi Jung-an smiled brightly as she spoke, and the students replied.
She clapped her hands and continued,
“It is now 10 o’clock. Today’s picnic schedule is… free time on your own, then we gather back here at 4 o’clock! You can handle your own meals, but make sure you don’t miss the director’s talk session afterward, so don’t be late. For the stamp tour, you only need to attend three or more events.”
“Yeees!”
The picnic plan was simple.
After free time, gather at 4 o’clock to watch one animation screening together, attend the director’s talk session, and then disperse.
It seemed the school planned to control the students by giving stamps for each SECAF event they attended and offering small goods once enough stamps were collected.
It was a very Animation High-like approach that respected the students’ creativity (though how exactly it related to creativity was unclear).
Then……
“Where should we go first~?”
“Let’s head down the hill while looking around. It’s better to eat lunch near the station anyway.”
“Let’s gooo!”
Groups of close friends moved together in threes and fives.
Some headed straight into the Animation Center, others went down the slope, and some headed to the cable car station to go up to Seoul N Tower.
Watching this scene,
“Khm, this… really reminds me of the first episode of Brave King.”
Dong-gyo nodded while adjusting his glasses.
The Goblin King of Namsan.
Because he had used this exact background almost as it was when drawing it……
If anyone had read the comic, it would be impossible not to recognize it.
Then,
Thud!
Han Yu-ra kicked Oh Dong-gyo in the shin and said,
“Stop talking about that.”
“B-But… I can’t help it if it comes to mind.”
“Then I have a way to make you erase that thought and enjoy the picnic 300%.”
Yu-ra said this while tightly clenching her fist.
With her signature cat-like face and sharp gaze, it somehow felt…
As if killing intent was radiating from her.
In the end……
“…Gomen.”
Overwhelmed by the momentum, Dong-gyo stumbled backward.
At that moment, Rok-hee picked up the event brochure placed in front of the Animation Center and said,
“Come on, everyone, stop bickering. Let’s go enjoy ourselves too! There are so many fun things here!”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
So this was what it meant to… enjoy the picnic.
‘Well, maybe a day like this is necessary once in a while.’
After that, the recreation time for Team Brave King (+ Han Yu-ra) began.
“It’s close, so let’s start here.”
“Okay.”
They started with the exhibition inside the Animation Center.
There were displays from animation studios and comic magazines gathered from all over the world.
Among them were popular works they had often seen……
And also comics that had never even been imported to Korea, so Min-hyuk and his group kept clicking photos nonstop.
“Ooooh! It’s the Tokyo Animation Special Exhibition! Th-this is Nichijus!”
“What’s Nichijus?”
“Min-hyuk-kun, you don’t know Nichijus? The legend of the 4-panel comic world! The flagship series of Monthly Shonen Base! The comic with the famous line ‘Our daily life is actually a series of miracles’! It was recently animated too, you know?”
“Aaah, Nichijus. I’ve seen it too. I just didn’t recognize it because it was in Japanese.”
“Yare yare… This is why…”
Whenever Dong-gyo got overly excited and started spouting otaku jargon during the process,
Thud!
“Lower your voice, otaku.”
“M-My words are harsh, Yu-ra-san…”
“I’m just stating facts.”
From time to time, Han Yu-ra suppressed Dong-gyo with elbow strikes and low kicks.
Besides that,
“This is Mangkkong-I Medal, right?”
“Wow, I used to see this a lot when I was a kid. Brings back memories, real memories.”
Yoon Seung-hoon, Lee Hyun-mo, Yoon Jun-man, and others.
They were exhibiting works by veteran Korean comic artists they had grown up with, along with original manuscripts……
And information on the role each artist or work played in the history of Korean comics.
“Hmm… So this was the position of these comics back then.”
The Korean comic history and flow that Kang Min-hyuk knew well ranged from the dawn of printed comics to the revival period of the webtoon era.
Encountering the other parts of history in this way felt as exciting as a history enthusiast watching a documentary.
And also,
“Oh, they have a workshop here to make the dice headband that appeared in Nichijus!”
“Let’s try it, let’s try it! It looks so cute!”
There were corners where visitors could make headbands like the ones the comic characters wore.
“Mommyyyy! I want to see this!”
“Ahahaha! It’s so fun!”
Character mascots in full costumes walked around for the children attending the event, and staff made balloon dogs and flowers to give away……
Overall, the composition had a perfect balance between ‘festival’ and ‘comic fans.’
In addition, there were booths from magazine publishers currently releasing printed comics.
“Please take a look at our work.”
“It’s a new series!”
From small publishers releasing indie comics…… to relatively large publishers.
“Come come, it’s Jump Comics! We have a prize draw, so stop by!”
“Just take a number ticket and line up!”
Jump Comics also had a spot.
There was even quite a long line.
Dong-gyo shouted excitedly,
“Ooooh, Jump Comics! Yu-ra-san, shouldn’t you at least go say hello to the editors?”
“Do I have to?”
“Let’s get in line, I want to get a signature!”
“But… who’s doing the signing session?”
Rok-hee walked forward, poked her head out to check, and then said with an awkward smile,
“It says it’s Crow King’s Shin Yo-seop artist.”
“Huh?”
That person was participating here?
Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise.
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